When "Happy Days" began as a TV sitcom, there were three Cunningham children. Along the way, one was written out of the show. Who was this sibling?

When the 1974 - 1984 TV show "Happy Days" was first created, there were three kids in the Cunningham family. Most fans today only remember Richie (Ron Howard) and Joanie Cunningham (Erin Moran). The eldest brother Chuck Cunningham (Gavan O'Herlihy, Randolph Roberts) was phased out. The eldest son supposedly went to college on a basketball scholarship. It was Gavan O'Herlihy as Chuck who asked to leave the series. Gavan was eventually replaced by Randolph Roberts until the episode "Guess Who's Coming to Christmas".

Fonzie ended up bringing that older brother vibe to the show. The executive producers of the show, Garry Marshall, Thomas L. Miller, and Edward K. Milkis admitted, “we realized that Fonzie was really the ‘big brother’ character that the show needed.” So he was used very well in this capacity as a brother figure.

In the final episode of "Happy Days," Howard Cunningham, the father, (played by Tom Bosley) comments that he is proud of his “two kids” and Chuck is not mentioned at all.

"Happy Days" ran for 11 seasons which means it was one of ABC’s longest running series!

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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21 Comments

Kelly Fetter

I laughed at the options. Steve and Tyler. Aerosmith fan? Lol

Ken Walkley

"Love and the Happy Days" was a pilot shown on "Love, American Style." This pilot is where "Chuck" is included. Not only is there no "Fonzie" in the pilot, there is no "Ralph Malph." Anson WIlliams played "Potsie," who was the instigator of doing wrong things for Richie, who was a very good boy, and rather shy in the pilot. "Happy Days" played the pilot host for different hit series itself: Laverne and Shirley, Joanie Loves Chachi, Mork and Mindy, and the Fonz and the Happy Days Gang. Not too many shows can carry that kind of success!

tdelisi

A very good American TV series, until it “jumped the shark”.

erik hughes

Richard S. Levine, George Lucas had nothing to do with "Happy Days"; the show's creator was Garry Marshall (who was also Penny Marshall's daughter, who later played "Laverne" and became a very successful Film Director herself). I believe you're thinking about "American Graffitti", that came out a year earlier and was a surpirse hit for Lucas. It may have inspired Marshall to update "Happy Days" from the 40s to the 50s (the original pilot on "Love, American Style" took place in the 40s), but Lucas had nothing to do with the production of it.

erik hughes

kwalkley, Chuck was on a few episodes of the first season - also, the "Love, American Style" "Pilot" took place in the 40s, not the 50s, and concerned a brand new, tiny TV set Howard had just bought, and their attempt to watch a boxing bout. "Laverne and Shirley", "Joanie Loves Chachi", and "Mork and Mindy" were all spin-offs of "Happy Days", that had their own pilots after the characters were introduced on "Happy Days".

Keith Scholl

They gave up Chuck.

Cheryl McMeekin

Loved watching the show

ninakamwene

No clue

shootingstar

I still watch it when I can see it on TV.

Richard S. Levine

kwalkley, George Lucas genius.

Richard S. Levine

Marianne Hays, Very much so. Viewer ratings dropped after Richie left for military service. Fonzie was his only real brother type. He brought his cousin Chachi to the series. It spawned Joanie Loves Chachi.

Tom Seigo

One of my favorite shows in the day!!

cmarek

Don't forget Pinky and her blow dryer! All in all it was a good show.

roylynn

Funny chuck went upstairs and never came down

Tom McKenna

Great question, I bearly remember that. I got the answer right by doing a 1 on 1 and when the choices were Keith and Chuck, I choose Chuck based simply that Howard Cunnigham would never name his kid Kieth.