A lot of people were VERY uncomfortable with social changes in the United States in the 1970's and a wave of Nostalgia came in for the "simpler" 1950's-- especially the George Lucas film "American Graffiti"==and one of the stars of that film, Ron Howard, as the hero of a sitcom called 'Happy Days'

Happy Days

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This article is about the television series. For other uses, see Happy Days (disambiguation).

Happy Days

Also known as	Happy Days Again
Genre	Sitcom
Created by	Garry Marshall
Starring	Ron Howard Henry Winkler Tom Bosley Marion Ross Anson Williams Donny Most Erin Moran Al Molinaro Scott Baio Lynda Goodfriend Cathy Silvers Pat Morita Ted McGinley
Theme music composer	Bill Haley & His Comets (1974–75, opening theme) Norman Gimbel with Charles Fox (1975–83, opening theme), (1974–84, ending theme)
Opening theme	"Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets (1974–75) "Happy Days theme" by: Pratt & McClain (1975–83), Bobby Arvon (1983-84)
Ending theme	"Happy Days theme" by: Jim Haas (1974–75), Pratt & McClain (1975–83), Bobby Arvon (1983–84)
Composer(s)	John Beal Frank Comstock James Patrick Dunne Dan Foliart Charles Fox Jack Hayes Pete King
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	11
No. of episodes	255 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Garry Marshall Thomas L. Miller Edward K. Milkis Robert L. Boyett
Producer(s)	William Bickley Michael Warren Anthony W. Marshall Ronny Hallin Fred Fox, Jr.
Camera setup	Single camera (1974–75) Multi-camera (1975–84)
Running time	22–25 minutes
Production company(s)	Miller-Milkis Productions (1974–81) Henderson Productions (1978–84) Miller-Milkis-Boyett Productions (1981–84) Paramount Network Television
Distributor	Paramount Domestic Television (1974–2006) CBS Paramount Domestic Television (2006–07) CBS Television Distribution (2007–present)
Broadcast
Original channel	ABC
Audio format	Monaural
Original run	January 15, 1974 – September 24, 1984
Chronology
Preceded by	Love, American Style
Related shows	Laverne & Shirley Blansky's Beauties Mork & Mindy Out of the Blue Joanie Loves Chachi

Happy Days is an American television sitcom that aired first-run from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in the mid-1950s to mid-1960s United States.^[1]
The series was produced by Miller-Milkis Productions (Miller-Milkis-Boyett Productions in later years) and Henderson Productions in association with Paramount Network Television.

Plot

Set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the series revolves around teenager Richie Cunningham and his family: his father, Howard, who owns a hardware store; traditional homemaker and mother, Marion; younger sister Joanie; and high school dropout, biker and suave ladies' man Arthur "Fonzie"/"The Fonz" Fonzarelli, who would eventually become the Cunninghams' upstairs tenant. The earlier episodes revolve around Richie and his friends, Warren "Potsie" Weber and Ralph Malph, with Fonzie as a secondary character. However, as the series progressed, Fonzie proved to be a favorite with viewers and soon more story lines were written to reflect his growing popularity, and Winkler was eventually credited with top billing in the opening credits alongside Howard as a result.^[2] Fonzie befriended Richie and the Cunningham family, and when Richie left the series for military service, Fonzie became the central figure of the show, with Winkler receiving sole top billing in the opening credits. In later seasons, other characters were introduced including Fonzie's young cousin, Charles "Chachi" Arcola, who became a love interest for Joanie Cunningham.
The series' pilot was originally shown as "Love and the Happy Days," a one-episode teleplay on the anthology series Love, American Style. Happy Days spawned the hit television shows Laverne & Shirley and Mork & Mindy as well as two failures, Joanie Loves Chachi and Blansky's Beauties (the latter featuring Nancy Walker as Howard's cousin).^[3] The show is the basis for the Happy Days musical touring the United States since 2008. The leather jacket worn by Winkler during the series hangs in the Smithsonian Institution.^[4]

Cast and characters

Main

Actor	Character	Seasons	Episode count
Ron Howard	Richie Cunningham	1–7	171
Henry Winkler	Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli	2–11; recurring: 1^[5]	255
Tom Bosley	Howard Cunningham	All	255
Marion Ross	Marion Cunningham	All	252
Erin Moran	Joanie Cunningham	3–11; recurring: 1–2^[5]	234
Anson Williams	Warren "Potsie" Weber	All	210
Donny Most	Ralph Malph	2–7; recurring: 1^[5]	165
Al Molinaro	Al Delvecchio	5–9; recurring 4	122
Scott Baio	Chachi Arcola	5–11 ^[5]	125
Lynda Goodfriend	Lori Beth Cunningham	8 & 9; recurring: 5–7^[5]	62
Cathy Silvers	Jenny Piccalo	10; recurring: 8 & 9^[5]	54
Ted McGinley	Roger Phillips	10 & 11; recurring: 8 & 9^[5]	64
Pat Morita	Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi	3; recurring: 10 & 11	26
Linda Purl	Ashley Pfister	10	15

