Wisconsin On Your Television Trivia Quiz

Answer: Fonzie

The phrase "jumping the shark" has come to refer to when a television series has outlived its shelf life. It often happens after cast changes, especially if cute kids are involved.

The particular episode in question "Hollywood Part 3" (September 20, 1977) follows the "Happy Days" gang as they travel to California. Fonzie is challenged to jump over a shark on water skis, which he does successfully. While "Happy Days" did go downhill, especially in its later seasons, it was still quite popular in 1977. Later that season, Robin Williams would play Mork, launching his career.

Henry Winkler actually is a very talented water skier and did most of the skiing scenes in the episode himself. Only the jump over the shark was done by a stuntman. It is hard to imagine Richie or Ralph having the courage to jump over a shark. Watching Marion Ross do it would have been awesome.

Answer: Schotz Brewery

Laverne and Shirley were bottle capers at the Schotz Brewery. The show was a spinoff of "Happy Days" and started its run in January 1976. The first five seasons were set in Milwaukee, then the girls moved to California for the last few seasons. "Laverne and Shirley" ended its run in May of 1983.

The other three are real long-time Wisconsin businesses. Harley-Davidson has been making motorcycles since 1903. Usingers began in 1880, and Leons in 1942.

Answer: Point Place

"That 70's Show" a high school stoner comedy which aired from 1998 to 2006, covers Eric Forman (Topher Grace) and his friends between May 1976 and December 1979. They live in the fictional town of Point Place. Based on their descriptions of its proximity to Milwaukee, it is probably near Port Washington.

The show featured Grace, Laura Prepon, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher. Kurtwood Smith of "Robocop" (1987) fame played Red Forman, Eric's father.

Genoa City is the setting of the soap opera "The Young and the Restless." Waterford Falls was the setting of the Norm McDonald comedy "A Minute with Stan Hooper". And French Landing is the fictional western Wisconsin town from the Peter Straub novel "Black House."

Answer: Fallen Angel

"Fallen Angel" (1993) is the tenth episode of season one. Mulder travels to Townsend, Wisconsin to investigate the crash of a UFO. The government goes to great lengths to block Mulder and Scully's investigation of the incident.

"Red Museum" (1994) had Mulder and Scully traveling to Delta Glen, Wisconsin, to investigate a mysterious cult and its links to the abduction of area teenagers. It turns out the teenagers were part of a secret experiment involving extra-terrestrial DNA. This was the tenth episode of season two.

"Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" (1995) is set in Minneapolis, and has Mulder and Scully chasing a serial killer who targets psychics. Peter Boyle gives a beautiful performance as a man who can predict people's deaths. "Folie A Deux" (1998) has Mulder and Scully chasing a demon in Oak Brook, Illinois.

"The X Files" was on Fox for nine seasons between 1993 and 2002. It followed two FBI agents as they investigated para-normal cases, often involving extra-terrestrials.

Answer: Samantha Spade

Samantha Spade (Poppy Montgomery) was from Kenosha, growing up in an extremely troubled home. Jack was from Pittsburgh and Martin was from Seattle.

"Without a Trace" followed the Missing Persons Unit of the FBI and their investigations. It aired in CBS from 2002 to 2009, producing 150 episodes. The show followed the personal lives of the members of the FBI team as well as the cases they were trying to solve.

Answer: Patrick Duffy and Suzanne Somers

"Step By Step" was part of ABC's TGI Friday lineup, and aired between 1991 and 1997. Patrick Duffy played Frank Lambert, who had three children, who married Carol Foster (Suzanne Sommers), who also had three children. [An updated "Brady Bunch"]

TGIF was a block schedule of comedies ABC ran with from the mid 1980s until 2000. "Step by Step" initially ran after "Family Matters" and later "Boy Meets World" both popular sitcoms.

"Step by Step" was a fairly standard family sitcom. Much of the early seasons dealt with the stresses involved in a blended family.

Suzanne Somers starred with John Ritter on "Three's Company" from 1977 to 1981. Patrick Duffy starred with Victoria Principal on Dallas from 1978 to 1991. And Florence Henderson and Robert Reed were Mike and Carol Brady on "The Brady Bunch" (1969-1974) the OG blended family sitcom.

Answer: Kathy Baker

"Picket Fences" was a dramedy police procedural set in the fictional town of Rome, Wisconsin. Tom Skerritt played the sheriff and Kathy Baker was his physician wife. They were the voices of sanity in a generally crazy place. Ray Walston played the eccentric judge Henry Bone and Fyvush Finkel was the even more eccentric attorney Douglas Wambaugh.

Kathy Baker won three Emmys, in 1993, 1995 and 1996, each time beating Angela Lansbury. Walston won twice in 1995 and 1996. Finkel won in 1994, and Skerritt won for Best Actor in 1993.

Rome was not an easy town to govern. It had seven mayors in a little over four years, and several of them wound up dead. Lauren Holly, Holly Marie Combs, Don Cheadle and Marlee Marlin were among the other members of the cast. The show aired on CBS from 1992 to 1996.

Answer: The George Wendt Show

"The George Wendt Show" starred the "Cheers" regular as the owner of a garage in Madison who also runs a "Car Talk" type radio show. Despite Wendt's popularity, the show only lasted six episodes between March and April of 1995.

"Raising Miranda" starred James Naughton as a single parent trying to raise his daughter Miranda (Royana Black) in Racine, Wisconsin. The show lasted seven episodes in November and December 1988.

"A Minute with Stan Hooper" starred Norm MacDonald as a newspaper columnist turned television commentator. It was set in Waterford Falls. The show aired eight episodes between October and December of 2003.

"A Whole New Ballgame" starred Corbin Bernsen from "LA Law" as a former ballplayer turned sportscaster in Milwaukee. It also featured Richard Kind and John O'Hurley. The show lasted only 7 episodes between January and March of 1995.

Answer: Dove Cameron

Dove Cameron played the dual role of Liv and Maddy for 80 episodes from 2013 to 2017. The show was set in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and followed the adventures of two sisters: girlish Liv and tomboy Maddie. Much like "Laverne and Shirley" the show relocated to Los Angeles at the end of the third season.

The other three were on Disney shows. Berglund was on "Lab Rats" (2012-2016) as Bree. Zendaya was Rocky Blue on "Shake It Up" (2010-13) and later on "K.C. Undercover" (2015-18). And Stefanie Scott was Lexi Reed on "ANT Farm" (2011-14).

Answer: Raja

"Aliens in America" was on the CW during the 2007-08 season. It follows the Tolchuck family of Medora, Wisconsin and their interactions with Raja Musharraf, an exchange student from Pakistan. While the show is set in Wisconsin, it was filmed in Vancouver.

Fez was the foreign exchange student on "That 70s Show" played by Wilder Valderama. The Tolchucks had been hoping for a Pierre or Ramon as their exchange student.