Garry Marshall: Television Titan

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Although he's perhaps best known for his visionary directing work on such classic films as Pretty Woman, Exit To Eden, and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, you may be surprised to learn that the inimitable Garry Marshall has also done extensive work on the small screen! The following is a list of the pioneering programs that Garry had a hand in as creator and/or executive producer (along with a few extra gems that might never have made their way into our hearts and homes without him!). I know it's a hard choice, but which one is your favorite?

Poll Results

OptionVotes
The Odd Couple (1970–75) 7
Mork & Mindy (1978–1982) 5
Joanie Loves Chachi (1982–83) 1
Angie (1979–80) 1
Happy Days (1974–84) 1
Laverne and Shirley (1976–1983) 0
The New Odd Couple (1982–83) 0
Me and the Chimp (1972) 0
Mean Jeans (1981) 0
Laverne and Shirley In The Army (1981) 0
Fonz And The Happy Days Gang (1980) 0
Makin' It (1979) 0
The Brian Keith Show (1974) 0
Who's Watching the Kids (1978) 0
Walkin' Walter (1977) 0
Blansky's Beauties (1977) 0
Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour (1982) 0


SNEEZED GOING DOWN STEPS, PAIN WHEN PUTTING SOCKS ON (Deric W. Haircare), Sunday, 19 February 2012 06:24 (thirteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI1M1kyDpic

‘Neuroscience’ and ‘near death’ pepper (Eazy), Sunday, 19 February 2012 06:27 (thirteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F47AfASOnA8

i think you'd be cool to meet. i bet we'd have a lot to talk about (buzza), Sunday, 19 February 2012 06:29 (thirteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtvaTdc_qIc&feature=related

Any other shows than Alice where this is true?

Opening credits for the short-lived 1979 TV series "Makin' It", starring David Naughton (who performs the hit theme song)

--haha xpost!

‘Neuroscience’ and ‘near death’ pepper (Eazy), Sunday, 19 February 2012 06:30 (thirteen years ago)

Naughton was cast because of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aorSzrnWBT8

Let A Man Come In And Do The Cop Porn (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Sunday, 19 February 2012 07:08 (thirteen years ago)

odd couple, easy

liked a bunch of these during my peak sitcom years, basically mork & mindy's run

Little GTFO (contenderizer), Sunday, 19 February 2012 08:20 (thirteen years ago)

Any other shows than Alice where this is true?

uh, this guy did it four times

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHA_K0XZ2Hc

Θ ̨Θƪ (sic), Sunday, 19 February 2012 14:19 (thirteen years ago)

wtf is "Mean Jeans"?!?

"the odd couple" is not only one of the best sitcoms ever, it is actually better than the movie on which it was based.

Puppenmeister Meisterpuppen (Eisbaer), Sunday, 19 February 2012 15:54 (thirteen years ago)

^Seconded. What's even close to The Odd Couple here, Laverne and Shirley? Mindy and Joanie Love the Chimp?

Josefa, Sunday, 19 February 2012 17:13 (thirteen years ago)

OMG, completely forgot about Blansky's Beauties.

Dalai Mixture (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 19 February 2012 17:23 (thirteen years ago)

Although many of the others I still
don't remember

Dalai Mixture (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 19 February 2012 17:27 (thirteen years ago)

Walkin' Walter

WONDERIN': verb or adjective?

OWLS 3D (R Baez), Sunday, 19 February 2012 17:40 (thirteen years ago)

wtf is "Mean Jeans"?!?.

TV version of So Fine?

Dalai Mixture (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 19 February 2012 17:56 (thirteen years ago)

IMDb doesn't even have a synopsis for it but check out Walkin' Walter:

"The story of Walkin' Walter, a free-spirited ex-vaudevillian who moves in with and freeloads off of his long-lost brother's wife and her two foster children."

So what was his vaudeville act? Some kinda of Bruce Nauman-esque stroll in square formation?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qml505hxp_c

Kevin John Bozelka, Sunday, 19 February 2012 18:47 (thirteen years ago)

one of my favorite all-time sitcom moments (in all sincerity)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcbDxWU45zw

Puppenmeister Meisterpuppen (Eisbaer), Sunday, 19 February 2012 19:28 (thirteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiKN6uRsTM0

Fonz Hour (Eazy), Sunday, 19 February 2012 20:10 (thirteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtW6wS3z97Q

I believe I've read that Fonz & The Happy Days Gang more closely captures the original vision that informed the compromised creation of Happy Days. It just took technology a little while to catch up with the mind of Garry Marshall.

SNEEZED GOING DOWN STEPS, PAIN WHEN PUTTING SOCKS ON (Deric W. Haircare), Sunday, 19 February 2012 20:31 (thirteen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Wednesday, 29 February 2012 00:01 (thirteen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Thursday, 1 March 2012 00:01 (thirteen years ago)

not surprised that "the odd couple" won (as well it should). i am a bit surprised that there's so little love for "happy days" or "laverne and shirley" (neither of which have aged well and both of which are pretty dumb from puberty onwards -- which may be the answers to that puzzle -- then again, neither had Robin Williams as a regular so that by itself should count in its favor).

kurwa mać (Polish for "long life") (Eisbaer), Thursday, 1 March 2012 05:28 (thirteen years ago)


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