Richie Cunningham – The protagonist for the first seven years of the series (1974–80). When Ron Howard left the show due to his burgeoning directorial career, Richie was written out by leaving to join the United States Army. He married his girlfriend Lori Beth in season eight by the phone where Fonzie was standing in Richie's place in the wedding.^[6] Howard returned for guest appearances as Richie during the show's final season. He came back with Lori Beth and their son, Richie Jr., and Ralph in the season 11 two-part episode, "Welcome Home", and then left for California with Lori Beth and Richie Jr. to pursue a career in screenwriting. He also returned in "Passages", when he and his family attended Joanie and Chachi's wedding.^[7]
Marion "Mrs.C" Cunningham – Wife of Howard Cunningham, mother of Richie and Joanie, and a traditional homemaker. She was the only character whom Fonzie allowed to call him by his real first name, Arthur, which she always did affectionately.^[8]^{[better source needed]} She sometimes would get tired of being at home, such as in "Marion Rebels" where she gets into an argument with Howard and briefly gets a job as a waitress at Arnold's.^[9] In "Empty Nest" when Joanie left for Chicago to pursue her music career, Marion had "empty nest syndrome" and was thrilled when her and Howard's niece, K.C., moved in with them.^[10] Marion was one of only four characters to remain with the show throughout its entire run.
Howard "Mr.C" Cunningham – Husband of Marion Cunningham, father of Richie and Joanie, business owner of a hardware store called "Cunningham's Hardware", he is a lodge member, and family man. Frequently seen reading the daily newspaper in his easy chair.^[1] Enjoys driving his beloved 1949 DeSoto Carry-All. In "Letting Go", he did not want Joanie to go to Chicago, still seeing her as his "little girl". But after talking with Fonzie and realizing how much she has grown up, he supports her going.^[11] In "Passages", Howard says that he is proud of Richie and Joanie in Joanie and Chachi's wedding. Howard is one of only two characters (the other being Fonzie) to appear in every episode of the series.
Joanie Cunningham – Richie's younger sister. In early seasons, she is sometimes snooping on Richie's activities and would occasionally be sent to her room by her parents. She is affectionately called "Shortcake" by Fonzie. Later on, Joanie briefly joins a motorcycle gang after going on a date with a boy, whom she considered to be "dull". In "Smokin' Ain't Cool", Joanie started smoking in order to be in a cool club, until Fonzie sets her straight. For years, Fonzie's cousin, Chachi, had been chasing her until she eventually agreed to a date with him. She and Chachi would eventually form a band together; and in "Letting Go", they leave for Chicago to pursue their music career (which spun off the short-lived series Joanie Loves Chachi). Joanie, however, eventually left the band to return home to pursue a teaching career.^[12] She and Chachi then broke up for a time until Chachi proposes to her and they get married in the series finale.
Arthur Herbert "Fonzie" Fonzarelli – Initially a minor character, he was a hugely popular breakout character and was made a series regular. Fonzarelli's "Fonzie" nickname and iconic comeback phrase, "Sit on it," were created by the show's producer, Bob Brunner.^[13]^[14]^[15] Known for being especially cool and for his catchphrases "(H)eyyyy!" and "Whoa!" His coolness gave him special powers, such as making machinery (such as Arnold's jukebox and other vending machines, electric lights, and car engines) function by pounding on them with his fist, or getting the attention of girls by snapping his fingers. His parents abandoned him as a child and his grandmother raised him from the age of six.
