SEASON 1 – ABC
Theme music: “Rock Around the Clock” written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers (as Jimmy DeKnight) and performed by Bill Haley & The Comets (new version recorded in 1973). Closing theme was “Happy Days Theme” written by Norman Gimbel with Charles Fox, performed by Jim Haas.
NOTE: This series is based on an segment entitled “Love and the Television Set” – later re-titled for syndication as “Love and the Happy Days” – on episode #70 of “Love, American Style”
- 000. Unaired Pilot – 1973
- Potsie sets up Richie with a girl named Mary Lou Milligan who is said to be easy. Richie has a lot of questions on how to score with this girl, but when he joins her on one of her babysitting jobs, they end up just kissing a couple of times and playing chess. When the other guys assume that he has gone all the way with her, he lets them believe it – but later feels guilty and asks his father for advice. He ends up telling his friends that he had an innocent evening with her, and she tells him that the rumors about her being loose are untrue. Fonzie forgives Richie for the lie, but is a little disturbed that he had set up a date with her based on Richie’s testimony. NOTE: This pilot is nearly identical to the premiere episode All the Way, with some minor changes. The biggest difference is that Joanie is portrayed by Louise “Wish” Foley. 4/19/21
- 001. All the Way – 1/15/1974
- Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard) is a teenager growing up in Milwaukee in the late 1950’s. He hangs out at Arthur’s Drive-In with friends Potsie Weber (Anson Williams), Ralph Malph (Don Most), and the ultra-cool Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli (Henry Winkler). In his home are his understanding parents Howard (Tom Bosley) and Marion (Marion Ross), and older brother Chuck (Gavan O’Herlihy) and younger sister Joanie (Erin Moran). Potsie sets up Richie with a girl named Mary Lou Milligan (Kathy O’Dare) who is said to be easy. Richie has a lot of questions on how to score with this girl, but when he joins her on one of her babysitting jobs, they end up just kissing a couple of times and playing chess. When the other guys assume that he has gone all the way with her, he lets them believe it – but later feels guilty and asks his father for advice. He ends up telling his friends that he had an innocent evening with her, and she tells him that the rumors about her being loose are untrue. Fonzie forgives Richie for the lie, but is a little disturbed that he had set up a date with her based on Richie’s testimony. 5/25/14
- 002. The Lemon – 1/22/1974
- Richie and Potsie are embarrassed to be seen in the Cunningham family car, so they pool their resources and purchase a $175 jalopy against the advice of Mr. C. Fonzie gets the car running in exchange for the hood ornament, but while on a date with their girlfriends Trudy (Tita Bell) and Betty (Cindy Eilbacher), the car’s seats, horn, and starter malfunction and the girls and the car end up in the lake. Howard, who has been searching for them at the request of Betty’s father, does his best to hold back in lecturing Richie for not following his advice. NOTE: “Arthur’s Drive-In” is re-christened as “Arnold’s Drive-In” in this episode. 5/27/14
- 003. Richie’s Cup Runneth Over – 1/29/1974
- Potsie gets invited to his cousin Arnold’s (Tim Haldeman) stag party, where most of those present will be Marines, and he invites Richie to go along. Richie obtains permission to skip visiting with his aunt that night and go to the party, with a warning from his father to take it easy. Despite coating their stomachs with milk and olive oil, Potsie and Richie both get drunk. Potsie falls asleep, but Richie had a grand time flirting with the hired dancer Verna Laverne (Louisa Moritz). In fact Verna is asked by Arnold to drive Richie home and she obliges. Richie invites her to come back for dinner and gets a kiss on his cheek before they wake up Howard, who spends part of the night giving Richie coffee and helping him get to bed. Howard is confident that the ensuing hangover will help teach Richie a lesson about drinking. 6/11/14
- 004. Guess Who’s Coming to Visit? – 2/5/1974
- An obnoxious guy named Skizzy Scollick (Alan Abelew) challenges Ralph to a car race, but Fonzie steps in and says that he’ll take him on using Ralph’s car. Richie has a crush on Skizzy’s girlfriend Jean (Laura Michaels). Potsie spends the night at Richie’s while his father is away in Atlantic City and convinces Richie that they need to attend the midnight drag race. Richie, wanting to see Jean, agrees to sneak out. Marion finds that they’re both gone, so Howard goes looking for them. He arrives at the drag race in time to stop it, but ends up getting arrested along with the kids when the cops show up. Howard is so angry that he grounds Richie for life, but later reduces the sentence to two weeks. Beatrice Colen makes her first appearance as Arnold’s waitress Marsha Simms. Barry Greenberg appears as Moose. 6/12/14
- 005. Hardware Jungle – 2/12/1974
- Richie buys tickets from Fonzie for a rock and roll concert featuring Chuck Berry, using the $6 that his father gives him, but when Howard becomes sick and finds out that he has to have his tonsils taken out, Richie agrees to watch his father’s hardware store. Fonzie reluctantly gives him a refund, but when Richie finds out that Howard doesn’t expect him to stay late at the store, Richie buys the tickets back. Potsie and Richie end up getting locked inside the hardware store as they are getting ready to leave for the concert, and end up breaking the store’s window. Richie gives Potsie the tickets to take both of their girlfriends. Richie misses the show, but Potsie has found out what a great friend he has, and Howard is pleased with how responsible Richie was for skipping the concert and having the glass repaired. Peter Brocco plays Mr. Egan, Howard’s hospital-mate. Robert Casper plays a customer. 8/25/14
- 006. The Deadly Dares – 2/19/1974
- While at the school sock hop, Richie and Potsie notice that one of the members of the Demons named Bag Zombroski (Neil J. Schwartz) has no problem picking up girls, so they ask ex-alum Fonzie to sponsor their admission. Fonzie reluctantly agrees, and they both get accepted on the condition that they can complete six deadly dares. Among them are a prank phone call, kissing Marsha, stealing the toupee off of a teacher, tying Officer O’Reilly’s (Jack Riley) shoelaces together, and singing My Country ‘Tis of Thee during a 3-D movie, which embarrasses Richie’s parents. The final dare is to dress like girls at the sock hop until they are asked to dance. Fonzie doesn’t realize it is Richie and grabs him for a dance, playing it off like he helped him on purpose. In the end, Richie follows his father’s advice and doesn’t join the Demons, nor does Potsie. They figure that any girl that would only date someone because they are a Demon isn’t worth dating. Ed Begley Jr. is Hank, the leader of the Demons. 8/29/14
- 007. Fonzie Drops In – 2/26/1974
- Richie talks Fonzie into returning to school, having previously dropped out. Fonzie meets with the principal Mr. Faraday (Stuart Nesbit) and is reinstated, become popular with both the students and the teacher Miss Pratt (Jessica Myerson). However he has Richie do his homework for the first week, and when Richie complains, he turns his homework over to Trudy to do. Richie invites him over for dinner with the family with the intention of studying afterward, but instead Fonzie teaches Richie how to give him the answers during the test. Richie reluctantly agrees, but backs out during the test. Fonzie’s back-up plans of having crib sheets on the girl in front of him and just outside the school window both fail. Fonzie barely manages to pass the test, but decides to drop out again anyway, leaving behind his dreams of becoming a policeman. 10/28/14
- 008. The Skin Game – 3/5/1974
- After Ralph brags about seeing Bubble McCall (Barbara Rhoades) bare it all at the striptease joint Eddie’s Pink Palace, Richie and Potsie ask Fonize for help in securing fake ID’s. Fonzie brings over Pockets (Frank Sivero) who makes Potsie his ID, but is scared off by Marion before he can make Richie’s. Richie asks Chuck to borrow his, but he says it’s already on loan. Potise eventually comes up with one that belonged to someone named Joe Kilvinski. The boys make it into the club without incident, but once they are inside, they spot Howard with a friend. Potsie convinces him to say for Bubbles’ dance, but they are disappointed when all she removes is her gloves – placing one of them on Richie’s face. Disturbed by the fact that he saw his father there, Richie and Potsie escape without being seen…but once he gets home, he finds out that Howard did in fact seem him when he hands him Bubbles’ glove. Richie is grounded for a week for using a false ID, and Howard comforts Richie by telling him that he was only there for a business meeting, of which his mother was fully aware. Billy Sands is the waiter. 11/24/14
- 009. Breaking Up Is Hard to Do – 3/12/1974
- After two weeks of going steady, Richie and his girlfriend Arlene Holder (Laurette Spang) have an argument and break up. With the Junior Prom coming up at Thomas Jefferson High, Richie is now without a date and his father recommends that he take Arlene anyway. He doesn’t want to consider it a date, so he just asks if he can give her a lift and they can go as friends. Marion and Howard are chaperones at the dance and continue to monitor the punch and the map of the make-out areas that Joanie provided them. Arlene is asked to dance by nearly every boy at the dance, and Richie starts to get jealous. When Arlene is announced as the “Teen Angel” runner-up, she is nowhere to be found. Howard ends up finding Arlene and Richie in the broom closet, one of the make-out area, where they are doing just that. Reta Shaw is Joanie’s babysitter Mrs. McCarthy. Jean Fraser is Sandy Hauser. 11/25/14
- 010. Give the Band a Hand – 3/26/1974
- Guitar player Richie and bass player Potsie convince keyboardist Ralph, who is now working at Arnold’s, and drummer Bag to form a combo and start playing at some paying gigs. Potsie gets a job at the Zeta Phi fraternity house party for $45, but the crowd is largely unimpressed as they can only play All Shook Up over and over. When they collect the money from the frat boys, Murf (Bruce Kimmel) invites them to join the poker game and then proceeds to clean out their earnings using the ‘Hoboken Hustle,’ by using marked cards. When Richie later reports this to his father, expert poker player Howard accompanies Richard back to the frat house, and Murf tries the same trick on him. However Howard insists on using his own deck – or else report their cheating to the college dean – and then wins back Richie’s money. He lets Richie ‘use’ his winnings to pay the other members of the band with the stipulation that he and Potsie doe some work in the store. Don Carter and Richard Rasof are Brian and Animal, the other frat boys. 1/12/15
- 011. Because She’s There – 4/2/1974
- While tying the record for packing into a phone booth, Potsie tells Richie that he got a date with Susan Denton (Karen Duitsman), but she will only go if Richie takes her cousin Phyllis (Diana Canova) to the masquerade party at Ralph’s house. Richie is reluctant to go on a blind date but once he sees her picture, he finds her attractive enough. However when he meets her, she is much taller than him. They go to the party, him as a knave and her as the Statue of Liberty. Richie spends the evening trying to avoid necking with her, while all of the other couples make out, and Richie and Ralph’s parents Hazel (Gracia Lee) and Harry (Mike Monahan) play cards upstairs – with Howard constantly exasperated at Marion’s playing. When Ralph and Potsie take their girls to the lake, Richie borrows Potsie’s car so he can take Phyllis around town without a pressure. He ends up running out of gas and has to borrow some of Fonzie’s gas from his bike. Phyllis uses the torch from her costume to get the gas into the tank. By the end of the night, Richie has taken a liking to Phyllis and they kiss at her door. Joanie tattles that Richie didn’t get home until 2am. Eileen Koch is Fonzie’s date Sheena, Queen of the Jungle. 1/12/15
- 012. In the Name of Love – 4/9/1974
- Both Potsie and Ralph have their eye on new girl Cindy Shellenberger (Mary Cross), but she approaches Richie and asks if he’ll study with her. He has a crush on her as well and when she comes to his house to study, and then asks if he’d like to kiss her, he decides to ask her to steady. Fonzie recommends that he do it at the drive-in, but when he asks her, she says no – that she only let him kiss her so that he could keep his mind on studying afterward. Howard recommends that Richie not give up on her, so first Richie writes a message for her in chalk, then goes to a tattoo parlor after he sees her look impressed an another guy’s tattoo. Howard puts a stop to that, but Fonzie draws on on his arm with a marker. This still doesn’t impress her, and she finally gets through to him that she’s just not feeling it but hopes they can stay friends. 9/24/14
- 013. Great Expectations – 4/16/1974
- At a screening of the film Shane, Richie meets a beatnik girl named Deidre (Udana Power), who is homeless since she broke up with her boyfriend, living in the movie theater. Richie has Fonzie fix the car and Richie invites her to dinner. Howard is not amused by having a beatnik at the house, especially when she faints during dinner. It turns out she is pregnant, so Richie goes to hunt her boyfriend Lawrence (Danny Goldman) at the hippie hangout the Purple Eagle. He brings Lawrence back to his house and becomes disgusted by his father’s reaction to the beatniks. Richie decides to hit the road with Deidre and Lawrence, but when they back out to go get married, Richie backs out as well and Fonzie drives him home. Howard apologizes to Richie for his attitude. Valerie Curtin is the poetess at the Purple Eagle. 9/24/14
- 014. The Best Man – 4/23/1974
- Howard’s army buddy Fred Washington (Robert DoQui) comes to stay with the Cunninghams before he gets married. When the neighbor Mrs. Finley (Amzie Strickland) visits and finds out that Fred is black, racial tensions start to rise in the neighborhood. Marion’s own prejudice starts to come forth, and she is corrected by Howard…but even he has a hard time agreeing to let Fred hold his wedding in his house after Fred gets in a fight with his father-in-law Mr. Davis (Bill Henderson). When Fred gets picked up by Officer Kincaid (Edward Marshall) for going for a walk in the neighborhood, Howard decides to hold the wedding in his house. During the wedding, Fred runs out leaving his bride Carol (Gail Cameron) standing at the altar. While Joanie and Richie try to entertain the guests, Howard talks to Fred and finds out that he has concerns about bringing a child into the prejudiced world. Howard tells him that their baby may be the one to chance the world, and the wedding goes on. 10/27/14
- 015. Knock Around the Block – 4/30/1974
- The local ruffian gang The Dukes show up at Arnold’s to see Richie because the gang leader Frankie Melina (Darrell Fetty) wants to thank him for looking out for his little sister. Unfortunately the gang also steals Potsie’s bike. Richie is elected to go see the Dukes at the pool hall, but since Frankie isn’t there, he has to deal with Squirt (Manuel Padilla Jr.), who refuses to give up the bike. Potsie thinks he can get the football team to help them rumble with the Dukes, but the team doesn’t show up at the pool hall. Fortunately Frankie shows up and tells Richie that Potsie can take back his bike, but then discovers a threatening letter that Potsie has written to the Dukes. Despite Richie’s best attempt at making a speech about peace, the Dukes are intent on fighting the boys… until Fonzie and his friends show up at the pool hall and scare them off. Herbie Faye is Pop, the old man working at the pool hall. 3/7/15
- 016. Be the First on Your Block – 5/7/1974
- Howard calls a family meeting to take a vote on whether to spend their Carlsbad Caverns vacation money to build a bomb shelter in the back yard. At first they vote against it but then salesman Ernie Marionetti (Ronnie Schell) convinces them to build it. Richie tells Potsie and Fonzie about it and soon the word spreads. Richie even uses it to get a date with Susie (Jean Fraser). When Howard arranges to have a bomb drill in the space, Richie’s friends a stranger show up. When Howard kicks them all out, Richie’s friends start to shun him. Everyone in the family except Howard has a change of heart about the shelter and finally convince him as well that it is more important to live now than survive the future. When Richie tells his friends that they are going to Carlsbad Caverns, they all want to go with him there as well. The waitresses at Arnold’s are all asked to wear skates. Christina Hart is Carole Actman. 3/8/15
SEASON 2
Theme song: “Happy Days Theme” written by Norman Gimbel with Charles Fox, performed by Jim Haas.
