Happy Days

Last updated

Happy Days
Happy-days.jpg
Also known asHappy Days Again
Genre Sitcom
Created by Garry Marshall
Directed by
Starring
Theme music composer
Opening theme
Ending theme
  • "Happy Days", performed by:
  • Jim Haas (1974–75)
  • The Ron Hicklin Singers (1975–83)
  • Bobby Arvon (1983–84)
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons11
No. of episodes255 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Producers
Camera setup
Running time25 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network ABC
ReleaseJanuary 15, 1974 (1974-01-15) 
July 19, 1984 (1984-07-19)
Related

Happy Days is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most successful series of the 1970s. The series presented an idealized vision of life in the 1950s and early 1960s Midwestern United States, and it starred Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham, Henry Winkler as his friend Fonzie, and Tom Bosley and Marion Ross as Richie's parents, Howard and Marion Cunningham. [1] Although it opened to mixed reviews from critics, Happy Days became successful and popular over time. [2]

Contents

The series began as an unsold pilot starring Howard, Ross and Anson Williams, which aired in 1972 as a segment titled "Love and the Television Set" (later retitled "Love and the Happy Days" for syndication) on ABC's anthology show Love, American Style . Based on the pilot, director George Lucas cast Howard as the lead in his 1973 film American Graffiti , causing ABC to take a renewed interest in the pilot. The first two seasons of Happy Days focused on the experiences and dilemmas of "innocent teenager" Richie Cunningham, his family, and his high school friends, attempting to "honestly depict a wistful look back at adolescence". [2]

Initially a moderate success, the series' ratings began to fall during its second season, causing Marshall to retool it. The new format emphasized broad comedy and spotlighted the previously minor character of Fonzie, a "cool" biker and high school dropout. [2] Following these changes, Happy Days became the number-one program in television in 1976–1977, Fonzie became one of the most merchandised characters of the 1970s, and Henry Winkler became a major star. [3] [4] The series also spawned a number of spin-offs, including Laverne & Shirley and Mork & Mindy .

Plot

Set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the 1950s, 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 Cunningham; Richie's older brother Chuck (briefly in seasons 1 and 2 only, disappearing from storylines afterward); and high school dropout, leather-jacket–clad greaser, suave and promiscuous mechanic Fonzie, who would eventually become Richie's best friend and the Cunninghams' over-the-garage tenant. The earliest episodes revolve around Richie and his friends, 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, Winkler was top billed in the opening credits alongside Howard by season 3. [5] 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 later seasons, other characters were introduced including Fonzie's young cousin, Chachi Arcola, who became a love interest for Joanie Cunningham.

The series' pilot was originally shown as "Love and the Television Set", later retitled "Love and the Happy Days" for syndication, a one-episode teleplay on the anthology series Love, American Style , aired on February 25, 1972. Happy Days spawned successful television shows Laverne & Shirley and Mork & Mindy as well as three failures: Joanie Loves Chachi , Blansky's Beauties featuring Nancy Walker as Howard's cousin, [6] and Out of the Blue . 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 was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution for the permanent collection at the National Museum of American History. [7] The original, light grey McGregor windbreaker Winkler wore during the first season eventually was thrown into the garbage after ABC relented and allowed the Fonzie character to wear a leather jacket.

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally airedRankRating
First airedLast aired
1 16January 15, 1974 (1974-01-15)May 7, 1974 (1974-05-07)1621.5
2 23September 10, 1974 (1974-09-10)May 6, 1975 (1975-05-06)4917.5 [lower-alpha 1]
3 24September 9, 1975 (1975-09-09)March 2, 1976 (1976-03-02)1123.9
4 25September 21, 1976 (1976-09-21)March 29, 1977 (1977-03-29)131.5
5 27September 13, 1977 (1977-09-13)May 30, 1978 (1978-05-30)231.4
6 27September 5, 1978 (1978-09-05)May 15, 1979 (1979-05-15)428.5 [lower-alpha 2]
7 25September 11, 1979 (1979-09-11)May 6, 1980 (1980-05-06)1721.7
8 22November 11, 1980 (1980-11-11)May 26, 1981 (1981-05-26)1520.8 [lower-alpha 3]
9 22October 6, 1981 (1981-10-06)March 23, 1982 (1982-03-23)1820.6
10 22September 28, 1982 (1982-09-28)March 22, 1983 (1983-03-22)2817.4 [lower-alpha 4]
11 22September 27, 1983 (1983-09-27)July 19, 1984 (1984-07-19) [lower-alpha 5] 6313.9 [8]

