How should they have written Chuck Cunningham off the show?

[80s Dude]

I think they should have found a reason to explain Chuck Cunningham's departure from the show rather than just vanishing him in thin air and never acknowledging that he existed. They could have had him go off and join the military and look patriotic in doing so.

[Chocolate Moose]

Sure. That would have been OK

[Babalu]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

I think they should have found a reason to explain Chuck Cunningham's departure from the show rather than just vanishing him in thin air and never acknowledging that he existed. They could have had him go off and join the military and look patriotic in doing so.

Show business people are generally not patriotic. Plus, Happy Days started during the Vietnam War.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

I think they should have found a reason to explain Chuck Cunningham's departure from the show rather than just vanishing him in thin air and never acknowledging that he existed. They could have had him go off and join the military and look patriotic in doing so.

I would have loved that! Seeing Chuck join the military would have given viewers the sense that the writers cared about the characters. They could even have referred to Chuck in subsequent episodes (certainly in the finale).

Chuck could have even been brought back, instead of other random relatives no-one had even heard of before.

[icecream]

Chuck was barely on Happy Days even in the seasons he existed. He just didn't add anything to the show like Richie and Joanie. Compare Chuck to Judy Winslow on Family Matters, Judy actually added to her show before the producers took it out on Jaimee Foxworth's mother reducing and phasing out her role. But Chuck was basically an afterthought from the start. And I like the dynamic Happy Days ended up with, Richie being the oldest sibling. Also, I like Roger more than a lot of fans, Flip not so much. I haven't seen Happy Days season 10 in a long time. Since then I have become a big Crystal Bernard fan from Wings and It's a Living. It would be nice to see the role she started out in again.

[PracTz]

Frankly, I think Crystal Bernard's role in HD was FAR deeper and more interesting than her latter day Wings role.

Oh, and perhaps they might have had Chuck Cunningham defect to North Korea while on an overseas basketball tour -which would have explained WHY the Cunninghams never EVER mentioned him after his last depiction- not even when Joanie finally wed Chachi!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by catsrule

Chuck was barely on Happy Days even in the seasons he existed. He just didn't add anything to the show like Richie and Joanie. Compare Chuck to Judy Winslow on Family Matters, Judy actually added to her show before the producers took it out on Jaimee Foxworth's mother reducing and phasing out her role. But Chuck was basically an afterthought from the start.

You raise a good point about Judy Winslow being much more of a character than Chuck was. And yet, Chuck appeared in nine episodes. I would have at least liked to have seen Chuck referred to. It feels so sinister, otherwise, when the Cunninghams point out that they have only two children. Like Chuck was bricked up behind a wall in the basement.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by PracTz

Oh, and perhaps they might have had Chuck Cunningham defect to North Korea while on an overseas basketball tour -which would have explained WHY the Cunninghams never EVER mentioned him after his last depiction- not even when Joanie finally wed Chachi!

[TV Guy]

An accident in the hardware store, perhaps. Or maybe he was standing in the wrong place in the Fearless Fonzerelli episode, during Fonzie’s jump. It would have given them an excuse to do a Very Special Epsidoe.