Latest news with #HazardousHistory
Newsweek
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Henry Winkler Unearths America's Wildest Moments in 'Hazardous History'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Legendary actor and director Henry Winkler didn't exactly expect his next big project to involve spontaneous combustion, asbestos-laced Christmas trees, or 12-G roller coasters with no safety bars. But when the History Channel pitched him an 8-part docuseries about America's hazardous history, the Happy Days star was all in. "When I first read the material, I thought, 'my word, this is so much fun,'" Winkler tells Newsweek in an exclusive interview. "I became even more fascinated the further I went through the series." With the show premiering on June 15 on History Channel, each fast-paced episode of Hazardous History with Henry Winkler takes viewers on a wild ride through some of the most ill-advised ideas in American history. These include lithium-laced sodas, radioactive toys, playground equipment that burns and maims, and pastimes so dangerous they could only exist in a pre-regulation era. Each episode is a blend of education and dark comedy, and with Emmy Award-winner Winkler at the helm as host and executive producer, they are also deeply entertaining. "The show reveals what we thought was permissible, what we thought was fun, and what we thought would make money," Winkler says. "People who watch it literally cannot believe what we did and survived—especially considering that some of this nutty stuff happened as recently as a decade ago!" Clackers, Crash Sites, and Combustible Combs If some of the items and events featured on the show seem like tall tales, Winkler promises otherwise. He remembers many of them himself. "I used the science kits, I experienced those playgrounds, I played with clackers," he says, remembering a toy inspired by gaucho cow-wranglers. "For me, the clackers didn't make the telltale noise of hitting into each other as much as I was accidentally hitting myself in the forehead with them," he exclaims. "Thank God I didn't lose a tooth!" His favorite example from the series though, might be the cellulose comb — yes, the same highly-flammable material that was used in old film reels. "Imagine brushing your hair on a hot day and your comb bursts into flame so your hair and clothes are suddenly on fire," he says with disbelief. "This was happening in homes all across America!" 'Hazardous History with Henry Winkler' takes viewers on a wild ride through some of the most ill-advised ideas in American history. 'Hazardous History with Henry Winkler' takes viewers on a wild ride through some of the most ill-advised ideas in American history. History Channel Other eyebrow-raising highlights from the series include a toy marketed to young boys that reached temperatures of 400 degrees, giant yard darts that impaled people, milk laced with plaster to change its color, a toy gun that's classified as a firearm today, and a 19th-century roller coaster that exerted 12 Gs of force on its riders when today's coasters max out at 4 or 5. "There were no straps, no safety bars," Winkler exclaims. "People were falling out of the cars and even those who didn't swore to never ride again." Then there's the 1896 stunt where two locomotives were intentionally crashed into each other for entertainment while more than 40,000 spectators watched at a dangerously close distance. "The event killed some people and maimed many others, but people did not run away—instead, they ran towards the fiery crash in order to get a souvenir," he says. Perhaps most baffling of all, "if you thought you were impotent," Winkler recounts, "you could pay a doctor thousands of dollars to implant goat testicles into your body—which, of course, didn't work." As crazy as it all sounds, Winkler says with a laugh that we probably haven't learned much from these cautionary tales. "We are the same creatures we have always been," he shares. "Throughout history, mankind has always done something that is nutty—the only difference now is that we do it all wearing different clothes." At the same time, some of it all reflects America's great entrepreneurial spirit. "If there is a problem to be solved or if there is money to be made, we will find it, produce it, and promote it," he says. But recognizing that doesn't mean Winkler is nostalgic for more reckless days. "Besides the fact that we no longer seem to be able to listen to each other," he reflects, "I'm very happy to be living in the 2000s." Being Inducted Into The Television Hall Of Fame While Hazardous History with Henry Winkler is Winkler's latest venture, he remains busy across a wide range of projects. This September, he and co-author Lin Oliver will release their 40th children's book—this one the fourth in the Detective Duck series that's about an inquisitive little duck named Willow Feathers and her "pond squad." The duo's Hank Zipzer book series is a New York Times bestseller and, unbeknownst to most of its audience, is quite autobiographical for Winkler. "Just like Hank, I have dyslexia and many of his adventures are the same as my own," Winkler tells Newsweek. No matter which series he and Oliver are writing though,"our books are funny first, because we believe that humor is the gateway to getting people to read." Then there's Winkler's recent induction into the Television Academy Hall of Fame—the same group that puts on the Emmys each year. The 2025 class of honorees also includes Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder), Conan O'Brien (Late Night with Conan O'Brien), Mike Post (Law & Order), and Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story). "This class is amazing, and I'm very touched to be honored alongside them," Winkler says. On Happy Days and Ron Howard When asked about the possibility of a Happy Days reboot the way other shows from the 70s and 80s have experienced, Winkler says it's not up to him, but he's open to the idea of "the Fonz" making an appearance on such a