Happy Days (season 11)

This is a list of episodes from the eleventh and final season of Happy Days.

Happy Days
Season 11
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	22
Release
Original network	ABC
Original release	September 27, 1983 – September 24, 1984
Season chronology

Main cast

• Henry Winkler as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli
• Marion Ross as Marion Cunningham
• Scott Baio as Chachi Arcola
• Erin Moran as Joanie Cunningham
• Anson Williams as Warren "Potsie" Weber
• Ted McGinley as Roger Phillips
• Tom Bosley as Howard Cunningham

Guest Starring

• Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham
• Don Most as Ralph Malph
• Lynda Goodfriend as Lori Beth Cunningham
• Al Molinaro as Al Delvecchio
• Ellen Travolta as Louisa Delvecchio
• Cathy Silvers as Jenny Piccolo
• Pat Morita as Arnold
• Harris Kal as Bobby
• Kevin Sullivan as Tommy
• Steven Baio as Joey

Broadcast history

The season aired Tuesdays at 8:30-9:00 pm (EST)[1][2] and Thursdays at 8:00-8:30 pm (EST).[3][4]

Episodes

• Consisted of 22 episodes airing on ABC.
• Beginning with this season, "Happy Days" was rerecorded in a more modern style. It featured Bobby Arvon on lead vocals, along with several backup vocalists. To accompany this version, new opening and closing credits were filmed, and the flashing Happy Days logo was redesigned, to make it more sitcom friendly.
• Scott Baio and Erin Moran returned to the show in this season.

