Ayyyyyyy. HAPPY DAYS Debuted on ABC This Day in 1974

Happy Days made its debut on ABC this day in 1974. It was not an immediate success, and was in fact about to be canceled. At the last minute, a decision was made to try to film the show in front of a live audience instead of using a laugh track. That third season decision proved magical, leading to a decade in prime time. The theme song for the early episodes was "Rock around the Clock" by Bill Haley & the Comets, but eventually the period sitcom got its own theme by Pratt & McLain - a song that became a Top Five hit on the charts. See it and hear it again below.