Warren "Potsie" Weber – Richie's best friend and an aspiring talented singer. He is somewhat more carefree and worldly than Richie in early seasons, then in mid-seasons, he becomes more often paired with Ralph for plots, and the two became inseparable. In later seasons, his character evolves to increasingly emphasize his dimwitted side, and Ralph would often say to him "You're such a Potsie". Potsie often lightheartedly mentioned the supposed hatred his father (who never appeared on the show) had for him. Potsie remained with the show after Richie and Ralph joined the Army; however, he was seen less frequently. While Potsie's character became underdeveloped in these later episodes (and he, along with Ralph, was one of the few characters absent from the finale), he is mentioned to regularly bowl with the Cunninghams and still continues his position as assistant manager of Cunningham Hardware, and as pledge master of the Leopard Lodge.
Ralph Malph – In the first season, Ralph was more of a side character to plots, but when Most became a main cast member in season two, Ralph was more commonly seen, and he, Richie, and Potsie (these two also later became roommates) became the three amigos. Known for saying "I still got it!" after delivering one of his jokes. Ralph left with Richie after the 1979–80 season to join the Army. Malph returned as a guest star in the final season, although he is absent in the finale (along with Potsie) – he is mentioned as having left to continue college to become an optometrist like his father.
Charles "Chachi" Arcola – Fonzie's younger cousin and later Al Delvecchio's stepson. Chachi eventually dated and later married Joanie Cunningham.
Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi – In season one, Arnold had little air time. Pat Morita depicted the owner of Arnold's Drive-In for season three (1975–76). He stated that he obtained the moniker when he purchased Arnold's restaurant and people thought it was named after him, explaining that it was too costly to buy enough letter signs needed to rename it "Takahashi". He moonlighted as a martial arts instructor, teaching self-defense classes at the drive-in after hours. Morita also played "Arnold" as a guest star in 1977 and 1979 before returning as a recurring character after Al Molinaro departed in 1982.
Al Delvecchio – From seasons four to nine (1976–82), Al became the new owner/cook of the drive-in after Arnold got married the previous season. Al later married Chachi's mother Louisa, thereby becoming Chachi's stepfather and Fonzie's uncle. Molinaro left Happy Days in 1982 to take his "Al" character to Joanie Loves Chachi, and returned as Al in three later episodes of Happy Days. Known for sighing "Yeeep, yep, yep, yep, yep" when he was disappointed or when things did not go his way.
Jenny Piccalo – Joanie's boy-crazy best friend (1980–1983). Mentioned often in early episodes, but did not appear in person until the 1980 season. Returned as a guest star in the series finale. Jenny's father appeared in one episode, played by Silvers' real-life father Phil Silvers.
Roger Phillips – Marion's nephew, coach and teacher at Jefferson High, until "Vocational Education" where he became principal at Patton High.^[16] Introduced in 1980 after Richie left the show as a recurring character.
Lori Beth Allen-Cunningham – Richie's girlfriend and later his wife (1977–1982). She married Richie by phone in season eight. Fonzie helped Lori Beth while she delivers the baby in "Little Baby Cunningham." She returned as a guest star in the final season.
Ashley Pfister – Divorced mother who becomes Fonzie's steady girlfriend, but later broke up offscreen sometime before, "Where the Guys Are."

