The television sitcom Happy Days was on air for eleven seasons from 1974 until 1984. The show, which presented an idealized version of the 1950s and 1960s in America, was incredibly successful and went on to spawn several spin-offs including Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, Joanie Loves Chachi, and The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang. Since the show was such a favorite, we have 9 things you didn’t know about Happy Days.
9. Concept
The show was originally called “New Family in Town” and starred 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. The pilot was filmed in 1971, but Paramount passed on making it into a weekly series. The pilot was recycled with the name “Love and the Television Set” and then “Love and the Happy Days” for presentation on the television anthology series Love, American Style. Show creator Garry Marshall and ABC decided to recast the unsold pilot and changed the name to “Happy Days.”
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