Henry Winkler blocked ABC from renaming Happy Days to Fonzie’s Happy Days
Henry Winkler told Graham Bensinger he refused an ABC proposal to rename the sitcom 'Happy Days' during a recent interview.
Winkler rejected the title change request
ABC president Leonard Goldenson visited Winkler's office to suggest changing the show's name. The executive proposed calling it 'Fonzie's Happy Days' because the character became so popular. Winkler told the network that renaming the series would be a slap in the face to his co-stars.
Cast tensions influenced the decision
The actor explained that Ron Howard was already annoyed by the Fonz overshadowing other characters. Howard felt hurt by the breakout success of Winkler's role while playing Richie Cunningham. Winkler believed keeping the original title would help maintain harmony among the ensemble cast.
The show remained successful
Winkler stated that the series was soaring in ratings when the suggestion was made. He argued there was no reason to change a working title. The network did not proceed with the name change after this conversation.
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