Minor

Marsha Simms (Beatrice Colen) (seasons 1–3, 5; 22 episodes) – A carhop in the first two seasons. Appeared in the background of a few episodes during the third season before disappearing from the show. However, she later returned for a guest appearance in the episode "Our Gang".
Bobby (Harris Kal) (seasons 8–11; 19 episodes) – Friend of Chachi and Joanie seen in episodes after Richie and Ralph left the show. He is a student in Fonzie's auto shop class, as well as in Roger's health class. At one point, he was also on the Jefferson High basketball team, and performed in a band with Joanie and Chachi.
K.C. Cunningham (Crystal Bernard) (season 10; 15 episodes) – Howard's niece. She moved in with Howard and Marion after Joanie left for Chicago. She left an all-girls boarding school in Texas because it closed down. Her parents are always traveling. She also became friends with Jenny and she went on her first date with Melvin.
Leopold "Flip" Phillips (Billy Warlock) (seasons 9 & 10; 13 episodes) – Roger's rebellious younger brother. He usually wears a shirt cut off over his bellybutton.
Tommy (Kevin Sullivan) (seasons 8–11; 13 episodes) – Another friend of Chachi and Joanie in episodes after Richie and Ralph left the show. Like Bobby, Tommy is a student in Fonzie's auto shop class, as well as in Roger's health class. At one point, he was also on the Jefferson High basketball team, and performed in a band with Joanie and Chachi.
Heather Pfister (Heather O'Rourke) (season 10; 12 episodes) – Ashley Pfister's daughter. Initially did not get along with Fonzie, but gradually learned to accept him as a father figure.
Charles "Chuck" Cunningham (Gavan O'Herlihy, Randolph Roberts) (season one; 11 episodes) – Oldest son of Howard and Marion Cunningham, older brother of Richie and Joanie, college student and basketball player. Chuck's rarely seen character disappeared without explanation in season two, giving rise to the pejorative term Chuck Cunningham Syndrome to describe TV characters simply disappearing from shows, to the point where later episodes of the show are scripted as if the character had never existed. For example, in the last Happy Days episode, Howard comments that he is proud of his "two kids".
Eugene Belvin (Denis Mandel) (seasons 8 & 9; 10 episodes) – Nerdy classmate of Joanie and Chachi, and twin brother of Melvin Belvin. Is in Fonzie's auto shop class, and has a crush on Jenny Piccalo. Despite being a general stooge to his classmates at Jefferson High, he frequently tags along with Joanie and Chachi's circle of friends.
"Bag" Zombroski (Neil J. Schwartz) (seasons 1–4; 9 episodes) – A schoolmate and leader of a gang called "The Demons".
Police Officer Kirk / Army Reserve Major Kirk (Ed Peck) (seasons 3–10; 9 episodes) – Fonzie's nemesis and antagonist, who's eager to demonstrate his inflated sense of authority, and on the watch for delinquents and "pinkos" (communists). Kirk took over as acting Sheriff following the untimely death of Sheriff Flanaghan.
Wendy (Misty Rowe) (season 2; 8 episodes) – A carhop from Arnold's in season two
Melvin Belvin (Scott Bernstein) (seasons 9 & 10; 8 episodes) – Nerdy classmate of Joanie and Chachi, and twin brother of Eugene Belvin. Like his brother, Melvin frequently tags along with Joanie's and Chachi's circle of friends. He once went on a date with K.C. Cunningham.
Leather Tuscadero (Suzi Quatro) (seasons 5 & 6; 7 episodes) – Musician; sister of Pinky Tuscadero, and a former juvenile delinquent; formed her own girl group called "Leather Tuscadero and the Suedes".
Jennifer Jerome (Lorrie Mahaffey) (seasons 5 & 6; 6 episodes) – Potsie's steady girlfriend. Mahaffey was Anson Williams' then wife.
Louisa Arcola-Delvecchio (Ellen Travolta) (seasons 8–11; 5 episodes) – Mother of Chachi Arcola and Fonzie's aunt. She married Al Delvecchio and they moved to Chicago.
Gloria (Linda Purl) (season 2; 5 episodes) – Richie's occasional girlfriend in season two.
Dr. Mickey Malph (Alan Oppenheimer, Jack Dodson) (season 3 & 4, 7; 4 episodes) – Ralph's father, an optometrist and, like his son, a self-styled comedian. Briefly separated from his wife Minnie, but apparently resolved issues with her after a talk with Ralph. It was Dr. Malph who convinced Fonzie to wear glasses after he started having vision problems.
Raymond "Spike" Fonzarelli (Danny Butch) (seasons 2–4; 4 episodes) – Fonzie's nephew (or cousin, as both were used) and his copycat. He went on a date with Joanie in "Not with My Sister, You Don't." Made fleeting appearances before the introduction of Chachi. The kinship between Spike and Chachi was never explained.
Pinky Tuscadero (Roz Kelly) (season 4; 3 episodes) – Former girlfriend of Fonzie and a traveling demolition derby driver.
Clarence (Gary Friedkin) (season 10; 3 episodes) – A cook at Arnold's who was referred to several times throughout the show, but never actually seen until the season 10 episode "A Woman Not Under the Influence". There, it is revealed that Clarence is a little person. Clarence seems to have a good relationship with Al, but also frequently upsets him while goofing off in the kitchen.
Bill "Sticks" Downey (Jack Baker) (season 3; 2 episodes) – Friend of Fonzie, Richie, Potsie and Ralph and drummer for their band, hence his nickname "Sticks", though he claimed he got the nickname because he was skinny.

