Happy Days Writers Recall Ron Howard's Return for Show's 250th Episode

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Brian Levant and Fred Fox Jr., producers and showrunners for the beloved series, talk about some of the show's biggest moments in a new book they co-authored together, 50 Years of Happy Days: A Visual History of an American Television Classic.

"The 250th episode we did, after Ron Howard ... left the show, and his contract with NBC expired, he came home," Levant recalls, nodding to the plot line that sees Howard's Richie Cunningham and his love Lori Beth (Lynda Goodfriend) say goodbye.

Howard's return to the show nearly three years after his departure came as a surprise to viewers. It was especially a thrill for the live studio audience who got to watch the scene unfold.

"To see [the cast] reunited, and having such joy in playing the characters and playing with each other, that's what was really memorable. It's like, the teammates were reunited," says Levant.

"The audience went wild when they saw Ron come back," Fox Jr. notes.

“We didn't tip it," Levant adds with a laugh.