Stars of ‘Happy Days’ Look Back at the Show 50 Years Later

“The first day to the last day,” said a thankful Henry Winkler in a red carpet interview outside the Critic’s Choice Awards in January, “What a wonderful experience that was.” Winkler was talking about Happy Days, of course.

The day was January 14, one shy of Happy Days‘ 50th anniversary — he couldn’t have known on the first day of filming what a sensation the show would become.

Bringing Laughter to a Generation

On Tuesday, January 15, 1974, Richie Cunningham, Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli, and Warren “Potsie” Webster, among many others, stepped into teenagers’ lives for the first time, bringing laughter to a generation tired of the Nixon era.

What followed was 11 seasons of an American sitcom that tapped into what Americans were missing — the previous generation’s sense of innocence and optimism.

An American Classic

Producer Garry Marshall’s unsold pilot segment called “Love and the Television Set” aired on an episode of ABC’s anthology show, Love, American Style.

Starring a young Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham, the pilot convinced George Lucas to cast Howard in 1973’s successful American Graffiti.

The Makeover

American Griffiti‘s success encouraged ABC to greenlight the show, starring Howard in its central role, and the first season aired in 1974, lasting 11 in total. However, AV Club’s Emily St. James argues in a 2012 feature how Happy Days‘ success was only possible by abandoning the intended premise and single-camera comedy technique for a dumbed-down, gimmick-filled, multi-camera dynamic in the third season.

St. James’ opinion is summed up in the article’s title, “Happy Days became one of the biggest hits on TV by selling its soul.”

The “Fonz” Effect

Marshall didn’t have a choice — even though Happy Days hit top-30 in the Neilsen rankings for the first two seasons, the show was sinking fast.

For Season Three, the producer opted for a new, three-camera, live-audience show, moving away from the joke-heavy, coming-of-age single-camera comedy about Richie and his family; instead, fan-favorite “Fonzie” took center stage.

A New Direction

Fonz was originally a minor stock character — the rebel who represented the foil to Richie’s innocent boy-next-door persona. He would provide Richie with worldly — if edgy — advice, and though his persona could be menacing, it hid a soft heart.

“When we took it down from the shelf, I added a key element, Fonzie, but it was my partner, Tom Miller, who brought me Henry,” Marshall wrote in a 1989 first-person article about the show. “A man from Yale, you know, and I’m looking for an Italian from the streets. He wasn’t Fonzie. He acted Fonzie, and he was a phenomenon.”

Robin Williams’ Debut

It wasn’t only Ron Howard and Henry Winkler who are now household names. Several other cast members have found fame, and we can also thank Happy Days for Robin Williams’ television career.

Williams’ first appearance as Mork was in the Happy Days Season Five episode, “My Favorite Orkan,” leading the way for his four-season-long show Mork & Mindy.

Nothing but Appreciation

Many of the cast dropped epithets of gratitude in various media channels. Donny Most, who played Ralph, said in a cast interview recently how in awe he was of his fellow actors.

“I used to stay [on the set], and people would say, ‘You’re done; you can go home’,” said Most. “Because we were one-camera then. I wouldn’t go…I wanted to stay and absorb it all.”

How the Cast Fared

Other alumni include Scott Baio, who went on to star in a spin-off series, Joanie Loves Chachi, which was canceled soon after. Anson Williams, who plays Richie’s friend Potsie, dabbled in politics in 2022, campaigning for mayor of Ojai, California.

However, the accolade for the biggest post-Happy Days success surely goes to Ron Howard.

Ron Howard’s Success Story

Ironically, the character who fell by the wayside to Fonzie as Happy Days progressed would become an Academy Award-winning director. Howard’s filmography includes some huge titles: Parenthood, Backdraft, and Apollo 13, among other box-office heavyweights.

However, the Fonz’s rise didn’t cause any friction, as Henry Winkler spoke to Fox News Digital late in 2023, explaining it was Howard’s example that helped keep him grounded.

Henry Winkler’s Dilemma

“I learned a lot from Ron,” Winkler said. “He was completely grounded by his parents, who never allowed any bad behavior. He was being a professional.”

Howard’s success as a director contrasts Winkler’s post-Happy Days career, though Winkler did win his first Emmy in 2018 for his role in HBO’s Barry.

As Tight as a Family

From the Critic’s Choice Awards red carpet, Winkler summed up his relationship with Howard: “I just spoke to Ron, who’s making a movie in Australia, yesterday; we are as tight as a family.”

Winkler’s loving comment summarizes how Happy Days will always be remembered — as one big family.