show—but only if the tone is right. "I would hope if they revive it that they do it with the same warmth the show originally had because the warmth was as important to us as the comedy," he says. "The great thing about the shows of the 70s and 80s is that they were mostly watched under the same television set—so you had grandma and the three-year-old both enjoying the same program at the same time." US director Ron Howard (L) and US actor Henry Winkler speak onstage during the 76th Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theatre at L.A. Live in Los Angeles on September 15, 2024. US director Ron Howard (L) and US actor Henry Winkler speak onstage during the 76th Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theatre at L.A. Live in Los Angeles on September 15, 2024. Getty His Happy Days co-star, legendary film director Ron Howard, recently spoke with similar nostalgia during a New York press event where he also said that he and Winkler "clicked" on the show immediately. "I very much feel the same way," Winkler tells Newsweek. "I'm telling you, Ron and I had such a connection that we could take a three-page scene at midnight that had just been completely re-written and the two of us could learn it, improvise it, and shoot it three times in 20 minutes because there was just this unspoken thread between us," he explains. "It's the kind of connection that does not happen often and we remain family to this day." Looking Back And Moving Forward From Arrested Development and Barry to a half-century-long marriage, plus five films with Adam Sandler, Winkler's life and career continue to surprise and delight audiences. On the secret to 47 years of marriage to Stacey Weitzman, "I've learned it does not matter how you mean what you say, it only matters how it lands," Winkler shares. "The center of a good relationship is the ear—not the heart or the mind." Stacey Weitzman and Henry Winkler attend the 25th Annual Critics' Choice Awards at Barker Hangar on January 12, 2020 in Santa Monica, California. Stacey Weitzman and Henry Winkler attend the 25th Annual Critics' Choice Awards at Barker Hangar on January 12, 2020 in Santa Monica, California. Getty Of Sandler, Winkler says: "I just love working with Adam. He's a visionary and he's also generous and unbelievably loyal. I mean, this is a guy whose core group has been together since freshman dorm year at NYU." The two have worked together in The Waterboy, Click, You Don't Mess With The Zohan, Little Nicky, and Sandy Wexler so far, but it isn't too much as far as Winkler is concerned. "I'd work with Adam again in a second and a half," he says. "We are still very close and connect regularly and I can tell you that he's just the greatest." And he'd be up to return to his roles in either Barry or Arrested Development someday as well, "but I really don't think either is going to happen," he says. "I did have such a great time!" For now, though, he's just happy to be introducing viewers to some of America's strangest historical missteps—complete with all the inflammable combs and burning hot playground equipment we can handle. "I'm just amazed that we did all that and lived through it," he exclaims. "Over and over again I found myself saying, 'what were we thinking?'" New episodes of Hazardous History with Henry Winkler air Sunday nights on the History Channel.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Henry Winkler Shares His Life's Greatest Thrill as He Examines Danger and Fun in 'Hazardous History' (Exclusive)
From The Fonz to Gene Cousineau, Henry Winkler has played many characters that dabble with danger Speaking with PEOPLE about his new History Channel series, Hazardous History with Henry Winkler, Winkler looks back at his own thrilling moments in life The new series, which premieres Sunday, June 15, tells the stories of the things people did for fun, for money, or out of plain boredom that cannot be done anymoreHenry Winkler isn't a thrill seeker, but he certainly knows a lot about adventure. Speaking with PEOPLE about his new History Channel series, Hazardous History with Henry Winkler, the actor, 79, opens up about one of his life's most thrilling moments. Of daredevil-like, adrenaline-inducing behavior, Winkler says, "I channel it only when I'm acting." "I am not a thrill seeker," he admits. "I am thrilled... I remember years ago, with my children who are now in their 40s and 50s, I remember being on a chair life in Utah with them, traveling up and over the tops of snow-covered pine trees." "[I was] thinking this might be one of the most beautiful moments I have ever had. That's my thrill," he adds. When Winkler was first introduced to the idea of the show by Eli Lehrer at The History Channel, he says, "I knew from the first description that this was right up my alley." "One of the people I spoke to on my radio tour today was talking about nostalgia. And I said, 'It has nothing to do with nostalgia.'" Laughing, Winkler explains, "I think the subtitle of this show is, 'Wait, we allowed that to happen?'" "It's just mind-blowing all the different subjects in every area," he continues. "You could mail your child through the post office to his grandparents. One thing that so many people of the generation have mentioned to me as I talk to them are jarts. Those land darts, the garden darts that you would throw high in the air and they would land in your best friend's foot." While Winkler wasn't playing with too many dangerous toys in his days, he was well aware his peers were getting into all kinds of interesting situations. "My parents were frugal on toys. I used to get practical gifts that I could wear to school," he explains. "But the toys I heard about... The man, A.C. Gilbert, who invented the Erector Set. He also came out with his wonderful science kits. One of them had radioactive uranium in the kit, so you could make your own atomic cloud. That's pretty nuts." Each 60-minute episode of Hazardous History tells the stories of the things people did for fun, for money, or out of plain boredom that cannot be done anymore. From pastimes, practices, and products that were once allowed, or even encouraged, it's likely they'll never be seen again in modern America — and the show shares some of those exciting, reckless, unsupervised tales in Americana history. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Hazardous History with Henry Winkler premieres Sunday, June 15 at 10 p.m. ET on The History Channel. Read the original article on People
