I Know Neither Ron Howard or Donny Most wanted to be on the show anymore after the 7th season, But couldnt they have gotten them to appear in just the first episode of the 8th season? I Mean, Richie was at one point the Main character, Even though it became more of a group thing after Season 3. And when he leaves all their is is a letter?! I Wonder why they didnt do a better departure for Richie and Ralph from the show.

I don't know man. I don't know. They did the same thing with Shirley on L&S, they shouldve at LEAST had a farewell episode...

Yeah i remember that. Wasnt Shirley written off with just a leter too? :lol:

I think they could've at least said something that they were going.

Originally posted by Ralph Malph Ricardo
I think they could've at least said something that they were going.

Agreed!!!!:D

I'd never seen Ralph's Family Problem before but I knew it was their last episode...I was expecting *something* to indicate that they wouldn't be back. :)

It kind of makes you wonder, though, if they couldn't be bothered to do one more episode...how badly did they want to get off the show? (that's just my speculation, who knows what happened!)

I agree, and there was probably something more to it than we know. I know they probably both wanted to get involved with other sides of the industry and were afraid of being type cast. What bothers me is why Donny & Anson weren't in the last episode?

It also makes me wonder just how serious actors are about their roles. Television characters come into people's homes every week, or even every day--the public begins to associate these characters with their own lives; we become attached to them; we feel that we "know" them. But do these actors just see what they do as a "job"? Do they realize that to us what they do is more than a job? Do they know that they've breathed so much life into a character that the public just wants more?

It's like what you're saying about people not coming back (like Donny and Anson); if they were really their characters, would they have come back? Were they dissatisfied with the "job" and then disassociated themselves with that job?

(Sorry, got all psychological there!)

Another thought (this no-classes business must be getting to me); our suspension of disbelief is often broken when we meet or hear of others meeting the people who play the characters that we love. These people are not the characters, yet we (in general, as human beings) expect them to be like these characters--often times when approached actors respond with "leave me alone." It must be a difficult life to lead; you want people to appreciate your acting skills, but you don't want to "become" the character--I think that even the HD crew have blamed typecasting. I can't imagine what it must be like to be seen, to be "known" by the whole world as something so opposite, or so different from what you are.

(Rant over!)

I felt betrayed when I saw the first episode of the 8th season without knowing that they left. I felt betrayed because here were these two guys who entrusted their lives to our viewing and then suddenly, they just left. It didn't help that the Cunninghams just forgot about them. Even Fonzie stopped mentioning Richie that often. Now that was low. Fonzie and Richie were best friends (CG, love the signature) and when Fonzie just stopped mentioning Richie, I felt so lost. Yeah, there were the Welcome Home eps, but where was Fonzie's grief? I thought Fonzie and Richie were going to stay together forever after the ep when Richie almost died. And to have Richie completely worked out of the show just broke my heart. But what really hurt was that Fonzie didn't even act like he cared.

Ditto, Daisy.

Actually 167 "A Potsie is Born" was produced after Ralphs Family Problem (there are scenes from the old Arnolds in the latter). I too wish there had been a farewell episode that would have celebrated Ritchie's favorite moments, then an announcement of his enlistment in the army. Is there a fanfic for this?

Originally posted by wayne
Is there a fanfic for this?

I was thinking about writing one last night. I Just Might.

I read in some sites(before I saw season 11) that Ron & Donny appeared in a couple of episodes during that season, which is false. Like many of you, it has always bothered me why Anson & Donny didn't appear in the final episode.

I have always wondered too.. hmm!

Originally posted by Chad Doody
I Know Neither Ron Howard or Donny Most wanted to be on the show anymore after the 7th season, But couldnt they have gotten them to appear in just the first episode of the 8th season? I Mean, Richie was at one point the Main character, Even though it became more of a group thing after Season 3. And when he leaves all their is is a letter?! I Wonder why they didnt do a better departure for Richie and Ralph from the show.

I'm guessing business for a couple of reasons. I htink Ron Howard was prett busy, once he decided not to do HD anymore and also it gets complicated when people are no longer under contract.

Even though he had not yet signed a contract, Ron Howard was planning to return for the eighth season when the seventh season (79-80) finished filming. But he got an offer from NBC during that summer to direct some TV-movies and changed his mind about returning (basically at the last minute). I can only guess that Donny Most decided to bail after hearing about Ron Howard's decision (Donny probably figured the show would fail quickly without Ron).

I agree -- it would have been nice to have better explanations of why Richie and Ralph took off, but hey, at least we got the two-parter where Richie returned.

Here's my two cents:

Even if Ron Howard's departure wasn't a last minute decision, I can sort of see the reasoning behind the producers decision to downplay it. They were probably afraid that a big "farewell" episode at the end of season 7 would mean a lot of viewers would tune out for season eight. Sort of a "Why bother if Richie and Ralph are gone?" thing. I wasn't very old back then, so I don't know if and when Ron and Donny's departure was publicized, but I bet the producers figured "Let's not talk about it too much, and then everyone will tune in for season 8 and see that's we're still funny even without them!" (The truth of which is debatable. The show was funny after season 8, but AS funny...?) Anyhoo, as for the whole "Fonzie not talking about Richie as much later on" thing, personally I think he mentioned him plenty. I mean yeah, he was Richie's best friend, but his and the Cunningham's lives didn't revolve around him. Frankly, if he had talked about Richie too much I would've been a tad worried. I mean, if my best friend moved away I woudn't be constantly bringing her up in conversation, even if I did spend all my time hanging out with her parents. Gee, when you put it that way...what a weird situation. LOL

Ok, I'm done.

:( I wish they hadve done a lil goodbye. Grrr.

Originally posted by TV Guy
Even though he had not yet signed a contract, Ron Howard was planning to return for the eighth season when the seventh season (79-80) finished filming. But he got an offer from NBC during that summer to direct some TV-movies and changed his mind about returning (basically at the last minute). I can only guess that Donny Most decided to bail after hearing about Ron Howard's decision (Donny probably figured the show would fail quickly without Ron).

You have a point their. Unless they were diehard fans their is a chance alot of people would have tuned out. But i also feel that Richie and Ralph should have had a little more than a letter. Even if they were just on the begining of the first episode of the 8th Season, It could have opened up with Richie and Ralph leaving for the army, and getting a big goodbye party. Than the rest of the episode is focused around the rest of the characters trying to go on with and adjust to their lives with Richie and Ralph gone. But thats just my opinion.

One reason why I didn't like the "ending" is that nobody would ever do that in real life. Would you just leave? No party, no nothing? I mean, they could have left quietly and said their goodbyes (ie; "behind the cameras") but it's a television show...what's not filmed doesn't really exist. It's just not a satisfying departure for fans.