- 017. Richie Moves Out – 9/10/1974
- When Richie’s date with Gloria (Linda Purl) is interrupted by his parents, Richie decides that it’s time to move out, and his older brother Chuck (now played by Randolph Roberts) offers to let him live with him. Richie takes a job at Arnold’s in order to help pay rent, but has a hard time winding down after work thanks to Chuck’s commotion. In addition Richie’s friends all want to use the apartment when he isn’t there. Richie brings Gloria back to the apartment, only to be interrupted by Potsie, Ralph, and Fonzie, all of whom bring dates, plus Chuck who brings his basketball team over. Finally Richie blows his top and throws everyone out so he can be alone with Gloria, who has to get home by that point. Richie ends up moving back home and quits Arnold’s. He is replaced by Potsie who is starting to save money so that he too get his own place. Misty Rowe is Wendy. Heather Warren is Fonzie’s girl. 4/28/15
- 018. Richie’s Car – 9/17/1974
- When Richie’s date with Gloria is interrupted because Howard has driven them home from the dance, Richie decides to get his own car, which his father gives him $200 toward purchasing. Fonzie is able to talk Howard into purchasing a red 1952 Ford convertible with “Love Bandit” written on the side that he won in a drag race, with the stipulation that Fonzie paint it a subdued blue. Richie overhears Officer Marlow (Lew Horn) tell Fonzie’s garage boss Happy (Joshua Shelley) about a stolen car that turns out to be the Love Bandit. Fonzie disguises the car by painting over the license plate, and Richie drives it on his date with Gloria, but is too scared to take it out so tries to get her to neck in the garage. When Richie sees his family getting ready to head out to the beach in the car, he confesses that it is stolen. Howard and Richie are taken to the police station where they speak to a detective (Karl Swenson). Fonzie gets hold of Rocky Baruffi, whom he won the car from, and it is determined that the person who sold Rocky the car had then reported it stolen in order to collect the insurance money. Howard lets Richie get the car painted back to red. Richie tells Fonzie how great it will be to be associated with a certain car, but when girls pull up, they assume it is Rocky in the car. Suzanne Roth is Charmaine. 4/29/15
- 019. Who’s Sorry Now – 9/24/1974
- Richie finds out that Arlene Nestrock (Tannis G. Montgomery) is back in town after a three-year absence in New York. Through flashback Richie recalls the time he got Arlene to go out with him because she wanted to see his new television. Unfortunately the TV goes on the fritz, and although he gets a goodnight kiss, she tells him that she is dating someone else so there will be no second date. Back in the present, she is much more cordial to him and enthusiastically accepts a date with him. Richie is nervous, but she ends up being so eager to date him that she convinces him to go steady. Soon Richie realizes that going steady is too much and tries to break free of her by acting like Fonzie when he meets her parents (Virginia Gregg, Robert Nichols). This doesn’t deter her, so he has to lower the bomb on her at the movie theater. She storms out and Richie feels terrible, but finds out the next day that Arlene is already seeing the usher from the theater, Tommy Adrizzi (Gary Morgan). Laura Siegel is Arlene’s friend Rita DeFazio, who can’t stand Potsie. June Lambert is the woman at the theater. 7/11/15
- 020. You Go to My Head – 10/1/1974
- Richie doesn’t know how to approach a classmate named Carole Lipton (Christina Hart), and Fonzie advises him to act ‘nutsy’ like James Dean. Richie attempts it and she ends up diagnosing him as having Middle Child Syndrome and gives him a copy of her Abnormal Psychology book. Richie starts to think that he is truly troubled and notices Chuck and Joanie getting some favoritism. Richie goes and sees psychiatrist Ed Castle (Ivor Francis) and then tells his parents that he has gone and that Dr. Castle would like to speak to them. Fonzie tells Richie that he can get his nervousness issues when it come to girls resolved, by simply going up to one and kissing them… which he does. Dr. Castle tells Howard and Marion the Richie is a normal boy, although they are a bit disturbed that Richie went to Fonzie for advice. However, by kissing the girl (Cathey Paine) , Richie feels much better. Pamela Peters Solow is Fonzie’s date Anne. 7/11/15
- 021. R.O.T.C. – 10/8/1974
- The R.O.T.C. squad that Richie, Potsie, and Ralph are in is the worst one in school, so their commanding officer Lt. Col. Binicky (Dave Ketchum) fires their leader Charlie (Richard Kuller) and assigns Richie to be the new squad leader. Richie has no idea how to handle the insubordinate squad. Howard advises him to make the squad love him so he lends Potsie a dollar. Binicky advises Richie to make the squad hate and fear him, so he tries to get tough with them. Their insubordination worsens until Richie puts them all on report, meaning they will have to repeat the course in summer school. Fonzie criticizes Richie for being a squealer, and that night Richie has a dream that he is put on trial for being a tattle-tale. The next day Richie returns and to the squad and rips up the report and gives a heartfelt speech that the group can follow him or not, and leaves it up to them. He ends up getting the squad in line and they put on a solid march for the parents, until Richie accidentally leads them through a water sprinkler. Potsie later announces that he has been made the next squad leader. Peter Oliphant appears uncredited as one of the cadets. 9/9/15
- 022. Haunted – 10/29/1974
- In order to prevent Bag and the Demons from crashing his annual Halloween party, Ralph decides to hold it in the abandoned and supposedly haunted house of Magnolia Simpson. Richie is sent ahead to scout it out and becomes terrified when he spots a headless body inside. Both his father and Fonzie think he is acting ridiculous, and they both have to convince him to attend the party. Richie and Gloria arrive at the party and become victims to Ralph’s scary pranks, one of which embarrasses Richie when he finds a headless dummy in the closet. Then the headless figure of Mrs. Simpson appears and frightens everyone… except Richie, who fearlessly unmasks the the culprit and finds it to be Bag. Richie looks brave next to everyone else, and goes on to enjoy the party. Garry Marshall’s real-life children Kathleen, Lori, and Scott play Trick-or-Treaters. 9/11/15
- 023. Wish Upon a Star – 11/12/1974
- Richie wins a contest at school to go on a date to the school’s Homecoming Dance with movie star Cindy Shea (Cheryl Ladd). Richie’s steady girl Gloria agrees to let him go, but she gets angry and breaks up with him when Richie tries to set her up with Ralph. When Cindy shows up to pick up Richie for the date, he soon learns that she has several dates at local schools that evening, and primarily they are just getting their picture taken by her photographer Johnny Jordan (Frank Ashmore). However when she shows up at the dance, she gives Richie a big kiss and refuses to dance with anyone but him. Fonzie assists with her request to get some alcohol, and Cindy asks Richie to escort her back to her hotel room. Richie is certain that he is going to get intimate with Cindy… until photographer Johnny returns and announces that he and Cindy are actually married. Richie is able to do damage control with Gloria and they resume dating. Bryan O’Byrne is Mr. Carlyle. James Daughton is Larry, appearing in the film starring Cindy Shea. 12/7/15
- 024. Not with My Sister, You Don’t – 11/19/1974
- There is excitement in the house when 12-year old Joanie gets asked out on her first date. The boy turns out to be Fonzie’s nephew Raymond “Spike” Fonzarelli (Danny Butch), a miniature version of Fonzie himself. Joanie’s parents starts to worry, so Marion attempts to give her the ‘birds and the bees’ talk which goes awry. They end up paying off Richie for him and his date Carol (Susan Denbo) to double date with Joanie and Spike to the movies. The kids end up sneaking out of the movie to go to Arnold’s, so Richie tracks them there, handing over Carol to Potsie in the process. A trip to Inspiration Point proves fruitless, except for finding Potsie and Carol necking in their car. Richie returns home to confess that he lost the kids, but it turns out that Spike and Joanie had returned there to play Monopoly. Richie gets Carol to forgive him, but then loses her to Ralph when Ralph tells Richie that he’s needed for a basketball game right away. Tony Randall appears as the werewolf actor in the movie the characters watch. 12/8/15
- 025. Big Money – 11/26/1974
- Richie, Potsie, and Ralph are in the audience for the TV game show Big Money hosted by Jack Whippett (Dave Madden), when Richie is picked as the next contestant. He answers the first question in the Baseball category correctly when they run out of time. With the potential to make $5000 on the show, Fonzie introduce Richie to his friend Quincy (James Ritz), who offers to write a microscopic version of a baseball almanac on his arm. Richie refuses the help, but also gets tired of being quizzed by his family and friends. The next day on the show, Richie makes it to the $3200 level and decides to go for the big money on the next show. Whippett passes off the answers to Richie for the next show’s questions, but Richie feels bad about returning to the show knowing the answers in advance. Richie talks to Whippett about it and is told that many contestants have accepted the answers for entertainment’s sake. Fonzie is simply disillusioned by the show. Howard tells Richie it doesn’t seem right but that it is ultimately his decision to make. When the time comes to answer the final question, Richie says he doesn’t know the answer, much to Whippett’s surprised. Whippett is ultimately fired, and the next contestant chosen is Quincy. Richard is disillusioned about giving up the money while the show goes on. Howard admits that Ozzie Nelson would have never hedged on saying that cheating is wrong. Lou Wagner is Mr. Schnieber. 2/7/16
- 026. A Star is Bored – 12/5/1974
- After another church league baseball team loss, Richie, Potsie, and Ralph decide that their problem is the fact that they don’t have new uniforms. They decide to see Reverend Harlan (Britt Leach) and plead their case. The Rev suggests that they participate in the annual Shakespeare Festival and perform in the play Hamlet and try to get more paying customers. Marion suggests that they see one of Howard’s old war buddies Monty Miller (Ronnie Schell) to see if they can get a celebrity into the show, but he can’t come up with an acceptable star who would do the show. Richie ends up turning to Fonzie, knowing that he could draw a large crowd. Fonzie agrees when he sees that being an actor is apt to get him more girls. The Reverend and the play’s benefactor Mrs. Stewart (Alice Nunn) are reluctant to use a ‘hood’ in the lead role, but the Rev recants when he realizes that Fonzie can boost attendance. Fonzie plays the role in his t-shirt and performs poorly, but before the play is over he really connects with the role, since Fonzie has been estranged from his own father, and gives an impassioned performance and speech to the audience. The new uniforms however do not help their baseball team win the next game. 2/7/16
- 027. Guess Who’s Coming to Christmas – 12/17/1974
- It’s Christmas Eve and Howard is adamant that the family is going to have a traditional Christmas evening without any outsiders. Meanwhile Fonzie passes out gifts and gets an invite to Potsie’s house for Christmas, but Fonzie tells the gang he is spending the holiday with his cousin’s family in Waukesha. After a party at the hardware store, Howard and Richie head home but their car breaks down. Fonzie fixes it at his garage and consequently misses his bus to Waukesha. Richie returns to give him a gift and sees him eating alone, realizing that he has nowhere to go. Richie had trouble enjoying Christmas Eve while worrying about Fonzie, so Howard agrees to go with Richie to get him. Fonzie maintains his story about Waukesha, but Howard asks him to fix the mechanical Santa on their lawn, causing Fonzie to miss the last possible bus of the night. Fonzie thanks both Howard and Richie as he realizes that they knew the Waukesha story was made up. He jumps right into the festivities and reads The Night Before Christmas, and even offers Grace at the table. Robert Casper is Orville. Marjorie Bennett is Mrs. Harrison. 5/6/16
- 028. Open House – 1/7/1975
- Howard and Marion head off to an overnight visit to Martha and Ed’s place. With Joanie staying at her friend Lisa Ellis (Melanie Baker), Richie plans on hosting an all-night poker game with his friends. However when a group of college girls Ruth (Joan Prather), Chris (Nancy Bell), and Penny (Cindy Cassell) seek Richie and Potsie’s help when their car breaks down, they get Fonzie to assist. Since he needs to get a distributor which he can’t get until the next morning, Potsie talks Richie into inviting the girls to spend the night. The girls agree, and while Penny goes for a ride on Fonzie’s bike, Ruth and Chris talk the guys into raiding the liquor cabinet. When the girls all go to bed, Richie and Potsie labor on how to hook up with them, and after a few failed attempts, settle on making up a lie to the other guys. Howard and Marion decide to drive back early and arrive home in the morning, where Howard discovers one girl in his bed and one in the shower. Initially upset, Howard forgives the boys since they really didn’t do anything wrong… leaving the boys with a good story to tell their friends. Patricia Wilson is Mrs. Ellis. Colleen Camp is carhop Rose. 5/6/16
- 029. Fonzie’s Getting Married – 1/14/1975
- Fonzie surprises his friends by telling them that he is getting married to a girl named Maureen (Nellie Bellflower), whom he claims is not only a nice girl, but a virgin. When Fonzie brings her over to the Cunninghams for dinner. Howard recognizes her as an exotic masked dancer who had previously billed herself as “The Lone Stripper”, whom he had once seen at a Chicago convention. When he positively identifies her by her seal-like laugh, he tells Richie her identity. During Fonzie’s stag party – which is plagued by a stag film that actually turns out to be home movies of Ralph’s cousin’s family at Yellowstoe Park – Richie tells Fonzie, who then throws everyone out. Howard finds out that the Lone Stripper is going to be performing locally at burlesque show. Fonzie, Howard, and Richie go to see her, and during the show Fonzie climbs on stage and unmasks her. Maureen admits who she is, and tells her that she lied because she knew he’d never go for her if he knew. Maureen admits that she can’t change and the two part ways. Marion tries to tempt Howard by wearing a mask like Maureen’s. Simmy Bow is the show emcee. Jack Perkins is a drunk. Garry Marshall appears as a drummer at the show. 8/8/16