Cast

ActorCharacterSeasons
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Ep
Ron Howard Richie Cunningham MainGuest170
Anson Williams Potsie Weber Main211
Marion Ross Marion Cunningham Main252
Tom Bosley Howard Cunningham Main255
Henry Winkler Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli RecurringMain255
Don Most Ralph Malph RecurringMainGuest168
Erin Moran Joanie Cunningham RecurringMainRecurringMain234
Al Molinaro Al Delvecchio RecurringMainGuest145
Scott Baio Chachi Arcola RecurringMainRecurringMain131
Lynda Goodfriend Lori Beth CunninghamRecurringMainGuest66
Cathy Silvers Jenny PiccoloRecurringMainGuest55
Ted McGinley Roger PhillipsRecurringMain61
Linda Purl Ashley PfisterMain19
Heather O'Rourke Heather PfisterRecurring12
  Main
  Recurring
  Guest

Characters

Main

Minor/recurring

Notable guest stars

Production

Happy Days originated during a time of 1950s nostalgic interest as evident in 1970s film, television, and music. In late winter of 1971, Michael Eisner was snowed in at Newark airport where he bumped into Tom Miller, head of development at Paramount. Eisner has stated that he told Miller, "Tom, this is ridiculous. We're wasting our time here. Let's write a show." The script treatment that came out of that did not sell. But in spite of the market research department telling them that the 1950s theme would not work, they decided to redo it, and this was accepted as a pilot. [24] This unsold pilot was filmed in late 1971 and titled 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 Television Set (later retitled Love and the Happy Days for syndication), for presentation on the television anthology series Love, American Style. [25] Also in 1971, the musical Grease had a successful opening in Chicago, and by the following year became successful on Broadway. Also 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 pre-production. Lucas immediately cast Howard in the film, which became one of the top-grossing films of 1973. With the movie's success generating a renewed interest in the 1950s era (although, the film was set in 1962), TV 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. [26]

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. [27] Bosley was then offered the role.

Production and scheduling notes

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.

Garry Marshall's earlier television series The Odd Couple had undergone an identical change in production style after its first season in 1970–71.

Sets

Richie and Fonzie view his destroyed motorcycle in his living room, 1976. Fonzie's apartment was over the Cunninghams' garage. Happy days 1976 fonzies apartment.JPG
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. [30] 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, [31] 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 upstaged 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, 1975 Happy days at arnolds 1975.JPG
Potsie, Richie, Fonzie, and Ralph Malph at Arnold's, 1975

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 the seventh 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 1960s 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 1960s decor with wood paneling and stained glass. Also, in seasons 8 and 9, the new drive-in was named "Fonzie & Big Al" because Fonzie and Al co-owned the new establishment in a partnership.

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. [32]

Theme music

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 the song's 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.) In some prints intended for reruns and overseas broadcasts, as well as on the Season 2 DVD set release and later re-releases of the Season 1 DVD set, the original "Rock Around the Clock" opening theme is replaced by the more standard "Happy Days" theme, because of music rights issues.

The show's closing theme song in seasons one and two was a fragment from "Happy Days" (although in a different recording with a different lyric from that which would become the standard version), whose music was composed by Charles Fox and whose lyric was written by Norman Gimbel. According to SAG, this version was performed by Jim Haas on lead vocals, 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 No. 1, ending the five-year Nielsen reign of All in the Family .

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).

Merchandising revenue lawsuit

On April 19, 2011, Happy Days co-stars Erin Moran, Don Most, Marion Ross and Anson Williams, as well as the estate of Tom Bosley (who died in 2010), filed a $10 million breach-of-contract lawsuit against CBS, which owns the show, claiming they had not been paid for merchandising revenues owed under their contracts. [33] The cast members claimed they had not received revenues from show-related items, including comic books, T-shirts, scrapbooks, trading cards, games, lunch boxes, dolls, toy cars, magnets, greeting cards and DVDs where their images appear on the box covers. Under their contracts, they were supposed to be paid 5% of the net proceeds of merchandising if their sole image were used, and half that amount if they were in a group. CBS said it owed the actors $8,500 and $9,000 each, most of it from slot machine revenues, but the group said they were owed millions. [34] The lawsuit was initiated after Ross was informed by a friend playing slots at a casino of a Happy Days machine on which players win the jackpot when five Marion Rosses are rolled.

