Life in Milwaukee's Cunningham household and Arnold's Drive-In goes
on as normal in Happy Days: The Fourth Season. With one
important exception: Richie (Ron Howard) and his pals Potsie (Anson
Williams) and Ralph (Don Most) are heading toward high-school
graduation and their collective future as young men. Thus, when each
receives a notice from the draft board to appear for a physical,
they go. When all of them fail a senior-year class, jeopardizing
graduation requirements, they spend a long night studying so they
can secure their freedom. When Richie gets tired of living in his
family's home and wants some privacy with a girl, he arranges to
borrow a friend's apartment for an evening. That friend, no
surprise, is Fonzie (Henry Winkler). More than ever, Winkler is the
star of Happy Days (along with Howard), with every storyline
deeply involving Fonzie and his playful arrogance. Most of the
episodes in The Fourth Season are built around Richie slowly
moving into the adult world while Fonzie hovers nearby, providing
his version of guidance and support. In "A Place of His Own," Richie
begs Fonzie (who rents a room above the Cunninghams' garage) to let
him use that space to impress a girl--an arrangement that goes
haywire when Mr. Cunningham (Tom Bosley), Mrs. Cunningham (Marion
Ross), and Joanie (Erin Moran) come home too soon and catch the Fonz
sleeping in Richie's room (and in Richie's pajamas). "Richie
Branches Out" finds the titular redhead falling for an attractive
model on a poster, then going to great lengths to meet her under
false pretences. Seeing the folly of Richie's ploy but understanding
his temporary insanity, Fonzie gives Richie room to fail but then
bucks him up like a pal. "Time Capsule" is a frenzied episode in
which Richie, Potsie, Ralph and several girls get locked inside the
vault at Mr. Cunningham's hardware store. Only Fonzie's manifest
cool (whether real or projected) helps Richie save his sanity while
the others fall apart. Certainly there are times when Richie helps
Fonzie, too: when the latter can't stop picking fights in "A Mind of
Their Own," Richie encourages him to see a shrink, with unexpected
results. In "Fonzie's Old Lady," Richie has to break the news to his
friend that the older woman he's seeing is, in fact, married. Other
good episodes include "A Shot In the Dark," in which Richie wins a
basketball game at school with a lucky shot that he can't replicate
later. "Marion Rebels" finds Mrs. Cunningham frustrated with
Howard's expectations of her, resulting in Mrs. C taking a job at
Arnold's. This box set ends with a third anniversary episode,
basically an obligatory clip show derived from past episodes.
--Tom Keogh
Season 4
(1976-1977)
24 episodes
#
Airdate
Code
Title
Overview
64
September 21, 1976
"Fonzie Loves Pinky" (Parts 1 & 2)
The Fonz's old flame
Pinky Tuscadero (Roz
Kelly) returns, and the pair start to get very close.
Fonzie is planning to compete in an upcoming demolition
derby, but when his co-driver in injured before the event,
Pinky is angry that he insists that it is no place for a
woman and chooses Ralph over her to be the replacement. To
make matters worse, the ruthless Mallachi brothers intend to
win the derby, using any dirty trick necessary.
Note:
This episode marks the first appearance of Al (Al
Molinaro), taking over from Arnold as the owner of
Arnold's Diner.
Note:
Originally shown as a one-hour episode, and is part of
two-week story depicting the relationship between Fonzie
and Pinky. In
syndication, it is aired as a three-part episode.
65
September 28, 1976
"Fonzie Loves Pinky" (Part 3)
With Pinky injured and out of the
demolition derby thanks to the Mallachi brothers, the Fonz
is left in the ring by himself. But he has more than just
beating the Mallachis on his mind - he wants to marry Pinky.
Note: In
its original airing on
ABC, this was the second part of a two-week
story arc depicting the romance between Fonzie and
Pinky. In
syndication, it is aired as a three-part episode.