- 030. The Cunningham Caper – 1/21/1975
- Richie is home sick with the Asiatic flu and when he sees the opportunity to have Fonzie sneak him pizza and Potsie and Ralph bring over a French stag film, he tells his parents to go ahead and see the new Cinerama film at the movie theater. Plans are stymied however when Richie encounters a burglar (Herb Edelman), who has been staking out the house, and threatening to have a gun, he continues to rob it, even when Richie catches him in the act. When Potsie and Ralph arrive and don’t take the hint from Richie, he forces them to come inside as well, and locks them in the bathroom. They make several unsuccessful attempts to escape, but in the end, the burglar forces them to help him load up the loot. When Fonzie arrives with the pizza, the burglar hides in the closet, and when Richie tips Fonzie off, Fonzie simply puts a chair under the closet door. Unfazed by the burglar’s threat to blast his way out, Fonzie correctly guesses that the burglar does not have a gun. When Richie’s parents get home, he attempts to tell them about the burglar, but they assume he is delusional… although they wonder why the toaster is in the living room. 8/9/16
- 031. The Not Making of a President – 1/28/1975
- Ralph and Potsie are both campaigning for Adlai Stevenson in the 1956 election. Richie is largely undecided, although his father insists that he follow in his footsteps and vote Republican for Dwight D. Eisenhower. Richie has a crush on a girl named Debbie Hauser (Stephanie Steele) who is campaigning heavily for Stevenson, so Richie takes an interest in helping her and learning about Stevenson. Richie begins to lean toward Stevenson, much to the chagrin of Howard, and is chosen to speak at the Junior Citizens rally. Howard is aghast and berates Richie, while Richie and his mother think Howard is being unreasonable. Marion talks Howard into coming to the rally to watch Richie speak. Howard is also shocked when Eisenhower’s spokesman is Fonzie. Although Stevenson loses the election, Howard is proud of Richie for getting involved, and acknowledges that a Democrat and Republican can both live in the same house. Howard however isn’t too pleased when he finds out that Marion voted for Stevenson as well. Episode director Jerry Paris appears unbilled as a heckler. 10/18/16
- 032. Cruisin’ – 2/11/1975
- Richie, Potsie, and Ralph agree to a bet with Bag Zombroski that they will pick up girls before he does as they cruise through town that night, the loser having to run through Arnold’s in their underwear. Richie says he will drive, but when Marion wrecks Richie’s car, they are forced to use Howard’s DeSoto family car. The attempt to pick up a trio of girls led by Hildie (Maureen McCormick), who seems to like to tease them. Just when they finally seem to winning over the girls, they are confront by the Dragons and their leader Dooley (Michael Lembeck), who claims that the girls are theirs and tries to force them into walking home without their car. Fonzie shows up and suggests that Richie race Dooley using the DeSoto, which Fonzie has his friends soup up. Richie wins the race, but the girls go with the Dragons anyway since they were only trying to make them jealous. Richie, Ralph, and Potsie all streak through Arnold’s in their underwear and get banned from the restaurant. However Bag admits that his date abandoned him also, so they strip him down and run him though the parking lot. Howard pulls the car into the garage before Fonzie can change it back, and due to the enhancements, crashes into the garage. 10/18/16
- 033. The Howdy Doody Show – 2/18/1975
- Challenged by the school newspaper editor Mark Summers (Bruce Kimmel), Richie decides to interview Buffalo Bob Smith (himself), who is filming The Howdy Doody Show in Milwaukee and will be receiving an award from the Chipmunks presented by Joanie. Richie then ideas to get a major scoop by getting a photo of Clarabelle the Clown (Bob Brunner). After Joanie presents the award and freezes on camera, Potsie tries to get the photo, but ends up with a picture of Clarabelle still in his makeup, but with no pants. Fonzie then suggests that they enter Ralph into the Howdy Doody look-alike contest, but when he refuses, Richie enters himself. He is able to get the photo and is offered $300 by LIFE Magazine. However Buffalo Bob and Clarbelle comes to visit, and tells Richie that it might ruin Clarabelle’s career if the picture gets published. Richie decides to rip up the picture… and ends up just interviewing his father for the school paper. 1/19/17
- 034. Get a Job – 2/25/1975
- Richie, Potsie, and Ralph put up flyers advertising their services as cheap labor so that they can make some extra money. They get a call from attractive divorcee Dorothy Kimber (Leslie Charleson) to help fix her broken fence, and all are enamored by her, believing that divorced women are ‘hot-to-trot.’ Ralph and Potsie get bored with the work and leave Richie to finish, and he is rewarded by being invited to dinner with Dorothy. Marion is especially concerned about the date and is annoyed that Richie is bailing on their family dinner, but ultimately Richie gets his parents’ permission. The date leads to a kiss, and also being spied on by Ralph and Potsie. Richie makes his friends scram, and apologizes for the kiss, which leads to a heartfelt discussion with Dorothy telling Richie why her marriage failed, and Richie telling her how he plans to treat his future wife. They ultimately realize that ten years between them might be a little too large of an age gap. Richie refuses to engage in locker room talk with his friend, although Fonzie even pushes him. 1/19/17
- 035. Fonzie Joins the Band – 3/4/1975
- Howard is able to get Richie, Ralph, Potsie, and Bag’s band a job at his Leopard Lodge dance with the stipulation that they wear tuxedos. Fonzie helps them secure the outfits, but then wants to join the band as the bongos player in order to win over a girl named Rita. However when Fonzie goes into a bongo solo in the middle of a slow song, Richie and the guys are forced to kick him out of the band. After their performance of Splish Splash, Richie sees how the band can get him girls at the dance when he nearly gets a date with a girl named Carol Danson (Susan Richardson), but he nearly gets in a fight with her boyfriend Bo (Adam Arkin)… until Fonz comes to his rescue. Richie changes his mind and lets Fonzie back into the band. 5/3/17
- 036. Fish and the Fins – 3/11/1975
- The town is abuzz is when the band Johnny Fish and the Fins (Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids) comes to town. Richie knew one of the members, Angelo “Rocky Rhodes” Coletti (Kris Moe) when they were kids, but that doesn’t make it any easier to get tickets for himself, friends, and Corinne (Georganne LaPiere), who gave up her fourth row seats thinking Richie could get better. Eventually Marion steps in and calls Angelo and is able to secure some tickets in the rafters, which doesn’t help make Richie any more popular. She also offers to allow them to stay at their house, and they agree with the condition that Richie can’t tell anyone. Richie finally gets his retribution when Angelo announces at the concert how good of a friend Richie is. Corinne takes an interest in him again, but by now he has lost interest in her. The band performs Youngblood. Marjorie Bennett is the elderly fan. Sam McFadin is Johnny Fish. Other band members are Linn Phillips III and Jeff Stewart. Borah Silver is the guard. Hank Stohl is the announcer. 5/3/17
- 037. Richie’s Flip Side – 3/18/1975
- Richie is working at the radio station W.O.W. sleeping floors when the current DJ Charlie the Prince (Warren Berlinger) and radio manager Mr. Bender (Jesse White) get into an argument and Charlie walks out. Bender puts Richie on the air, and soon hires him as a permanent teen DJ. Richie takes on the persona of Richie the C, and soon starts dressing flashy and ignoring his friends… and tells his father that he will have no need for college. Bender arranges to broadcast remotely from Arnold’s, which he does in front of his friends and family. On Fonzie’s direction, none of the kids show any enthusiasm whatsoever and they all refuse to speak on the air for record dedications. When Joanie dedicates a song to Charlie the Prince, Ralph and Potsie decide they’re taking things too far, and Fonzie gives in and makes a dedication and gives everyone the go-ahead to participate. After the show, Richie decides to resign to gain the respect of his friends and family back. Bender fills the spot with a busboy (Alberto Isaac) who can’t even speak English. 12/27/17
- 038. Kiss Me Sickly – 4/29/1975
- Fonzie leaves town for a demolition derby and asks Richie to watch after his new girlfriend Denise Hudson (Laurette Spang). Denise confides in her friend Joyce (Didi Conn) that she resents Fonzie for acting like he owns her, and vows to see how loyal Richie actually is. She asks to come over to Richie’s house, then go on a drive, where she convinces him to make out with her in Fonzie’s absence. Richie reluctantly goes along with it, and then continues to do so every night of the week. When he finds out that Denise has contracted mononucleosis, Richie thinks he may have it as well so goes through great lengths to make sure his family doesn’t catch it. Once he tells his father, he advises Richie to tell Fonzie the truth. Fonzie doesn’t want to hit Richie, but has his reputation to protect. Fortunately for both of them, a boy (Richard Kuller) busts into the bathroom while they are talking and hits Richie in the eye leaving him with a black eye…which everyone assumes was given him to by Fonzie. Both Richie and Fonzie find out that neither has mono. 12/27/17
- 039. Goin’ to Chicago – 5/6/1975
- Richie’s school choir is taking a trip to Chicago to stay in the Hotel Dortmunder and to appear on TV performing their rendition of Battle Hymn of the Republic, accompanied by Miss Barbara Wheaton (Helen Page Crum) and Mr. Pinney (George Furth), whom the boys suspect have a secret affair going. Howard advises Richie to have fun but be careful. The boys get settled into their room and make the sleeping arrangements with Potsie and Ralph sharing a bed, and Richie getting his own. Ralph immediately suggests sneaking out to visit the The Blue Pelican nightclub to see comedian J. Jackie Silver (Phil Leeds) and sexy chanteuse Toni LeFevre. The boys get by the chaperones and head to the nightclub, but after watching the comedian, the boys get their ginger ale check from waitress Mitzi (Pamela Myers) and find that it is for $36… which they don’t have. They make arrangements with the waitress to let Potsie and Ralph head back to their room to get their money, while Richie stays at the club. Unfortunately with Mr. Pinney guarding the halls, they can’t get back out of the room. It turns out Jackie is the club owner and demands the payment, so Mitzi agrees to go back with Richie to pick up the money. Pinney barges in just as they are giving Mitzi the money and assumes the work, kicks them out of the choir, and threatens to expel them from Jefferson. However when Miss Wheaton catches Pinney leaving their room with Mitzi, she too assumes the worst and exposes their relationship in a jealous rage. Pinney agrees that he and the boys will forget the whole incident. 8/31/18
SEASON 3
- 040. Fonzie Moves In – 9/9/1975
- Howard is freaking out because the new giant Hardware Village is moving in across from his store and threatens to destroy his business. Howard looks for family suggestions about how they can raise money, so Marion suggests renting out the attic over the house to a boarder. Meanwhile Fonzie’s grandmother Mrs. Nussbaum (Lillian Bronson), whom he hasn’t seen since he left home at age 6, has come to Milwaukee and moved in with Fonzie. He is cramping his style, so Richie suggest her as a tenant. She doesn’t care for the room, so then Richie proposes that Fonzie moves in instead. Fonzie eagerly accepts, and although Howard doesn’t like the idea, he agrees to allow him to stay on a one-week trial basis. Fonzie thinks the trial period is for him to choose if he likes it there. Howard’s dinner and sleep are immediately interrupted by Fonzie’s visitors Vivian (Susan Lawrence) and Marco, causing his mood to get worse and worse. However his mood picks up quickly when Hardware Village goes out of business and the end of Fonzie’s trial comes to an end. Richie goes to tell Fonzie the bad news, and discovers there is a fire in the attic… which is actually just a burning egg that Vivian is making as she is making out with Fonzie. Howard becomes even more adamant and decides to handle Fonzie’s eviction himself. However before he can tell him, Fonzie tells Howard he doesn’t think are working out and intends to leave. When Howard politely tells Fonzie that he’s like one of the family, Fonzie sentimentally changes his tune and decides to stay…much to the bewilderment of Howard. 8/31/18
- 041. The Motorcycle – 9/16/1975
- Fonzie wakes up in a good mood, but the Cunninghams have to break the news that his motorcycle has been destroyed and is in pieces in his front yard. With no insurance, Fonzie is at wits end and no one can seem to cheer him up. Ralph seems very nervous around Fonzie and finally confesses to Richie that he accidentally hit Fonzie’s bike since he had parked it in the street, and then became so nervous that he backed over it. With Fonzie out for revenge and investigating the tire tracks. Ralph decides to leave town. Richie has the idea to have Joanie pretend to show Fonzie a magic trick by tying him up, so that Ralph can make his confession while Fonzie can’t attack him. When Ralph tells him, Fonzie gets so angry that he tries to escape the bonds and go after him, so Richie and Howard are forced to keep him tied up for six hours, and tell him how disappointed they are that he is unwilling to forgive. Ralph returns to the house with a bike that looks just like Fonzie’s and tells him he is going to sell his car to pay for it. Fonzie counter-offers that he will buy the bike and Ralph will work at the garage to pay it off. Howard isn’t happy when Fonzie starts the bike in the living room. 5/25/19
