48 Fun Facts About Happy Days

Happy Days is set in which Midwestern city?

Milwaukee was the hometown of co-producer Tom Miller; Arnold's Drive-In was modelled on the Milky Way Drive-In in suburban Glendale, Wisconsin.

On which network did Happy Days air from 1974 to 1984?

ABC premiered Happy Days on January 15, 1974 and ran it, mostly on Tuesday nights, until 1984; the Fox network did not launch until 1986.

Who created Happy Days?

Garry Marshall, who had already adapted The Odd Couple for television, created the show; he later cast his sister Penny Marshall as Laverne in the spin-off Laverne & Shirley.

Happy Days began life as an unsold pilot shown on which ABC anthology series?

Love, American Style aired the pilot on February 25, 1972 as the segment 'Love and the Television Set'; ABC passed on a series until Ron Howard's next film made 1950s nostalgia bankable.

Which 1973 George Lucas film, starring Ron Howard, revived ABC's interest in the Happy Days pilot?

American Graffiti, set over one night in 1962, grossed more than $100 million on a $777,000 budget; its success, and Ron Howard's role as Steve, sent ABC back to the shelved pilot.

What business does Richie's father Howard Cunningham own?

Howard runs Cunningham Hardware, the family hardware store; a member of the Leopard Lodge, he is usually found after work in his armchair with the newspaper.

What is Fonzie's real first name?

Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli, played by Henry Winkler, grew from a minor first-season character into the star; ABC once floated retitling the series Fonzie's Happy Days, which Ron Howard opposed.

Where does Fonzie live once he becomes part of the Cunningham household?

He hands his old flat over to Grandma Nussbaum, who had raised him.

Which actress played Richie's sister Joanie Cunningham?

Erin Moran played Joanie Cunningham from the 1974 premiere through the 1984 finale and headlined the 1982 spin-off Joanie Loves Chachi with Scott Baio.

Which former Monkee auditioned for the role of Fonzie?

Micky Dolenz, the Monkees' drummer, was a finalist for Fonzie but was judged too tall beside Ron Howard; the shorter Henry Winkler got the part.

Which museum asked Henry Winkler to donate one of Fonzie's leather jackets in 1980?

The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History accepted the jacket in 1980 for its popular-culture collection; Winkler had earned three Emmy nominations and two Golden Globes as Fonzie.

What is Fonzie riding when he makes the leap that gave us 'jumping the shark'?

Fonzie jumps the shark on water-skis, leather jacket and all, in 'Hollywood: Part 3' (September 1977); the phrase was coined in 1985 by Sean Connolly and popularised by his roommate Jon Hein's 1997 website.

Robin Williams's breakout role came on Happy Days in 1978 playing which character?

Mork from Ork first appeared in 'My Favorite Orkan' in February 1978; Williams won the audition by sitting on his head when asked to take a seat, and Mork & Mindy premiered that September.

Richie's older brother, who vanished without explanation after season two, was named what?

His disappearance gave TV writers the term "Chuck Cunningham Syndrome".

What is Potsie Weber's real first name?

Warren 'Potsie' Weber, played by Anson Williams, was Richie's best friend from the pilot onward and the singer in the boys' band at Arnold's.

Which actor played the original Arnold of Arnold's Drive-In?

Pat Morita played Arnold, whose real surname was Takahashi, in season three; when Al Molinaro's Al left for Joanie Loves Chachi in 1982, Morita came back for season ten.

Chachi Arcola, played by Scott Baio, is Fonzie's what?

His younger cousin: Chachi arrived in season five (1977) as a teenage protégé who copied Fonzie's swagger, later dating Joanie and marrying her in the 1984 finale 'Passages'.

What nickname does Fonzie give Richie's little sister Joanie?

Shortcake is Fonzie's pet name for Joanie, the kid sister who idolises him and grows from a preteen in the pilot to a bride in the 1984 finale.

How was Richie Cunningham written out when Ron Howard left the show in 1980?

He joined the Army: Ron Howard and Donny Most both left in 1980, so Richie and Ralph were written off to military service, returning only for guest spots and the 1984 finale.

Richie marries his girlfriend Lori Beth in season eight by what unusual means?

By telephone: with Richie stationed overseas, the 1981 ceremony was conducted over a long-distance line, Fonzie standing beside Lori Beth as the stand-in groom.

Ted McGinley joined the cast in 1980 as Roger Phillips, who is related to the Cunninghams how?

Marion's nephew: Roger, played by Ted McGinley from the 1980 season-eight premiere, is a young teacher and basketball coach who later becomes principal of Patton Vocational High.

Which school do Richie, Potsie and Ralph attend?

Jefferson High is where Richie, Potsie and Ralph spend the early seasons; the 1977 two-part 'Graduation' sends them on to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Fonzie's nemesis, the officious lawman forever hunting delinquents and "pinkos", is called what?

Officer Kirk, played by Ed Peck from 1975 onward, is the humourless local policeman who treats Fonzie as Public Enemy Number One and the Cunningham kids as fellow travellers.

Fonzie's old flame Pinky Tuscadero has what unusual job?

Demolition derby driver: Pinky, played by Roz Kelly, roared into the 1976 three-parter 'Fonzie Loves Pinky' for a derby against the Malachi Brothers, who tried to wreck her.

Which real-life rock singer played Leather Tuscadero?

Suzi Quatro, the Detroit-born bassist then a star in Britain, played Leather Tuscadero from 1977 to 1979, fronting Leather and the Suedes at Arnold's.

