this has prolly been asked before, but what changes would YOU have made to Happy Days?

first, i would have kept Fonzie the way he was just like in the first episodes. he got too corny for me. I loved the original Fonzie, always cool, tough and very laid back.

It wouldve been cool if they showed more stuff outside of Arnolds...That always was cool to me.

I would have spinned off Joanie and Chachi AFTER Happy Days was over

change the Parents more like Archie Bunker and edith type lol get rid of spike and make fonzie like he was when richie met him have him have more scenes with his Street gang buddies Falcons and more steet fight with people. keep Chuck not Roger not sure what else

I would have kept the show more in the tradition of the first couple of seasons, but perhaps a little less corny. Fonzie was a great character, but he was best in smaller doses. The show was supposed to be about Richie Cunningham growing up, not about a greaser who becomes a superhero. The original Fonzie was a strong character, he was cool, and in a way, you kind of felt for him; he was human, he didn't have much family(as evidenced by the second season Christmas show); he just ran a little deeper. I think that maybe during the last couple of seasons, we saw this again, but by then, the show was way past it's time. If I could have had it my way, the show would have kept more of the original '50s style, and Scott Baio would have never been in the picture.

I wouldn't have Chachi in there because he's butt ugly, case closed

I wouldn't have Chachi in there because he's butt ugly, case closed


Can you come up with another reason on why you would get rid of Chachi besides you thinking he was ugly?

It looks like Ron Howard made the decision to leave the show after the 7th season ended and not before. I would have had him and Donny Most come back for a good-bye episode the following season.

I would have given Potsie parents for a few episodes. I always wondered why Ralph had a dad for a couple of episodes, and Potsie who was with the show from the beginning, never had his parents shown.

I would have introduced Jenny sooner.

I would not have changed Arnold's restaurant.

I would have had Ralph & Potsie in the final episode.

first, i would have kept Fonzie the way he was just like in the first episodes. he got too corny for me. I loved the original Fonzie, always cool, tough and very laid back.

I agree. I would also have never added Roger/K.C./Flip/etc.

I would've kept Arnold and Arnold's the way it was.

Keep the original "tough" Fonz

NO Mork from Ork

MORE Laverne & Shirley/crossover episodes

NO KC

MORE Jenny

Keep more of the action OUTSIDE at Arnold's

yeah tough Fonzie was cool mean i keep the charactors way they was when it first started omg no Mork and Laverne and shirley more scenes outside of Arnolds and keep chuck around as well least guest appearances. and Leave AL in charge of Arnolds more tough Fonzie scenes some Gang fights more scene with Falcons and les less scenes with Mr and Miss c. And no Scott Baio

Can you come up with another reason on why you would get rid of Chachi besides you thinking he was ugly?

Because he was annoying and he was such a twep, don't ask why

It's two choices for me. Keep Ralph and Richie and bring back Ralph and Potsie for the reunion.

A few things would have done it for me.

Like many said before kept Fonz the same when it first started.

No Roger, Phillip, KC., Spike, etc.

Would have kept Arnold along with Al.

Would not have let Al and Fonzie go into partnership on the new restaurant.

Also like many said before would have kept Richie and Ralph.

Would have shown Potsie's parents.

Introduced Jenny earlier but would not have made her so ditsey and dumb.(when Joanie talked about her she was a know it all sort of gossipy person)

Wouldn't have made Richie such a scaredy cat. Seemed like Fonz had to do all his fighting for him.

Wouldn't have Potsie working at the hardware store with Howard, after all Potsie did go to college.

Would have had Lavern and Shirley on mroe since they lived in same city as Cumminghams did.

More action outside of Arnolds.

Kept the restaurant the same. No new restaurant.

Wouldn't have made Marrian so stupid. Would have made her a tiny bit smarter.

Would not have changed the inside of the house the way they did I would have kept it the same, the first season.

I would have never made a Chuck Cunningham.

I also would have shown more other scenery instead of the Cunninghams house and Arnolds Restaurant. Like more high school, more outside, like school yard, park, inside of other buildings.

I would have had Ralph & Potsie in the final episode.

Well, at least Richie returned in the final episode.

KEEP CHUCK AND NEVER BRING THE SHOW KILLER ROGER

I would not have changed Arnold's restaurant.

I would have had Ralph & Potsie in the final episode.

I would have no Mork from Ork.

More of Chuck and Spike.

Wouldn't have made Richie such a scaredy cat. Seemed like Fonz had to do all his fighting for him.

More action outside of Arnolds.

I also would have shown more other scenery instead of the Cunninghams house and Arnolds Restaurant. Like more high school, more outside, like school yard, park, inside of other buildings.