Notable guest stars

Milwaukee Braves home run king Henry Aaron appeared in season seven, episode nine.
Frankie Avalon appeared as himself (in season 9), singing his signature song "Venus" to a swooning Jenny Piccalo at the Leopard Lodge's annual "Poo Bah Doodah" musical.
Dr. Joyce Brothers (season 5, episode 19) appears as herself, trying to help Fonzie's dog out of a depression.
Julie Brown made her television debut in the episode "Ahhh Wilderness" as one of three girls who went camping with Richie, Fonzie et al. Although the first new episode of the series to air in the 1980s, the episode was produced in 1979 (as per copyright).
Gail Edwards appears in season 7, episode 162 as "Loretta" – Potsie's love interest.
Morgan Fairchild appears in season 5, episode 96 as a snooty rich socialite who tries to humiliate Fonzie.
Herbie Faye appeared as "Pop" in the 1974 episode "Knock Around the Block."
Lorne Greene made a brief walk-on cameo during the season five premiere, which took place in Hollywood.
Tom Hanks appeared in an episode as a character seeking revenge on Fonzie for pushing him off a swing when the two of them were in the 3rd grade. The confrontation occurs just as Fonzie was about to be given a community leader award. Years later in 1987, Hanks asked Winkler to direct his comedy Turner & Hooch, but creative differences between the two stars led to Winkler being fired from the job.
John Hart (television's "The Lone Ranger" from 1952–54) made a guest appearance in an episode where Fonzie meets his childhood idol. In 1981, a new Lone Ranger movie was being filmed. Controversy arose when television's original Lone Ranger, Clayton Moore, was banned, by Jack Wrather Productions, from wearing the Lone Ranger mask. Therefore, Moore was scratched and Hart was hired.
Christopher Knight, otherwise known as Peter Brady on Paramount's The Brady Bunch on ABC, played Joanie's boyfriend on a season five Valentine's Day episode.
Cheryl Ladd appeared in season two's "Wish Upon a Star". She plays the part of a Hollywood starlet Richie wins a date with.
Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams played recurring characters Laverne De Fazio and Shirley Feeney in three episodes during the third season ("A Date with Fonzie", "Football Frolics", and "Fonzie the Superstar"), which led to the two starring in the spin-off series Laverne and Shirley. Laverne and Shirley would later make guest appearances in the season 6 episode "Fonzie's Funeral (Part 2)" and the season 7 episode "Shotgun Wedding (Part 1)" (the second part of the latter episode concluded on an episode of Laverne and Shirley).
Laverne & Shirley co-stars Michael McKean and David L. Lander portrayed their "Lenny" and "Squiggy" characters in the season 6 episode "Fonzie's Funeral (Part 2)".
Maureen McCormick, otherwise known as Marcia Brady on Paramount's The Brady Bunch on ABC, was "Hildie" in episode number 32 during season two.
Laverne & Shirley co-star Eddie Mekka portrayed his "Carmine" character in the season 4 episode "Joanie's Weird Boyfriend" and the season 6 episode "Fonzie's Funeral (Part 2)".
James Millhollin, a character actor, made the last television appearance of his career as Mr. Rudi in the 1979 episode "Potsie Quits School".
James Randi appeared as himself in season 6, episode 126 ("The Magic Show").^[17]
Buffalo Bob Smith and Clarabell the Clown appeared in season 2, episode 35. They came to town looking for Howdy Doody look-alikes. The episode was so popular Smith launched The New Howdy Doody Show a year later.
Craig Stevens, the star of detective show Peter Gunn played Ashley Pfister's father in the season 10 episode "Hello Pfisters".
Robin Williams appeared in two episodes, #108 ("My Favorite Orkan") and #136 ("Mork Returns") as Mork from Ork. In "My Favorite Orkan", Mork wants to take Richie back to Ork with him to study earthlings. The episode was so popular that it led to Happy Days ' second series spin-off (the first being Laverne and Shirley) called Mork & Mindy. Williams returned as Mork in "Mork Returns", during the height of the popularity of Mork and Mindy.

Cast changes

With season four, Al Molinaro was added as Al Delvecchio, the new owner of Arnold's, after Pat Morita's character of Arnold moved on after his character got married (Morita had left the program to star in a short-lived sitcom of his own, Mr. T and Tina, which was actually a spin-off of Welcome Back, Kotter. Morita also starred in a subsequent short lived Happy Days spin-off series entitled Blansky's Beauties). Al Molinaro also played Al's twin brother Father Anthony Delvecchio, a Catholic priest. Al eventually married Chachi's mother (played by Ellen Travolta) and Father Delvecchio served in the wedding of Joanie to Chachi in the series finale.

The most major character changes occurred after season five with the addition of Scott Baio as Fonzie's cousin, Charles "Chachi" Arcola. Originally, the character Spike (mentioned as Fonzie's nephew in the episode "Not With My Sister You Don't," but also claimed to be his cousin, as was stated in one episode) was supposed to be the character who became Chachi. Season five also saw the introduction of more outlandish and bizarre plots including Fonzie making a bet with the Devil, and the appearance of Mork (Robin Williams), an alien who wanted to take Richie back to his homeworld. Although when first aired this ended with it all simply being a dream Richie was having, after the success of the spin-off Mork & Mindy this episode was retconned in subsequent airings by way of additional footage to have actually taken place, with Mork having wiped everyone's memory except Richie's and then deciding to time travel to the present day (the setting of Mork & Mindy).
Lynda Goodfriend joined the cast as semi-regular character Lori Beth Allen, Richie's steady girlfriend, in season five, and became a permanent member of the cast between seasons eight and ten, after Lori Beth married Richie.