Note:
Pinky (Roz
Kelly) was promoted as being Fonzie's new long-term
girlfriend, but due to her and the producers not seeing
eye-to-eye, it didn't happen, and this became the
character's only appearance in the series.
66
October 5, 1976
"A Mind of His Own"
When the Fonz gets in his eighth fight in
a week, Howard suggests that he goes to see a
psychologist, who comes up with an unusual way for
Fonzie to get rid of his aggression.
67
October 19, 1976
"Fonzie the Father"
With the rest of the Cunningham family
going away on vacation, Richie plans a party. But when
heavily pregnant Louisa, the wife of an old friend of
Fonzie's, arrives on the scene, he and the Fonz find
themselves looking after an expectant house-guest.
68
October 26, 1976
"Fonzie's Hero"
After Potsie rescues the Fonz from a fire
at the garage, Fonzie tells his savior that he can have
anything he wants. Potsie wants one thing: the Fonz to be
his best friend and to do everything with him, including
rollerskating!
69
November 9, 1976
"A Place of His Own"
With Richie, Ralph and Potsie all
cramming into Richie's car, each with their respective
dates, Richie feels it is cramping his chances romantically,
so he and the Fonz come up with a scheme for him to use
Fonzie's apartment for an evening to try and woo an art
student.
Note:
The girl's father, Mr. Kendall, is played by
Conrad Janis, who would go on to play Mindy's father
Fred McConnell (a somewhat similar character) in the
Happy Days spin-off
Mork and Mindy.
70
November 16, 1976
"They Shoot Fonzies, Don't They?"
When Joanie is cut from the cheerleading
team, she persuades the Fonz to partner her in a dance
marathon to win a bet with the head of the cheerleaders. But
after Fonzie's bike breaks down and he has to push it 12
miles home, will he be able to find the stamina to see the
marathon through?
71
November 23, 1976
"The Muckrackers"
When Potsie breaks a tooth eating
meatloaf from the school canteen, Richie goes undercover to
do a newspaper report on the poor kitchen conditions, with a
little help from the Fonz. But when Richie's story is a big
success, he plans to do a follow-up report - including how
it emerged that Fonzie is afraid of liver. After Richie
refuses the Fonz's request that he not mention it in the
report, the pair fall out and stop talking to each other.
72
November 30, 1976
"AKA The Fonz"
Officer Kirk has been appointed acting
Sheriff, and his first task is to run what he considers to
be hoodlums out of town - and Fonzie is on his list. Kirk
starts to make life for Fonzie's friends very awkward as
they try to find a solution to the situation.
73
December 7, 1976
"Richie Branches Out"
It is a couple of weeks before Christmas,
and Richie has fallen in love with a girl on a Cola poster.
The gang pretend to be filming a commercial in order for
Richie to try and meet her.
74
January 4, 1977
"Fonzie's Old Lady"
Richie discovers that the Fonz is dating
an attractive older woman. The gang all warm to the woman -
but is there something that she isn't telling Fonzie?
75
January 11, 1977
"Time Capsule"
Richie, Potsie and Ralph are designing a
time capsule for a project, and put it in a vault at
Howard's hardware store. But when the three go to visit the
capsule with their girlfriends, they find themselves, and
Fonzie, locked in. It's Friday - and the vault won't be
opened until Monday!
Note: In
this episode, Richie has a girl-friend called Kim,
played by
Lynda Goodfriend. Although this character was never
seen again, Lynda Goodfriend would go on to play his
regular girl-friend (later wife) Lori-Beth, starting in
the fifth season.
Note:
One might wonder why the Fonz doesn't use his famous
"Fonzie tap" to open the vault door!
76
January 18, 1977
"The Book of Records"
Al offers a $100 prize for anyone who can
get into the Magilla Book of Records, in order to get the
diner free publicity, and the gang all come up with various
ideas of records to break. Meanwhile, Fonzie tries to find
his well meaning but clumsy cousin Angie work, but Angie
fails at every job. Maybe there is a record that Angie can
break?
