On January 15th, 1974, the first episode of "Happy Days", aired on ABC. The show spanned for 11 seasons with a total of 255 half-hour episodes, and starred future critically-acclaimed film director Ron Howard. Although it opened to mixed reviews from critics when it first aired, "Happy Days" became one of the most successful series of the 1970s. The ratings began to fall in the second season, which led to the series creator, Garry Marshall, to bring previously minor character, Fonzie (or The Fonz), to star status. Following this change, the show became the number one program on television from 1976-1977, and Fonize became one of the most merchandised characters of the 1970s.