After Ron Howard (Richie) left the series, Ted McGinley joined the cast as Roger Phillips, the new physical education teacher at Jefferson High and nephew to Howard and Marion. He took over from the departed Richie Cunningham character, acting as counterpoint to Fonzie. Also joining the cast was Cathy Silvers as Jenny Piccalo, Joanie's best friend who was previously referenced in various episodes from earlier seasons and remained as a main cast member until the final season. Both actors were originally credited as guest stars but were promoted to the main cast during season ten after several series regulars left the show. The real focus of the series was now on the Joanie and Chachi characters, and often finding ways to incorporate Fonzie into them as a shoulder to cry on, advice-giver, and savior as needed. The Potsie character, who had already been spun off from the devious best friend of Richie to Ralph's best friend and confidante, held little grist for the writers in this new age, and was now most often used as the occasional "dumb" foil for punchlines (most often from Mr. C., whom he later worked for at Cunningham Hardware, or Fonzie).
Billy Warlock joined the cast in season 10 as Roger's brother Flip, along with Crystal Bernard as Howard's and Marion's niece K.C. They were intended as replacements for Erin Moran and Scott Baio (who departed for their own show, Joanie Loves Chachi) and were credited as part of the semi-regular cast. Both characters left with the return of Moran and Baio, following the cancellation of Joanie Loves Chachi. Also leaving Happy Days in season 10 for Joanie Loves Chachi was Al Molinaro; Pat Morita returned to the cast as Arnold in his absence.
In season 11, the story line of Richie and Lori Beth is given closure with the two-part episode "Welcome Home". Richie returns home from the Army, but barely has time to unpack when he learns that his parents have lined up a job interview at the Milwaukee Journal for him. However, they are taken aback when he tells them he prefers to take his chances in California to become a Hollywood screenwriter. They remind him of his responsibilities and while Richie gives in, he becomes angry and discontent, torn between his obligations to his family and fulfilling his dream. After a confrontation that ends with a conversation with Fonzie, he decides to face his family and declare his intentions. While somewhat reluctant at first, they support him and bid Richie, Lori Beth, and Little Richie an emotional farewell.
Ralph also returns home after being honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in the episode entitled "Welcome Home" and he decides to become an optometrist just like his father. Ralph goes off to college and this serves as his last appearance in Happy Days.
Gail Edwards, who previously guest starred in the episode "A Potsie Is Born," was offered the role that Crystal Bernard would fill but was never told so by her managers, as they knew she would take the role and they did not want her to be a "new character on an old show."^{[citation needed]} Edwards would subsequently appear with Bernard in 93 episodes of It's a Living. Happy Days producers Tom Miller and Bob Boyett would eventually get to work with Edwards again, casting her as a regular on their future sitcoms The Family Man (1990–91) and Full House, where Edwards portrayed Vicky Larson from 1991 until 1994.

History

Happy Days originated during a time of 1950s nostalgic interest as evident in 1970s film, television, and music. Beginning as an unsold pilot filmed in late 1971 called New Family in Town, with Harold Gould in the role of Howard Cunningham, Marion Ross as Marion, Ron Howard as Richie, Anson Williams as Potsie, Ric Carrott as Charles "Chuck" Cunningham, and Susan Neher as Joanie, Paramount passed on making it into a weekly series, and the pilot was recycled with the title Love and the Happy Days, for presentation on the television anthology series Love, American Style. In 1972, George Lucas asked to view the pilot to determine if Ron Howard would be suitable to play a teenager in American Graffiti, then in preproduction. Lucas immediately cast Howard in the film, which became one of the top-grossing films of 1973. Show creator Garry Marshall and ABC recast the unsold pilot to turn Happy Days into a series. According to Marshall in an interview, executive producer Tom Miller said while developing the sitcom, "If we do a TV series that takes place in another era, and when it goes into reruns, then it won't look old." This made sense to Marshall while on the set of the show.
Gould had originally been tapped to reprise the role of Howard Cunningham on the show. However, during a delay before the start of production he found work doing a play abroad and when he was notified the show was ready to begin production, he declined to return because he wanted to honor his commitment.^[18] Bosley was then offered the role.
Happy Days premiered in January 1974 in the Tuesday night time slot that had been occupied by Temperatures Rising, which had been put on hiatus for a second retooling.