In October 2011, a judge rejected the group's fraud claim, which meant they could not receive millions of dollars in potential damages. [35] On June 5, 2012, a judge denied a motion filed by CBS to have the case thrown out, which meant it would go to trial on July 17 if the matter was not settled by then. [36] In July 2012, the actors settled their lawsuit with CBS. Each received a payment of $65,000 and a promise by CBS to continue honoring the terms of their contracts. [37] [38]

Legacy

In 1978, actor Robin Williams made his screen debut during the fifth season of Happy Days, as the character "Mork" in the episode "My Favorite Orkan". [39] Sought after as a last-minute cast replacement for a departing actor, Williams impressed the producer with his quirky sense of humor when he sat on his head when asked to take a seat for the audition. [40] [41] While portraying Mork on Happy Days, Williams improvised much of his dialogue and physical comedy, speaking in a high, nasal voice, and he made the most of the script. The cast and crew, as well as TV network executives were deeply impressed with his performance. As such, the executives moved quickly to get the performer on contract just four days later before competitors could make their own offers. [42]

In 1980, the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution asked Henry Winkler to donate one of Fonzie's leather jackets. [43] [44] [45]

In 1985, Jon Hein developed the phrase jumping the shark in response to the season 5 episode "Hollywood: Part 3", written by Fred Fox, Jr., [46] which aired on September 20, 1977. In this episode, Fonzie jumps over a shark while on water-skis. [47] [48] [49] The phrase is used to suggest that a creative outlet appears to be making a misguided attempt at generating new attention or publicity for something that is perceived to be once, but no longer, widely popular. [50] [51] In a 2019 interview with NPR, Terry Gross asked Henry Winkler (Fonzie) what it was "about that scene or that episode that came to signify when something's time is up when it's over?" Winkler responded: "You know what? I don't know. To them, the Fonz water skiing was just like the last straw. The only thing is it wasn't to the audience because we were number one for years after that. So it didn't much matter to anybody." [52] In addition, he told TheWrap in 2018 that he is "not embarrassed" by the phrase. He stated that "newspapers would mention jumping the shark... and they would show a picture of me in my leather jacket and swim shorts water-skiing. And at that time I had great legs. So I thought, 'I don't care.' And we were number one for the next four or five years." [53] As his character Barry Zuckerkorn (in the sitcom Arrested Development ) hopped over a shark in Episode 13 of the second season, Winkler also noted that there "was a book, there was a board game and it is an expression that is still used today ... [and] I'm very proud that I am the only actor, maybe in the world, that has jumped the shark twice once on Happy Days, and once on Arrested Development.” [53]

In 1999 TV Guide ranked Fonzie as number 4 on its 50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time list. [54]

In a 2001 poll conducted by Channel 4 in the UK, the Fonz was ranked 13th on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters. [55]

In 2008, American artist Gerald P. Sawyer, unveiled the Bronze Fonz (a public artwork) on the Milwaukee Riverwalk in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. [56]

In December 2023, Variety ranked Happy Days #87 on its list of the 100 greatest TV shows of all time. [57]

Home media

Paramount Home Entertainment and CBS DVD have released the first six seasons of Happy Days on DVD in Region 1, as of December 2, 2014. [58] For the second season, CBS features music replacements due to copyright issues, including the theme song "Rock Around the Clock". ('The Complete First Season' retains the original opening, as it was released before CBS was involved). Only season 3 and 4 of the DVD release contain the original music. [59] The sixth season was released on December 2, 2014. [60] The remaining 5 seasons have not been released.

The season 7 premiere "Shotgun Wedding: Part 1" was also released on the Laverne & Shirley season 5 DVD. To date, this is the last episode released on home media.

The first four seasons have also been released on DVD in the UK (Region 2) and Australia (Region 4).

DVD nameNo. of
episodes
Release dates
Region 1Region 2Region 4
The Complete First Season16August 17, 2004August 27, 2007September 19, 2007
The Second Season23April 17, 2007November 12, 2007March 6, 2008
The Third Season24November 27, 2007April 7, 2008September 4, 2008
The Fourth Season25December 9, 2008January 9, 2011February 5, 2009
The Fifth Season27May 20, 2014TBATBA
The Sixth Season27December 2, 2014TBATBA
Seasons 1–4881 December 2011 [61]
Seasons 1–6142January 11, 2016
Seasons 1–6 (reissue)142October 13, 2020

Reunion specials

There have been two reunion specials which aired on ABC: the first was The Happy Days Reunion Special originally aired in March 1992, followed by Happy Days: 30th Anniversary Reunion in February 2005 to commemorate the program's 30th anniversary. Both were set up in interview/clip format.

Spin-offs

Happy Days resulted in seven different spin-off series, including two that were animated: Laverne & Shirley, Blansky's Beauties, Mork & Mindy, Out of the Blue, Joanie Loves Chachi, The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang (animated), and Laverne & Shirley with The Fonz (animated).

