love and the happy days

George Lucas had asked to screen the unsold pilot of Garry Marshall's, NEW FAMILY IN TOWN (1971) to decide if he were going to use Ron Howard in his movie American Graffiti (as character Steve Bolander). The television pilot never sold, but was used as as an episode of the comedy anthology LOVE AMERICAN STYLE. The episode was renamed LOVE AND THE HAPPY DAYS. I remember seeing this show when it aired as a Love American Style episode.

AMERICAN GRAFFITI generated an huge nostalgia of the 1950's (early 60's), so ABC offered Howard the series HAPPY DAYS. I remember enjoying this show the first few years, and lost interest long before Fonzie jumped the shark. The early seasons were very enjoyable - even though they were a candy coated idealization of yesteryear. Graffiti, I don't see as such an idealization.