Sunday was indeed a lucky day for 70s television fans.
happy days alums Ron Howard and Henry Winkler reunited at the 76th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, September 15th. The pair came together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the ABC sitcom when they presented the Comedy Series Directing Award.
Adding to the nostalgia was the fact that former actors gathered on the recreated set of the legendary Arnold’s Drive-In series. The set recreated everything from the show, including sports pennants on the wall, red leather booths, a pinball machine and even a vintage Hi-Fidelity jukebox.
“This is fantastic,” Howard, 70, said on stage, while Winkler, 78, added, “It feels like home.”
After missing their theme song for a while as they introduced themselves, Howard encouraged Winkler to go play the jukebox like he does on the show. “For one thing, I’m out of practice,” joked Winkler, who pulled off the iconic move and played the music. “Good,” Howard said.
Ron Howard and Henry Winkler September 15, 2024
Kevin Winter/Getty
The actors of ‘Happy Days’: Where are they now?
happy days ran for 11 seasons between 1974 and 1984. The series followed Howard’s character Richie Cunningham as he navigated life in Milwaukee in the mid-1950s and ’60s. Winkler played Cunningham’s friend, the motorcycle-riding, leather-jacketed Arthur Fonzarelli, better known as “The Fonz.”
Missing from the mini-reunion were Marion Ross (Marion Cunningham), Scott Baio (Chachi Arcola), Don Mast (Ralph Malph) and Anson William (Potsie Weber). Also missing were the late Erin Moran (Joanie Cunningham), Tom Bosley (Howard Cunningham) and Al Molinaro (Al Delvecchio).
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From left: Ron Howard, Marion Ross, Erin Moran, Tom Bosley and Henry Winkler in “Happy Days.”
ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty
Ron Howard almost left happy days When the producers released a new title featuring Henry Winkler’s Fonzie
After completion happy daysHoward changed his career towards directing and producing blockbusters like Apollo 13, The Da Vinci Code, A beautiful mind and Mountain elegy. Most recently, Howard took home a Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Specially for Jim Henson Idea Man. Winkler continued his acting career with roles in hit series Children’s hospital and Barry and movies like Scream and Here comes the boom.
It’s in February happy days the team reconnected backstage at Winkler’s book event in Australia.
Bow to happy days adds to a growing list of nostalgic Emmy moments honoring television’s most iconic shows and casts. This year, the producers honored the beginning Saturday night live50th season gathering a stellar line-up of students. Earlier this year, the academy celebrated The Sopranos, cheers, Martinand others at the 75th Emmy Awards in January.
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“Happy Days”.
ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty
Behind the show’s most viral moments are executive producers Jesse Collins, Jeannae Rouzan-Clay and Dionne Harmon of Jesse Collins Entertainment.
“The response to January was incredible and we felt like people really connected with nostalgia,” Harmon said at a pre-show press conference. “So we wanted to come up with a way to bring that nostalgia to the show on Sunday without doing the same thing. We really focused on the television shows that everyone loved in January and Sunday, we’re going to focus on characters, individual characters from all kinds of shows.”
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Watch PEOPLE’s complete coverage of the 76th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards live on ABC from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
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Source: HIS Education