Every Fonzie Reference You Likely Missed In Arrested Development
"Arrested Development" originally ran on Fox for three seasons from 2003 to 2006, before Netflix revived it for two more seasons in 2013 and 2018-2019. Even though the first episode of "Arrested Development" aired almost two decades ago, it still holds up as one of the most critically acclaimed sitcoms of the 21st century.
One of "Arrested Development's" signatures is its dense writing style. Every minute of the show is packed with so many jokes that it's impossible to catch them all on one viewing. In fact, some jokes only make sense on a second watch.
In particular, "Arrested Development" makes liberal use of references. Plenty of comedy shows make references to other TV shows and movies, but "Arrested Development's" use is a bit more distinct. Rather than simply parodying a well-known moment from pop culture, "Arrested Development" uses references that point to other roles from its cast members' resumes. For example, during Season 1, the Bluths' publicist calls George-Michael (Michael Cera) "Opie," which is a reference to narrator Ron Howard's character on "The Andy Griffith Show." (Which narrator-Howard does not appreciate). During Season 3, Buster Bluth (Tony Hale) does the Robot while listening to Styx's "Mr. Roboto" inside the family stair car, which is a nod to a Volkswagen ad earlier in Hale's career when he also danced the Robot in a car (via What Culture). Gags like these create a whole extra "meta" level of humor for those in the know.
The Bluth family's incompetent lawyer Barry Zuckercorn is played by Henry Winkler, who previously played one of the most iconic characters in sitcom history, Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzatelli, the leather-jacketed cool best friend on "Happy Days." Maybe no other character had more meta-references on "Arrested Development" than Barry.
Arrested Development did not forget that Henry Winkler played Arthur Fonzarelli
"Arrested Development" has made four different references to the Fonz, all involving Barry. In the Season One episode "Altar Egos," when Michael (Jason Bateman) has a brief relationship with Maggie Lizer (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss), the prosecutor trying to put his father George (Jeffrey Tambor) away, Barry goes to comb his hair in a bathroom mirror only to realize it's perfect. It's the exact move the Fonz used to do on "Happy Days."
In "Motherboy XXX," the episode about Lucille (Jessica Walter) forcing her grandson George-Michael to appear at a mother-son function, Barry, Michael, Buster, and Gob (Will Arnett) meet on a dock where they've supposedly caught the shark that previously ate Buster's hand. Barry exits the scene by literally hopping over the shark. That's a reference to the phrase "jumping the shark," used to describe a TV show that has run out of original ideas. The phrase is describing an "Happy Days" episode "Hollywood: Part 3," which is about the Fonz water skiing over a shark.
The "Arrested Development" revival kept up the "Happy Days" references. Season 4 episode 4, "The B Team," has two. The first happens when young Barry Zuckercorn (Max Winkler) says "eh!" in a meeting with young George Sr. (Seth Rogen) and Lucille (Kristen Wiig). That's the Fonz's signature catchphrase.
Later in the same episode, Barry refers to a doorknob as a "chachi." Chachi was a popular "Happy Days" character who got his own spinoff and was played by Scott Baio – - who also played lawyer Bob Loblaw on "Arrested Development," and is standing right next to Barry when he says it.