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| Anson Williams and Henry Winkler on Happy Days. |
One of the big problems Happy Days faced during its final four seasons was what to do with Anson Williams' character, Warren "Potsie" Weber, the amiable but clueless friend of Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard) and Ralph Malph (Don Most). Potsie was an important part of Happy Days from the very earliest pilot in 1972, and he had a following of his own (especially among female fans), so the producers opted to keep him on the show even after Richie and Ralph departed.
By Season 8, Fonzie (Henry Winkler) was the show's central character, while many of the stories revolved around Fonzie's brash young cousin, Chachi (Scott Baio). With Fonzie and Chachi dominating the series, there was even less room for Potsie. Besides, without Richie and Ralph, Potsie had no one to interact with. It's not like Fonzie and Potsie were ever great pals; they were more like friends-in-law or friends once removed.
Still in all, the producers of Happy Days felt an admirable sense of loyalty to their dependable foot soldier Anson Williams, so Potsie got an occasional episode tossed his way. One prominent example is Season 8's "Potsie on His Own," in which the dimwitted Weber boy takes a rather humiliating job to pay his rent. In fact, he's so ashamed of his profession that he tries to keep it a secret from everyone else in his life. You can probably guess how well that goes.
Is "Potsie on His Own" a good use of Anson Williams' talents? Find out when we review it on These Days Are Ours: A Happy Days Podcast. You'll be mighty glad you did.