Spin-off pilots that did not succeed include The Ralph and Potsie Show as well as The Pinky Tuscadero Show. [62]

List of songs performed on Happy Days

EpisodeTitleSong(s)Performed by
1x10"Give the Band a Hand""All Shook Up" Anson Williams
2x19"Fonzie Joins the Band""Splish Splash"Anson Williams
2x20"Fish and the Fins""Young Blood" Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids
3x10"A Date with Fonzie""Great Balls of Fire"Anson Williams
3x12"Fonzie's New Friend""Honeycomb"Anson Williams
3x13"They Call It Potsie Love""Put Your Head on My Shoulder"Anson Williams
"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"Anson Williams
3x19"Fonzie the Superstar""By the Light of the Silvery Moon" Pat Morita, Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams
"Heartbreak Hotel" Henry Winkler
4x01"Fonzie Loves Pinky, Part 1""You're Sixteen"Anson Williams
4x02"Fonzie Loves Pinky, Part 2""America the Beautiful"Anson Williams
4x08"They Shoot Fonzies, Don't They?""Venus"Anson Williams
"Rockin' Robin"Anson Williams
"Anniversary Song" Donny Most
4x09"The Muckrakers""Sh-Boom"Anson Williams, Donny Most, Ron Howard and Al Molinaro
"You'll Never Walk Alone"Anson Williams
4x12"Fonzie's Old Lady""It's Late"Anson Williams
"Splish Splash"Anson Williams and Donny Most
4x18"Graduation, Part 1""Deeply"Anson Williams
4x21"Joanie's Weird Boyfriend""McNamara's Band"Anson Williams
"When Irish Eyes Are Smiling"Anson Williams, Donny Most and Ron Howard
4x25"Fonzie's Baptism""Faith of our Fathers"Anson Williams, Donny Most, Ron Howard and Erin Moran
5x01"Hollywood, Part 1""Will You Love Me Tomorrow"Anson Williams
5x08"Fonzie and Leather Tuscadero, Part 1""Cat Size" Suzi Quatro
"All Shook Up"Suzi Quatro
5x09"Fonzie and Leather Tuscadero, Part 2""Devil Gate Drive"Suzi Quatro
5x11"Bye Bye Blackball""My Dream Girl Of Phi Kappa Nu"Anson Williams
5x12"Requiem for a Malph""Calendar Girl"Anson Williams
"Down by the Old Mill Stream" Tom Bosley, Marion Ross, Ron Howard, Erin Moran and Henry Winkler
5x14"Grandpa's Visit""Down South in New Orleans" Danny Thomas
"Sonny Boy"Danny Thomas
"When the Saints Go Marching In"Danny Thomas
5x15"Potsie Gets Pinned""Pinning Song"Anson Williams and Lorrie Mahaffey
5x17"Marion's Misgivings""Wild One"Anson Williams
"I May Be Too Young"Suzi Quatro
5x18"Richie Almost Dies""Believe"Suzi Quatro
5x20"Be My Valentine""Save Your Last Kiss for Me"Anson Williams and Lorrie Mahaffey
"My Funny Valentine"Donny Most
"Thank Heaven for Little Girls" Scott Baio
"I Remember It Well"Tom Bosley and Marion Ross
"Isn't It Romantic?"Al Molinaro
5x26"Rules to Date By""Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen"Anson Williams
5x27"Fonzie for the Defense""The Three Caballeros"Anson Williams, Donny Most and Ron Howard
6x02"Westward Ho!, Part 2""Rodeo Song"Anson Williams
6x03"Westward Ho!, Part 3""Tumbling Tumbleweeds"Anson Williams
6x07"Sweet Sixteen""Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen"Anson Williams
"Put Your Head on My Shoulder"Anson Williams
6x09"The Evil Eye""The Monster Mash"Anson Williams, Donny Most and Ron Howard
6x10"The Claw Meets the Fonz""Maybe Baby"Anson Williams
6x13"The Kissing Bandit""Everyday"Anson Williams
6x19"Stolen Melodies""I Can't Stand You Anymore"Fred Fox, Jr.
"Moonlight Love"Suzi Quatro
"Do the Fonzie"Suzi Quatro
6x21"Marion: Fairy Godmother""Hey Little Girl"Anson Williams
"Every Hour, Every Day"Anson Williams and Lorrie Mahaffey
6x20"Married Strangers""Cause of You"Anson Williams
6x26"Chachi's Incredo Wax""Take Good Care of My Baby"Anson Williams
6x27"Potsie Quits School""Pump Your Blood"Anson Williams
7x08"Burlesque""Top Banana"Tom Bosley
"Girl of Our Nations"Anson Williams
"It's Delightful"Donny Most and Henry Winkler
7x10"King Richard's Big Night""Hello Mary Lou"Anson Williams
"Let's Twist Again"Anson Williams
7x11"Fonzie vs. The She-Devils""Beer Barrel Polka"Tom Bosley, Marion Ross, Erin Moran and Henry Winkler
"That Old Gang of Mine"Tom Bosley, Marion Ross, Ron Howard and Erin Moran
7x12"The Mechanic""Tossin' and Turnin'"Anson Williams
7x14"Here Comes the Bride""Wedding Song"Anson Williams
7x18"The New Arnold's""Let's Twist Again"Anson Williams
7x23"A Potsie is Born""Surfin' Safari"Anson Williams
"Mack the Knife"Anson Williams
"Oh, Boy!"Anson Williams and Gail Edwards
8x07"And The Winner Is""The Jefferson Anthem"Anson Williams and Al Molinaro
8x12"Broadway It's Not""You Look at Me"Erin Moran and Scott Baio
8x19"R.C. and L.B. Forever""Wedding Song"Anson Williams
8x22"American Musical""Long After You'll Always Have Me"Erin Moran and Scott Baio
"Jail Song"Anson Williams, Scott Baio, Tom Bosley, Henry Winkler, Al Molinaro and Ted McGinley
"A Toast To My Country And Home"Al Molinaro, Lynda Goodfriend and Cathy Silvers
"Youre Gonna Make It"Tom Bosley, Marion Ross and Ted McGinley
9x02"Home Movies, Part 2""Every Time, Every Place"Anson Williams
9x09"No, Thank You""Lookin' Good, Feelin' Fine"Erin Moran and Scott Baio
9x12"To Beanie or Not to Beanie""Call"Erin Moran and Scott Baio
9x14"Grandma Nussbaum""How Am I Gonna Sing"Tom Bosley, Marion Ross, Erin Moran, Lynda Goodfriend, Ted McGinley and Pat O'Brien
9x15"Poobah Doo Dah""Twistin' the Night Away"Erin Moran and Scott Baio
"The Way You Look Tonight"Tom Bosley and Marion Ross
"Goodbye, My Coney Island Baby"Anson Williams, Scott Baio, Al Molinaro and Ted McGinley
"Venus" Frankie Avalon
9x16"A Touch of Classical""Twist and Shout"Erin Moran and Scott Baio
9x18"Great Expectations""Time Turned Around"Erin Moran and Scott Baio
9x20"Chachi's Future""Princess of 3rd Street"Scott Baio
10x06"Who Gives a Hootenanny?""Come Go With Me"Erin Moran and Scott Baio
10x08"Such a Nice Girl""Blue Moon"Pat Morita
10x14"Prisoner of Love""Stop! In The Name of Love" Crystal Bernard, Cathy Silvers and Julie Paris
10x15"Life is More Important Than Show Business""The Loco-Motion"Erin Moran and Scott Baio
11x04"Welcome Home, Part 1""Blueberry Hill"Anson Williams, Ron Howard, Donny Most and Henry Winkler

