Show information
First Telecast: January 15, 1974
Last Telecast: July 12, 1984
Total number of episodes: 255
Created by: Garry Marshall
Production company: Paramount Pictures
Broadcast History:
Nostalgia for the 1950s became big business in the mid-1970s, and leading
the wave was this updated version of teenage life in the mid-1950s. It
started modestly and built in popularity until in the 1976-77 season
Happy Days was the number one program in all of American television.
Happy Days changed dramatically from the series that premiered on
January 15, 1974. Originally it was the story of two-high school
kids, Richie Cunningham and his pal Warren "Potsie" Weber, at Jefferson
High in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Howard Cunningham, Richie's father, ran
a hardware store while Chuck was Richie's college-bound older brother and Joanie
his 12-year-old kid sister. Richie and most of his friends hung
out at Arnold's Drive-In, a malt shop near the school.
Richie was supposed to be the innocent teenager and Potsie his more worldly pal. The
producers decided to add a greasy-haired motorcycle kid, Arthur "Fonzie"
Fonzarelli to give the show a bit of an edge. That was the move that
would soon make the show a hit with viewers. Instead of the fairly
hackneyed Richie-Potsie relationship, the show came to center on the relationship between
the "cool" dropout Fonz, and the "straight" kids represented by
Richie Cunningham. Henry Winkler made the character of Fonzie three-dimensional, vulnerable
as well as hip.
As Fonzie's popularity spread (his thumbs-up gesture,"aaayyh!", and leather jacket would soon
become trademarks), the show became a bigger and bigger hit. Winkler soon moved from his
original fifth billing to third in the opening credits, then second
behind Ron Howard and finally first when Howard left the show in 1980.
But ABC claimed that there would be no spin-off series, because without the Richie-Fonzie
contrast there would be no Happy Days. Not only did Fonzie's billing
change as the series grew, but so did his residence. During the 1975-76 season he moved
into a small apartment over the Cunningham garage. He was always
available to give Richie advice about life and of course girls.
Changes in the cast were fairly minor in the early years of the show.
Dozens of high school kids came and went, and Richie's older brother
(played by two different actors) disappeared from the family
early on, never to be referred to again. Arnold (Pat Morita), the Japanese
man who owned Arnold's, first showed his face in 1975 but was replaced
by a new owner, Alfred (Al Molinaro), in 1976. Two lower-middle-class
girls who turned up briefly in late 1975--on a double date with Richie
and Fonzie--quickly went on to a series of their own, Laverne & Shirley.
Chachi Arcola (Scott Baio) arrived in 1977, as Fonzie's young cousin, the
same season that Richie began going steady with Lori Beth (Lynda Goodfriend).
As the 1976-77 season ended, Richie and the gang graduated from high
school and it seemed that Fonzie, the dropout, might be left behind.
But at the last minute it turned out that the Fonz, while working
days at various garages, had been going to night school and would get his diploma too. Richie, Potsie, and
Ralph enrolled at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, with Fonzie still
around (though not enrolled) to advise them on love and life. Richie
enrolled as a journalism major, Potsie as a psychology major, while
Ralph followed in his father's footsteps to become an optometrist (an eye doctor)--
though he really always wanted to be a comedian.
In 1980 major changes began to take place in both the cast and the
story line of Happy Days. Richie and Ralph graduated from college, joined the army, and were shipped
off to Greenland (Ron Howard and Donny Most had left the show). From
there the unseen Richie corresponded with and eventually married Lori Beth--by telephone,
with the Fonz as his stand-in. Lori Beth visited him from time to time and in 1981 gave birth
to a son, Richie, Junior. Back in Milwaukee the Fonz had become
so straight that he was now a co-owner of Arnold's a shop teacher
at Jefferson High School, and operator of Bronco's Garage. "Mr. Cool" had
a close brush with serious romance in 1982-83 when he fell for
divorcee Ashley Pfister (played by Linda Purl) and her cute daughter Heather
(played by Heather O'Rourke), but it didn't last. In 1983 he joined
Marion's nephew Roger Phillips (Ted McGinley), an English teacher and
basketball coach at Jefferson High, in a new career. Roger had just
been appointed principal of the rowdy George S. Patton Vocational High
School, and the Fonz joined him there as Dean of Boys.
Potsie, the perennial college student, went to work for Mr. C. at Cunningham
Hardware. But by this time it was the 1960s and the focus of the program
turned increasingly to the next generation, particularly the rocky teenage love of Joanie
and Chachi. They had their own spin-off show, called Joanie Loves Chachi,
for a short time in 1982-83, but they never left Happy Days entirely.
After a try at a singing career, Joanie enrolled in college and signed on as a trainee
teacher at Roger's vocational school. Others of the '60s generation
were Joanie's independent, boy-crazy friend Jenny Piccalo (Cathy Silvers), who was
finally seen after years of only being referred to; Roger's rambunctious younger
brother Flip (Billy Warlock); and Howard's teenaged niece K.C. (Crystal Bernard)
from Texas, who lived with the Cunninghams for a year.
The final season was a time of reunions and farewells. Richie and Lori Beth returned
in the fall for a visit, with Richie, Jr., in tow, and another baby
on the way. Then Richie headed for Hollywood to pursue his dream of becoming a screen-writer.
In the series' final episode Richie and other former regulars returned
one last time as Fonzie bought a home and adopted a young orphan named
Danny, and Joanie and Chachi were finally married--by Al's lookalike
brother, Father Delvecchio. With "both" their children now married (even they had
forgotten Chuck), Howard and Marion thanked the audience for being part
of their family, and made a tearful farewell.
For more facts about the show and cast members, please see the Did you know? section.
Series summary from The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows: 1946-Present
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