Was his absence ever explained?

I dont think so. I just think he disappeared..

They never did explain why he was never on. He should've been in more Last Season eps, especially the Last one :(

I think it's an outrage! :) I mean, Potsie was such an integral character up until around the time that Richie and Ralph left...I just don't get why they didn't do anything with him; the writers had possiblities! Personally, I wish they would have spent more time developing Potsie than some of the "new gang" that was to come along.

Yeah, I hated that. Potsie was a big character, and should have had an even larger part after Ralph & Richie left. Although I do think that part of the problem was that without the two of them, it was harder to write in scenes he would with the other characters since he was never that close to Fonzie and he's not a Cunnigham. They could have given him a love interest, though.

I've always wonder how Anson felt. I've always felt so sorry for Potsie. Even though he's in a scene, he's treated like he's invisible. Talk about a inferior complex.

I agree with everybody else. He just disappeared and was never heard of again.:(

The answer is he never was written out. He was largely put into the background but never really left. He was in at least 3 season 11 eps that I know about, 236, 237, & 238. Those are just the ones I'm sure of. Anson Willians was also in the credit's up until the very last ep. Being written out usually means sending a character somewhere, and he was never sent anywhere.
I'm guessing wiht the series winding down, they were trying finish the storylines for the characters who were being featured and didn't really have enough time left in the eps to write him in anymore.

There were also budgetary issues during that last season. The show was getting creamed in the ratings by "The A-Team", and ABC was not willing to pay as large a license fee for the show as before. Combine that with the cost of bringing back Erin Moran and Scott Baio, and that's why a lot of characters disappeared or were used infrequently -- it saved money.

I remember Anson Williams being interviewed around that time, and he seemed pretty cool with the fact that his character was no longer integral to the show without Ron Howard and Donny Most, and he was happy to do a few episodes that season for old times' sake. He was already moving behind the camera -- he produced some TV-movies and co-wrote the TV-movie "Skyward", which Ron Howard directed. And shortly after Ron and Donny left the show, he did a variety show pilot with his wife at the time, Lorrie Mahaffey (he would have left "Happy Days" if that pilot had been picked up). So even then he realized that his time as a main character on "Happy Days" had passed.

Originally posted by TV Guy
There were also budgetary issues during that last season. The show was getting creamed in the ratings by "The A-Team", and ABC was not willing to pay as large a license fee for the show as before. Combine that with the cost of bringing back Erin Moran and Scott Baio, and that's why a lot of characters disappeared or were used infrequently -- it saved money.

I remember Anson Williams being interviewed around that time, and he seemed pretty cool with the fact that his character was no longer integral to the show without Ron Howard and Donny Most, and he was happy to do a few episodes that season for old times' sake. He was already moving behind the camera -- he produced some TV-movies and co-wrote the TV-movie "Skyward", which Ron Howard directed. And shortly after Ron and Donny left the show, he did a variety show pilot with his wife at the time, Lorrie Mahaffey (he would have left "Happy Days" if that pilot had been picked up). So even then he realized that his time as a main character on "Happy Days" had passed.


Thanks for the info! But I still don't like the way his character was treated.

One thing I disliked in the later seasons was that Fonzie seemed to get kinda mean to Potsie. He treated him like a stranger rather than one of the Awesome Foursome (my name for Richie, Fonzie, Ralphie and Potsie when they were together). It seemed like Fonzie was always closer to Richie and even Ralph, but he never actually treated Potsie like a close friend.

Originally posted by FonzForever
The answer is he never was written out. He was largely put into the background but never really left. He was in at least 3 season 11 eps that I know about, 236, 237, & 238. Those are just the ones I'm sure of. Anson Willians was also in the credit's up until the very last ep. Being written out usually means sending a character somewhere, and he was never sent anywhere.
I'm guessing wiht the series winding down, they were trying finish the storylines for the characters who were being featured and didn't really have enough time left in the eps to write him in anymore.

Actually hes in The one where they get locked in the steam room, Welcom Home part 1 and 2, The one where Chachi gets a job as a dance instructor, And the One where Fonzie, Roger and Chachi all try to join the Leopard Lodge. So theirs 5 i can think of.

The episodes without Ron Howard were awful :) I actually refuse to watch them on TV Land they're so bad.

They're not bad, they're just different.

They're just not funny

Originally posted by trekkie
They're just not funny

I Think They Are

A few are, but the majority aren't.

The show just misses much of its comic relief at this point.

Originally posted by Rob1
Was his absence ever explained?

Potsie really didn't need to appear after the 80-81 season because his friends were now gone and he wasn't a hang out person or Fonzie, so imo he really wan't needed anymore. He still should have returned for the last episode. It's a shame the potsie character remained a nerd from his first to last appearance. Even Richie and ralph changed joined the army. Just seems like Potisie remained a weirdo