“Happy Days,” “The Six Million Dollar Man,” “The Seven Million Dollar Woman,” and much more

Celebrity guests, panels, contests, memorabilia, sweepstakes, costumes, cars from TV and movies, video games and more. If you are a fan of nostalgia, especially 1970s TV, there is no better arena than Retro Con, where last weekend Anson Williams (Warren “Potsie” Weber) and Don Most (Ralph Malph) from Beautiful days; the Six Million Dollar Man himself, Lee Majors; and Lindsay Wagner, who plays Jamie Sommers in the spin-off The Seven Million Dollar Woman was also converted bionic.

The four stars were present at the annual meeting at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania, where they indulged in nostalgia, met fans and signed autographs.

Like a typical Comic Con event, Retro Con is home to a veritable smorgasbord of collectibles. From the three shows mentioned above to… deep breath…Batman, Superman, Three girls and three boys, The Partridge Family, Gilligan's Island, The Flintstones, I Dream of Jeannie, The Patty Duke Show, MASH, A Duke rarely comes alone, Charlie's Angels, Three Ladies, The Facts of Life, Knight Rider, The Simpsons, GI Joe, Masters of the Universe, Transformers, ThunderCats, Ghostbusters, Star Trek And star Warsto name a few, there was every kind of memorabilia to purchase. Think pictures, lunch boxes, dolls, figurines, miniature cars, glasses, mugs, clothing, comics, toys and action figures. And there were superhero themed items too!

What caught the attention this year was Monsta Props, the recently founded company that specializes in amazingly lifelike and life-sized replicas of horror characters. Who wouldn't want a 6-foot-tall Freddy Krueger or Linda Blair as Regan from The Exorcist for your collection? Creator Jeff Wright's attention to detail is incredibly spectacular (and a must-have for any Halloween fan).

And like Comic Con, there were people in all kinds of costumes. You never knew what TV character or superhero you would run into at Retrocon.

And like every year, there was a costume contest with a number of interesting costumes. The strawberry shortcake costume (complete with a basket that smelled of strawberries) was the big winner.

What caught this fan’s attention, however, was the collaboration between Anson Williams and Don Most for a panel on Beautiful dayswhich is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The premiere took place on January 15, 1974 and in the 11 seasons four sitcoms were created: Laverne and Shirley, Mork and Mindy, Joanie loves Chachi And Blanksy's Beauties. (Footnote: Short-lived fantasy sitcom Out of the bluewith comedian Jimmy Brogan in the role of Random, is considered by some to be another offspring of Beautiful days).

“I remember our first public appearance after Beautiful days premiere,” said Anson Williams, who appeared with Don Most in a panel discussion about the cult sitcom. “When we arrived at the destination and saw a crowd, I wondered if there was another event going on there. Then I realized it was for us!”

“Our lives changed immediately,” he said. “But we were devastated by Garry Marshall,” who Beautiful days and advised the young stars to use the Paramount lot as a learning experience. “He wanted us to learn how to write, direct and produce, and we used it to our advantage.”

Williams, who performed Beautiful days for its entire run and received a Golden Globe nomination for his role in 1983, honing his skills behind the camera during the sitcom's run. His early work included the film Heavenwardsstarring Bette Davis and Suzy Gilstrap, the first paraplegic in television history; and the ABC Afternoon Special No greater giftwhich tells the story of two terminally ill boys who become friends in a hospital ward. He also directed several episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Square, Baywatch, Seaquest And Sabrina – totally bewitched!in TV series, among others. And his current project, Crazy Momis a one-woman play based on the book Crazy Mama: Memories of love and madness by his wife Sharon Scott Williams, It describes a character who grows up with a mother who struggles with mental illness.

“Sharon wrote a short memoir about her life with a schizophrenic mother who suffered a complete breakdown when she was eight years old,” said Anson Williams. “It was funny, emotional and relatable, and it opens up the whole area. Every wall falls, every door is open, and people realize they are not alone in this situation.”

Crazy Mom The premiere is on March 26, 2025 at the Rubicon Theater in Ventura, California.

“I am so grateful Beautiful days and the opportunities that came with it,” said Williams. “We were all so young back then, but Garry Marshall kept our egos intact. And we used the experience to build our careers and our future. Coming to an event like Retro Con is a fun reminder of all the years we spent. Beautiful days and all the fans who enjoyed it.”

“After all these years, the cast is still so close together,” he said.

Next up for this fan of all things “con” is New York City Comic Con at the Jacobs Javits Center in New York City. It runs from Thursday, October 17th to Sunday, October 20th. And of course, I'm already looking forward to Retro Con in 2025. Who knows what classic TV stars will show up!