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The family consists of Howard Cunningham, a hardware store owner, his homemaker wife Marion, and the couple's children, Richie, an optimistic if somewhat naïve teenager, and Joanie, Richie's sweet but nosey younger sister. The Cunninghams originally had an older son named Chuck, a college student. Chuck was phased out of the show with no onscreen explanation for his departure. The earlier episodes revolve around Richie and his friends, Warren "Potsie" Weber (Anson Williams), Ralph Malph (Donny Most) and local dropout Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli (played by Henry Winkler). As the series progressed "Fonzie" proved to be a favorite with viewers and soon more story lines were written to reflect his growing popularity. Soon Fonzie befriended Richie and the Cunningham family. Later the focus would sometimes shift to other characters such as Fonzie's cousin, Charles "Chachi" Arcola, who became a love interest for Joanie Cunningham. This long-running show spawned several other television series, including Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, and Joanie Loves Chachi, and is currently a musical touring the United States. The show has been syndicated under the title Happy Days Again. Despite some inconsistencies, it is generally indicated that the events of the series begin about 1956 and, despite eleven seasons, ended around 1965 (though JFK's murder, a pivotal event, was not mentioned). As a general rule, most episodes take place about 19 years before the year of their first air date. The second season episode "The Not Making of the President" revolves around the 1956 presidential election, while two other episodes in the same season specify 1958. The sixth season episode "Christmas Time" ends with a photo dated Christmas 1960. In the 10th season episode "Babysitting," Fonzie watches the first heavyweight championship fight between Cassius Clay and Sonny Liston on television. This boxing match occurred on February 25, 1964. In the first part of the series finale, "Passages," Joanie and Chachi are wearing T-shirts that say "The Kinks � Summer 1965 Tour." Series producer Garry Marshall contracted period icons, such as Howdy Doody and The Lone Ranger, to make visits to underscore a feel of innocence and hero worship. |