- 042. Fearless Fonzarelli – Part I – 9/23/1975
- While the guys are contending with Arnold – aka Matsuo Takahashi (Pat Morita) – charging a 50-cent minimum per person, Fonzie is seeing evidence by the way he’s being treated by others including Paula Petralunga (Melinda Naud), and even going dateless, that he might be losing his ‘coolness.’ While watching the TV show You Wanted to See It hosted by Jack Smith (himself), Fonzie thinks this might be his chance to reclaim his fame by performing a stunt on the show. He has Richie write into the show to tell them about ‘Fearless Fonzarelli’, who will be attempting to leap his bike over fourteen garbage cans in the parking lot of Arnold’s. Smith and his assistant Burt Collins (Joseph Bova) visit Arnold’s before the feat, and Collins mentions that many have died trying to break the current standing record of jumping twelve cans. Fonzie thinks this has gotten him out of his ‘coolness’ slump, but also enlists Richie to assist him in writing a will. Howard tries to talk Fonzie out of making the jump, but Fonzie refuses to back down. His friends also make a last-ditch effort to talk him out of it, but Fonzie heads out to the lot and attempts the jump. NOTE: This is the first of a two-part episode. NOTE: Melinda Naud’s character is named as ‘Roberta’ in the credits, but named Paula onscreen. 5/25/19
- 043. Fearless Fonzarelli – Part II – 9/30/1975
- Fonzie warms up for his jump and then successfully jumps the fourteen garbage cans and sets the new world record, but then crashes into the outdoor chicken stand and injures his leg. He claims that it is a minor bump, but acknowledges on WZAZ TV that he was a fool to make such a risky feat. A little later Fonzie realizes that his knee is giving out, and requests to be taken to the hospital. The guys attempt to cheer him up, but the doctor (Peter Hobbs) tells him that he has a torn cartilage and needs an operation. Fonzie asks Richie’s advice on whether he should have the operation, and Richie tells him that he should. Later Richie and his father come to visit him while he is under Sodium Pentathol and is acting goofy. He is also gets a visit from a nun (Peggy Doyle) and asks for confirmation that there is a heaven and that he won’t be stuck on a cloud full of nerds. After the surgery, he returns to the Cunningham house and is permitted to stay on the couch. The doctor is concerned that after a week, Fonzie is still not able to move his leg, but the doctor tells the family that they are giving him too much attention and has no incentive to get back on his feet. Their attempts to tell him that his motorcycle is on fire doesn’t work, and Fonzie admits that he knows he will in pain if he stands up and will make faces that are uncool. Richie helps solve the issue when he brings over a bevy of girls to express their disappointment in having to find different guys to date since he is out of commission. This finally inspires him to work on getting up and walking around. Later Fonzie and the Cunninghams watch his jump on TV, and Fonzie admits that although he was a nerd to try the jump, it sure did look cool. Susan Lawrence and Kristine Greco are among the girls who visit. 2/11/20
- 044. The Other Richie Cunningham – 10/7/1975
- Howard and a tipsy Marion return from a hardware convention, and Howard tells Richie how he met a man named George McKinnie (Ned Wertimer), a bigwig in bathroom fixturing. He hopes to become his Milwaukee distributor, but wants Richie to help seal the deal by taking out his daughter Winifred (Sherry Hursey). Richie initially agrees, but then realizes that he has a date with Ralph to take out the Glass twins. Howard gives him a guilt trip until Richie finally agrees. However Fonzie comes up with the idea to have Potsie pose as Richie to take out Winnie, and Potsie agrees to do it. All goes well until Potsie brings Winnie to Arnold’s, and through a series of name confusion, everyone has to act as if their nickname is Potsie. Things get even worse when Potsie makes a play on Winnie at the point and rips her dress. A furious George calls Howard to tell him what happened, and naturally Howard assumes Richie made an inappropriate pass at her. Richie tells his father the truth, so he demands that everyone tell the truth to George and apologize. Fonzie disagrees with this, and says that a girl will become even angrier when she feels she’s been passed off on someone else. Howard disagrees, but when the moment of the apology comes, Howard has Potsie continue to pose as Richie. All is forgiven, and Howard hopes to continue business with George… but then George admits that he was exaggerating at the convention and only owns a small business after all. As they leave, Howard angrily yells to George that Potsie isn’t his son, and that they paid him to rip her dress. Howard later takes responsibility for using Richie to advance a business deal. 2/11/20
- 045. Richie Fights Back – 10/14/1975
- Richie is embarrassed by bullies Frankie (Ken Lerner) and Rocko (Jeff Conaway) while on a date with Stephanie Hawker when they make him act as the ‘bell’ during their game of pinball. Fonzie comes in and saves Richie from further embarrassment, but when Stephanie walks out on him, Richie becomes furious and decides to take Jujitsu lessons. He asks for money from Howard for the classes, but Howard tries to teach him the same self-defense that he learned in the army, but when he can’t free himself from Richie’s headlock, he gives him the money for the lessons. The teacher winds up being Arnold, and he begins teaching the students, including Joanie who has recently had to fight off a boy who tries to kiss her. Soon Joanie is throwing Richie around repeatedly making him want to quit. Fonzie advises Richie that he merely has to be intimidating, pointing out that he has never actually been a fight since he’s known Richie. Richie goes into Arnold’s prepared to intimidate Frankie and Rocko, but they don’t seem intimidated. Richie refuses to let Fonzie bail him out, but Fonzie warns him that the one missing ingredient is that Richie doesn’t have a reputation since he’s never punched anyone. He tries to follow Fonzie’s advice and attack Frankie while he’s taking his jacket off, but he merely ends up throwing Frankie’s jacket. He then begins to scream maniacally at the bullies, and they end up fleeing thinking that Richie is crazy. Feeling victorious, Richie tries to keep his tough reputation going with his next date but he decides that being tough isn’t for him. Howard has Marion put him in a headlock but he can’t escape from that either. 5/21/20
- 046. Jailhouse Rock – 10/21/1975
- Officer “Hard Nose” Kirk (Ed Peck) makes an announcement at Arnold’s that there is now a 10pm curfew in town thanks to someone breaking some windows at the high school. Richie has the idea to commit an act of civil disobedience and stay out past 10pm on the night that the Elvis train, which is taking Elvis Presley to his Army base makes his way to the Army, passes through town. Howard support Richie’s act and even considers participating… but then finds out it is on the night of his lodge meeting, and realizes that poor attendance of getting arrested could hurt his chances at becoming the Grand Poobah. He even forbids Richie to do it before the election, as it might also hurt his chances. Richie reluctantly agrees and goes back to Arnold’s to tell everyone he can’t participate. As he discusses this with Potsie and Ralph, they get locked in the restaurant when Arnold closes early for curfew. They attempt to find money in the jukebox and toilet lock in order to have change to call Ralph. But they are caught doing this by Kirk and he places them under arrest. Both Howard and Arnold are called to the restaurant, and Arnold vouches for the boys. However Kirk still wants to arrest them for curfew violation, and when Howard argues bout it, he is thrown in the slammer with the boys and a drunk (Jack Perkins). Marion and Fonzie come down, and eventually Kirk decides to let them go. Richie however refuses to leave because he wants hi day in court to see if he can change the law about the curfew. Howard decides to stay and support his son as well. Later Fonzie reports that Elvis wasn’t even on the train, while Howard comes home and smashes his lodge fez, implying he didn’t get elected as Grand Poobah. 5/21/20
- 047. Howard’s 45th Fiasco – 10/28/1975
- Howard is celebrating his 43rd birthday, but when he is finally convinced that he’s actually 45 years old, he starts to feel depressed that he hasn’t accomplished more in life. After picking up some ice cream at Arnold’s, which is closed for him to celebrate Confuscious’s birthday, he comes home and is surprised by the family and Potsie hosting a This Is Your Life even for him. Their first guest is his third grade teacher Florence Prism (Mary Treen), who recalls how badly Howard botched the Spelling Bee. The next guest is Ralph, who stands in for his old band professor Wilhelm Schmidt, although he uses an Italian accent instead of a German. Howard also discovers that he can no longer play the tuba, which causes Miss Prism to walk out. Marion then comes out to recreate their wedding day, following by Fonzie who reads a prepared statement of appreciation for taking him in. When Richie reads off a list of Howard’s accomplishment, they are full of ‘almosts’, causing Howard to abruptly end the party and announce that his life isn’t worth looking back on. The next day after work, Howard doesn’t come home, leaving the family to speculate on whether he ran away from home to Tahiti, where he’d always wanted to live. Fonzie goes looking all over town for him but comes back empty-handed. It is only when Fonzie sees that someone has take his phone messages that he realizes that Howard is hiding in his apartment, waiting on a call back from the airline with an opening on a flight to Tahiti. Fonzie first tries to convince him that he has accomplished a lot by taking care of his family when Fonzie’s own father had split, then has to resort to reverse psychology by telling Howard that after he is gone, Richie will sell Cunningham’s Hardware, while Marion will go back to school for Archaeology, and Joanie will quit school and get married. This sets him off and he rushes downstairs to return to his family, thanking Fonzie before he leaves. 9/4/20
- 048. Fonzie the Flatfoot – 11/4/1975
- Richie finds out at the police are looking for Fonzie, and causes Fonzie to panic and pack up so he can go on the lam. Before he can leave, Officer Kirk speaks to Howard and asks him to convince Fonzie to be deputized so that can he stop his old gang the Falcons from getting into a rumble with the Dragons. The two factions are battling over the ownership of the turf Iggy’s Drugstore, since the Dragons’ hangout was demolished. The police offer to forgive Howard’s parking violations and get him a loading zone at his store if he can convince Fonzie. Despite believing he will look ridiculous in a police uniform, he agrees to do it and likens himself to the Lone Ranger. He thinks he can convince the Falcons to get into something else like baseball, so Richie and his friends meet them at Arnold’s in their baseball uniforms. Fonze talks to the Falcons’ leader Lefty (Jeffrey Kramer) and tries to convince him not to rumble, but when Lefty tells him that the Dragons and their leader Frankie have said that Fonzie can ‘sit on it,’ Fonzie changes his tune and wants them to beat the Dragons. He returns home, but Richie tries to goad him into doing his job and stop the rumble, suggesting that he mediate it so that the gangs can share Iggy’s. Fonzie tells him that if he believes in it so strongly, he should go down and stop them. Richie wears the police cap and tries to do just that, but both gangs refuse to listen. Fonzie then shows up and tells them how it will be, and if they don’t have respect for the uniform, they can at least have respect for him. He makes Lefty and Frankie shake hands, which they do with maximum strength right on out the door. Richie, Potsie, and Ralph are impressed and want to celebrate with a party at Arnold’s, but Fonz sends them home so he can party on his own with Paula Petralunga. NOTE: Melinda Naud’s character is named as ‘Roberta’ in the credits, but named Paula onscreen. 9/4/20
- 049. A Date with Fonzie – 11/11/1975
- Richie, Potsie, and Ralph perform Great Balls of Fire at Arnold’s, and although Richie wants to continue playing, the other two want to go look for girls. Richie confesses to Fonzie that he’s been in a slump when it comes to girls because he recently broke up with Sharon Myers after being together for four months. The Fonz take Richie to a place he says it is a cinch to pick up girls: the supermarket. After falling on his face with the first girl (Sheila Sisco), he gets some advice from an old man (Bob W. Hoffman), who claims that the way to woman is to knock over her cart. Richie seems to have success with the next girl (Suzann Arnold), but she ends up being a shoplifter. Fonzie finally realizes Richie’s pathetic predicament, so he agrees to go on a double date with him. When Fonzie realizes that Richie’s family will be visiting Aunt Bessie over the weekend, he becomes extra excited about the prospects. He calls his friends Laverne DeFazio (Penny Marshall) and Shirley Feeney (Cindy Williams) to go out with them, assuming that Shirley is sure thing for Richie, although Richie is a little put off that Laverne has no car insurance, and the two of them keep bickering with each other nonstop, even getting into a fist fight in the bathroom at Arnold’s. When they get the girls back to the house, Richie has to come in through the window since he has locked himself out. The Fonz takes Laverne upstairs, leaving Richie alone with Shirley. He is nervous and awkward, getting his cufflink stuck in her sweater. Then while bringing snacks into the room, Sirley, in demonstrating how Laverne punched her, accidentally punches Richie, sending snacks everywhere. As Shirley is kissing him better on the floor, the entire family returns from the Aunt Bessie visit, seeing snacks, a broken lamp, and Richie making out with Shirley on the floor. They all go upstairs so that Richie can say goodbye, and Shirley tells Richie that if he wants to go out again to call her so that she knows he truly wants to see her. She his happy to give him a big goodnight kiss. Laurie Walters is Susan, the girl who announces the fight. Kit McDonough receives credit as Girl #2, although she is only seen as an extra in the supermarket. 12/21/20
- 050. Three on a Porch – 11/18/1975
- The boys are depressed because there is nothing to do over Easter break while all of the girls in town are out of town. Fonzie suggests they go up to Lake Whitefish, where they don’t have to be their normal nerdy selves. The guys decide to pose as businessmen and reserve a cabin from a guy named Uncle Tom (Sandy Kenyon), who tells them that they will be in the front of the cabin, while there are young women in the back. Having no money, they turn to their parents for help, but only Potsie comes through, while Richie and Ralph are given permission to go, but no money. The boys hold a rummage sale getting rid of their childhood junk at Arnold’s. Coming up $15 short, Fonzie raises them the money by selling kisses for a dollar each. When they arrive at the cabin, Uncle Tom shows them where they are staying, which turns out to be nothing more than the porch of the cabin. They are angry and demand their money back, but have a change of heart when they see the three beautiful girls Marcia (Anne Lockhart), Linda (Robin Mattson), and Karen (Dianne Harper), they decide to stay. The guys come up with the idea to pose as foreigners so they can sound more exotic, and the best they come up with is that they are Tunisian camel jockeys. Somehow this works, and the ladies ask them to have dinner and then to make out with them. As they are all starting to kiss, the Fonz is drug to the cabin by a park ranger who found him in the bushes. Having lost his ID, he told the ranger that the knew the guys in the cabin. At first they refuse to break character, but Ralph gives in and admits he knows Fonzie from Milwaukee. The park ranger lets everyone go, but the girls are annoyed and storm off. Fonzie tells them that the girls will be back, and sure enough, the girls leave a fisherman’s dance early to see if the guys want to take a walk around the lake. The Fonzie decides to forego his many dates around the lake and just take it easy by the fire. When the animals prove to be too noisy, he simply tells them to knock it off… and they do. 12/21/20
- 051. Fonzie’s New Friend – 11/25/1975
- Fonzie interrupts Richie while he is asking Lois (Kathy O’Dare) to come to his luau party, to tell him that he found a drummer for his party named Bill ‘Sticks’ Downey Jr. (Jack Baker aka John Anthony Bailey). When he gets back to Lois, she says she’ll go if he can get a date for her friend Meralee (Carol Williams), so Richie offers up Sticks. However when Sticks comes into the diner, it turns out he is black, which causes Meralee to nearly faint. Since Sticks is new in town, Richie tries to arrange a date for him, and goes to the former chef Frederick at Arnold’s to see if he could set Sticks up with his girlfriend’s niece Kathleen (Jerli Woods). Sticks wants to check out Kathleen first, but Kathleen’s Aunt Rosemary Stevens (Vivian Bonnell) is more interested in checking out Sticks. After she meets him and Richie’s parents, who will be the acting chaperones, she approves the date. Things start to go south however when Ralph and Potsie find out that no one is coming to the party because they are inviting a black couple. When Fonzie hears this, he goes to Arnold and demands that everyone show up as planned. They agree, but after he leaves, Bag polls everyone in the diner and find out that they will in fact skip the luau at their parents’ direction. On the night of the party, Ralph goes to pick up his and the other guys’ dates, and learn that no one is coming. Howard advises Fonzie not to try and combat the prejudice because prejudice is more powerful than being cool. Richie is furious and says he’ll invite as many black people as he wants to his party. Fonzie cautions him not to exclude or include anyone solely because of their skin color. Richie concurs, and says he wants Sticks to stay. No one shows up except for Arnold, but the band starts playing Honeycomb and has a good time with everyone who is there. 4/15/21
- 052. They Call It Potsie Love – 12/2/1975
- After a particularly bad date, Marion tells Joanie that girls mature faster than boy, then sends her to retrieve Richie from Arnold’s where he, Potsie, and Ralph are rehearsing their music. Potsie asks Joanie to sit in as a fan, so that he can croon to her and do his best work. After he sings Put Your Head on My Shoulder, Joanie actually becomes smitten with Potsie. He clearly doesn’t see her that way, so she turns to Fonzie for advice. Fonzie tells her that he was turned on by a girl who sent him mysterious anonymous messages, so she begins sending secret admirer notes to Potsie, addressing him as “Dren.” He is excited to meet her, and they finally set up a date to meet at Arnold’s. When Joanie shows up, Potsie is surprised and a little disappointed. However, he softens his tone, and tells her that in a five years, she probably won’t be interested in her, while he will likely wish that she was. She tells him that she called him ‘Dren’ because he is the opposite of a ‘Nerd,’ which everyone seems to call him. Ralph talks Richie into coming to see who the mystery girl is, so Potsie has her hide. Potsie tells them that the girl never showed up, and take the ribbing from Malph in order to protect Joanie from being teased. After Potsie and Ralph walk out, Richie finds Joanie’s jaket and realizes she is there. She finally comes out after Richie promises he won’t say a word to tease her. 8/12/21
- 053. Tell It to the Marines – 12/16/1975
- Ralph tries to win over his girlfriend Olivia Hunsaker (Amy Irving) with a barrage of constant jokes, but it only winds up turning her off and she dumps him. He turns to Fonzie for advice, and Fonzie tells him to try and act debonair instead of being silly all of the time. Ralph then tries his Rex Harrison impersonation for Olivia, complete with pipe, tweed jacket, and hat, but this also turns her off, causing him to revert to his same old wacky routine. Fonzie tells him that he’s useless, causing Ralph to declare that he’s entering the Foreign Legion. He later comes over to Richie’s house and tells the family that he’s not joining the Legions, but rather the Marines, thanks to Fonzie’s advice. They try to talk him out of it, but Ralph thinks this is his ticket to coolness. Richie goes to talk to the Fonz and tells him that his advice was wrong. Fonzie doesn’t want to admit that he’s wrong, but practices saying it, and then is able to finally muster saying he ‘wasn’t right.’ He goes one step further with Ralph and tells him that he’ll miss him if he leaves. This sufficiently touches Ralph to cancel his plan to sneak off to Chicago to sign up. Later he meets the new girl in town, who also is a cut-up and wears fake nose and glasses to amuse others, and it is love at first sight. 4/16/21
- 054. Dance Contest – 1/6/1976
- Marion is getting into a rut, constantly waiting on Howard and kids, so she asks Howard if he would consider entering the Harvest Moon dance contest on WZAZ TV. The kids and Howard both laugh at the suggestion, so she goes to Fonzie and asks him if he’ll be her partner. He agrees, but insists that he will have to practice twice a day to get good enough for the contest. She doesn’t want the family to find out because they’ll make fun of her, so she tells them that her mother has Bursitis and she wants to tend to her. Throughout the week, Marion and Fonzie practice at Arnold’s in the morning and in Fonzie’s garage in the evening. Howard grows tired of being gone, and resorts to ordering his dinners from Arnold’s. When Arnold delivers it, he accidentally lets it slip that he sees Marion in the morning, and furthermore that she is with another man. Howard then calls Marion’s mother, and finds out she hasn’t had a Bursitis attack in months. He then becomes extremely jealous and vows to follow her. Richie thinks that his mother is going to a job, but Ralph and Potsie put their information together and guess that Fonz and Marion are having an affair. They lock the Fonz in the bathroom and read him the riot act. He picks the lock and comes out, but forgives them since they were trying to protect Richie’s family. Howard follows Marion to the contest, and even though Marion had left a note to invite him, he thinks he has caught her red-handed. When he finds out it is Fonzie, he threatens to take him outside… until Marion explains what is happening. Richie and Joanie follow them as well, and Richie threatens Fonzie, and Joanie kicks Fonzie in the shin. Marion decides she is vindicated by knowing that her family loves her, and she is ready to go home. Fonzie, however, insists that after all he’s been through, he wants to go on with the dance. They end up winning the tango contest. Richie asks Fonzie if he will hold any grudges for the abuse he took, but he says he only wants revenge on one person. He goes after Joanie, but she just kicks him in the shin again. Rance Howard is the dance announcer. 8/12/21
- 055. The Second Anniversary Show – 1/12/1976
- The gang, along with Howard and Marion, throws Fonzie a surprise birthday party at Arnold’s. During the party, everyone gathers around and reminisces about some of their times together, beginning with the day Fonzie began renting the room above the garage, and resulting dinner interruptions from Fonzie’s dates, and the fire that he started in the room (Fonzie Moves In). They also talk about the time that Richie is challenged to a fight, so Fonzie shows him tactics to defend himself (Richie Fights Back).Fonzie talks about the time that Fonzie tries to help Richie get a date, and they end up double dating with Laverne and Shirley (A Date with Fonzie). Fonzie starts up the jukebox, and Howard and Marion notice how Joanie is all grown up and talk up some earlier ties with her. When Potsie tries to start up the jukebox the same way as Fonzie by hitting it, Fonzie talks about some other instances where he seems to have power over nature… as well as girls. Richie wants to know how he does get all of the girl, so Fonzie gives them plenty of examples of his toughness. Ralph is dying to tell the story of Fonzie’s weirdest girlfriend, so he waits until Fonzie goes to the bathroom, and then he tells about the time that Richie and Potsie had to dress up as women, and Fonzie asks Richie to dance (The Deadly Dares). Fonzie decides to forgive Ralph for telling the story, and thanks everyone for throwing him the party, but then threatens to kill him. When Fonzie blows out his candles, Arnold makes a joke about Fonzie blowing into Richie’s ear. Fonzie tells him to “sit on it”, which leads to a montage of characters telling others to “sit on it.” 6/18/22
- 056. Fonzie the Salesman – 1/13/1976
- Herb has decided to sell his Auto Repair shop since he has started to lose his mind, and Fonzie has fears he won’t like his new boss a rich man named Bertley “Bronco” Van Alden (Richard Stahl), and when Bronco calls Fonzie “Spunky” and tells him that he’ll need to get a crew cut, Fonzie decides to quit and run his own automotive repair shop. However, he is unable to convince Howard’s loan officer friend Phil Hunsberger (Dick Van Patten) that he would be capable of running a business, Fonzie becomes depressed and locks himself in his room. Howard is able to talk him out of his funk by telling him how he faced a similar challenge when he wanted to be a cook after being one in the Army, but wound up finding a new passion in hardware. Initially, Fonzie wants to join Howard in running his hardware business, but Howard talks him out of that quickly, since women rarely come into the shop. Instead Richie assists him with getting into the business of selling encyclopedias, and goes with him on his sales call in an apartment. Fonzie is discouraged by a housewife (Bella Bruck) and a wimpy middle-aged man (Bob W. Hoffman), bot of whom turn him away. Then he meets a gorgeous lady (Heather Lowe) behind the next door, and simply decides to abandon the book and Richie and spend the afternoon with her. Richie takes him back to see Van Alden, who isn’t happy with his current mechanic and asks Fonzie to come back. Richie lies and tells him that a competitor is interested in Fonzie, and is able to negotiate him getting a raise, keep his hair, and be in charge of the organization of the garage. 2/9/22
- 057. Football Frolics – 1/20/1976
- After watching the football game on TV, Richie and his friends are dying to go to Chicago to see the upcoming Bears vs. Lions game, but they have no idea how to get the tickets. Fonzie tells him that he knows how they can score some, but they’ll have to take his nephew Spike (Danny Butch) in exchange for that information. He tells them that Arnold has some tickets available, so they arrange to get them from him. Arnold had purchased them for $20 for a scalper, but can no longer use them. The guys were only expecting to pay $10, so Arnold says he’ll hold the tickets until they come up with the money. Richie fails trying to get his father to give him the money. With his parents going out to lodge meeting Mardi Gras celebration, he and Potsie and Ralph decide to hold a mass babysitting, set up like a Summer Camp, to raise money. The idea is successful and the house fills up with kids. Even Laverne and Shirley drop off Booker Brown (Kristoff St. John), the boy they were supposed to babysit. One boy named Myron (John Moran) seems to be the troublemaker who disrupts the kids’ playtime. And Booker keeps trying to escape, which adds another dimension to the evening. Fonzie is disturbed upstairs by the noise, and can’t remember the name of the girl he is with. Although he knows and admires Booker Brown, even Fonzie can’t get the other kids under control thanks to Myron. Since he won’t hit a child, he goes and gets Spike and has Spike show the other kids on the Ralph, Potsie, and Richie what he’ll do to them if Fonzie says to. This finally gets the kids to wind down, and Richie declares the evening successful and enough money made to go to the game. Spike and Booker become friends… and business partners. Fonzie, while thinking about whether he’s be a good father, remembers that his date’s name is Jennifer. 2/9/22
- 058. Fonzie the Superstar – 1/27/1976