Production and scheduling

Jerry Paris, who played next-door neighbor Jerry Helper on The Dick Van Dyke Show and directed several episodes of that series, directed every episode of Happy Days from season three on, except for three episodes in season three ("Jailhouse Rock", "Dance Contest" and "Arnold's Wedding").^[19]
Producer and writer Bob Brunner created Arthur Fonzarelli's "Fonzie" nickname and his iconic comeback phrase, "Sit on it."^[13]^[14]^[15]
Until the show went out of production, reruns of the show were syndicated under the title Happy Days Again.
Happy Days was produced by Miller-Milkis Productions, a teaming of Thomas L. Miller with former film editor Edward K. Milkis, which became Miller-Milkis-Boyett Productions when Robert L. Boyett joined the company in 1980, and was the first ever show to be produced by the company's most recent incarnation, Miller-Boyett Productions, which followed Milkis's resignation from the partnership. It was also produced by Henderson Productions and was one of the popular shows produced in association with Paramount Television.
In its 11 seasons on the air, Happy Days is the second-longest running sitcom in ABC's history (behind The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, which ran 14 seasons, from 1952 to 1966), and one of the longest-running primetime programs in the network's history. It is also unique in that it remained in the Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. time slot for the series' first ten seasons. Tuesdays at 8 p.m. became a signature timeslot for ABC, with Who's The Boss? instantly becoming a Top 10 hit when it was moved from Thursdays and staying in that time slot for six seasons, followed by the equally family-friendly sitcom Full House (another Miller-Boyett co-production). That sitcom also hit the Top 10 immediately after inheriting the Tuesday at 8 p.m. slot and then stayed there for four seasons.
Happy Days also proved to be quite popular in daytime reruns; they joined the ABC daytime schedule in 1975, airing reruns at 11:30 a.m. (ET), being moved to 11 a.m. in 1977, paired with Family Feud following at 11:30 a.m. It was replaced on the daytime schedule by reruns of its spin-off, Laverne & Shirley, in April 1979.
Happy Days also reruns on Five USA in the UK between 16:00 and 17:00, it was shown on Channel 4 between the early 1990s to the early 2000s (decade). Original run episodes in the 1970s and 1980s were shown on various regions of the ITV network usually on a weekday afternoon at 17:15.
ABC aired Happy Days Reunion in 1992, and a 30th-anniversary reunion special in 2005.
Happy Days began running on FamilyNet Television in January 2009 as part of a "Families on FamilyNet" evening programming block that also featured My Three Sons and Family Ties. This block was cancelled on February 26, 2010. Since October 2010, Happy Days airs on The Hub. Happy Days began airing on INSP in 2011, and returned to Hallmark Channel in 2013.
CBS programming head Fred Silverman scheduled Good Times directly against Happy Days during their respective second seasons in an attempt to kill the ABC show's growing popularity. In a way this move backfired on Silverman, as he was named president of ABC in 1975— thus forcing him to come up with a way to save the show he tried to kill the year before. After having knocked Happy Days out of the top 20 programs on television his last year at CBS, Silverman had the series at the top of the Nielsen ratings by 1977 (see below).

Production styles

The first two seasons of Happy Days (1974–75) were filmed using a single-camera setup and laugh track. One episode of season two ("Fonzie Gets Married") was filmed in front of a studio audience with three cameras as a test run. From the third season on (1975–84), the show was a three-camera production in front of a live audience (with a cast member, usually Tom Bosley, announcing in voice-over, "Happy Days is filmed before a live audience" at the start of most episodes), giving these later seasons a markedly different style. A laugh track was still used during post-production to smooth over live reactions.

Sets

Richie and Fonzie view his destroyed motorcycle in his living room, 1976. Fonzie's apartment was over the Cunninghams' garage

The show had two main sets: the Cunningham home and Arnold's/Al's Drive-in.
In seasons one and two, the Cunningham house was arranged with the front door on the left and the kitchen on the right of screen, in a triangular arrangement. From season three on, the house was rearranged to accommodate multiple cameras and a studio audience.

The Cunninghams' official address is 565 North Clinton Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.^[20] The house that served as the exterior of the Cunningham residence is actually located at 565 North Cahuenga Boulevard (south of Melrose Avenue) in Los Angeles, several blocks from the Paramount lot on Melrose Avenue.

The Milky Way Drive-In, located on Port Washington Road in the North Shore suburb of Glendale, Wisconsin (now Kopp's Frozen Custard Stand), was the inspiration for the original Arnold's Drive-In; it has since been demolished. The exterior of Arnold's was a standing set on the Paramount Studios lot that has since been demolished. This exterior was close to Stage 19, where the rest of the show's sets were located.

