On Tuesday night, ABC paid tribute to the legendary Garry Marshall with its special The Happy Days of Garry Marshall. The prolific director and producer, who passed away in July 2016 at the age of 81, has worked on a variety of popular programs over the years, including Pretty Woman, The Princess Diaries, and Mork & Mindy. After watching the ABC special about his life and career, many viewers have taken to Twitter to specifically note how much they miss two of his classics — Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Marshall's family, friends, and those who worked on his projects were asked to be a part of this program (The publication noted that interviews were filmed between June and November 2019). Pretty Woman star Julia Roberts, Princess Diaries star Anne Hathaway, Happy Days star Henry Winkler, and many more appeared in the special. The outlet also reported that Marshall's wife, Barbara, and their children, Scott, Kathleen, and Lori, shared some behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the famous director. John Scheinfeld, the executive producer of The Happy Days of Garry Marshall, said in a statement, "Garry famously said, 'I never wanted to change the world. I wanted to entertain the world.' And for more than six decades, his work in television and films made us laugh, touched our hearts and always left us feeling good."
Viewers of The Happy Days of Garry Marshall could relate to Scheinfeld's statement. Many were especially touched by the special, as it had them reminiscing about some of their favorite Marshall programs such as Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley.