Happy Days is part of this forgotten sitcom

As one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, “Happy Days” in retrospect seems like it should be a no-brainer for us. ABC execs (who originally wanted to give the show a very bad title). But in reality, the series took a while to air, as “Happy Days” went through several iterations before debuting in its final form. One of them was part of the TV series “Love, American Style.” The anthology comedy ran on ABC from 1969 to 1974, and featured several romantic comedy storylines, with several recurring performers portraying different characters. The show has hosted guest stars including Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford, but it’s also noteworthy for giving audiences the first version of “Happy Days.”

The sitcom that would become beloved by 1970s baby boomers who longed to relive their 1950s childhood began life as a pilot led by Michael Eisner and former Paramount development chief Tom Miller. According to Eisner, the duo developed the idea for the story while it was snowing at Newark Airport, in an attempt to capitalize on the rise of 1950s nostalgia. They brought in Garry Marshall (the eventual creator of “Happy Days”) to continue developing and writing the pilot for their show.

This original vision for the series was titled “A New Family in Town,” and focused on the minister and his family in the 1950s. Unfortunately, no one wants to do that. However, Eisner remained persistent, and was eventually able to push the pilot based on his script. It was filmed in 1971 with many of the actors who would eventually make up the main cast of “Happy Days.” Before this sitcom actually materialized, Eisner’s original pilot had to air, and with Paramount reluctant to order a series based on the episode, it was repurposed as part of “Love, American Style.”

“Happy Days” began its screen life as an episode of “Love, American Style” titled “Love and the Television Set” (later renamed “Love and the Happy Days” to capitalize on the sitcom’s eventual success). The episode aired on ABC on February 25, 1972, and followed the Cunningham family as they became the first to obtain a television set in their neighborhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Naturally, Richie Cunningham and Bootsie Weber saw television as a way to attract girls more than anything else, with Richie inviting Arlene Nestrock of Tanis J. Montgomery to watch the new group instead of Bootsie, leading to a rift between the best friends. However, by the end of the episode, Arlene reveals that she is actually going steady with William Jack “Bug” Zombrowski, ending Richie’s hopes of starting a relationship. Potsie then returns to Richie’s house (through Richie’s bedroom window, of course) and the pair reconcile.

Many of the characters were played by the same actors who portrayed them in “Happy Days”, with Ron Howard playing Richie Cunningham, Marion Ross as his mother Marion, and Anson Williams as Bootsy Weber – all of whom remained among the The only main cast from “Happy Days” still alive. Meanwhile, patriarch Howard Cunningham was played by Harold Gould, who would eventually be replaced by Tom Bosley in the show proper. Chuck Cunningham was played by Rick Carrott, who was later replaced by Gavan O’Herlihy and Ralph Roberts, and Joanie Cunningham was portrayed by Susan Neher, who was replaced by Erin Moran in her first “Happy Days” appearance. The “Love and the Television Set” also featured a character named Grandma (Nellie Burt) who was not part of the sitcom when it debuted in 1974. The original pilot also noticeably lacked Arthur Fonzarelli, the famous greaser eventually portrayed by Henry Winkler in “Happy Days.”

How did Garry Marshall ultimately go from a failed pilot repurposed for an anthology series to “Happy Days”? Well, as it turns out, if it weren’t for the repurposing of this skit, it might never have happened.

In fact, it was the movie “Love and the Television Set” that partly inspired George Lucas to cast Ron Howard as Steve Bolander in his film. 1973 pre-Star Wars masterpiece American Graffiti. Set amidst the remnants of 1950s culture, this coming-of-age comedy-drama follows Steve and his band of friends on the last night of their summer vacation. The film was made for only $777,000 140 million dollars at the global box office, prompting ABC to rethink its approach to the redirected Marshall pilot.

If 1950s nostalgia was as popular as “American Graffiti,” a sitcom featuring one of the film’s protagonists in the same role would certainly have been a hit. It worked, but not before producing a new pilot called “All the Way.” “Happy Days” finally got the green light from ABC (although… Marshall’s original idea for the show’s title was terrible) and “All the Way” served as the opening act. While Harold Gould was initially supposed to remain in the role of Howard Cunningham, he was replaced by Tom Bosley after his schedule did not allow him to return to the show proper. Erin Moran replaced Susan Neher in the role of Richie’s sister, Joanie, with several new characters introduced, most notably Henry Winkler’s Fonzie.

After going through its unconventional journey on the air, “Happy Days” finally made its debut in January 1974. Interestingly, the show would later use footage from “Love and the Television Set” for flashback scenes in the Season 2 episode “Who’s Sorry Now,” and even brought back Tanis J. Montgomery in the role of Arlene Nesterock.