The set of the diner in the first season was a room with the same vague details of the later set, such as the paneling, and the college pennants. When the show changed to a studio production in 1975, the set was widened and the entrance was hidden, but allowed an upstage, central entrance for cast members. The barely-seen kitchen was also upstage and seen only through a pass-through window. The diner had orange booths, downstage center for closeup conversation, as well as camera left. There were two restroom doors camera right, labeled "Guys" and "Dolls". A 1953 Seeburg Model G jukebox (with replaced metal pilasters from Wico Corp.) was positioned camera right, and an anachronistic "Nip-It" pinball machine (actually produced in 1972) was positioned far camera right.

Potsie, Richie, Fonzie, and Ralph Malph at Arnold's

College pennants adorned the walls, including Purdue and University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, along with a blue and white sign reading "Jefferson High School". Milwaukee's Washington High School provided the inspiration for the exteriors of the fictional Jefferson.

In a two-part episode from a later season, the original Arnold's Drive-In was written out of the series as being destroyed by fire (see List of Happy Days episodes, episodes 159 and 160). In the last seasons that covered the 60s timeline, a new Arnold's Drive-In set (to portray the new Arnold's that replaced the original Arnold's destroyed by the fire) emerged in a 60s decor with wood paneling and stained glass.

In 2004, two decades after the first set was destroyed, the Happy Days 30th Anniversary Reunion requested that the reunion take place in Arnold's. The set was rebuilt by Production Designer James Yarnell based on the original floor plan. The reunion special was taped at CBS Television City's Bob Barker Studio in September 2004.^[21]

Theme music

Main article: Happy Days (TV theme)

Season one used a newly recorded version of "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets (recorded in the fall of 1973) as the opening theme song. This recording was not commercially released at the time, although the original 1954 recording returned to the American Billboard charts in 1974 as a result of its use on the show. The "Happy Days" recording had its first commercial release in 2005 by the German label Hydra Records. (When Happy Days entered syndication in 1979, the series was retitled Happy Days Again and used an edited version of the 1954 recording instead of the 1973 version). Some versions intended for reruns and overseas broadcasts, the original "Rock Around the Clock" opening theme is replaced by the more standard "Happy Days" theme.

The show's closing theme song in seasons one and two was a fragment from "Happy Days" (although in a different recording with different lyrics to that which would become the standard version), whose music was composed by Charles Fox and whose lyrics were written by Norman Gimbel. According to SAG, this version was performed by Jimmy Haas on lead vocals, Ron Hicklin of the Ron Hicklin Singers, Stan Farber, Jerry Whitman, and Gary Garrett on backing vocals, and studio musicians.
From seasons three to ten inclusive, a longer version of "Happy Days" replaced "Rock Around the Clock" at the beginning of the show. Released as a single in 1976 by Pratt & McClain, "Happy Days" cracked the Top 5. The show itself finished the 1976–77 television season at #1, ending the five-year Nielsen reign of All in the Family. On the Season 2 DVD set release, the song "Rock Around the Clock" was replaced with a reconstructed version of "Happy Days." This was done because of music rights issues.

For the show's 11th and final season (1983–84), the theme was rerecorded in a more modern style. It featured Bobby Arvon on lead vocals, with several back-up vocalists. To accompany this new version, new opening credits were filmed, and the flashing Happy Days logo was reanimated to create an overall "new" feel which incorporated 1980s sensibilities with 1950s nostalgia (although by this time the show was set in 1965).

Ratings

Season 1 (1974): #16 ^[22] (21.5 rating)
Season 2 (1974–1975): Not in Top 30
Season 3 (1975–1976): #11 ^[23] (23.9 rating)
Season 4 (1976–1977): #1 ^[24] (31.5 rating)
Season 5 (1977–1978): #2 ^[25] (31.4 rating)
Season 6 (1978–1979): #3 ^[26] (28.6 rating)
Season 7 (1979–1980): #17 ^[27] (21.7 rating)
Season 8 (1980–1981): #15 ^[28] (20.8 rating)
Season 9 (1981–1982): #18 ^[29] (20.6 rating)
Season 10 (1982–1983): #28 ^[30] (17.4 rating)
Season 11 (1983–1984): Not in Top 30

Midtown Blogger/Manhattan Valley Follies

Translation from English

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Landmark in Nostalgia: "Happy Days" Show-= the 1970's Idealizing the 1950's