Chuck Cunningham and why he disappears from ‘HAPPY DAYS’

HAPPY DAYS ran on ABC for 11 seasons from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984. There were a total of 255 half-hour episodes of the beloved sitcom which followed the escapades of the Cunningham family. Ron Howard and Erin Moran portrayed siblings Richie and Joanie throughout the series run but there were three men who had the role of their older brother Chuck. Charles "Chuck" Cunningham is the firstborn of Howard and Marion Cunningham and in the HAPPY DAYS pilot "Love and the Ric Carrott, was cast in the role.

For the first two seasons of HAPPY DAYS, Chuck was played by Gavin O'Herlihy, who is in the cover photo. He was replaced by Randolph Roberts for two episodes in the second season and then Chuck was seen no more. During his time on the show Charles Cunningham was a jock at Jefferson High School. He was known for making rare, sporadic appearances around the Cunningham house and almost always was shown with a basketball in hand.

Chuck shared a bedroom with younger brother Richie until he went away to college and both he and Joanie liked to suck their thumbs. Chuck had a ginormous appetite and was when he wasn't shooting baskets off the garage he would be shown eating. For a short period of time Richie stayed with his brother and one Christmas, Chuck recommended that his father ask Fonzie to fix the family Santa Claus display.

Chuck Cunningham was a high school jock at Jefferson High, who was known for making rare appearances at home. Almost always seen with a basketball, he shared an upstairs room with Richie until he went away to college, possibly on a basketball scholarship. Richie briefly stays at his place for a time. He had a big appetite and was often eating when he wasn't shooting baskets off the garage.

When Chuck disappeared after season 2 without any explanation it started the pejorative term "Chuck Cunningham Syndrome". This describes television characters who simply vanish from shows and were forgotten to the point that later episodes of the show are scripted in a manner that implies the character never existed. This happened on the ABC sitcom FAMILY MATTERS where Judy Winslow went upstairs one day and never returned. She was not mentioned again on the series but fans still remember her to this day.

The most popular explanation for Chuck Cunningham's absence is that he went away to college on a sports scholarship. that the series had a hard The series however did a huge reboot between Season 2 and Season 3 that led to Fonzie becoming a regular character and a big brother of sorts to Richie and his friends Potzie and Ralph. Increasing the role of Fonzie led to Chuck being erased from existence and the show became completely different than in the first two seasons.

This is most notable based on the fact that in the final HAPPY DAYS episode in season 11, Howard says that he is proud of his "two kids,". There are also situations that took place during seasons one and two that were never mentioned again. Randolph Roberts and Gavin O'Herlihy both were re-united with their TV mom Marion Ross during the HAPPY DAYS: 30th Anniversary Reunion. O'Herlihy has been living on a farm in a range of hills in England called The Cotswolds for 30 years with his wife and two children.

O'Herlihy has over 30 additional screen credits which include the pilot of STAR TREK VOYAGER and many roles as villains. He was in SUPERMAN III, NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN, TALES FROM THE CRYPT, and DEATH WISH 3. In 1988 Ron Howard cast his television sibling in the film WILLOW. During a 2013 interview with Molly Snyder (ON MILWAUKEE) the actor explained why his character disappeared from HAPPY DAYS. He said that HAPPY DAYS was not his cup of tea ad he requested out of his contract.

For so many decades HAPPY DAYS fans have assumed that Chuck was written out for the show, but now the truth that he asked out has been revealed. This does not, however, explain why the role was not recast and why Charles Cunningham was erased from the series as if he never existed.