Happy Days Actor Tom Bosley Starred In A Murder Mystery Series That Isn't Talked About Enough

Tom Bosley's time on "Father Dowling Mysteries" saw him trade the cheerful setting of "Happy Days" for the mean streets of Chicago. The murder mystery series aired from 1989 to 1991 and starred Bosley as an observant Catholic priest who doubled as a sleuth for the crime-afflicted members of his Chicago parish. Bosley's titular Father is aided by Sister Stephanie (Tracy Nelson), a tough-as-nails former street kid who often employs entertaining disguises in tracking down answers. "Father Dowling Mysteries" originally aired on NBC, where it was dropped after one season. 

Although ABC picked up the little-known crime drama for two more seasons, the show yielded increasingly lackluster ratings, and was canceled for good in 1991. Now, nobody talks about the '80s show today. While "Father Dowling Mysteries" failed to build a robust audience, the fans that it did attract publicly mourned the loss of what they believed to be one of the "most entertaining" series in ABC's roster. Contemporary reappraisals of "Father Dowling Mysteries" frequently laud the show's low-key yet appealing style, identifying Bosley's performance as the good-natured Father Dowling as one of the main highlights.

Without the creative influence of Tom Bosley, "Father Dowling Mysteries" might have been a completely different show. In a 2000 interview conducted by the Archive of American Television, Bosley revealed that the minds behind "Father Dowling Mysteries" originally had vastly different plans for the sidekick of their devout TV detective, the streetwise Sister Stephanie. "When they talked about doing this show, they talked about having a more mature and straitlaced nun," said Bosley. "It's much more interesting if you get someone who's been in a lot of trouble and gotten rid of that and has gone to become a nun and you got a young girl ... That was really the kicker for us."

At the time that he was cast as Father Dowling, Bosley was known largely for his supporting parts on shows like "Happy Days" and "Murder, She Wrote." Scoring the starring role of Father Dowling signified an exciting pivot in his career — and the part would go on to lead to some of his most personally rewarding moments as an actor. "I think I enjoyed that show more than anything I've ever done, because ... it was my show," he revealed. "I didn't create it ... but it was my show as far as the role ... it was something that I think that I felt I deserved at that time. To have my own show."