This Laverne & Shirley Star Played His Character's Cousin On Another Happy Days Spinoff

"Laverne & Shirley," "Joanie Loves Chachi," — yes, even "Mork & Mindy" — those are just some of the best and worst spin-offs that sprung from "Happy Days" creator Garry Marshall's television universe of the 1970s. While some of those were recipes for success, there were also short-lived oddities that have slipped through the cracks of TV history. Case in point: "Blansky's Beauties."

If the title doesn't ring a bell, its cast list certainly will. The forgotten sitcom starred Nancy Walker as Nancy Blansky, a Las Vegas showgirl den mother who originally debuted on "Happy Days" as Howard Cunningham's cousin. While her introductory episode took place in the franchise's traditional 1950s setting, "Blansky's Beauties" made a jump forward into the then-present day of 1977.

This time shift created a rare and unique casting opportunity for the late "Happy Days" alum Eddie Mekka. At the exact same time he was playing the lovable "Big Ragoo," Carmine Ragusa, on the late '50s-set "Laverne & Shirley," Mekka joined "Blansky's Beauties" as a series regular, but not as an aged Carmine. This time he portrayed Joey DeLuca, an Oasis Hotel choreographer who happened to be Carmine's younger cousin. Since the show took place roughly 20 years in the future, it seems the show's creators saw no harm in maintaining the family resemblance and had Mekka pull double duty.

The showbiz-centric comedy surrounded Mekka with a mix of familiar franchise faces and future household names. Pat Morita moved his beloved "Happy Days" character, Arnold, to Vegas to run a coffee shop, somehow looking completely unaged despite the two-decade time jump. Meanwhile, Scott Baio co-starred as Joey's girl-crazy, 12-year-old brother, Anthony.

Despite the star power and the connective tissue with "Happy Days" — including a guest spot from Roz Kelly's mysteriously unaged Pinky Tuscadero — the experimental spin-off never reached the same level of acclaim as its flagship. Even Marshall admitted that, while he had a soft spot for the show, it never got the proper love from its creators.

"Nancy Walker came into it and tried to anchor it, but it never worked out, but I liked it," he told the Television Academy. "It was dancing, and a lot of chorus girls, and it was pretty. It was just catching on a little bit, and I didn't have the time to do it." Ultimately, the network said, "No, let's do something else," so "Blansky's Beauties" was canceled after 13 episodes.

Thankfully for Marshall, the cancellation wasn't a total loss; he immediately recycled Baio and Lynda Goodfriend, moving them to the cast of "Happy Days" that same year. Baio took on the role of Fonzi's cousin Chachi Arcola and Goodfriend played Lori Beth, the girlfriend and eventual wife of Richie (Ron Howard). Mekka resumed his role as Carmine on "Laverne & Shirley" until the show's conclusion in 1983.