January 15, 1974 - July 12, 1984
ABC Situation Comedy - 255 Filmed Episodes
Cast:
| Richie Cunningham: | Ron Howard |
| Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli: | Henry Winkler |
| Howard Cunningham: | Tom Bosley |
| Marion Cunningham: | Marion Ross |
| Warren "Potsie" Weber: | Anson Williams |
| Ralph Malph: | Donny Most |
| Joanie Cunningham: | Erin Moran |
| Chuck Cunningham: | Gavan O'Herlihy |
| Randolph Roberts | |
| Arnold: | Pat Morita |
| Al Delvecchio: | Al Molinaro |
| Chachi Arcola: | Scott Baio |
| Lori Beth Allen Cunningham: | Lynda Goodfriend |
| Jenny Piccalo: | Cathy Silvers |
| Leather Tuscadero: | Suzi Quatro |
| Roger Phillips: | Ted McGinley |
| K.C. Cunningham: | Crystal Bernard |
| Gloria: | Linda Purl |
| Heather Pfister: | Heather O'Rourke |
| Flip Phillips: | Billy Warlock |
| Officer Kirk: | Ed Peck |
| Eugene Belvin: | Denis Mandel |
| Melvin Belvin: | Scott Mitchell Bernstein |
| Ashley Pfister: | Linda Purl |
Happy Days changed dramatically from the series that
premiered in 1974. Originally it was the story of two
high-school kids, Richie Cunningham and his pal Potsie
Weber, at Jefferson High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Howard Cunningham, Richie's father, ran a hardware store
while Chuck was Richie's college-bound older brother and
Joanie his 13-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. So as not to
make the show too much like Ozzie & Harriet, the producers
added the greasy-haired motorcycle kid, Fonzie. That was
the move that made the show a hit. 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. As Fonzie's
popularity spread (his thumbs-up gesture and "aaayyh!"
became trademarks), the show became a bigger and bigger
hit. Winkler moved from his original fifth billing to third,
then second behind Ron Howard and then first when Howard
left in 1980. Changes in the cast were minor in the early
years. Dozens of high school kids came and went, and
Richie's older brother disappeared from the family early
on, never to be referred to again. Arnold, the Japanese
who owned Arnold's, first showed his face in 1975 but
was replaced by a new owner, Al, 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 arrived in 1977, as Fonzie's young cousin,
the same season that Richie began going steady with
Lori Beth. In 1980 major changes began to take place.
Richie and Ralph Malph 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. There were various other cast and story line
changes in the remaining years, but at home caring for the
house was Marion Cunningham, Richie's mother, through
the series entire ten year run. The origin of this immensely
successful series was a skit that appeared on Love American
Style in February 1972, titled "Love and the Happy Days".
     |
Click HERE to download theme song.
(Theme song provided by Todd Fuller's Sitcoms Online.)
Click HERE to purchase TV books and videos!
Look for Happy Days on Nick at Nite.
Arnolds
By Andrea Borsotti
Fonzie's Leather Jacket
Smithsonian Institution
Happy Days
From TV Party
Happy Days Message Board
From Todd Fuller's Sitcoms Online
Happy Days Online
By Todd Fuller
Happy Days
From The Museum of Broadcast Communications
Happy Days
From TV.com
These links were last tested May 2001.
Check out these classic TV Guide covers...
