Week of October 22: So Long, Mr. C

By Sylvia Gurinsky

Tom Bosley, who died earlier this week, was still going strong earlier this year with appearances on television and in feature films - a career that started in the late 1950s.

He had a number of featured roles in television series, including "The Debbie Reynolds Show," "The Sandy Duncan Show" and his most famous recurring role as Cabot Cove Sheriff Amos Tupper in "Murder She Wrote."

He starred in three series - "Wait Till Your Father Gets Home," "Father Dowling Mysteries," which ran for two years......

And, oh yes, an American icon: "Happy Days," which ran on ABC from 1974-84.

It'll be for the decade of playing Howard Cunningham, of course, that Bosley is best remembered. While he guest-starred several times on the ABC hit show "Love, American Style," Bosley did not play the character in the segment that generated "Happy Days" (That was Harold Gould, who died just a few weeks ago.).

Howard was a hardware salesman, husband to Marion (Marion Ross), father to Richie (Ron Howard), Joanie (Erin Moran) and the disappeared Chuck (Gavan O'Herlihy, son of actor Dan and nephew of director Michael), as well as surrogate father to Fonzie (Henry Winkler). The affection with which his co-stars saluted Bosley this week is a testament to how important he was to the series.

Here's a look at the whole gang, including Donny Most as Ralph Malph and Anson Williams as Potsie Weber:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xflf41nvSyY

The first four seasons of "Happy Days," when the show was at its creative and ratings peak, are available on DVD. "Murder She Wrote" is available as well.

Here's to you, Mr. C.

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See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!