<Li> Out of the Blue </Li> <Li> Joanie Loves Chachi </Li> <P> Happy Days is an American television sitcom that aired first - run from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984 on ABC, with a total of 255 half - hour episodes spanning eleven seasons . Created by Garry Marshall, the series presented an idealized vision of life in the mid-1950s to mid-1960s Midwestern United States, and starred Ron Howard as teenager Richie Cunningham, Henry Winkler as his friend Arthur "Fonzie" / "The Fonz" Fonzarelli, and Tom Bosley and Marion Ross as Richie's parents, Howard and Marion Cunningham . Happy Days became one of the biggest hits in television history and heavily influenced the television style of its time . </P> <P> The series began as an unsold pilot starring Howard, Ross and Anson Williams, which aired in 1972 as a segment entitled "Love and the Television Set" (later retitled "Love and the Happy Days" for syndication) on ABC's anthology show Love, American Style . Based on the pilot, director George Lucas cast Howard as the lead in his 1973 hit film American Graffiti, causing ABC to take a renewed interest in the pilot . The first two seasons of Happy Days focused on the experiences and dilemmas of "innocent teenager" Richie Cunningham, his family, and his high school friends, attempting to "honestly depict a wistful look back at adolescence". Initially a moderate hit, the series' ratings began to fall during its second season, causing Marshall to retool it emphasizing broad comedy and spotlighting the previously minor character of Fonzie, a "cool" biker and high school dropout . Following these changes, Happy Days became the number - one program in television in 1976--1977, Fonzie became one of the most merchandised characters of the 1970s, and Henry Winkler became a major star . The series also spawned a number of spin - offs, including the hit shows Laverne & Shirley and Mork & Mindy . </P>

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