- Arnold has engaged Richie’s band to play at a Senior Dance to be held at Arnold’s. Although Fonzie is going out of town to the Powderpuff Derby to help Pink Tuscadero in her pit crew, he plans to be back to see them play. However, Potsie has to back out of it because his parents are forcing him to go look at Princeton college that night. Arnold is insistent that they find a new singer and carry on with the performance, especially since he’s given them a down payment. Ralph has the idea to get Fonzie to sing, and when he puts for the suggestion to Arnold, everyone in the place overhears him and the news spreads like wildfire. By the time Fonzie returns, they have already put up signs advertising him. Fonzie is upset when Ralph delivers the news to him, and refuses to do it, but once Ralph and Potsie are able to convince him that he could become a superstar, which will mean more girls, Fonzie agrees to give it a shot. Potsie tries to give Fonzie singing lessons before he has to leave, but Fonzie doesn’t really take it seriously. Fonzie brings Laverne and Shirley in to be his background singers, and attempt a rehearsal. However, once the girls give him his doo-wop intro, Fonzie freezes and can’t sing a word. He passes it off as wanting to be more spontaneous at showtime. At showtime that night, Fonzie is incredibly nervous, and takes Richie aside to tell him he doesn’t know how to sing. Even Richie calling him a chicken can’t get him out to perform, so Richie tells the audience that he tripped and hit his head, and announces that Arnold and the Arnoldettes – Laverne and Shirley – will be singing. They start singing a terrible rendition of By the Light of the Silvery Moon. Fonzie comes out and says he’ll take a shot at the singing, but if he fails miserable, it will be Richie’s fault. He performs Heartbreak Hotel by speaking the lyrics, but the crowd goes wild anyway, which gives him more confidence to belt it out. By the end of the performance, Fonzie’s costume is ripped to shred, and Laverne and Shirley are keeping his fringes to sell. Fonzie dresses up as Richie to sneak out, while Richie wears Fonzie’s clothes… and immediately goes into the audience so that hundreds of girls will jump on him. Jillian Kesner takes over the role as Paula Petralunga. 6/18/22
- 059. Two Angry Men – 2/3/1976
- The Fonz has amassed a collection of pigeons and hires Ralph to help build a coop for him, offering to give him a girl’s telephone number in exchanges one the job is done. Once the coop is built, he gives him part of the number until he puts them up on the roof. Richie thinks Fonzie better discuss it with his father before he puts them there, so Fonzie calls down to Mr. C as he is leaving for work quickly due to an incoming blizzard. Fonzie doesn’t give him any details, but merely asks if he can keep some birds, so Mr. C gives him his cursory approval. That evening during the blizzard, it take Howard three hours to get home, and once he arrives, Richie tries to talk to him about the birds again. Then they hear a loud crash in Fonzie’s room, and we they get up there, the coop has fallen through the roof and it is snowing in Fonzie’s apartment. Howard hires Arnold’s cousin Marvin Lee (Lloyd Kino) to give him an estimate, which turns out to be $400. Fonzie refuses to pay, citing the fact that there was snow on the roof as well…and he doesn’t have the money. Fonzie goes to stay at the Wiscons-Inn until the ceiling gets fixed. Howard initially wants to sue Fonzie, but instead decides to work something out with him. As he is getting ready to leave, Potsie stops by and delivers a subpoena for Howard to appear in court since Fonzie is now suing Howard. Fonzie shows up to defend himself, while Howard brings his lawyer Ernie (Bob W. Hoffman) to defend him. Fonzie calls Richie to the stand to corroborate that Howard agreed to let Fonzie have the birds. Howard cross examines him to prove that Fonzie never mentioned building their house on the roof. Howard calls Fonzie to the stand, and although Ralph objects to Fonzie having to testify, the Fonz agrees to do it anyway. Howard asks him why he never asked permission to build the bird house on his roof, but the Fonz can only give a sob story about his upbringing, telling Judge MacBride (June Lockhart) that she is beautiful and if he had had a mother like her, he would have stayed out of trouble. The judge sympathizes with Fonzie, and commands Howard to sit down. She quickly reaches her verdict, but to everyone’s surprise she rules in Howard’s favor. She says that although if Howard were a good man, he could have offered to pay half, but since the Fonz deceived him, he is liable for the damage. With his entire family angry with him, Howard offers to pay for half of the damages. Ralph then tells the Fonzie that all of their friends agreed to chip in to help him pay his half. Howard is a bit annoyed that the Fonz is getting off nearly free and clear, but Fonz explains that it worked out that way because he is the Fonz. Later, Fonzie gets his pigeons back, and Howard agrees to babysit them. Their chirping makes Marion frisky, but when Fonzie returns home to take them away, she loses the mood. Howard asks Fonzie if the pigeons can spend the night with them, and he brings them up to the bedroom. Robert E. Ball is Leo the bailiff. 10/9/22
- 060. Beauty Contest – 2/10/1976
- Richie, Potsie, and Ralph sit at Arnold’s and lament about all of the cheerleaders that they are not dating. Richie theorizes that many of the beautiful girls don’t have dates because guys are too scared to ask them out. Richie then approaches cheerleader Cynthia Miley (Janice Heiden), but she refuses him and laughs with her friends. The guys then go see Fonzie for some advice about their dating rut. When Ralph mentions the dream he had about hosting a beauty contest, Fonzie decides a beauty contest isn’t a bad idea. He suggests they offer a trip to Hollywood, but the guys realize they can’t pay for a prize like that. Fonzie then suggests that the winner of the contest is a phony, so they won’t have to give out the prize. Fonzie also agrees to find them such a girl. The guys initiate the contest, but Richie starts to get cold feet when Potsie and Ralph also offer lunch with Efram Zimbalist Jr. and a role in the next Tony Curtis movie. However when Cynthia asks him out on a date, Richie decides to go through with it. They go out on a date to the movies and then when they get back to Richie’s house, his parents overhear Richie turning her down when she wants to come in. Later, Ralph stops by, and Howard gives them some advice that if they can’t deliver on the prizes, they will be in big trouble. On the night of Miss Arnold’s Beauty Pageant, the guys realize they don’t know which girl Fonzie has planted. When Fonzie arrives, he tells them that his girl isn’t coming because he told her to jump off a bridge. As Fonzie tries to scramble the find another girl, the guys are forced to pick the three finalists: Cynthia, Ann Louise Milligan (Jane Alice Brandon), and Bunny Showalter (Patricia Joyce). When Fonzie still can’t find anyone, Richie has the idea to ask each contestant if they would be willing to leave wholesome Wisconsin and the comfort of their family and church, for the sinful, corrupt town of Hollywood. Cynthia and Bunny say yes, but Ann Louise says she wouldn’t dream of it, and only got in the contest for the friendly competition. When they award her the victory and offer her the prize, she is excited to take it and go to Hollywood, telling Richie that she was only acting. When Richie tells her that there is no prize, all of the girls try and attack the three judges. Fonzie then returns to the stage and tells everyone that they had switched out the prizes, and the new one is 30 days and nights on a non-stop date with Fonzie, which Ann Louise fully embraces. Howard grounds Richie for two weeks, and when he asks him if it was worth it, Richie can only smile. Marjorie Marshall is Elizabeth Kloptin, the mailman’s wife and piano player. 10/10/22
- 061. Bringing Up Spike – 2/17/1976
- Spike’s aunt has a Reserves meeting at the Great Lakes Naval Station, so Fonzie will be babysitting him for a week. Fonzie asks Richie to help occupy him, but Richie is heading to Chicago for two weeks for a journalism class at Northwestern. Fonzie pretty much allows Spike do whatever he wants, including going out on a date at 10pm as long as he is out of Fonzie’s hair when he had girls over. Fonzie winds up bringing his girl Gigi (Susan Lawrence) back to his place, but Spike is there when he arrives. Fonzie tries to rush him out to the late movies, but Spike wants to talk to him about a business opportunity that comes up. Fonzie just tells him that if it sounds good to go for it and then scoots him out the door. Spike winds up helping his friends Moose (Clint Howard) and Bobo rob Arnold’s by sneaking in the window and then letting them in. Arnold is still there cleaning up, and when the boys see him, they all rush out… except for Spike, who is caught by Arnold and locked in the bathroom. Instead of calling the police, he calls Fonzie to come talk to him. Fonzie asks Arnold to give him an hour to get the money back before he calls the police. When Spike won’t tell him who he was with or who has the money, Fonzie calls Howard to come down and talk to him. Howard says that Spike doesn’t respect him enough to listen, and that it is Fonzie who needs to talk to him since he has his respect. Fonzie tries to tell him how he never resorted to stealing form other people, while Spike says that he will need to make money somehow since he isn’t good in school and doesn’t have the skills to fix cars like Fonzie does. Fonzie tells him that he is giving up already, so he must be a chicken and doesn’t want to be around chickens. Spike confesses that the thing he would really like to do is work with flowers. Meanwhile, Ralph and Potsie have managed to get the stolen money back, as they were still in the parking lot when the guys ran out and Arnold yelled that he’d been robbed. With the money now in hand, Fonzie convinces the guys to turn themselves in and return the money. Later, Fonzie has Howard and Marion watch Spike while he goes out on another date. 2/4/23
- 062. A Sight for Sore Eyes – 2/24/1976
- Fonzie locks himself in the bathroom at Arnold’s because he has a pounding headache. It doesn’t get much better when he gets home and Mr. Cunningham is banging on the window because it won’t shut. Both Ralph and Mr. C agree that Arthur needs to see an eye doctor because it seems his strain is coming from reading. He finally agrees to go see Ralph’s father (Jack Dodson), a wacky optometrist who tells the same stale jokes that Ralph does. He determines that Fonzie’s right eye is causing him trouble and the imbalance is giving him headache. The only solution for this is for him to get glasses. Fonzie refuses to wear something so uncool on his perfect face. Nevertheless, Dr. Malph orders him glasses and tells him that if he doesn’t wear them, something terrible could happen. Sure enough, Fonzie’s vision gets blurry while he is riding his motorcycle and he drives into Lake Michigan. Meanwhile, Richie’s folks call him at Northwestern in Chicago to tell him the news, and while snuggling and cooing with his girlfriend Lulubelle, he tells them that he will be home in time of the April Fools Dance. Fonzie starts wearing his glasses while he is driving but goes to every effort to keep anyone from seeing him. Back at Arnold’s, he wants to wear his glasses when he announces Potsie as King Fool for the dance, but he says he needs Richie to talk to him into it. He credits Richie’s condescending “heh-heh-hehs” for helping convince him of things he doesn’t want to do. Richie gets back just in the nick of time, so Fonzie has him give him the “heh-heh-hehs”, which somehow gives Fonzie the confidence to put on the glasses and tell everyone that he’s just as cool. Privately, Richie agrees that the glasses look great and he really is just as cool. Richie asks Fonzie what to do about Lulubelle since he told her that he would spend all of his vacations with her, starting with Easter. Fonzie tells him to let her down gently and tell her that they had great times, but now the magic is over. When Lulubelle calls Richie at Arnold’s, he tells her that he’ll see her at Easter. 2/5/23
- 063. Arnold’s Wedding – 3/2/1976
- Arnold announces that the restaurant will be closed the following weekend due to the fact that he’s getting married to a Japanese woman named Momo Okamoto (Nobu McCarthy). They have been dating via mail for many years but have never met. Fonzie reluctantly agrees to be his Best Man, but then tells Richie he is worried because the last two couples he’s been the Best Man for have had weddings that ended disastrously. Momo arrives with her chaperone Terukazu (Richard Lee-Sing) to the Cunningham’s house where she will stay until they are married. Fonzie’s curse seems to be coming true when Arnold fears that Momo hates him at first sight. He thinks that she doesn’t see a successful American businessman in him, so Howard convinces Arnold to show her the restaurant. He tries to show her how much everyone there likes and respects him, but she runs out crying. Momo tells Marion that she is upset because she thinks that he has become Americanized and since she is still very rooted in Japanese culture, she will hold him back. Marion tells Fonize that he needs to have a talk with Arnold and get them to talk out their issues. Fonzie thinks that the curse can’t be broken and tries to walk out, but Marion tells him to ‘sit on it!’ Fonzie is furious, but finally agrees to follow her advice and talk to Arnold. He gets Arnold and Momo together to speak and they agree to go through with the marriage. However, when Fonzie finds out that he has to wear a kimono, he tries to back out from being Best Man. The wedding is held at Arnold’s restaurant, and sure enough, Fonzie doesn’t show up. Richie and his family tries to stall the wedding, because Arnold’s Aunt Sumi (Kimiko Hiroshige) will be aghast if Arnold has a wedding without a best man. Richie has Potsie sing a song that he wrote for the wedding, but before he can finish, Aunt Sumi grabs it from his hand and rips it up. When Arnold gives up on Fonzie showing up, he asks Ralph to be the Best Man, but as he’s searching for a kimono, Fonzie shows up in his kimono. He reads a special greeting from Arnold in both English and Japanese. Arnold and Momo are pronounced man and wife by the Officiate (Rollin Moriyama). Fonzie and Marion make up for their fight, and she gives him a kiss on the cheek. Fonzie snaps his fingers to get one of the Japanese guests to dance with him. 7/17/23
