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The Best Episodes of Happy Days

Every episode of Happy Days ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Happy Days!

In 1950s Milwaukee the Cunningham family must contend with Fonzie, a motorcycle riding Casanova.
Genre:Comedy
Network:ABC

Best Episodes Summary

"Guess Who's Coming to Christmas" is the best rated episode of "Happy Days". It scored 8.7/10 based on 402 votes. Directed by Frank Buxton and written by N/A, it aired on 12/17/1974. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "My Favorite Orkan".

  • Guess Who's Coming to Christmas
    8.7/10402 votes
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    #1 - Guess Who's Coming to Christmas

    Season 2 Episode 11 - Aired 12/17/1974

    Howard wants Christmas Eve to only include the family, but Richie discovers that Fonzie will be all alone.

    Director: Frank Buxton

    Writer: N/A

  • My Favorite Orkan
    8.5/10242 votes
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    #2 - My Favorite Orkan

    Season 5 Episode 22 - Aired 2/28/1978

    An alien, Mork from Ork, comes to earth looking for someone average, or humdrum, to study and picks Richie.

    Director: Jerry Paris

    Writer: N/A

  • A Date with Fonzie
    8.4/10176 votes
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    #3 - A Date with Fonzie

    Season 3 Episode 10 - Aired 11/11/1975

    With Richie in a dating slump, Fonzie sets Richie and himself up on a double date with two of his girls, Laverne and Shirley.

    Director: Jerry Paris

    Writer: Mark Rothman, Lowell Ganz

  • Richie Fights Back
    8.3/10166 votes
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    #4 - Richie Fights Back

    Season 3 Episode 6 - Aired 10/14/1975

    After being embarrassed at Arnold's by a couple of hoods, Richie wants to take a jujitsu class to learn how to defend and stand up for himself.

    Director: Jerry Paris

    Writer: N/A

  • Dance Contest
    8.2/10156 votes
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    #5 - Dance Contest

    Season 3 Episode 15 - Aired 1/6/1976

    Marion, tired of the monotony of everyday house chores, decides to enter a televised dance contest. When Howard won't participate with her, she secretly enlists the help of Fonzie. Arnold unwittingly tells Howard that Marion has been at Arnold's early in the morning with another man, and Howard becomes suspicious.

    Director: Norm Gray

    Writer: Bob Howard

  • They Shoot Fonzies, Don't They?
    8.2/10136 votes
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    #6 - They Shoot Fonzies, Don't They?

    Season 4 Episode 8 - Aired 11/16/1976

    Joanie enlists Fonzie to be her partner for a marathon dance at Arnold's. She desperately wants to outlast cheerleading captain Jill Higgins who had cut Joanie from the squad earlier. Prior to the dance, however, Fonzie's motorcycle breaks down, and he is forced to push it for 12 miles.

    Director: Jerry Paris

    Writer: N/A

  • Haunted
    8.1/10237 votes
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    #7 - Haunted

    Season 2 Episode 6 - Aired 10/29/1974

    After experiencing a few strange happenings, Richie begins to buy into the legend that the place where their Halloween party is to be held, the old Simpson house, is haunted.

    Director: Garry Marshall

    Writer: David Ketchum, Bruce Shelly

  • Motorcycle
    8.1/10164 votes
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    #8 - Motorcycle

    Season 3 Episode 2 - Aired 9/16/1975

    Fonzie finds his his bike in pieces, and the search is on to find out who did it.

    Director: Jerry Paris

    Writer: N/A

  • A Place of His Own
    8.1/10129 votes
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    #9 - A Place of His Own

    Season 4 Episode 7 - Aired 11/9/1976

    To allow Richie to have a night alone with his girl, Fonzie allows him to use his apartment and claim it as his own. Fonzie needs some rest, so he sleeps in Richie's bed without Howard, Marion, and Joanie knowing.

    Director: Jerry Paris

    Writer: N/A

  • Joanie's Weird Boyfriend
    8.1/10122 votes
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    #10 - Joanie's Weird Boyfriend

    Season 4 Episode 20 - Aired 3/1/1977

    Thinking her life is dull and that she's always treated like a little kid, Joanie wants to join the Red Devils' gang.

    Director: Jerry Paris

    Writer: N/A

  • The Cunningham Caper
    8.0/10195 votes
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    #11 - The Cunningham Caper

    Season 2 Episode 14 - Aired 1/21/1975

    An ill Richie is home alone after the rest of the family go to see Cinerama. When he goes to see what is causing noises downstairs, he finds a burglar.

    Director: George Tyne

    Writer: Michael Weinberger

  • Get a Job
    8.0/10179 votes
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    #12 - Get a Job

    Season 2 Episode 18 - Aired 2/25/1975

    Looking for work, Richie, Potsie, and Ralph agree to fix the fence of an attractive divorcee. When the woman leaves for awhile, Potsie and Ralph decide to take off, as well, leaving Richie to finish the job by himself.

