Happy Days, American television situation comedy that aired on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) network for 11 seasons (1974–84). The popular show achieved the number one Nielsen rating in its third season.
Set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the 1950s and ’60s, Happy Days presented an idealized view of post-World War II middle-class America, seen largely through the perspective of high school (and later college) student Richie Cunningham (played by Ron Howard) and his pal Potsie (Anson Williams). The boys fraternized with the crowd at Arnold’s Malt Shop, where they sipped floats, dumped dimes into the jukebox, fretted about girls, and lamented the minor misunderstandings they had with their parents.
The phrase “jump the shark” describes the moment when something successful, such as a TV series, undergoes a significant change for the worse. It was inspired by a ridiculous episode of Happy Days in which Fonzie (played by Henry Winkler) water skis over a shark while wearing his denim shorts and his signature leather jacket.
Although Richie was the show’s protagonist, the most indelible character was Arthur Fonzarelli (Henry Winkler)—known as “Fonzie”—whose greaser style and love for motorcycles clashed with the show’s cast of wholesome, all-American characters. But under his leather jacket, Fonzie was anything but rebellious. His reputation as an outsider and a ladies’ man and his cachet of “cool” could be used to mitigate tensions and restore order. Although Richie, an upstanding, clean-cut youth, was Fonzie’s apparent opposite, the two were rarely in conflict, and their relationship became increasingly harmonious as the characters grew up and moved on in life.
Although never a success with the critics, Happy Days left its mark on the larger culture, with Fonzie becoming a pop culture icon. The success of Happy Days led to several spin-off comedies for ABC, including Out of the Blue (1979), Joanie Loves Chachi (1982–83), Laverne and Shirley (1976–83), and Mork and Mindy (1978–82), the last two of which, like Happy Days, were produced by Garry Marshall, who went on to direct motion pictures such as Pretty Woman (1990). Howard, who had received his start in television on The Andy Griffith Show (1960–68), also became an important motion picture director.