Today, we look at how Chuck Cunningham went from going missing to being written out of existence on Happy Days.
In Abandoned an’ Forsaked, we examine stories and ideas that were not only abandoned, but also had the stories/plots specifically “overturned” by a later writer (as if they were a legal precedent) with a retcon (retcon stands for “retroactive continuity,” but we’re specifically talking about retcons that contradict earlier stories).
Gavan O’Herlihy, the original Chuck Cunningham on Happy Days (not the pilot, but the series) passed away recently at the age of 70.
His death naturally has people talking about the unusual nature of his character, where he was a recurring character on the series in the first two seasons as Richie Cunningham’s big brother who played college basketball (Randolph Roberts took over from O’Herlihy when the original actor left the show after the first season. O’Herlihy later noted, “I pulled out, I didn’t want to do it. They had me in college, I was going to growl and bounce a basketball once every two weeks for probably three or four years. And at 20, that’s not the gig you want. But it was my big break; it allowed me to establish myself in the city as a kid who warmed up quickly”).
Chuck, of course, became useless when Fonzie took over the “older brother” role for Richie on the show, and so he was written out of the series.
However, written out of a series doesn’t mean retconned out necessarily. In the old days, TV shows VERY rarely addressed characters after they were written out, presumably worrying that it would remind viewers that they are no longer there in case the viewers miss them? I really have no specific idea why it was such a taboo back in the day, but it was the standard way of doing things. So Chuck being off at college or getting a job and just not coming home when we see him would not be completely unbelievable.
That changed, though, in the finale of the series, when Joanie marries Chachi, and Howard Cunningham gives a speech where he states that “both of our children ae now married” (emphasis added)…
So Chuck was no longer part of the series in any way. Some folks have come up with some dark theories like Chuck died offscreen or, even darker, that Chuck came out as gay and was disowned by the Cunninghams (Mr. C would never do that. It’s an absurd notion. Mrs. C…maybe), but come on, clearly, they just decided that enough time had passed that they were just going to retcon Chuck out of existence.
RIP, Gavan O’Herlihy.
If anyone else has a suggestion for Abandoned an’ Forsaked, drop me a line at brian@popculturereferences.com!
What a great clip! Howard referring to two children TWICE; the knowing wink to the audience for being “part of our family”; the pun on Happy Days. And, of course, perhaps the very first appearance of Ted McGinley — who would go on to become the walking Grim Reaper, the sign that a long-lasting sitcom’s best days were well behind it.
Yeah, it really was an adorable speech by Bosley. I’m impressed that they gave Mr. C the final speech.
The whole Chuck Cunningham situation reminds me of “Mandyville” from the West Wing fandom, used to make fun of characters written out of the show with no explanation and then never mentioned again like Mandy from season 1.
Wasn’t there an outtake from the toast scene where either Tom Bosley or Marion Ross made a joke about how everyone’s forgotten about Chuck?
Tom Bosley did make a joke about Chuck vanishing on one of the reunion/clip shows as they went to a commercial break.