77
January 25, 1977
"A Shot in the Dark"
During a big basketball game, the star
player is injured and Richie replaces him, only to score the
winning shot. As a result, he becomes an overnight local
hero and a big hit with the girls. But plans are afoot from
the opposition to see that he doesn't follow up his success
in the next forthcoming game.
Note:
The original ending of the episode had Richie and Howard
talk at the end, and Howard offers him a lifesaver candy
with the line: "Here, have a Life Saver. It'll make you
feel better." which was used in Life Savers commercials
airing at the time. The rerun and syndicated showing of
this episode have this scene removed.
Directed by: Jerry Paris
78
February 1, 1977
"Marion Rebels"
Marion is frustrated by her life has a
housewife and falls out with Howard. Encouraged by Fonzie,
she gets a job working as a waitress at Arnold's Diner. But
after she insults Al's menu and interferes with people's
orders, Fonzie calls a meeting and insists something is done
about it.
79
February 4, 1977
"(The) Third Anniversary Show"
In this special episode, featuring
favourite clips from many previous episodes, whilst Howard
takes Marion bowling, Richie, Joanie and the gang prepare to
throw a party for Marion in honour of her and Howard's
anniversary.
80
February 8, 1977
"Graduation" Part 1
Marion lets slip to Richie, Potsie and
Ralph that Fonzie has been going to night school to be able
to graduate along with his friends. Fonzie is cross with
Marion for letting his secret out, but that turns out to be
the least of the group's worries when the principal delivers
some shocking news.
81
February 15, 1977
"Graduation" Part 2
The gang study through the night on order
to re-take their exam and graduate. But Fonzie gets some
disappointing news when he finds that, as a night school
student, he won't be able to participate in the presentation
ceremony. After getting permission for him to be allowed,
the gang arrange for the graduation ceremony to be sped up
in order to fit in Fonzie's speech.
Note:
Pat Morita (Arnold) returns to make a special guest
appearance in this episode.
Note:
Fonzie's cousin (sometimes said to be his nephew),
Raymond "Spike" Fonzarelli (Danny
Butch), makes his final of four appearances in this
episode. The character was felt to not completely work,
and was re-worked into Fonzie's cousin
Chachi Arcola (Scott
Baio) at the start of the next season.
82
February 22, 1977
"The Physical"
Richie, Potsie and Ralph each receive
letters instructing them to attend a physical to evaluate
them for the Army's draft. They are surprised when Fonzie is
called up too - but he is more interested in the physical
nurse than doing push-ups.
83
March 1, 1977
"Joanie's Weird Boyfriend"
Feeling that she is always being treated
like a little kid, Joanie jumps at the chance when she is
invited to be initiated into a troublesome gang called the
Red Devils. But does she know what she is letting herself in
for?
84
March 8, 1977
"Fonz-How, Inc."
Howard has come up with the idea for a
"garbage gulper" trash compactor, and Fonzie is convinced to
become his partner and help construct the prototype. They
have high hopes for the project, but will the world of big
business prove to be as lucrative as they hope?
85
March 15, 1977
"Spunky Come Home"
Fonzie has got a pet dog called Spunky to
keep him company. But Ralph and Potsie accidentally let
Spunky escape, and make up a story about the dog being
stolen to cover their tracks.
86
March 22, 1977
"The Last of the Big Time Malphs"
Ralph is taking huge bets on an upcoming
sporting event, on which he is sure is a cert. But when the
outcome is the opposite of what he predicted, he is left
owing a lot of people some serious money - including a local
thug named Bruiser.
87
March 29, 1977
"Fonzie's Baptism"
After nearly being killed in a stock car
race crash, the Fonz questions his own mortality. Al
suggests that he go and see his brother, a priest, for
guidance, leading Fonzie to decide to be baptized.
Note:
This episode introduces Al's twin brother, Father
Anthony (also played by
Al Molinaro).
