The BEST episodes of Happy Days season 8

Every episode of Happy Days season 8, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Happy Days season 8!

A nostalgic comedy set in 1950s Milwaukee centered on the squeaky-clean Cunningham family and their relationship with Fonzie, a motorcycle-riding Casanova who became a pop-culture phenomenon during the show's heyday in the 1970s.

Last Updated: 2/23/2024Network: ABC (US)Status: Ended
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It Only Hurts When I Smile
star
7.64
11 votes

#1 - It Only Hurts When I Smile

Season 8 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/27/1981

Fonzie comes down with a terrible toothache but refuses to see a dentist. Meanwhile, Howard is upset about Joanie's choice of attire for a wedding she's attending.

Directors: Jerry Paris
Watch Now:Amazon
Hello, Mrs. Arcola
star
7.27
11 votes

#2 - Hello, Mrs. Arcola

Season 8 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/24/1981

Because she's never been to his house or met his mother, Joanie thinks that Chachi is ashamed of her. Fonzie invites the Cunninghams over to the Arcola's for dinner on Chachi's behalf. Fonzie surmizes that Chachi is embarrassed of his mother and uncle and of the fact that they're poor.

Directors: Jerry Paris
And the Winner is
star
7.25
12 votes

#3 - And the Winner is

Season 8 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/30/1980

Fonzie wants to win the "Teacher of the Year" award to spite a fellow teacher.

Directors: Jerry Paris
Watch Now:Amazon
If You Knew Rosa
star
7.23
13 votes

#4 - If You Knew Rosa

Season 8 - Episode 8 - Aired 1/6/1981

Al announces that he's given up his search for Rosa Coletti, a woman with whom he was involved 20 years ago. However, he receives a letter from his mother saying that she's found Rosa and that she'll be coming to Arnold's next Saturday night.

Directors: Jerry Paris
Writer: Ria Nepus
Watch Now:Amazon
Mother and Child Reunion
star
7.22
9 votes

#5 - Mother and Child Reunion

Season 8 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/19/1981

Fonzie takes his auto shop class to an out-of-town junkyard and meets a waitress at a diner whom he thinks is his mother.

Directors: Jerry Paris
Watch Now:Amazon
White Christmas
star
7.18
11 votes

#6 - White Christmas

Season 8 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/16/1980

On Christmas Eve, a terrible blizzard traps Howard and Joanie at the hardware store and Fonzie, Potsie, Chachi, Jenny, and Roger at Arnold's.

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R. C. & L. B. Forever
star
7.18
11 votes

#7 - R. C. & L. B. Forever

Season 8 - Episode 19 - Aired 5/5/1981

Richie and Lori Beth want to get married, but Lori Beth cannot go to Richie's base until they're already married. Roger suggests that they have a ceremony in which a proxy stands in for Richie because he can't be there in person. Fonzie volunteers to be the proxy.

Directors: Jerry Paris
Watch Now:Amazon
No Tell Motel
star
7.13
16 votes

#8 - No Tell Motel

Season 8 - Episode 1 - Aired 11/11/1980

Howard feels that Joanie has been seeing too much of Chachi lately, so he offers her her own phone if she agrees not to see Chachi for two weeks. Joanie and Chachi sneak off to a concert in Chicago and have to stay in the same room, the honeymoon suite, at a motel because it is the only one left.

Directors: Jerry Paris
Watch Now:Amazon
Howard's Bowling Buddy
star
7.13
8 votes

#9 - Howard's Bowling Buddy

Season 8 - Episode 20 - Aired 5/12/1981

Marion hurts her back before a big bowling game, but Howard finds a new partner in the lovely Fern Flagg. He had told Marion that she was an old spinster woman. Marion and Fern meet each other, and Marion is furious at Howard for lying to her about Fern's appearance. Meanwhile, Jenny receives a product in the mail called the Ajax Bust Builder.

Directors: Jerry Paris
Writer: Bob Howard
Watch Now:Amazon
Live and Learn
star
7.07
14 votes

#10 - Live and Learn

Season 8 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/18/1980

Fonzie is given the job as teacher of auto mechanics at Jefferson High School. He gets frustrated when his students don't pick everything up as quickly as he did when he was a kid.

Directors: Jerry Paris
Joanie Gets Wheels
star
7.00
13 votes

#11 - Joanie Gets Wheels

Season 8 - Episode 5 - Aired 12/9/1980

Despite Howard's objection, Joanie decides to buy a car because she and Chachi are tired of having to double-date, and Chachi cannot afford to buy his own.

