Profile: Stufish’s Ray Winkler on bringing joy through entertainment architecture - RIBA Journal

Key PointsHenry Winkler prevented ABC president Leonard Goldenson from changing the name of Happy Days. Seeing the success of Winkler's character Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli, Goldenson wanted to call the show Fonzie's Happy Days. Winkler requested the original name remain, so as not to ruffle any feathers among his fellow castmates. Henry Winkler feared that Happy Days would not be correctamundo in changing its name. The 80-year-old recently recalled a moment during the early seasons of Happy Days when the popularity of his character, Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli, had ABC reconsidering a rebrand. Network founder and president Leonard Goldenson approached Winkler with a proposal. "Before Happy Days, ABC was in the basement. It was the last of the three networks," Winkler explained on the Sept. 10 episode of In Depth With Graham Bensinger. "And he came to my office, my dressing room, and he said, 'First of all, I would like to call the show Fonzie's Happy Days. We're thinking of changing the title.' And I said, 'Sir, I'm really asking you not to do that.'"Winkler said he was thinking about "a bigger purpose," acknowledging that the show was larger than him.