On "Happy Days," Richie Cunningham, Ralph Malph, and Potsie Weber attended Jefferson High School. The fictional school is part of the show’s version of 1950s Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Richie, played by Ron Howard, is the clean-cut central teenager of the early series. His close friends include Potsie, played by Anson Williams, and Ralph, played by Don Most. The three spend much of their high-school life navigating dating, school events, friendships, and schemes around Arnold’s Drive-In.
Jefferson High is more than a background detail: several episodes center on its classes, sports, newspaper, school dances, and graduation. Richie eventually writes for the Jefferson High Bugle, reflecting his growing interest in journalism. The characters later move on to college and other adult responsibilities as the series progresses.
The show premiered in 1974 but is primarily set in the 1950s. Its nostalgic portrayal of teenage life helped make the Cunningham family, Fonzie, and their circle major television icons, even though the depiction of the decade was highly idealized.