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)
234	1	"Because It's There"	Jerry Paris	William Bickley & Michael Warren	September 27, 1983	15.4
Fonzie realizes he never accomplished a goal he set for himself as a child, and begins to lose his edge. Only after a pep talk from Chachi does he regain his confidence and set out to attain his dangerous goal. He and Chachi celebrate at the top of the mountain. Meanwhile, Howard, Marion, and Chachi find a prized possession of Fonzie's and unknowingly... misplace it. Notes: In one scene, Fonzie wears an old beige windbreaker like the one he wore in the early seasons, before the network allowed him to wear black leather regularly. Also, this episode marked the final appearance of Pat Morita in his role of Arnold. Absent: Erin Moran as Joanie Cunningham; Anson Williams as Potsie Weber; Ted McGinley as Roger Phillips.
235	2	"The Ballad of Joanie and Chachi"	Jerry Paris	Richard Gurman	October 4, 1983	15.3
Chachi resents Joanie's busy college life and wants to settle down. Joanie decides that she and Chachi won't be able to resolve their differences. Absent: Anson Williams as Potsie Weber; Ted McGinley as Roger Phillips.
236	3	"Where the Guys Are"	Jerry Paris	Nancy Steen & Neil Thompson	October 18, 1983	14.7
Roger, Potsie, and Chachi trick Fonzie into going to a singles resort to help him get over his breakup with Ashley. Note: Fonzie explains his offscreen breakup with Ashley to the character portrayed by guest star Rita Wilson. Guest starring: Rita Wilson and Janine Turner.
237	4	"Welcome Home: Part 1"	Jerry Paris	Fred Fox, Jr. & Brian Levant	October 25, 1983	26.7
Discharged from the Army, Richie and Ralph return home; but after life in the Army, Richie wants to move to California to pursue a career as a screenwriter, which doesn't set too well with his parents. Special guest stars: Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham; Don Most (billed as Donald Most) as Ralph Malph; Lynda Goodfriend as Lori Beth Cunningham. Note: Richie, Fonzie, Potsie, and Ralph are reunited for the first time since the episode "Ralph's Family Problem" (the Season 7 finale). Side Note: Richie's wanting to move to California to pursue a career as a screenwriter was possibly written as an inside reference to Ron Howard's real-life second career as a director.
238	5	"Welcome Home: Part 2"	Jerry Paris	Fred Fox, Jr. & Brian Levant	November 1, 1983	26.8
Irritated at his parents' disapproval of his wanting to move to California so soon; Richie visits a local bar in search of solace, which he finds in a little too much to drink that makes him lose control. However, Fonzie finds Richie and encourages him to follow his dreams; and Richie and Lori Beth decide to leave for Hollywood. Special guest stars: Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham; Don Most (billed as Donald Most) as Ralph Malph; Lynda Goodfriend as Lori Beth Cunningham. Note: Final appearance of Donny Most as Ralph Malph. Originally written as the series finale.
239	6	"Glove Story"	Jerry Paris	Fred Fox, Jr. & Rich Correll	November 8, 1983	11.8
Tired of Fonzie treating him as a kid, Chachi enters a boxing tournament to try to earn some respect. But when Chachi breaks his hand practicing, he tries to keep it a secret.
240	7	"Vocational Education"	Jerry Paris	Brian Levant	November 15, 1983	15.7
Roger and Fonzie are hired as the new administrative team at George S. Patton Vocational High School, a school notorious for disciplinary problems. Their plans to reform the school are easier said than done. Guest starring: Crispin Glover, Ken Osmond Note: Steven Baio, Scott Baio's real-life brother, guest stars as Joey. He makes two more guest appearances in this season. Ken Osmond guest stars as Mr. Bascomb, a shop teacher. Absent: Erin Moran as Joanie Cunningham; Anson Williams as Potsie Weber.
241	8	"Arthur, Arthur"	Jerry Paris	Marc Flanagan & Craig Heller	December 6, 1983	13.4
Fonzie learns he has a long-lost brother (Michael Holden), who comes to Milwaukee with bad news. Absent: Anson Williams as Potsie Weber; Ted McGinley as Roger Phillips.
242	9	"You Get What You Pay For"	Jerry Paris	John B. Collins	December 13, 1983	14.5
When Howard is constantly forced out of the bathroom by the household's other inhabitants, he decides to build a second bathroom. He hires Fonzie as the contractor and the shop students of Patton High to do the work - which Howard later realizes was a big mistake. Recurring guest: Steven Baio as Joey. Absent: Anson Williams as Potsie Weber; Ted McGinley as Roger Phillips.
243	10	"Kiss Me, Teach"	Jerry Paris	Fred Fox, Jr.	January 10, 1984	14.0
Joanie gets her first teaching job at the infamous Patton High School, but her pride gets in the way of her reasoning when she refuses to heed Chachi's advice. Joanie gets in way over her head when a student devises a plan to show his feelings for his teacher, whether Joanie likes it or not. Notes: This episode is the last of several "Fonzie-comes-to-the-rescue" episodes of the series, where Fonzie shows up to save Joanie from being a victim of sexual assault at the hands of one of the Patton students. Also, this episode marks the final appearance of Steven Baio as Joey. Absent: Anson Williams as Potsie Weber; Ted McGinley as Roger Phillips.
244	11	"The People vs. The Fonz"	Jerry Paris	Richard Gurman	January 17, 1984	16.7
Fonzie allegedly strikes a student who is bullying another student. With Roger's help, he has to defend his actions at a school board hearing. Absent: Anson Williams as Potsie Weber.
245	12	"Like Mother, Like Daughter"	Jerry Paris	Robert Pekurny	January 24, 1984	14.0
