At its worst, television is simply a cure for boredom, but at its best, it's a force for change. Important lessons can be taught through television, especially if the audience demographic for a particular series tends to slant to the younger side.

Many television producers use a series as an opportunity to educate, not just entertain.

An important lesson was learned during an episode of Happy Days that impacted a viewer so deeply, that she wrote to one of the show's stars, Erin Moran.

Moran played Joanie Cunningham, younger sister to Richie. Although she began the series fairly juvenile and innocent, she grew up on the series and ultimately matured into an intelligent young woman.

Moran might have won the role of Joanie when she was young, but she began work as an actor at an even earlier age. "I started acting when I was four," said Moran during an interview with the Calgary Herald. "The first audition I went to, I got. It was for First Federal Bank. And I've worked ever since."

One episode in Happy Days featured an argument between Moran's character and her father, played by Tom Bosley. "I finally confronted Tom Bosley who played my dad and talked it out," said Moran.

The communication between a father and son deeply impacted a young viewer, who used the episode as a stepping stone to mend her own relationship with her father."A girl wrote in, and she said, 'Thank you so much for helping me talk to my dad...she wrote this fan letter saying, 'Now we communicate.' It was absolutely wonderful."