Directors: Jerry Paris
The Sixth Sense
star
6.92
12 votes

#12 - The Sixth Sense

Season 8 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/13/1981

Chachi tells Fonzie that his motorcycle has seen better days, but Fonzie refuses to junk it. He finally decides to get a new bike after crashing his old one but has to save his money a little longer. Joanie suggests to Chachi that they all pool their money with Fonzie's to surprise him with a new bike for his birthday. Meanwhile, Arnold's has a new cook, but Fonzie's sixth sense tells him that something isn't right about him.

Directors: Jerry Paris
Broadway It's Not
star
6.82
11 votes

#13 - Broadway It's Not

Season 8 - Episode 12 - Aired 2/10/1981

Chachi becomes jealous after seeing a kissing scene involving Joanie and another actor during rehearsals for a school musical. Fonzie also considers quitting as director.

Directors: Jerry Paris
Dreams Can Come True
star
6.77
13 votes

#14 - Dreams Can Come True

Season 8 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/25/1980

Lori Beth receives a letter from Richie in which he proposes marriage. She has to go to Greenland for the wedding, but doesn't have the money to make the trip. Marion goes on a show called Dreams Can Come True in which three women tell their stories of tragedy. The winner has their dream come true, and Marion hopes she can win the money for Lori Beth.

Directors: Jerry Paris
Writer: Ria Nepus
Potsie on His Own
star
6.73
11 votes

#15 - Potsie on His Own

Season 8 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/17/1981

Potsie falls behind on his rent and is forced to move back in with his parents. However, after learning that Lori Beth's roommate likes men who live alone, Potsie has to stay in his apartment. He tells Fonzie that he can get quick cash but won't say how.

Directors: Jerry Paris
Writer: Holly White
Bride & Gloom
star
6.70
10 votes

#16 - Bride & Gloom

Season 8 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/17/1981

After Jenny's date dumps her before a big masquerade ball, Fonzie agrees to take her. They dress as a bride and groom and, as part of a talent portion of the party, have a make-believe wedding. However, since the captain of the boat performed the ceremony, the marriage may be legal. Roger believes they can get the marriage annulled if Jenny agrees to it, but, instead, she comes into Fonzie's apartment carrying suitcases.

Directors: Jerry Paris
Tall Story
star
6.67
9 votes

#17 - Tall Story

Season 8 - Episode 17 - Aired 4/7/1981

Chachi discovers a great basketball player who recently transferred to Jefferson High. However, he initially holds back when performing for Roger and, suddenly, changes his mind about being on the team when his father orders him home in the middle of a practice.

Directors: Jerry Paris
Fonzie Gets Shot
star
6.57
7 votes

#18 - Fonzie Gets Shot

Season 8 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/3/1981

Fonzie is shot, presumably by Potsie, during a weekend trip to Potsie's uncle's cabin. Fonzie, Chachi, and Roger each describe their versions of what happened.

Directors: Jerry Paris
Writer: Bob Howard
Hello, Roger
star
6.50
10 votes

#19 - Hello, Roger

Season 8 - Episode 4 - Aired 12/2/1980

Roger Phillips, Marion's nephew, comes to Milwaukee to become an English teacher and the basketball coach at Jefferson High School. He gets off on the wrong foot with Fonzie after he inadvertently empties his locker, insults him, and crashes into his motorcycle.

Directors: Jerry Paris
Scholarship
star
6.43
7 votes

#20 - Scholarship

Season 8 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/14/1981

Desperate to get Chachi on the school's basketball team, a scout for Eastern Florida University offers him a scholarship and several other superfluous perks - including a cheerleading scholarship for Joanie. Fonzie is extrememly excited for Chachi, but Howard and Roger think the scholarships are too good to be true.

Directors: Jerry Paris
Writer: Mark Rothman
Welcome to My Nightmare
star
6.42
12 votes

#21 - Welcome to My Nightmare

Season 8 - Episode 11 - Aired 2/3/1981

After a day of everyone asking favors of him, Fonzie has a nightmare about a mad scientist draining his cool.

Directors: Jerry Paris
Writer: Mark Rothman
American Musical
star
6.00
4 votes

#22 - American Musical

Season 8 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/26/1981

Chachi struggles with an essay on the causes, hardships, and influences of immigration until Fonzie tells him several stories in a series of musical vignettes.