Happy Days/Family Matters

[SimpsonsFan]

Happy Days and Family Matters have alot in common:

1. produced by same people(Miller/Bickley)
2. small character takes over show(Fonzie/Urkel)
3. one of 3 kids mysteriously disappears(Chuck/Judy)
4. disappearing child played by different actors(Chuck played by 3 people/ Judy played by Valerie Jones in 1st eps. then Jaimme Foxworth after that
5. big father gets annoyed by then stands up for lead character(Mr. C/Carl)
6. 4 buddies hanging out(Fonzie,Richie,Ralph,Potsie/Urkel,Eddie,Waldo,Weasel)
7. characters with funny nicknames(Warren Webber-Potsie/Alex Park-Weasel)
8. characters with rhyming 1st/last names(Ralph Malph/Waldo Geraldo Faldo)
9. theme songs change(Rock Around The Clock then Happy Days/What A Wonderful World then As Days Go By)
10. intended star eventually leaves show(Ron Howard left after 7 seasons/Jo Marie Payton left halfway through season 9)
11. popular hang-out burns down and is replaced with new one(Arnold's is burned down then rebuilt/Leroy's is burned down and rebuilt as Rachel's Place)
12. youngest daughter gets annoyed by, then falls in love with certain character(Joanie couldn't stand Chachi, then they fall in love and get married/Laura couldn't stand Steve, then they fall in love and are engaged to be married
13. characters in love with themselves/ladie's man(Fonzie/Eddie)
14. Fonzie/Eddie had many girlfriends then finally settle down with one girl(Ashley/Greta)

[SimpsonsFan]

15. lead character moves in with family(Fonz moves in w/Cunninghams/Urkel moves in w/Winslows)
16. 2 long-running ABC sitcoms(HD-11 seasons/FM-9 seasons, although ABC canceled it after 8
17. lead character makes Bravos's top 100 most memorable TV characters(Fonz-#4/Urkel-#98)

[SimpsonsFan]

18. only a few original characters left in last season(HD-Fonzie,Mr./Mrs.C,Joanie/FM-Carl,Laura,Eddie)
19. lead character spends Christmas w/family to avoid being alone(Fonz spent Christmas w/Cunninghams during 2nd season to avoid being alone/Urkel spent Christmas w/Winslows to avoid being alone during 2nd season)

[SimpsonsFan]

20. Sets change(HD house looked different in 1st 2 seasons/FM living room,kitchen looked alot different in early eps)
21. Winslows had dog for 1 eps/Fonzie had dog for 1 eps
22. Fozie had a dance contest/Steve had a dance contest

(I think the reason the eps are similar is because some were written/produced by same people.)

Any additions, questions, comments, or corrections?

[anglemark10]

Any additions, questions, comments, or corrections?
Yep. Fonzie had a dog for two episodes.

[SimpsonsFan]

Yep. Fonzie had a dog for two episodes.

Oh yeah, thanks. Wasn't there also an eps of HD where some girls had a geek party, similar to the one on FM?

[anglemark10]

Sure was: "Fonzie Versus the She Devils." I don't know how similar it is to the Family Matters episode, though. I haven't seen that show in many, many years.

[SimpsonsFan]

The geek party on FM involved a college sorority, so I guess it's a little different, but that could still count as a similarity, so we're up to 23.

[SimpsonsFan]

24. When Marion's back went out, she had to hang across a door to get it fixed/when Carl's back went out on FM he had to be hung on a door to get it fixed.

[HDFan]

In one of the later episodes of FM, Urkel mentions something about dressing up as members of the Happy Days cast to Carl or someone else. Urkel is to FM as the Fonz is to Happy Days

[Brieannas21]

Also On Family Matters, Steve sued Carl over a BBQ accident (I think it was the BBQ accident) and on Happy Days Mr.C sued Fonzie over the roof falling in.