In other media

Books

A series of novels based on characters and dialog of the series was written by William Johnston and published by Tempo Books in the 1970s.

Comic books

Western Publishing published a Happy Days comic book series in 1979 under their Gold Key Comics brand and Whitman Comics brand.

Animation

There are two animated series, both produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions in association with Paramount Television (now known as CBS Television Distribution). The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang ran from 1980 to 1982. There are also animated spin-offs of Laverne & Shirley ( Laverne & Shirley in the Army ) and Mork & Mindy (centering on a young Mork and Mindy in high school). The following season, they were connected together as Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour (1982). [63]

Musicals

In the late 1990s, a touring arena show called Happy Days: The Arena Spectacular toured Australia's major cities. [64] The story featured a property developer, and former girlfriend of Fonzie's, called Miss Frost (Rebecca Gibney), wanting to buy the diner and redevelop it. It starred Craig McLachlan as Fonzie, Max Gillies and Wendy Hughes as Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham, Doug Parkinson as Al, and Jo Beth Taylor as Richie's love interest Laura. Tom Bosley presented an introduction before each performance live on stage, and pop group Human Nature played a 1950s-style rock group.

Another stage show, Happy Days: A New Musical, began touring in 2008. [65] [66]

Music videos

The music video for the song Buddy Holly (which takes place at Arnold's Drive-in) by Weezer features footage from the series, including clips of Richie, Potsie, Ralph Malph, Joanie, and Fonzie. [67] Al Molinaro also reprises his role as Al Delvecchio in the video, joking about how bad his fish is at the beginning and end of the video.