Season one of Happy Days opened with which 1950s Bill Haley classic as its theme?

'Rock Around the Clock' opened the first two seasons; the exposure sent Bill Haley's original 1954 Decca recording back onto the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974, reaching number 39.

The "Happy Days" theme song, a Top 5 single in 1976, was recorded by which duo?

Pratt & McClain, Truett Pratt and Jerry McClain, took the Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel song to number five on the Hot 100 in 1976, after it became the opening theme in season three.

When Happy Days finished the 1976–77 season at number one, whose five-year run at the top did it end?

All in the Family had led the Nielsens for five straight seasons, 1971-72 through 1975-76; Happy Days, retooled around Fonzie and shot before an audience, took the crown for 1976-77.

From season three onwards, whose voice usually announced "Happy Days is filmed before a live audience"?

Tom Bosley, Howard Cunningham himself, voiced the line; the first two seasons had used a single camera and a laugh track, and 1975's 'Fonzie Gets Married' was the three-camera test run.

Which director of The Dick Van Dyke Show helmed nearly every Happy Days episode from season three on?

Jerry Paris, who had played dentist neighbour Jerry Helper on The Dick Van Dyke Show and won an Emmy directing it, directed nearly every episode from season three until the series ended in 1984.

Laverne and Shirley debuted on Happy Days as double dates arranged by which of the guys?

The Fonz set up the double date in November 1975's 'A Date with Fonzie', bringing the two brewery girls along for himself and Richie; Laverne & Shirley spun off in January 1976 and ran eight seasons.

In their own series, Laverne and Shirley work as bottle-cappers at which fictional company?

Shotz Brewery, a fictional Milwaukee beer maker, had Laverne and Shirley on its bottle-capping line; their neighbours Lenny and Squiggy, played by Michael McKean and David Lander, drove its trucks.

The spin-off Joanie Loves Chachi followed the couple to which city as they chased a music career?

Chicago: the pair moved there to sing at a restaurant run by Chachi's new stepfather Al Delvecchio; ABC cancelled the show after 17 episodes and the characters returned to Happy Days in 1983.

Which failed Happy Days spin-off starred Nancy Walker as Howard's cousin?

Blansky's Beauties, a 1977 Garry Marshall sitcom, cast Nancy Walker as Nancy Blansky, a Las Vegas showgirl den mother introduced on Happy Days as Howard's cousin; it lasted 13 episodes.

Hanna-Barbera's animated spin-off starring Fonzie was called what?

The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang ran on ABC from 1980 to 1982, sending Fonzie, Richie and Ralph time-travelling with a dog called Mr. Cool; it was then folded into The Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour.

A public statue known as the Bronze Fonz was unveiled in 2008 where?

The Milwaukee Riverwalk, near Wells Street, got Gerald P. Sawyer's Bronze Fonz on August 19, 2008, paid for by public donations raised through VISIT Milwaukee.

Michael Eisner says the 1950s show idea came while snowed in with Tom Miller at which airport?

Newark: Eisner, then an ABC programming executive, says he and producer Tom Miller sketched a 1950s family comedy while stranded there by snow; ABC's research then said nobody cared about the fifties.

Which season-two episode is set during the 1956 election, with Richie campaigning for Adlai Stevenson?

'The Not Making of the President' (October 1974) has Richie stumping for Adlai Stevenson, to the dismay of his Republican father Howard; Stevenson lost the real election in a landslide.

What was the leftover Happy Days episode aired in September 1984, after the finale "Passages", called?

'Fonzie's Spots' was one of five season-eleven episodes ABC shelved in spring 1984; it finally aired in September 1984, four months after the finale 'Passages'.

What does Fonzie's grandmother, and only she, call him?

Skippy: only Grandma Nussbaum, who raised Fonzie after his father walked out, uses the childhood nickname; from anyone else it would earn a glare.

In 2011 several Happy Days cast members sued CBS over unpaid what?

Merchandising revenues: the suit, led by Marion Ross and joined by Don Most, Anson Williams, Erin Moran and Tom Bosley's estate, cited slot machines and DVD sets; each settled for $65,000 in 2012.

Fonzie's motorcycle was a 1949 model from which British maker?

Triumph: Fonzie's bike was a 1949 Triumph Trophy TR5 that had belonged to stuntman Bud Ekins, Steve McQueen's motorcycle double; it sold at a Bonhams auction in 2011.

How many half-hour episodes of Happy Days aired over its 11 seasons?

Happy Days ran 255 episodes on ABC from January 15, 1974 to September 24, 1984; the finale 'Passages' aired in May 1984 with a few leftovers burned off afterward.

Which character is the only one allowed to call Fonzie by his real first name, Arthur?

Marion affectionately calls him Arthur; nobody else on the show gets away with it.

Which two characters appear in every single episode of Happy Days?

Howard Cunningham and Fonzie are the only characters in all 255 episodes; Ron Howard left after season seven.

Richie marries Lori Beth by phone so she can join him at his Army post in which place?

Fonzie stands in for Richie at the phone wedding so Lori Beth can join him in Greenland.

Which Weezer music video, set at Arnold's Drive-In, features Al Molinaro reprising his role as Al?

The 'Buddy Holly' video splices footage of Richie, Potsie, Ralph, Joanie and Fonzie with the band playing at Arnold's.

Why were five Happy Days episodes left unaired at the end of the 1983–84 season?

ABC ran out of room because of the Winter Olympics and the spring run of a.k.a. Pablo; four aired in summer 1984 and one in September.