Wall Street Journal
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
‘Hazardous History With Henry Winkler' Review: Perilous Products and Pastimes
Former children who had the skin peeled off their legs by a 150-degree-Fahrenheit playground slide, broke an arm falling off the monkey bars or became impaled on human teeth at Action Park will have a fondness for 'Hazardous History With Henry Winkler.' It's a goofball series with no production values that celebrates a world with no rules—rules that keep humans from killing themselves. Is there a message? Yes, that our affinity for self-destruction knows no limits. But to paraphrase Mark Twain, persons attempting to find a moral here will be shot, perhaps by a flame-throwing '40s-era 'toy' pistol that fired ping-pong balls at about 50 mph. 'Thrilling' and 'exciting' are how the former Fonz describes the days of unlicensed drivers, head-on train collisions staged as entertainment, and radioactive children's 'laboratories' that came in a box with uranium. But the experts interviewed—who range from an astrophysicist to a 'Jeopardy!' champion—are mostly incredulous. What kind of world do we live in where popular amusements once involved people riding horses off diving boards, getting in boxing rings with bears, and wrestling octopuses? Well, as the show spells out without spelling it out, a world in which everything that works, or is fun, is taken to an extreme—at which point regulations come into it, if only to protect the animals.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Henry Winkler Recalls 'Arguing' with Now-Wife Stacey's Then-4-Year-Old Son After the Child Called Him 'Fonz' When They Met
During a June 9 appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Henry Winkler recalled his first date with his wife, Stacey Weitzman He recalled "arguing" with her son, Jed, and a funny realization that his future bride had when they arrived at the movie theater for their fateful night out The couple wed in 1978 and went on to have two more kidsHenry Winkler is looking back on his very first date with his wife of nearly 50 years, Stacey Weitzman. While making an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers on Monday, June 9, to discuss his new show Hazardous History, the 79-year-old Happy Days alum fondly shared some memories from the first time that he took his wife out after they met in 1976. Notably, Winkler recalled two conversations that took place on that fateful night when he took his future bride to see a movie. "We go to the movies, and I said, 'It would be better if we sat toward the back of the theater.' And Stacey said, 'Why?' And I said, 'It's hard to describe. It would be better if we sat at the back of the theater,'" Winkler shared, adding that she still did not understand. He explained to host Seth Meyers that their night out came amid the height of his fame on Happy Days, where he played the iconic character Fonzie. What happened? "We sat down in the middle of the theater, and all of a sudden, the entire theater stood up to come over and say hello. And Stacey turned to me and said, 'Oh.'" While it was shocking at first, the actor noted that his wife was quick to adapt. The other conversation occurred just as the date was getting started and involved Weitzman's son from a previous marriage, Jed Weitzman, who was 4 years old at the time. "I picked her up, and her 4-year-old son answered the door and said, 'Fonz.' And I said, 'My name is Henry. Would you like it if I called you Ralph?' And so I'm arguing with a 4-year-old about typecasting," Winkler recalled. Of course, the first date went well and led to years of a happy life together. He and Stacey exchanged vows in 1978, and they went on to have two more children together — daughter Zoe Winkler and son Max Winkler. Henry also developed a close bond with Jed. That bond was strengthened when they found one more thing that they shared in common — dyslexia. 'In third grade, he had to write a report and couldn't do it,' Henry told PEOPLE in 2023. 'I said to him everything that was said to me: 'Go back to your room. You're being lazy. Live up to your potential. You're so verbal.' I then had him tested and we read everything they said. I went, 'Oh my God, Stacey, this is me. I have something with a name.' " He shared more about the diagnosis in his 2023 memoir, Being Henry: The Fonz…and Beyond . 'I didn't find out I was severely dyslexic until I was 31. For all the years before that, I was the kid who couldn't read, couldn't spell, couldn't even begin to do algebra or geometry or even basic arithmetic," he wrote within the book's pages. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. All these years later, he and Stacey are still going strong. In 2019, the actor told PEOPLE the secret to his long-lasting love story: "We enjoy fly fishing together. We enjoy grandchildren together. We enjoy going to the movies together. We truly enjoy each other every day." Stacey also weighed in at the time, saying, 'The most wonderful thing is to really be able to grow with someone.' The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! "We're not the same people we are when we got married," she continued. "But certain of the tenets you hold dear are still intact.' Of course, their relationship isn't perfect. 'It does take work,' she reflected. "There are glitches in the road, and you get a little off kilter, but if you have the ability and the stick-to-itiveness based on love, then your friendship and your relationship only gets better." Read the original article on People
