The Happy Days series turned out to be wildly successful in the ’70s. In 1976, it became the number one TV program, influencing how television styles would be conducted at the time. But did you know that it was rejected after it was first shown to the network as a pilot?
ABC actually passed on Happy Days when the show was first shown as a pilot. After American Graffiti became a huge motion picture success, executives realized it would be a huge mistake not to pick up the show, especially with Ron Howard attached to both projects.
“The Fonz” Was Almost Named “The Mash"
It wouldn’t be the first time a show’s creator would name a character or two after a person close to him or her; names derived from people one knows personally makes the cast of characters easier to remember, especially if you match up personality traits or make the naming choices significant in one way or another.
In the case of The Fonz, Garry Marshall wanted the character to have his original surname. So it should have been Arthur Masciarelli. But he liked the sound of “The Fonz” better than “The Mash,” so he decided to change it before the production started. He made a sound decision.
"American Graffiti" didn't inspire "Happy Days"
There’s a misconception that the Happy Days sitcom is an offshoot of the film, American Graffiti, by George Lucas. The series began as an unsold pilot, which Lucas requested to review. Based on that, he decided to cast Ron Howard for his film which turned out to be a hit.
Both Happy Days and American Graffiti were actually in the works at the same time, the latter simply debuted earlier. In fact, its success caused ABC to have a renewed interest in the pilot, and the '50s era. This led to the recasting of Happy Days and the decision to turn it into a series.
Nobody Liked Pinky
After her initial introduction in the series, Pinky Tuscadero would soon be planned out by management as Fonzie’s long-term girlfriend. She was, after all, Fonzie’s female counterpart.
However, things weren’t as smooth in reality as they were in their fictional relationship. There was an animus of sorts between the two actors.
“Rock Around the Clock”
The theme song of the Happy Days series was “Rock Around the Clock,” performed by Bill Haley and the Comets, and it could be heard as soon as the episode started. Season one used this new version, recorded in 1973, and like the show itself, it would undergo some changes along the way.
From the third season onwards, the Happy Days theme song would be modified to make it sound more modern. This was written and performed by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel. The recording would be commercially released only in 2005.