Dec 18, 2013 8:39AM ET / Global

The Fonz Is Just Another Guy on the Street to the BBC

Connor Simpson

The BBC set about asking innocent British citizens for their opinions when they stumbled on the king of cool, the sultan of smooth — they asked The Fonz.

The BBC's deputy political editor James Landale was running Wednesday's streeter, or "a vox pop," as they say in the biz. You ask regular people for their regular opinions on the issue du jour, which today was a planned new runway at Heathrow. 
Instead of speaking with a regular person in am overcoat and colorful scarf, Landale found Henry Winkler, who played the Fonz on Happy Days, and Barry Zuckerkorn, the lawyer from Arrested Development. On one show, Winkler solved problems with his effortless cool and aloofness. On the other he caused plenty.
Predictably, Landale was a bit baffled when he realized who was in front of him: 

Instantly I became a gabbling, star-struck idiot, asking if he had a vote here (d'oh! he's an American actor), how his pantomime was going and even if he had a view on Heathrow (what was I thinking?).

The whole video is wonderful, and Winkler seems like a pleasant man who wants to get on with his shopping while not totally blowing off this polite BBC reporter. In the end, the Fonz answers his questions, because this guy had enough guts to approach him.
"Heathrow is a lovely place," the Fonz says. "I watch the planes come and go every day — I hear nothing."
No, he did not add an "ayyyyyy," and two thumbs up at the end. Yes, we kind of wish he did.
But the Fonz hath spoken. Heathrow expansions will go forward. You can watch the whole video here.