See also

Notes

  1. Tied with Petrocelli
  2. Tied with Mork & Mindy
  3. Tied with Too Close for Comfort
  4. Tied with Little House: A New Beginning
  5. A broadcast date of September 24, 1984, for Fonzie's Spots has not been verified.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fonzie</span> Sitcom character

Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli, better known as "Fonzie" or "The Fonz", is a fictional character played by Henry Winkler in the American sitcom Happy Days (1974–1984). He was originally a secondary character, but was soon positioned as a lead character when he began surpassing the other characters in popularity. The Fonzie character was so popular that in the second season producers considered renaming the show to "Fonzie's Happy Days." Fonzie was seen by many as the epitome of coolness and a sex symbol.

<i>Mork & Mindy</i> American television sitcom (1978–1982)

Mork & Mindy is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 14, 1978, to May 27, 1982. A spin-off after a highly successful episode of Happy Days, "My Favorite Orkan", it starred Robin Williams as Mork, an extraterrestrial who comes to Earth from the planet Ork, and Pam Dawber as Mindy McConnell, his human friend, roommate, and eventual love interest.

<i>The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang</i> 1980 American animated television series

The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang is an American animated science fiction comedy series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and Paramount Television and originally broadcast during the Saturday morning schedule on ABC from November 8, 1980, until November 28, 1981. It is a spin-off of the live-action sitcom Happy Days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joanie Cunningham</span> Fictional character

Joanie Louise Cunningham is a fictional character, played by Erin Moran on the sitcoms Happy Days and Joanie Loves Chachi. Her first appearance was on one episode of Love, American Style, where she was played by Susan Neher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralph Malph</span> Fictional character from Happy Days

Ralph Hector Malph is a character on Happy Days played by Donny Most.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potsie Weber</span> Fictional character from Happy Days

Warren "Potsie" Weber is a fictional character from the sitcom Happy Days. He was played by Anson Williams. Anson also played the character in several other shows; he appeared in guest appearances on Love, American Style and Laverne & Shirley.

Charles "Chachi" Arcola is a character played by Scott Baio on the sitcom Happy Days and its spin-off Joanie Loves Chachi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richie Cunningham</span> Fictional character from Happy Days

Richard J. Cunningham is a fictional character in the 1970s TV sitcom Happy Days, played by Ron Howard. Richie is Howard and Marion Cunningham's son and Joanie Cunningham and Chuck Cunningham's brother. He is friends with Fonzie, Ralph Malph, and Potsie Weber.

<i>Happy Days</i> (musical)

Happy Days is a musical with a book by Garry Marshall and music and lyrics by Paul Williams, based on the ABC television series of the same name. The story is set in approximately during Season 4 of the original sitcom. The story concerns the kids' plans to save Arnold's from demolition by hosting a dance contest and wrestling match.

<i>Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour</i> American TV series or program

Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour is a 1982–1983 American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and Ruby-Spears Enterprises in association with Paramount Television, featuring animated versions of characters from the live-action sitcoms Mork & Mindy, Laverne & Shirley and Happy Days (Fonzie), all part of the same franchise. This Saturday morning series lasted for one season on ABC.

<i>Happy Days</i> (season 3) Season 3 of the television series Happy Days

This is a list of episodes from the third season of Happy Days. It was the first season of the show to be filmed in front of a live audience.

<i>Happy Days</i> (season 4) Season 4 of the television series Happy Days

This is a list of episodes from the fourth season of Happy Days.

This is a list of episodes from the fifth season of Happy Days.

This is a list of episodes from the sixth season of Happy Days.

This is a list of episodes from the seventh season of Happy Days.

This is a list of episodes from the ninth season of Happy Days.

<i>Happy Days</i> (season 10) Season 10 of the television series Happy Days

This is a list of episodes from the tenth season of Happy Days.

Howard Cunningham (<i>Happy Days</i>) Fictional character in Happy Days

Howard C. Cunningham is a fictional character played by Tom Bosley on the 1970s sitcom Happy Days. Actor Harold Gould played the character in the pilot, which aired as an episode of the anthology series Love, American Style. He is the husband of Marion Cunningham, and the father of Chuck, Richie, and Joanie Cunningham. Originally, Gould was supposed to reprise his role on Happy Days as Howard Cunningham but wanted to commit to something else so Bosley was offered the part. Howard is one of only two characters, the other being Fonzie, to appear in all 255 episodes of Happy Days and to remain with the rest of the cast for all 11 seasons; of the two, Howard is the only one to have also appeared in the pilot.