SEASON 4
- 064 & 065. Fonzie Loves Pinky: Part 1 & Part 2 – 9/21/1976
- Howard is going to be the chairman of a charity demolition derby hosted by his club The Leopards. Richie will host the event live for WZAZ. They are also bringing in a stunt cyclist Pinky Tuscadero (Roz Kelly), an old friend of Fonzie’s, to put on a stunt exhibition. Pinky and her friends the Pinkettes Tina (Doris Hess) and Lola (Kelly Sanders) show up at Fonzie’s garage to have him check out her bike before the event. Instant chemistry returns between the two of them and they begin to spend every waking moment together around town. Meanwhile, Arnold’s now has a new manager named Alfred “Al” Delvecchio (Al Molinaro), who throws a party with free pizza and soda and personal appearances from some of the key drivers including Pinky and Fonzie. However, when Fonzie shows up, he is furious because his partner in the demolition derby Nookie Newman had to back out because he jumped out of a hotel window. Pinky offers to take his spot in the derby, but Fonzie finds it laughable that a female could drive in the derby. Instead, Fonzie asks Ralph to be his partner, even though Ralph is faking a neck injury to stay out of the derby. Pinky gets angry at Fonz and storms out. They try to reconcile back at the Cunningham house, but they can’t see eye to eye. The Fonz’s chief derby competitors Myron “Count” Mallachi (Micahel Pataki) and his brother Rocco Mallachi (Ken Lerner), known for the deadly “Mallachi Crunch” in the derbies show up at Arnold’s and try and taunt Fonzie. Pinky sees this as a way to get through to Fonzie, so she starts flirting with Count and asks him if she can be his partner in the derby. Count throws out his own brother for the cause, but Fonzie can take no more and announces that Pinky will be his partner. Richie interviews them and asks if they are worried about the cheating Mallachi brother and their efforts to keep them out of the race, but Fonzie says that Pinky’s car is at his garage being watched by the Pinkettes, and his car is at Richie’s house being watched by his Richie’s parents. However, while Rocco convinces the Pinkettes to come to a a party, Count smashes the engine with a baseball bat. The damage isn’t discovered until right before the derby, so Fonzie asks Richie to have his father stall the derby crowd while he attempts to fix it. Potsie sings America the Beautiful for the crowd, the Pinkettes perform, and Howard attempts to tell jokes, until the pressure becomes too great to stall any longer. Just then Fonzie and Pinky show up with her fixed car. The derby begins and the Mallachis begins systematically taking out cars with the Milachi crunch. As more and more cars are eliminated, the Milachi brothers and Fonzie and Pinky are the last cars remaining. At one point, Pinky’s car stalls and she attempts to climb out the front window to the engine to fix it, but the car is struck by Rocco’s car. She is nearly knocked unconscious and is taken away by an ambulance. She gives Fonzie some encouraging words, and he decides to finish the match on his own. Through his anger and concern, he returns to his car with Pinky’s pink handkerchief and with a determined look, starts his engine again. NOTE: This is part one and two of a three-part episode. Although it aired as a one-hour episode originally, it airs as two parts in syndication. 7/17/23
- 066. Fonzie Loves Pinky: Part 3 – 9/28/1976
- After Pinky is taken to the hospital, Fonzie returns to the derby, where the Mallachi brothers try to box him in to deliver the “Mallachi Crunch”. Fonzie manages to break away and run Rocco out of bound, ending the derby for him. Fonzie then stalls in the middle of the ring, and the Count circles him and then tips his hat in victory. Fonzie then reveals that he was playing possum and starts the car and rams into the Count several times before the Count gives up. When he gets out of the car, the Fonz chases him in his car and forces the Count to run into the Men’s outhouse. Fonzie and Richie then head to the hospital to see Pinky. The Fonz confesses how great being with Pinky makes him feel and that he wants to ask her to marry him. He tells Richie to try and talk him out of it, but he is unable to so. Richie confesses that they would be great together, so after the nun (Ceil Cabot) wheels Pinky out in her wheelchair, Fonzie proposes, and Pinky accepts. As Howard and Marion and Joanie get ready to go to a Leopards meeting where Howard will receive an award for the job he did on the demolition derby, Fonzie gets ready for his engagement party at Arnold’s with Pinky. Although he had originally said that he had wanted to settle down with Pinky, he know thinks it would be best if she continues to tour and that he be president of their corporation. Richie asks Fonzie point blank if he will be happy on the road with Pinky, and the Fonz tells him that he will. However, when Tina and Lola show up to give Fonzie and payroll check from Pinky, and then tells him that she is going on The Ed Sullivan Show, and then they will be married inside the track at the Daytona 500, Fonzie starts to get cold feet. He goes early to Al’s and sits around alone while waiting for the party to start. He tells Al to let no one in except for Pinky until he says otherwise. Pinky comes in to talk to Fonzie, and he confesses that he won’t be able to handle touring with her. With all of the attention she gets, he’s afriad he’ll become Mr. Pinky Tuscadero. She offers to forget the touring and just stay home and have a life with him, but he won’t hear of her giving up on her dream. He tells her that she needs to go for it 100%, and that maybe later they can get back together. When a photographer (Jerry Paris) takes photos of them, he refers to Fonzie as Mr. Tuscadero, so Pinky reads him the riot act and tells him that he is the Fonz! Fonzie won’t let anyone make an announcement about the engagement being off. He leaves with Richie, Potsie, and Ralph, and says everyone will find out eventually. Pinky and the Fonz later romantically ride around in the woods, but then the Pinkettes ride up with Richie to take her away. Fonzie gives Richie a ride back but won’t let Richie console him. NOTE: This is the third of a three-part episode. 11/14/23
- 067. A Mind of His Own – 10/5/1976
- When a tough guy named Bernie (Gary Springer) sees his girlfriend Laurie Glass (Michele Nichols) kissing Potsie on the cheek, he get angry and threatens to beat up Potsie. Just then, Fonzie enters Arnold’s and immediately puts a stop to the fight. However, Bernie hasn’t heard of Fonzie and calls him a big mouth. Richie diffuses the situation and tells Bernie that Potsie was only helping Laurie with her homework. At this point, Bernie decides to back off, but Fonzie still wants to fight. Richie is disappointed with the number of fights that Fonzie has gotten into recently, especially after he drags Bernie outside and beats him up. Fonzie acts as if he doesn’t care what Richie thinks, but the more he thinks about it, he turns back to both Richie and Howard for advice on how to take out his anger since his workload has lessened and he can’t beat on his cars as much anymore. Howard tells Fonzie about how he once went to a psychologist because he was constantly overeating. After Richie encourages him and he thinks it over, Fonzie decides to give Dr. Brendel (Bill Idelson) a try. The doctor tries to get to the source of Fonzie’s anger issues, but when Fonzie claims that he goes out with over 150 girlfriends, Dr. Brendel thinks that Fonzie is delusional. However, when Richie verifies that this is true… and he sees Fonzie kissing his secretary Miss Franklin (Lynn Benisch), the doctor becomes more interested in unlocking Fonzie’s power. He agrees to treat Fonzie for free if Fonzie will teach him how to attract women. One of the doctor’s ideas is to get out his pent-up hostilities by building birdhouses. The Fonz shows up at Arnold’s in the midst of Fonzie bragging about how he is maintaining control, when Bernie brings in his older brother Butch (Larry Golden) to settle the score with his brother. The Fonz tells him that he doesn’t fight anymore and apologizes to Bernie for beating him up. It is all that Fonzie can take to maintain composure when Butch breaks a birdhouse that Fonzie made for Al. Fonzie lets Joanie wear his jacket while he is maintaining control by staying at home and building birdhouses for an entire week. When the Fonz hears that people think he is chicken for staying away from Arnold’s, he decides to go back to Arnold’s to work on his birdhouses. The Fonz struggles to maintain composure, but Richie is able to talk him down. However, when Butch grabs Fonzie by the shirt and pushes him, Richie tells Fonzie to get him. Fonzie rises, smashes Al’s birdhouse, and gets his jacket back from Joanie. He grabs them both by the shirt and resumes his tough guy persona, which scares the brothers, who tells Fonzie they were only kidding. Fonzie tells Richie he is going to stay in control and not hurt them but demands that they run out of Arnold’s. Richie tells him that he doesn’t want to see people push Fonzie around, and that he did a great job of standing up for himself and then letting them off the hook. In lieu of the birdhouse for Al that Fonzie destroyed, he sets him up with a wild girl named Choo-Choo. 11/16/23
- 068. Fonzie the Father – 10/19/1976
- While sitting around at Arnold’s discussing the softball game that they just lost 24-3, a girl pregnant girl named Louisa Corrigan (Udana Power) shows up looking for Fonzie. When Fonzie gets a look at her, he claims to be Potsie. Meanwhile, Richie’s parents and Joanie are planning to go out of town, and Richie is planning to have a party as soon as they leave. Later, Fonzie asks Howard if it is okay if he has a guest over while they are on vacation. However, when they see Louisa, they naturally have some major concerns. Fonzie introduces Louisa as the wife of one of his good friends Danny Corrigan, who is on a cross-country race. Richie gets a little bit annoyed when Fonzie tells Richie that he can’t have his party as it would interfere with Louisa’s party. Richie then agrees to go over to Arnold’s and stay out really late, but Fonzie tells Richie that he needs to stay home with Louisa in case of an emergency. Fonzie rationalizes that he is going out with the Aloha Pussycats, and that Richie is merely going to meet Ralph and Potsie and look for chicks, that Fonzie’s evening is more exciting. After a couple of nights of Richie watching Louisa, Richie starts to get angry at Fonzie when Ralph and Potsie show up and tells Richie that they have a girl named Brenda who won the Miss Trout competition all lined up for him. In fact, he wants to fight Fonzie and puts up his dukes, until Louisa tells them that she is going into labor. They guys both panic but manage to get her to a hospital where a volunteer named Kitty (Christina Hart) tells them that Nurse Millie Nash (Betty Kean) is retiring, and they are having a party for her. After they surprise Millie and present her with a watch, Louisa says that it is time to have the baby, so Fonzie demands they all get back to work. As they are waiting for the baby, Fonzie discusses the fight that they had, and Fonzie tells Richie that calling the Fonz a nerd is not nice. Richie says he’s trying not to be so nice, but when Fonzie says he needs to plug the parking meter, Richie is quick to offer to do it. Fonzie apologizes for making him watch Louisa. Just then, Kitty brings out Louisa’s baby for them to see. Later, Fonzie allows Richie to go out with Miss Trout and tries to find another babysitter for the new baby so that Louisa can join him in seeing Danny get awarded with the Mr. Kickstand award, but Ralph tearfully refuses. Fonzie gets another idea to get Laverne & Shirley to babysit. NOTE: This episode’s storyline continues into the Laverne & Shirley episode Bachelor Mothers, broadcast on the same date. 11/18/23
- 069. Fonzie’s Hero – 10/26/1976
- As Al tries to keep the guys from hitting on his niece Gina, who is working at the restaurant temporarily, Fonzie shows up, having just been saved by a fire at his auto shop where he was working on Ralph’s car. He’s not sure who pulled him to safety, and only that the guy was wearing a Jefferson jacket, but he states that the Fonzarelli code means that he will do any favor that the person asks. That person turns out to be Potsie, so Fonzie embraces him, offers him a favor, and tells him to get changed as he looks worse than Ralph’s car. Just after the Cunningham parents head out to Joanie’s open house, Potsie comes over to meet Fonzie and tells him what favor he wants. Although Potsie offers him a date with the Aloha Pussycats, Potsie simply wants to pal around with Fonzie and do all of the things he missed out doing by not having a father at home. Although reluctant, Fonzie sticks with his code, and they go do things like go to Potsie’s family reunion, drive bumper cars, and attend the circus. Potsie even shows up with Potsie to go roller-skating even though he had never done it before. Fonzie tries to maintain his cool and not look stupid, but nearly falls down several times. Even a set of kids, Amy (Amy Bosley aka Amy Baer), Scotti (Scotti Marshall), and Kathi (Kathi Marshall) make fun of him. After Fonzie does indeed fall, one girl (Debbie Chaffin) offers to help teach him to skate, but Potsie drives her off by saying that he’ll take care of Fonzie. When Potsie realizes what he has done, he goes after the girl, but Fonzie attaches himself to a guy’s belt loop and asks him to guide him home. Later, Fonzie shows up at Arnold’s and takes Richie into his ‘office’ to tell him that he needs to figure out a way to get rid of Potsie, as he needs his time alone. Richie suggests that Fonzie lift the Fonzarelli code, but Fonzie wants to find something else to offer him. After they leave the bathroom, Potsie comes out from one of the stalls, having heard everything. He takes Fonzie aside and tells him that they can’t hang out anymore, as he needs his time to himself. Richie thinks the Potsie is a great guy to have let Fonzie off the hook. Fonzie then heads out to go on his date with the six Aloha Pussycats, but at the last minutes, invites Potsie to join him on the date… even though he gives just one girl to Potsie. Meanwhile, Marion gives a piano lesson to a little girl named Vicki and thinks about how much she misses having a little girl around. 3/22/24
- 070. A Place of His Own – 11/9/1976
