The Happy Days Reunion You Likely Never Noticed On Arrested Development
The first three seasons of "Arrested Development" remain an undeniable high-water mark for the modern network sitcom (via Rotten Tomatoes). Created by Mitchell Hurwitz, the series focuses on the antics of the formerly prominent Bluth family who, after falling on hard times are forced to rely on each other to get by. Unfortunately, the beyond dysfunctional Bluths prove wholly incapable of doing right by one another, with Hurwitz spinning what could have been a feel-good family comedy into a riotous comedy of family-feuding errors.
Renowned for its razor-sharp scripting and uncanny ability to blend high-brow and low-brow humor (sometimes even in the same joke), "Arrested Development" was just as renowned for fronting one of the greatest comedic ensembles to ever grace the airwaves. While the talents of Jason Bateman, Jessica Walter, and Michael Cera were front and center in nearly every episode of "Arrested Development," the series' casting team surrounded them with supporting players every bit as gifted. That list included heavy hitters like Charlize Theron, Liza Minelli, Judy Greer, and Ben Stiller, among others.
Whether you noticed or not, it also included a number of former "Happy Days" stars who were also more or less reunited in the series.
Henry Winkler, Ron Howard, and Scott Baio all appeared in Arrested Development
According to the IMDB collaborations tool, there are a total of 17 different people credited in both "Happy Days" and "Arrested Development." This includes a total of eight different actors. The most prominent members of this bunch are actors Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, and Scott Baio, all of whom played supporting roles in "Arrested Development." Of course, many decades ago, these cast members also respectively portrayed Richie Cunningham, Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzerelli, and Chachi Arcola in "Happy Days."
Nearly two decades after the series finale of "Happy Days," Howard began executive producing "Arrested Development," in addition to serving as the infamously quippy narrator of the series. While his former "Happy Days" co-stars' roles in the more recent series weren't nearly as prolific as Howard's, they are certainly well remembered for their amusingly similar parts. Baio played the role of Bob Loblaw, an opportunistic lawyer who would even make Saul Goodman blush, and Winkler portrayed the Bluth family's bumbling attorney, Barry Zuckerkorn.
While Winkler and Baio both appeared on-screen together in "Arrested Development" Season 4, Episode 4 ("The B. Team"), the two characters sadly do not share any screen time with Howard. However, there are a number of other less prominent "Happy Days" actors who reunited with the Oscar-winning director in "Arrested Development." These include Ron Howard's brother, Clint, who appeared in two episodes of each series, and Ron Howard's father, Rance, who appeared in three episodes of "Happy Days" and a single episode of "Arrested Development."