Knight Ridder Newspapers

PHILADELPHIA – There isn’t much that Henry Winkler won’t do to promote his CBS sitcom, “Out of Practice.”

Winkler, in Philadelphia this week to promote “Out of Practice,” is a big believer in the power of repetition.

“I have everybody repeat three times” to commit things to memory, he said. “That’s what I learned as producer.”

That’s also what he’s learning as a promoter.

“Last night, flying in, I had the entire plane repeat after me, “Out of Practice,’ “Out of Practice,’ CBS, Wednesday nights at 8, 7 Central,”‘ Winkler said proudly as he searched a digital video camera for proof of the stunt.

“Here we go,” he said, and pushed the button. On the small screen dozens of smiling American Airlines passengers could be seen shouting, in response to an offscreen Winkler: “”Out of Practice!’ “Out of Practice!’ “Out of Practice!”‘

Then, “CBS! CBS! CBS! Wednesday night! 8 o’clock, 7 Central!”

Talk about your in-flight entertainment.

(And I think that makes at least three.)

For those who missed “Out of Practice” on its first go-around on Monday nights, the former Fonz, now 60, stars as Dr. Stewart Barnes, the father of three other Dr. Barneses – two medical doctors, played by Paula Marshall and Ty Burrell, and one psychologist played by Christopher Gorham – and the ex-husband of another, played by Stockard Channing.

The only non-doctor on the show is played by Jennifer Tilly, who’s cast as Stewart’s girlfriend.

Let’s just say her character might need more than three repetitions.

The show returns to the air next Wednesday at 8 p.m.

Memory tricks, though, likely come naturally to Winkler, who struggled as a child with an undiagnosed case of dyslexia – “my parents called me “dumb dog”‘ – and whose experiences inspired a series of children’s books about a boy named Hank Zipzer, “the world’s greatest underachiever,” which Winkler co-authored with Lin Oliver.

Hank, said Winkler, “is a fourth-grader. He’s smart, he’s funny and he’s got learning challenges. And there are now a million and a half sold.”

“And children write me from all over the country about how we made reading “excellent,’ “How did you know me so well,’ “I can picture in my mind what you write,’ “The teacher has to take the book out of my hand “cause I laughed so loud,”‘ the actor-producer said proudly.

The books, he said, are written with Oliver at the computer and Winkler, who said he’s unable to use a computer “because I can’t spell,” walking around her office, talking.

“If it’s not funny, it doesn’t go in,” he said.

Those who didn’t catch him on “Arrested Development” and may still be struggling with the idea that Henry “Fonzie” Winkler is 60, may or may not feel better after seeing next Wednesday’s “Out of Practice.”

Winkler’s former “Happy Days” co-star, Marion Ross, turns up as Stewart’s retired receptionist, looking, inexplicably, not more than a year or two older than she did when the two first worked together.

“She is spectacular,” Winkler said. “Her energy is that of a 28-year-old. Her spirit is that of a 28-year-old.”

But then, Winkler, who yesterday afternoon spent some time at Children’s Hospital, reading to patients, and who confided that the “real” – though unpublished – title of his sixth book, “Holy Enchilada!” was actually “Holy Enchilada! My Teacher Has Gas,” just may have the soul of a fourth-grader.

A fourth-grader named Hank.