Howard gets jealous when Marion's old flame (special guest star Lyle Waggoner) comes for a visit, but gets really upset when he dates Joanie. Absent: Anson Williams as Potsie Weber; Ted McGinley as Roger Phillips.
246	13	"Social Studies"	Jerry Paris	Paula A. Roth	January 31, 1984	14.1
With Joanie and Chachi officially broken up, Chachi starts to doubt his ability to ask girls out. Fonzie tries to help, telling him he has "Fonzarelli Power." Absent: Anson Williams as Potsie Weber; Ted McGinley as Roger Phillips.
247	14	"The Spirit Is Willing"	Jerry Paris	Larry Strawther	April 24, 1984	12.9
While working on a 1950s car, Fonzie tells a few of his students that he wishes things could be the way they were in the '50s when he was younger, and he meets a young woman named Nancy Haley. When he later goes to Nancy's house to return her purse, he learns from the current residents that the previous residents had a daughter named Nancy - but she died in a car accident years ago. Note: This episode is loosely based on the 1965 Dickey Lee hit "Laurie (Strange Things Happen)," which itself is based on the urban legends known as the vanishing hitchhiker and Resurrection Mary; and because of it, the episode also reflects the teen death song phenomenon from that period. Absent: Anson Williams as Potsie Weber; Ted McGinley as Roger Phillips.
248	15	"Fonzie Moves Out"	Jerry Paris	Al Aidekman	May 1, 1984	15.54
When it appears the Cunninghams are planning to sell their home (so Howard can accept a job as vice president of a hardware store chain based in New York state), Fonzie may have to leave, too. Fonzie eventually gets his own apartment and adjusts to his new life. Absent: Anson Williams as Potsie Weber.
249 250	16 17	"Passages"	Jerry Paris	Neil Thompson & Nancy Steen William Bickley & Michael Warren and Brian Levant & Fred Fox, Jr.	May 8, 1984	20.0
Joanie and Chachi realize that they were meant for each other, and Chachi proposes to Joanie, and she accepts. Meanwhile, Fonzie becomes a Big Brother to a young orphan named Danny (Danny Ponce), and decides to adopt him; however, Fonzie's dream may be derailed when he finds out about regulations prohibiting single parents from adopting. After Howard learns of the restrictions, he confronts the adoption agency on Fonzie's behalf - which leads to the agency reconsidering, and Fonzie adopts Danny on the day of Joanie and Chachi's wedding. At the wedding, Richie and Lori Beth arrive just in time to watch Joanie and Chachi tie the knot. Fonzie serves as Chachi's best man and Jenny is Joanie's maid of honor. Notes: The pregnancy of Richie and Lori Beth second child is unresolved. The series finale originally aired as a one-hour episode; in syndication, it is aired as a two-part episode. Though this episode is the finale, several earlier, unaired episodes were burned off by the network during the coming summer months. The finale was filmed on Stage 19 at Paramount Pictures Studios on November 27 & 28, 1983. Potsie and Ralph are the only two characters in the original cast who did not attend Joanie and Chachi's wedding. At the beginning of his speech to toast the newlyweds, Howard mentions that "Both of our children are married now," officially writing Chuck (from Seasons 1 and 2) out of existence. Howard ends his speech, as well as the episode (and thus the series), by "breaking the fourth wall," looking directly into the camera and thanking viewers "for being part of our family" before raising a toast "to happy days". Afterward, a closing montage of classic clips from past seasons is played over a portion of "Memories" by Elvis Presley, before a final shot of the current cast celebrating Joanie and Chachi's marriage. Special guest stars: Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham; Al Molinaro as Al Delvecchio; Ellen Travolta as Louisa Delvecchio; Cathy Silvers as Jenny Piccalo; and Lynda Goodfriend as Lori Beth Cunningham. Absent: Anson Williams as Potsie Weber.
251	18	"So How Was Your Weekend?"	Jerry Paris	Paula A. Roth	June 28, 1984	13.67
Marion and Joanie spend a weekend with Marion's mother. Note: This was the first of the next five previously unaired episodes to be aired in the summer months after the finale. Episodes #251-255 actually take place before "The Spirit is Willing," "Fonzie Moves Out," and "Passages." Absent: Anson Williams as Potsie Weber.
252	19	"Low Notes"	Jerry Paris	Al Aidekman	July 5, 1984	13.9
Chachi gets a job as a ballroom dancing instructor to pay back the half of the rent he owes Potsie. Guest starring: Linda Kaye Henning, Elinor Donahue
253	20	"School Dazed"	Jerry Paris	Roger Garrett	July 12, 1984	13.8
Joanie tries to help one of her students who has a problem with drugs. Absent: Anson Williams as Potsie Weber.
254	21	"Good News, Bad News"	Jerry Paris	William Bickley & Michael Warren	July 19, 1984	13.5
Chachi is devastated when he learns he has diabetes. Absent: Anson Williams as Potsie Weber.
255	22	"Fonzie's Spots"	Jerry Paris	Nancy Churnin	September 24, 1984	N/A
Howard's position as the Grand Poobah at the Leopard Lodge is threatened when he realizes he hasn't recruited any new members in the past five years; so Fonzie, Roger, and Chachi volunteer to join. Note: Although this was the final episode to be aired due to some previously unaired episodes being presented in the coming summer months after the finale, the episode is actually #251 in chronological order.

References

1. TV Listings for September 27, 1983
2. TV Listings for May 8, 1984
3. TV Listings for June 28, 1984
4. TV Listings for September 27, 1984