Hidden Secrets From The Producers of “Happy Days”

“Happy Days” was on the air from 1974 to 1984 and was one of the most successful shows of the 1970s. The series spawned many spin-offs and skyrocketed a lot of careers for hopeful young actors, but there are a lot of behind-the-scenes secrets that you may not know.

Garry Marshall revealed many stories about the cast and set of “Happy Days” in his memoir, “Wake Me When It’s Funny.” These stories reveal that filming the show wasn’t always ‘happy,’ but it certainly was memorable!

The Show Nearly Had a Different Title

When the show was still in production, creator Gary Marshall titled the series “Cool,” because the characters were very trendy and the word was popular in the ‘50s.

After a focus group viewed the show and decided that they loved everything about it but the name, Marshall came up with the new title.

Ron Howard Almost Passed on the Role of Richie

After playing Opie on “The Andy Griffith Show” and playing a teenager in “American Graffiti,” Howard was reluctant to play a teenager again at the age of 20. But, creator Gary Marshall assured him that his character would graduate high school and continue to age as the show progressed.

A Major Character Disappeared Without a Trace

Fans of the show will remember the first season, where Richie and Joanie Cunningham had an older brother, Chuck. He was portrayed by two different actors during the first season and then he was written out of the show entirely.

Fonzie’s Windbreaker Almost Ruined the Show

Executives at Paramount Studios feared that wearing a leather jacket would make Fonzie look like a hoodlum, which would make audiences dislike his character, so they requested that Henry Winkler wear a blue windbreaker.

Creator Garry Marshall asked that Fonzie be allowed to wear leather for his safety when he was riding his motorcycle and the studio obliged. When the Fonz became a cultural icon, they ultimately scrapped the windbreaker for good.