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Happy Days

(Rated TV-G, Comedy, Starring Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, Tom Bosley, Where to watch: TV Land, Syndicated, DVD)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 5, age appropriate for kids over 7; suggested age 7.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Aaaaay! Classic feel-good sitcom is hokey but fun.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 7 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    The Cunninghams are close and supportive of each other and their extended family (including Fonzie). Most of their problems are mild (the kind that are neatly solved within a half-hour episode). That said, the show does tend to reinforce the idealistic (and unrealistic) way we tend to view the '50s.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence & scariness:

    The friends get into benign, almost-simulated fistfights from time to time. In later seasons, Richie joins the army.
  • Sexy stuff:

    Plenty of dating and flirting, but it's all really tame.
  • Language:

    Jeepers, these kids are clean!
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Happy Days

Parents need to know that this landmark '50s-set sitcom (which originally aired from the mid-'70s to the mid-'80s) is squeaky clean, especially by today's primetime standards. Although the show is definitely still funny a few decades down the line and will appeal to adults who remember it fondly, today's kids may not be able to relate to some of the scenarios it portrays and may find the dialogue trite or cheesy.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about how TV has changed over the years. How are the situations seen in shows from the '60s and '70s different from what's onscreen today? Are the underlying problems the characters deal with all that different, or it is just that viewers have gotten more accepting of crass dialogue and mature situations over the years? How does the show idealize the '50s? Is the show any less appealing because of that idealism? What might a more realistic '50s-set sitcom be like?

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 3.0

    Comedy for all the family

    This is a clean, innofensive situation comedy.

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in California
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 3.0

    Happy Days is an iffy show for children under the age or 12. This show is about guys trying to get girls to go out with them. It's not a real wholesome show. My parents didn't allow me to watch untill I was 12 and even then they were still kind of iffy about it. I hope this helped!

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