Marion Cunningham is a fictional character in the 1970s American television sitcom Happy Days. She was played by Marion Ross, after whom the character was named, and first appears in the Love American Style episode "Love and the Happy Days". She is one of three characters to remain on the show for all 11 seasons. She is also one of three characters to be played by the same actors on Love American Style as well as Happy Days.

"My Favorite Orkan" is the 22nd episode of the fifth season of the 1970s television sitcom Happy Days, making it the 110th episode overall. It is notable for introducing Robin Williams to a larger audience. The actor's popular appearance in this episode led to the spin-off series Mork & Mindy, which was based on his character.

References

  1. 1 2 "Happy Days Actor Tom Bosley Dies". Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on October 22, 2010. Retrieved October 19, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 VanDerWerff, Emily (August 27, 2012). "Happy Days Became One of the Biggest Hits on TV by Selling Its Soul". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  3. Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946 – Present (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. pp. 580–582. ISBN   9780307483201.
  4. Crupi, Anthony (May 2017). "Happy Days for broadcasters* *as long as they're selling sports". adage.com. Advertising Age. Archived from the original on June 9, 2017. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  5. Haithman, Diane (January 4, 1991). "Is Uncool Urkel the '90s Answer to the Fonz?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  6. "Blansky's Beauties". TV.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  7. "How Now, Mr. Fonzarelli?". People . Archived from the original on August 1, 2010. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  8. 1983–84 Ratings History TV Ratings Guide
  9. "Happy Days Episode Guide 1981 Season 8- R.C. and L.B. Forever, Episode 19". tvguide.com. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  10. "Happy Days Episodes- Happy Days Full Episode Guides from Season 11 on ABC". tvguide.com. Archived from the original on November 16, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  11. King, Susan (October 7, 2009). "Marion Ross on 'Happy Days' and today". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 19, 2010. Retrieved October 19, 2010.[ better source needed ]
  12. "Happy Days Episode Guide 1977 Season 4- Marion Rebels". tvguide.com. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  13. "Happy Days Episodes- Happy Days Full Episode Guides from Season 10 on ABC". tvguide.com. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  14. "Happy Days Episode- Happy Days Full Episode Guides from Season 10 on ABC". tvguide.com. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  15. "Happy Days Episode Guide 1983 Season 10- Turn Around...and You're Home". tvguide.com. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  16. 1 2 "Bob Brunner, 'Happy Days' writer, dies". Variety . November 8, 2012. Archived from the original on November 17, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  17. 1 2 "Bob Brunner, 'Happy Days' writer and producer, dies aged 78". Digital Spy . November 7, 2012. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  18. 1 2 Barnes, Mike (November 7, 2012). "'Happy Days' Writer-Producer Bob Brunner Dies at 78". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on September 20, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  19. "Cathy Silvers is so much like Jenny Piccalo that it's frightening". Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  20. "Happy Days Episodes Guide 1983 Season 11- Vocational Education, Episode 7". tvguide.com. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  21. Abramson, Dan (June 17, 2010). "The 13 Most Ridiculous Sitcom Mysteries Of All Time (PHOTOS)". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on April 4, 2017. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  22. "Meet 'Chuck,' the lost brother from 'Happy Days'". December 10, 2017. Archived from the original on June 29, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  23. "Happy Days Episode Guide 1978 Season 6 – The Magic Show, Episode 13". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on December 28, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  24. Michael Eisner on the development of "Happy Days" Archived July 4, 2017, at the Wayback Machine with EmmyTvLegends.org (posted to YouTube on Nov8, 2011) Note: Eisner states that snowstorm happened when his son was three months old. Breck Eisner was born on December 24, 1970, so this means that the first treatment was written in late winter of 1970 (~March or April).
  25. Charles Fox discusses writing the Happy Days theme Archived March 8, 2021, at the Wayback Machine with EmmyTvLegends.org (posted to YouTube on June 16, 2015)
  26. Garry Marshall discusses creating Happy Days Archived March 11, 2021, at the Wayback Machine with EmmyTvLegends.org (posted to YouTube on July 13, 2012)
  27. McLellan, Dennis (September 14, 2010). "Harold Gould dies at 86; veteran character actor". Los Angeles Times.
  28. "Jerry Paris". Internet Movie Database. Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  29. "Happy Days Season 3 Episode Guide". TV.com. Archived from the original on February 15, 2009. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  30. Wilcox's Soaps & More TV Character Address and Trivia Book (2004)
