getting home to watch "happy days." >> it was a revolution. networks targeted 18 to 49-year-olds not necessarily with family sitcoms but with friend sitcoms. >> laverne defazio and shirley feeney. >> gary marshal said we got this part on happy days. the show we did was a double date with fonzie and richie. >> and a hanky. is that for showing? or for blowing? >> they were incredibly, individually funny. >> is anybody upstairs gonna run down and call me a nasty name? >> and then, gary got the idea to spin them off into their own series. >> laverne and shirley. >> my jesus and my beatles was laverne and shirley. >> everyone identified with laverne and shirley because we were best friends. >> and just the opening song. who didn't love that?
>> laverne and shirley is about two working-class girls who struggle to make ends meet. working at a brewery. going out at night. >> and, you know, really so nice to see two women at the center of a sitcom. >> laverne and shirley, through the lens of the '50s, were able to say a lot about what women were striving to accomplish in the '70s. >> women were more apt to want to go out and work. and not get married right after high school. >> well, have fun down at unemployment. >> i'll meet guys. >> unemployed guys. >> shirley is the quintessential girl who wants to get married, have the white-picket fence around the house. >> okay. say we go to this party and you meet this wonderful guy. you think he's gonna marry you? >> stranger things have been known to happen. >> laverne just wanted to have a good time.
to go out and work and not get married right after high school. >> well, have fun down at unemployment. >> we'll meet guys. >> unemployed guys. >> shirley is the quintessential girl who wants to get married, have the white picket fence around the house. >> okay. say, we go to this party and you meet this wonderful guy. you think he's going to marry you? >> stranger things have been known to happen. >> laverne just wanted to have a good time. >> the mad hatter did not wear fishnet stockings. >> well, that's why he didn't get any action. >> they were physical comediennes the likes of which hadn't been seen since lucy. what they figured out to do with making a bed, it's way beyond my pay grade. >> "laverne & shirley" was number one for i don't know how many seasons. it just went off the charts ridiculous and it felt like it
name? everyone identified with lavern and shirley because we are best friends. laverne and shirley is about two class struggling to make ends meet. >> working at a brewery. >> it is nice to see two women at the center of sitcom. >> they threw the lens in the 50s, able to say what women were trying to strive in the '70s. women want to go out and work and not get married right after high school. >> well, have fun. >> we'll meet guys.
was for us. ♪ dreams come true ♪ ♪ for me and you ♪ >> president ford today proclaimed february to be national black history month. >> in light of the success of the friends sitcoms like "happy days" and "laverne & shirley" abc decided they wanted to create a story about black teenagers. >> "what's happening" skewed younger. there were these kids in watts just going out and hanging out at the diner like teenagers in the 1950s like white kids going to the malt shop. >> hey, duane, rerun. >> "what's happening" opened the entire world to black teenagers, who are best friends. >> betty's folks are out of town. so you know it's going to be the party of the year. >> it was based around the
is that for showing or for blowing? >> they were incredibly individually funny. >> is anybody upstairs going to run down and call me a nasty name? >> and then garry got the idea to spin them off into their own series. >> it we top "laverne and shirley"? >> my jesus and my beatles was laverne and shirley. everyone identified with "laverne and shirley" because we were best friends. and just the opening song schlemiel, schlimazel. ♪ hasenpfeffer incorporated ♪ >> who didn't love that? ♪ give us any chance we'll take it ♪ >> "laverne and shirley" is about two working-class girls who struggle to make ends meet working at a brewery, going out at night. >> and you know, really so nice to see two women at the center of a sitcom. >> laverne & shirley through the lens of the '50s were able to say a lot about what women were striving to accomplish in the '70s. >> women were more apt to want
>> say you go to this party and you meet this wonderful guy, do you think he's going to married you? >> laverne just wanted to have a good time. >> what they figured out to do with making a bed and -- it is way beyond my pay grade. >> laverne and shirley was number one for -- i don't know how many seasons. it went off the chart ridiculous and it felt for us.
president ford, today, proclaimed february to be national black history month. >> in light of the success of the "friends" sitcoms like happy days and laverne and shirley, abc decided that they wanted to create a story about black teenagers. >> what's happening skewed younger. here was these kids just going and like hanging out down at the diner like teenagers in the 1950s. like the white kids going to the malt shop. >> hey, duane. >> hey, what's happening? >> opened the entire world to black teenagers who are best friends. >> and betty's folks are out of town so you know it's going to be the party of the year. >> it was based around the friendships of -- um -- rerun and raj. >> rerun could dance. then, you had duane with the big fro. >> hey, hey, hey. >> hey, hey, hey, what's happening? >> d, the sister, was like my sister. >> you always broke and you can't hold down a steady job. >> his mother was like my moms. she beat him.
laverne and shirley. >> everyone identified with laverne and shirley because we were best friends. >> and just the opening song. who didn't love that? >> laverne and shirley is about two working-class girls who struggle to make ends meet working at a brewery. going out at night. >> and, you know, really so nice to see to women at the center of a sitcom. >> laverne and shirley, through the lens of the '50s, were able to say a lot about what women were striving to accomplish in the '70s. >> women were more apt to want to go out and work, and not get married right after high school. >> well, have fun down at unemployment. >> i'll meet guys. >> unemployed guys. >> shirley is the quintessential girl who wants to get married. have the white-picket fence
around the house. >> okay. say we go to this party and you meet this wonderful guy. you think he's going to marry you? >> stranger things have been known to happen. >> laverne just wanted to have a good time. >> the mad hatter did not wear fishnet stockings. >> well, that's why he didn't get any action. >> they were physical comediennes. the likes of which, hadn't been seen since lucy. what they figured out to do with making a bed. it's way beyond my pay grade. >> laverne and shirley was number one for i don't know how many seasons. it just went off the charts ridiculous and it felt like it was for us.