Garry Marshall Had a Different Idea for the Show’s Name
After the success of George Lucas’ American Graffiti in 1973, American audiences had a newfound interest in the ’50s (although the film was set in 1962). That’s when Garry Marshall thought that Eisner and Miller’s unsold pilot could maybe work. He and ABC recast the unsold pilot and turned it into a weekly series.
Erin Moran, Scott Baio, Tom Bosley, Henry Winkler, Marion Ross, Ted McGinley, Anson Williams Happy Days. Photo by Henderson/Miller-Milkis/Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock
While reminiscing about the show in an interview with The Guardian, Marshall revealed that he wanted to call the show COOL. However, test audiences reported that COOL reminded them of a cigarette brand, so ABC rejected the idea. The show’s producer, Carl Kleinschmidt, then said, “How about Happy Days? That’s what we’re going to show.” Marshall and ABC loved the idea.