  31. "Iconic Movie and TV Houses of L.A." LA Weekly. August 21, 2014. Archived from the original on January 11, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  32. "Shows". CBS Television City. September 7, 1954. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  33. Dobuzinskis, Alex (April 20, 2011). "'Happy Days' actors sue over merchandising revenue". Reuters. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  34. Zamost, Scott (April 20, 2011). "'Happy Days' actors claim fraud, money owed for merchandising". CNNMoney. Archived from the original on July 30, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  35. Gardner, Eriq (June 5, 2012). "'Happy Days' Actors Win Key Ruling in CBS Lawsuit". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  36. Scott, Zamost (June 5, 2012). "'Happy Days' cast members' lawsuit heading for trial". CNN. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  37. Daley, Sean (August 6, 2012). "Chachi done with broke Joanie". New York Post. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  38. Zamost, Scott (July 7, 2012). "'Happy Days' actors settle lawsuit with CBS". CNN. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  39. James Lipton (host) (June 10, 2001). "Robin Williams". Inside the Actors Studio. Season 7. Episode 710. Bravo. Archived from the original on February 4, 2007.
  40. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : Maddow, Rachel (August 12, 2014). "Henry Winkler Recalls Robin Williams' 'Happy Days' Debut". MSNBC . Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  41. "Robin Williams Biography". Biography Channel. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  42. "'Happy Days' Cast Reveals How Robin Williams Got Cast as a "Martian" in Show's "Worst Script"". The Hollywood Reporter. November 20, 2014. Archived from the original on August 10, 2018. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  43. "Henry Winkler Donates his Jacket, NMHT". National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on September 1, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  44. MacGregor, Jeff (September 2017). "Why 'Happy Days' — and the Fonz — Never Truly 'Jumped the Shark'". Smithsonian . Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  45. Bumiller, Elizabeth (February 14, 1980). "Exhibit A-a-a-a-y: 'The Fonz'". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  46. Fox, Fred Jr. (September 3, 2010). "First Person: In defense of 'Happy Days' 'Jump the Shark' episode". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on September 15, 2010. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  47. Hornaday, Ann (July 25, 2003). "A Few Pixels Short of a Personality". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  48. Hollows, Joanne; Moseley, Rachel (2006). Feminism in Popular Culture. Berg Publishers. ISBN   1845202236.
  49. McFedries, Paul (2008). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Weird Word Origins. Alpha Books. ISBN   978-1592577811.
  50. Lenderman, Max (January 5, 2010). Experience the Message: How Experiential Marketing Is Changing the Brand World. McClelland & Stewart. p. 267. ISBN   9781551991696.
  51. Lubans Jr., John (2010). "Leading from the Middle", and Other Contrarian Essays on Library Leadership. Libraries Unlimited. p. 76. ISBN   9781598845785.Perlow, Bob; Cummins, Richard John (2016). The Warmup Guy. Random House. p. 30.
  52. Gross, Terry (April 11, 2019). "'I Never Had A Plan B': Henry Winkler On His Career, From The Fonz To 'Barry'". NPR . Archived from the original on September 16, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  53. 1 2 Pond, Steve (August 21, 2018). "'Barry' Star Henry Winkler on Why He's 'Very Proud' He Jumped That Shark – Twice (Video)". TheWrap. Archived from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  54. TV Guide Guide to TV . Barnes and Noble. 2004. p.  651. ISBN   0-7607-5634-1.
  55. "100 Greatest TV Characters". Channel 4. Archived from the original on May 31, 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  56. "Henry Winkler unveils bronze Fonz". BBC. August 20, 2008. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved August 16, 2010.
  57. "The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time". Variety. December 20, 2023.
  58. "Happy Days DVD news: Box Art for Happy Days – The 5th Season". TVShowsOnDVD.com. January 29, 2014. Archived from the original on June 3, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  59. "Happy Days: Season 5". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on April 4, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  60. "Happy Days DVD news: Announcement for Happy Days – The 6th Season – TVShowsOnDVD.com". tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014.
  61. "Happy Days Seasons 1 - 4". Booktopia . Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  62. Charles Fox interview Archived April 4, 2023, at the Wayback Machine with EmmyTvLegends.org (posted to YouTube on June 16, 2015)
  63. ""Happy Days" (1974)". Movie connections. Imdb.com. Archived from the original on March 7, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  64. "Show Gives Fonz Some Happy Days". The Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on May 24, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  65. "Happy Days: The Musical". nytheatre.com. Archived from the original on November 2, 2008.
  66. Ng, David (November 10, 2008). "'Happy Days' is here again". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 22, 2010. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  67. Nashawaty, Chris (December 9, 1994). "Weezer loves "Happy Days"". EW.com. Archived from the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2021.