^ Theirs a few that I agree with Hughpuppies

Keep the original Arnold's Drive-In (or rebuild it more like the old one after the fire)
Keep more of the action OUTSIDE at Arnold's
Keep Arnold
Keep Spike
Keep Ralph & Richie
Bring back Ralph and Potsie for the finale?
NO Chachi?
MORE Laverne & Shirley/crossover episodes?
Don't make Potsie so dumb towards the end of the series
Keep the original "tough" Fonz :thumbsub: instead of the superhuman FONZ


Thats all I voted for. I also couldve lived without all those extra add ons. To me, the show was best the first 2 seasons story wise and authentic-wise, if that makes sense. I think most of it is due to the fact that it wasnt shot live before an audience, so it didnt have to be so funny all the time. My favorite season is 3 though, and then 4, so I think the show wouldve been perfect if you mixed all those seasons together. I like my Happy Days CHACHI FREE!, better for the heart. I also hate how they made Potsie so dumb. It was cute for the first couple of seasons, but then it was just stupid. I liked him being Richies best friend, instead of Fonzie. And I hate when the diner changed and was pretty much all wood-- keep Chachi away! I love Al AND Arnold, so both of them on the show wouldve been cool. And I still love Spike. It wouldve been too much if he became a regular, but he couldve been on a few more episodes.

No Chuck
Keep Richie and Ralph
Potsie would not dumb towards the end.
No Spike
More Laverne and Shirley, Mork crossovers
No Jenny
No Roger
No KC
No Flip
I'd keep Ashley and Heather
Fonzie would be a teacher and then the dean.
No partnership with Al
I'd keep Patton High
Instead of Joanie and Chachi getting married in the finale,
Fonzie would marry Ashley.
There would never be a fire, I'd make Al turn off the burner himself.
Fonzie and Ashley would marry on the series finale

No Flip and KC, I HATE those two

I would've kept Happy Days a single camera show like it was in its first two seasons. I think that the show really sacrificed its integrity by transitioning itself into a multi-camera studio audience show. I'm assuming that Garry Marshall thought that since it worked out well enough for The Odd Couple (forgetting of course, that The Odd Couple already had its origins as a stage play) then it could also translate well to Happy Days.

I would've kept Happy Days a single camera show like it was in its first two seasons. I think that the show really sacrificed its integrity by transitioning itself into a multi-camera studio audience show. I'm assuming that Garry Marshall thought that since it worked out well enough for The Odd Couple (forgetting of course, that The Odd Couple already had its origins as a stage play) then it could also translate well to Happy Days.

Great choice! I hated the studio audience. Also, I would tackle more serious issues of that time. I remembered they had an episode in which Fonzie and Al traveled down South and had a run in with a Sheriff when an African American refused to leave a diner and Fonzie helped him. That was a good episode and I wished they had done more.

I would've kept Happy Days a single camera show like it was in its first two seasons. I think that the show really sacrificed its integrity by transitioning itself into a multi-camera studio audience show. I'm assuming that Garry Marshall thought that since it worked out well enough for The Odd Couple (forgetting of course, that The Odd Couple already had its origins as a stage play) then it could also translate well to Happy Days.

The problem with your idea is this, the original show was going to be cancelled by ABC. The show for all practical purposes was reborn, changing lead characters, going with a live audience, and deemphasizing the 1950's era, supposedly there was a discussion about changing the name to Fonzie's Happy Days. The more interesting question, at least for me, if they had chosen a more dynamic actor to play the role of Richie when the show was in development would that show have performed better. I happen to think the answer to that is yes, Howard was not a lead actor (you can clearly see that in American Graffiti), the original version of the show was better (I think much better), but Howard just couldn't detail the character properly which allowed Winkler's performance to really stick out.

I would've let Fonzie marry Ashley as the ending to the show. I don't care how they would've kept Linda Purl (beg her if they had to). Fonzie deserved to have a family of his own. I know he adopted Danny, but I really would've liked to have seen him find a woman he could actually connect with on a deeper level and not have something come along and ruin it for him, as always happened.

I would've let Fonzie marry Ashley as the ending to the show.

Good point there

The problem with your idea is this, the original show was going to be cancelled by ABC. The show for all practical purposes was reborn, changing lead characters, going with a live audience, and deemphasizing the 1950's era, supposedly there was a discussion about changing the name to Fonzie's Happy Days. The more interesting question, at least for me, if they had chosen a more dynamic actor to play the role of Richie when the show was in development would that show have performed better. I happen to think the answer to that is yes, Howard was not a lead actor (you can clearly see that in American Graffiti), the original version of the show was better (I think much better), but Howard just couldn't detail the character properly which allowed Winkler's performance to really stick out.

Series creator Garry Marshall on the evolution of Happy Days (https://www.metv.com/stories/series-creator-garry-marshall-on-the-evolution-of-happy-days)

The characters quickly proved more important than the retro setting.