- Potsie, Ralph, and Richie are all crammed into one car trying to neck with their girls, but Richie’s girl Cindy Kendall (Jenifer Shaw) is tired of these crowded conditions and says she’s rather sketch the moon while the others keep making out. Richie lies to Cindy and tells her that he has his own place and that he’s going to invite her over. When Richie gets home, he confronts his parents about feeling like a kid and not a man, but Marion says that he is being ridiculous and suggests he go up to bed and she will bring him milk and cookies. Richie then goes to see Fonzie and asks if he can borrow his place for Saturday evening and have Cindy over. Fonzie wants to stay home and rest, but Richie asks if he can just have the place until midnight. Fonzie reluctantly agrees, but then can hardly stay awake while waiting to get his place back. Richie suggests that Fonzie sleep in his room in his pajamas since his parents are going out on a double date with Al and his non-English speaking girlfriend Maria. Fonzie gives Richie his HTWW – How to Win Women – speech by telling him the steps to score with her. When Cindy arrives, he tells her that he rents the place from a Greek couple downstairs named Howard and Marion Constatine, and that the girls’ pictures hanging in the apartment are all autographed by women who refer to him as “Funzie” because he is so fun. When Cindy goes to the restroom, Richie pulls out Fonzie’s bed, but from the bathroom, Cindy tells him how she doesn’t like men who try to take liberties with girls they have in their apartments. She then asks Richie to take off his shirt so that she can sketch him. They spend the evening alternating between her sketching and kissing each other. Cindy’s father Chief Petty Officer Kendall (Conrad Janis) forces Potsie and Ralph to take him to Richie’s house since Cindy was supposed to be home at 11pm. Howard and Marion tell him that Richie is asleep in bed, but when Howard sends Marion up to check on him, she finds Fonzie in the bed. Fonzie tries to cover for Richie and tells everyone he will try to go find them as Inspiration Point. He heads upstairs to warn them, but the parents are right behind them and find the kids on the bed. Eventually, by showing Cindy’s father her sketches, they convince him that she was only drawing. Howard defends Richie and assures Kendall that if Richie says that is all they were doing, he believes him. When Kendall says he has a hard time dealing with his daughter, Howard suggests that he simply take time to communicate with her. After the Kendalls leave, Howard asks what they were really doing. He also tells Richie he can always come to him for anything he needs, so Richie asks him if he will help him find his own apartment. 3/22/24
- 071. They Shoot Fonzies, Don’t They? – 11/16/1976
- Arnold’s is going to host a dance marathon, and Richie is trying to negotiate for him and his friends to play live music at the show. He is shooting for $200 and tries to convince Al of all of the food he is going to sell, including a run on fish sandwiches. Al counteroffers $25, and Ralph, who just walked into the conversation, negotiates to $35. Meanwhile, Joanie is upset because she has been rejected for the pom-pom squad by her arch enemy Jill Higgins (Charlene Tilton), who then proceeds to lure away Joanie’s date Jimmy Bradkip (Mark McClure). Her family convinces her to join the dance-off so that she can beat Jill and her large brother Bubba (Gary Epp), but she has no partner that can keep up with him. They manage to talk Fonzie into being her date, but he is planning on spending the afternoon helping a friend in Chicago the night before. Unfortunately, Fonzie has an issue with his bike on the way back when his handlebars fall off, and he is forced to push the bike for twelve miles. He doesn’t have the heart to let Joanie down, so he agrees to go to the dance marathon anyway. That night as they are entering the seventh hour of the marathon and Richie’s band are singing Venus, Howard is acting as judge, and Marion is heading up the First Aid, Fonzie and Joanie start getting trash-talked by Jill and Bubba, and Fonzie is lured into betting ten dollars that they will win. ill then calls for a challenge dance where they have to do the Jitterbug to the song Rockin’ Robin. This takes its toll on Fonzie who starts to get more and more tired. Richie encourages him to tell Joanie about how he pushed his bike home, but Fonzie thinks he can make it and suggest they play a waltz. Ralph sings Anniversary Song, and Bubba then challenges Fonzie further. If Fonzie and Joanie lose, Fonzie gets a crewcut, and if they win, Joanie is let onto the pom-pom squad. As they enter their fourteenth hour, they are down to three couples, but when one couple collapses, it is down to Fonzie and Joanie and Jill and Bubba. Potsie becomes too tired to sing, so Richie calls for a two-minute break. Fonzie is almost unable to get back up, but Joanie motivates him by telling him that he’s all talk and no action. However, when her father tells her the real reason Fonzie is so tired, Joanie decides to concede the contest, and they begin to carry the Fonz out on a stretcher. When Jill mentions him getting the crewcut, he springs back to life and challenges them to a Russian Kazotsky dance, which quickly causes Jill and Bubba to pass out and lose the contest. Fonzie gives his congratulations to himself and the newest pom-pom girl Joanie, and then is carried out on the stretcher by a group of girls. Richie gives Joanie a kiss on the cheek and congratulates her, and much to Howard and Marion’s surprise, she gives him a kiss back. 8/13/24
- 072. The Muckrakers – 11/23/1976
- With the Thanksgiving Turkey Hop coming up at Arnold’s, Al is worried because so many of the kids are feeling sick when they come in after school. In addition to feeling ill himself, Richie finds out that Potsie bit into a piece of bone in the school meatloaf. As an aspiring journalist for the school paper, Richie wants to write an article about the school lunches ever since the new cook Louie (Arthur Batanides) arrived at school. However, he is wishy washy and doesn’t want to get into trouble, but Fonzie encourages him to always prints the truth. Richie shares his plans for the article with his father, who warns him that he needs more evidence than just the bone from Potsie’s meat. Richie goes undercover in disguise and visits the school lunchroom late at night, where he runs into Louie and his associate Curly (Robert Ball) and clearly learns that they are selling the good meat that the school is supplying to the restaurants and substituting low grade meat for the school lunches. When they men catch Richie there, he pretends to be a Swedish foreign exchange student who is working as a janitor. After the guys leave, Fonzie stops by to check on Richie, and Richie asks him to take some pictures. However, when Fonzie sees a pan full of raw liver, he becomes paralyzed with fear and can’t go on taking pictures. Richie captures the pictures, writes the story, and becomes elevated to a superstar reporter. His story is so successful that he wants to write a follow-up story behind the story, describing his spywork at the school. When Fonzie revies the article, he asks Richie to take out the parts about him being scared of liver. Richie argues that he is a hard-nosed journalist and thinks that he should print the truth as it is. Fonzie threatens him physically to not print it, but when Richie says he is going to print it anyway, Fonzie tells him that they are no longer friends and will no longer speak. When Fonzie comes over to fix Mrs. C’s sewing machine, it is obvious that Fonzie is giving Richie the cold shoulder, so Howard advises his son that there is no point in printing a story if the purpose is merely to expose someone and hurt them, especially if they’ve done nothing wrong. Over at the Turkey Hop, everyone is quiet and down because Fonzie is in the bathroom and has told everyone that he doesn’t want to be disturbed. He is reading a manual on meat in hopes of overcoming his fear, but Richie goes in to talk to him and tells him that he won’t print the part about Fonzie being afraid of liver. Fonzie describes the reason he got angry by comparing their situation with everyone trying to unmask the Lone Ranger, except for Tonto, who never once tries. After they make up, Fonzie gives everyone permission to have fun at the Turkey Hop, so the band strikes up the song Sh-Boom. Fonzie has Al make him a plate of liver, and he takes a bite and offers a thumbs-up. 8/13/24
- 073. A.K.A. the Fonz – 11/30/1976
- There’s a new sheriff in town named Sheriff Kirk, the former officer known as “hard nose” and has now taken over for Captain Flannigan, and he pays a visit to Arnold’s with a list of hoods that he wants to run out of town. Among those names is Arthur Fonzarelli. As soon as Fonzie arrives at Arnold’s, his friends take him into the restroom to give him a warning about Kirk’s plans for him. Kirk and his cohort Officer Evans, who isn’t as stringent as Kirk, come into the restroom and face off against Fonzie. Kirk tries to arrest Fonzie for carrying a concealed weapon, but his switchblade winds up being a mere comb. Kirk vows to run Fonzie out of town, but he is met with Fonzie’s insults. After Kirk and Evans leave, Fonzie admits to Richie that Kirk is really bugging him. Richie writes a letter to the Milwaukee Journal blasting Sheriff Kirk for his selective law enforcement against certain people in the town. Howard thinks that Fonzie can handle the problem on his own, but when he sees how Fonzie has changed his appearance to suit Sheriff Kirk by wearing a tweed sport coat, a tie, and a hat, he decides to get involved. Richie tells Fonzie that by dressing this way, it is like he is giving up. Fonzie agrees and declares that he will change for no man. Howard hosts his club the Leopards at his house and brings up the fact that they should do something about the way Officer Kirk is treating people. Kirk stops by the meeting and accuses everyone of unlawful assembly. He tells Ralph’s father Mickey (Alan Oppenheimer) that he will have to change the optometrist’s sign with the giant eye over his office. He also tells a mortician named Bob (Jack Perkins) that he won’t be able to double-park his hearse and tells Howard that his loading zone permit will be cancelled. When Fonzie hears how many of his friends are being affected by Kirk, he asks Kirk to meet him at Arnold’s at midnight. There he tells Kirk that he will agree to leave town if he leaves all of the other guys alone. Kirk agrees to this, but Fonzie warns him that if he leaves town, another friend will take his place. Richie then comes in wearing his leather coat, followed by Potsie, the Ralph, each one threatening to take the place of the last person. This continues with Howard, Joanie, Marion, All, Mickey, and the other men of the town. Fonzie says that he guesses he will stay after all since he now knows how many friends he has. Kirk is furious and tells everyone that they need to choose between Fonzie and their business’s well-being. Naturally, they all stand behind Fonzie. Later, Howard learns that Officer Evans went to the mayor and reported Kirk, and the mayor made him into a crossing guard. Marion gets a new piano in the house and sings Moonlight Bay. 12/11/24
- 074. Richie Branches Out – 12/7/1976
- As it is two weeks before Christmas, the Cunninghams are putting up their decorations, but Richie isn’t helping much as he is acting flighty because he has fallen in love with the Wisconsin Cola Girl just from seeing her on her poster advertising the drink. Richie tells Fonzie that he is having dreams about this girl, but Fonzie just laughs and thinks that it is just a crush. He tries to find fault in the girl, but can’t see anything wrong with her whatsoever, so he encourages to pursue her. Richie gets the idea to try and track her down through the Kwiksel Modeling Agency, and he and Ralph pretend to be sophisticated businessmen looking for a model. They get a meeting with the head of the firm, J.B. (Vern Rowe), and Ralph says he is with the Interglobal Advertising Agency, while Richie claims to be from Cunningham Hardware Enterprises. After showing a map of their planned store location, they tell J.B. that with the Christmas sales push that is coming, they want a promotion that will utilize models known as Mr. and Mrs. Tool. Potsie shows up and pretends that he will be Mr. Tool. Richie learns that the Cola Girl’s real name is Angela Bouvier (Paulette Breen), but that she will be busy on other jobs for the next couple of months. When Richie threatens to go with the Miss America model Bess Myerson, J.B. is suddenly able to come for a photo shoot at Arnold’s after her deodorant commercial wraps. Howard becomes wise to Richie’s efforts to meet Angela, when she calls questioning why they are meeting at a hamburger spot for a hardware commercial. Although he teases Richie, he fully supports his effort as he never followed his crush as a young man. When Richie gets to Arnold’s, he finds Fonzie there with three girls posing under the Christmas tree, asking Richie to take pictures for his Christmas card. Richie quickly obliges and then rushes them out the door, just as Angela arrives. Richie is clearly nervous, forgetting to snap photos of her at all, then when he does, he forgets to take off the camera lens. As she starts posing seductively, Richie backs into Arnold’s tree and knocks it over. Richie finally admits that he is nothing more than a high school senior with a crush who often dreams about her, to which she is flattered that he went to so much effort to meet her. She tells him that she is almost engaged to a medical student but wants to know about his dream. He tells her that she comes up to talk to him, but he can never remember what he says to her. She wants to know what he would say to her if he had the chance, and he says he’d tell her that he’s been waiting for her and is wondering if she would give him a kiss. She obliges by giving him a big kiss, but then says she has to go. As she is leaving, he asks her to look him up if her med student is ever hit by a bus. Fonzie returns and tells him that he got to live out his dream. He also has brought along the Pulaski twins because he says it is important to get right back up on the bike when he falls off. Richie says that he can only handle one, so Fonzie agrees to take the other twin off of his hands. 12/11/24
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