The idiom “Jumping the Shark” originated from the Happy Days sitcom. Although the show started to pick up after Richie had been replaced by Fonzie, and their Broadway comedy style was effective enough to hook their audience, after some time the show’s popularity gradually began to dwindle.
In season 5, Fonzie goes water skiing wearing swimming trunks and his signature leather jacket. In this episode, he literally jumps over a shark, an outlandish scene that would surprise the remaining Happy Days viewers. This moment was so cringe-worthy it has gone down in history as “jumping the shark,” a term used when preposterous plot devices are resorted to in a desperate attempt to regain a show’s good ratings.
Nobody Liked Pinky
After her initial introduction in the series, Pinky Tuscadero would soon be planned out by management as Fonzie’s long-term girlfriend. She was, after all, Fonzie’s female counterpart.
However, things weren’t as smooth in reality as they were in their fictional relationship. There was an animus of sorts between the two actors.
“Rock Around the Clock”
The theme song of the Happy Days series was “Rock Around the Clock,” performed by Bill Haley and the Comets, and it could be heard as soon as the episode started. Season one used this new version, recorded in 1973, and like the show itself, it would undergo some changes along the way.
From the third season onwards, the Happy Days theme song would be modified to make it sound more modern. This was written and performed by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel. The recording would be commercially released only in 2005.
Chuck Cunningham Just Disappeared
We have already mentioned how Richie’s character would eventually leave for the military. It was a nice send off to eventually give way to Fonzie’s entry as the centre point of the show. Another character would suffer a similar fate due to his role being eclipsed by the Fonz’s appealing character.
Richie’s older brother, Chuck Cunningham, simply disappeared without any apparent reason in season 2. He was a college boy, and a basketball player, played by Gavan O’Herlihy. Gavan asked to leave the show, and Randolph Roberts replaced him until "Guess Who's Coming to Christmas," after which the character was just never mentioned again as if he never existed at all.
“I found my thrill… on Blueberry Hill”
As a 1950's teenager, Richie Cunningham was a role model. He was depicted as a wholesome, clean-cut young man, who always meant well. He was the quintessential example of the all-American boy next door.
Richie sometimes ran into trouble, mostly thanks to him being too gullible, and struggling with his endeavors to pick up women. Whenever he was lucky enough to win a date or find someone he really liked, he would sing, “I found my thrill… on Blueberry Hill”, a song by Fats Domino.