THE DEBUT OF ‘HAPPY DAYS’ ON JAN. 15, 1974
Howard was retained as the central character, the teenage Richie Cunningham. Returning from the unsold pilot was Marion Ross as his mother, Marion, and Anson Williams as Richie’s pal, Potsie Weber.
Tom Bosley took over as the father, Howard Cunningham, Erin Moran was hired to play Richie’s sister, Joanie, and Don Most was brought in as another of Richie’s friends.
The most significant addition to the show was a “greaser” character, Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli. Henry Winkler was cast in the role, but network executives were reluctant to show him wearing a leather jacket.
Fonzie would wear a grey-colored windbreaker for the first season or two until ABC relented. “It was very hard to be cool in a golf jacket with a very, very flimsy collar that would not stay up,” Winker would say later.
Winkler’s character would
Happy Days.”
One character who oddly disappeared: Richie’s older brother, Chuck, played by Gavan O’Herlihy. At some point, the character was sent off to college and was never mentioned again.
“Happy Days” was filmed with a conventional single camera and had a laugh track added in post production. At the start of the third season in 1975, however, producer Garry Marshall — who had also produced “The Odd Couple” TV series — began shooting the show in front of a live audience.
“Happy Days” became one of ABC’s most popular series and was the No. 1-ranked TV series in 1976-77.
After seven seasons, Howard — who was well on his way to a career as a noted film director — left the show. His character joined the Army and was sent to Greenland.