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| Cathy Silvers and Henry Winkler on Happy Days. |
After a low-rated second season in 1974-75, Happy Days was very nearly canceled by ABC. If the show were to continue, the network had three demands: Fonzie (Henry Winkler) would have to move in with the Cunninghams; the series would have to be filmed in front of a live studio audience; and the previously-unseen character of Arnold would have to appear on camera. Producer Garry Marshall happily complied with all three demands, but the third proved tricky. Marshall and his writers didn't know how Arnold would look or talk, and a series of auditions didn't make the solution any clearer. Eventually, Garry called in his old pal, actor-comedian Pat Morita, to play the role in his own inimitable fashion.
In a way, this set an important precedent for Happy Days. From then on, if a character were frequently discussed, he or she would eventually be seen as well. Clarence the cook, Mother Kelp, and even Binky Hodges all appeared on the series after having been mentioned in previous episodes. But perhaps the quintessential example of this phenomenon was Jenny Piccalo, a wild-acting, rumor-spreading girl who attends school with Joanie (Erin Moran). The other characters started discussing Jenny's exploits as early as Season 4, but she wasn't seen on camera until Season 8, when she was played by Cathy Silvers, daughter of comedian Phil Silvers. At the time, the producers explained to the press that Jenny's addition to the show was partly done to compensate for the loss of Ron Howard and Don Most.
About midway through Season 8, Jenny got her own spotlight episode, "Bride and Gloom." The rather far-fetched plot has Jenny accidentally marrying the Fonz and moving into his apartment. Surprisingly, the story takes a rather sad and dramatic turn, very much at odds with Jenny's party girl image. Does this make for a good episode? Find out when we review "Bride and Gloom" on the latest installment of These Days Are Ours: A Happy Days Podcast.