    Director: Jerry Paris

    Writer: N/A

  • Fish and the Fins
    8.0/10179 votes
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    #13 - Fish and the Fins

    Season 2 Episode 20 - Aired 3/11/1975

    To hide from overzealous fans, a popular rock group (one of the members was Richie's childhood friend) is staying at the Cunningham house, but Richie can't tell anyone that they're there. This poses a problem for Richie because nobody believes he actually knows them.

    Director: Jerry Paris

    Writer: N/A

  • The Other Richie Cunningham
    8.0/10144 votes
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    #14 - The Other Richie Cunningham

    Season 3 Episode 5 - Aired 10/7/1975

    Needing to make a good impression for a prospective business deal, Howard asks Richie to take the ""Prince of Porcelain's"" daughter out on a date. Richie, however, already has big plans and asks Potsie to take his place and pretend to be him.

    Director: Jerry Paris

    Writer: N/A

  • They Call It Potsie Love
    8.0/10154 votes
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    #15 - They Call It Potsie Love

    Season 3 Episode 13 - Aired 12/2/1975

    Joanie develops a crush on Potsie after he sings to her at Arnold's.

    Director: Jerry Paris

    Writer: N/A

  • Richie Almost Dies
    8.0/10155 votes
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    #16 - Richie Almost Dies

    Season 5 Episode 18 - Aired 1/31/1978

    Lori Beth reports that Richie isn't moving after they crash his new motorcycle.

    Director: Jerry Paris

    Writer: N/A

  • Richie's Car
    7.9/10199 votes
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    #17 - Richie's Car

    Season 2 Episode 2 - Aired 9/17/1974

    Richie buys a car from Fonzie and finds out that it is stolen.

    Director: Jerry Paris

    Writer: N/A

  • Wish Upon a Star
    7.9/10187 votes
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    #18 - Wish Upon a Star

    Season 2 Episode 7 - Aired 11/12/1974

    Richie wins a date with a movie star, Cindy Shea, to a school dance, and Gloria breaks up with him because of circumstances surrounding it. Cindy, however, will only be able to meet up with Richie after the dance has started.

    Director: Herb Wallerstein

    Writer: N/A

  • Three on a Porch
    7.9/10143 votes
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    #19 - Three on a Porch

    Season 3 Episode 11 - Aired 11/18/1975

    With nothing to do for the Easter holiday, Richie, Potsie, and Ralph decide to rent a cabin at Lake Whitefish. They pretend to be adult businessmen in order to secure the cabin and get girls.

    Director: Jerry Paris

    Writer: N/A

  • Arnold's Wedding
    7.9/10139 votes
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    #20 - Arnold's Wedding

    Season 3 Episode 23 - Aired 3/2/1976

    Arnold asks Fonzie to be the best man at his wedding, but Fonzie is resistant to the idea because of the "Fonzarelli curse." Arnold's fiance calls the wedding off when she thinks she'd be holding back Arnold's career.

    Director: Frank Buxton

    Writer: N/A

  • A Mind of His Own
    7.9/10126 votes
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    #21 - A Mind of His Own

    Season 4 Episode 4 - Aired 10/5/1976

    After having been in several fights recently, on the advice of the Cunninghams, Fonzie agrees to see a psychologist.

    Director: Jerry Paris

    Writer: Jack Winter

  • Fonzie's Hero
    7.9/10125 votes
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    #22 - Fonzie's Hero

    Season 4 Episode 6 - Aired 10/26/1976

    Potsie saves Fonzie from a fire at the garage. Out of gratitude, Fonzie grants Potsie any one favor, and Potsie wants to pal around with the Fonz.

    Director: Jerry Paris

    Writer: N/A

  • A Shot in the Dark
    7.9/10127 votes
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    #23 - A Shot in the Dark

    Season 4 Episode 15 - Aired 1/25/1977

    Richie makes a lucky shot to win a basketball game and suddenly becomes a big hero.

    Director: Jerry Paris

    Writer: N/A

  • Hard Cover
    7.9/10123 votes
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    #24 - Hard Cover

    Season 5 Episode 4 - Aired 9/27/1977

    Facing a dating slump, Fonzie suggests that Richie go to the library to meet girls. Richie meets Lori Beth Allen at the library who invites him to her dorm room.

    Director: Jerry Paris

    Writer: N/A

  • Richie's Cup Runneth Over
    7.8/10262 votes
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    #25 - Richie's Cup Runneth Over

    Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 1/29/1974

    Richie and Potsie are invited to Potsie's cousin's stag party. In an attempt to lessen the effects of the alcohol they will consume, they each drink several cartons of milk and a sip of olive oil.

    Director: Jerry Paris

    Writer: N/A