Laverne & Shirley

Last updated

Laverne & Shirley
Laverne & Shirley.png
Genre Sitcom
Created by
Starring
Theme music composer
Opening theme"Making Our Dreams Come True", performed by Cyndi Grecco
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons8
No. of episodes178 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Garry Marshall
  • Thomas L. Miller
  • Edward K. Milkis
Producers
Running time22–24 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network ABC
ReleaseJanuary 27, 1976 (1976-01-27) 
May 10, 1983 (1983-05-10)
Related

Laverne & Shirley (originally Laverne DeFazio & Shirley Feeney) [1] is an American sitcom television series that ran for eight seasons on ABC from January 27, 1976, to May 10, 1983. A spin-off of Happy Days , Laverne & Shirley starred Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams as Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney, two friends and roommates who work as bottle-cappers in the fictitious Shotz Brewery in late 1950s Milwaukee, Wisconsin. From the sixth season onwards, the series' setting changed to mid-1960s Burbank, California. Michael McKean and David Lander co-starred as their friends and neighbors Lenny Kosnowski and Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman, respectively; along with Eddie Mekka as Carmine Ragusa, Phil Foster as Laverne's father Frank DeFazio, and Betty Garrett as the girls' landlady Edna Babish.

Contents

Featuring regular physical comedy, Laverne & Shirley became the most-watched American television program by its third and fourth season; in total, it received six Golden Globe nominations and one Emmy nomination. [2] [3] [4] [5]

History

"A One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight! Schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!"

- opening intro

The series is a spin-off from Happy Days , as the two lead characters were introduced on that series as acquaintances of Fonzie (Henry Winkler). The characters were originally "two girls who date the fleet", but for family hour, they had to be changed and mellowed down, which, in Cindy Williams' opinion, gave the show more depth. [6] Set in roughly the same period, the timeline started in approximately 1958, when the series began, through 1967, when the series ended. As with Happy Days, it was made by Paramount Television, created by Garry Marshall (along with Lowell Ganz and Mark Rothman) and executive produced by Garry Marshall, Edward K. Milkis, and Thomas L. Miller from Miller-Boyett Productions.

According to former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, Cindy Williams had refused to do the Laverne & Shirley spin-off, so her role was recast with Liberty Williams (no relation), and a seven-minute screen test was filmed. Between that afternoon shoot and the evening, Cindy Williams was eventually talked into doing the role and she re-filmed the scene that night with Penny Marshall, who became her co-star in the series. Executives wanted to see both versions, but Eisner hid the first reel of film in a closet of the building and said at the screening that the film from the first shoot had got lost, so they only watched the performance of Cindy Williams with Penny Marshall. [7] [8]

Plot

Seasons 1–5

Shirley (left) and Laverne (right) Laverne and shirley 1976.JPG
Shirley (left) and Laverne (right)

In the opening credits, Laverne and Shirley recite "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated," a Yiddish-American hopscotch chant, which then leads into the series' theme song, "Making Our Dreams Come True" performed by Cyndi Grecco. In the final season without Cindy Williams, the chant is recited by a group of schoolchildren. The hopscotch chant is from Penny Marshall's childhood. [9]

Fonzie becomes a singing superstar. Pictured are Cindy Williams as Shirley Feeney, Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham, Henry Winkler as Fonzie, and Penny Marshall as Laverne DiFazio. Happy Days Fonzie Superstar 1976.JPG
Fonzie becomes a singing superstar. Pictured are Cindy Williams as Shirley Feeney, Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham, Henry Winkler as Fonzie, and Penny Marshall as Laverne DiFazio.

For the first five seasons, from 1976 to 1980, the show was set in Milwaukee (executive producer Thomas L. Miller's home town), taking place from roughly 1958–59 through the early 1960s. Shotz Brewery bottle cappers and best friends, Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney live in a basement apartment, where they communicate with upstairs neighbors Lenny and Squiggy by screaming up the dumbwaiter shaft connecting their apartments. Also included in the show are Laverne's father, Frank DeFazio, proprietor of the Pizza Bowl, and Edna Babish, the apartment building's landlady, who later married Frank. Shirley maintained an off-again on-again romance with dancer/singer/boxer Carmine "The Big Ragoo" Ragusa. During this period, characters from Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley made occasional guest appearances on each other's series.

Michael McKean and David Lander created the characters of Lenny and Squiggy while both were theater students at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. [10] Lander told an interviewer in 2006 that they created the characters while high on marijuana. [10] After graduating, they continued to perform the characters in live comedy routines before joining the show's cast.

When Laverne's New Year's Eve date dumps her, an ailing Shirley comforts her. Laverne and shirley new years eve 1977.JPG
When Laverne's New Year's Eve date dumps her, an ailing Shirley comforts her.

During the fifth season, the girls went into the Army Reserve, and they contended with a tough-as-nails drill sergeant named Alvinia T. "The Frog" Plout (Vicki Lawrence). While their time in the Army Reserve was brief in the live action series, it did inspire an animated series with the duo in the army contending with their immediate superior, a commanding pig named Sgt. Squealy who was voiced by Ron Palillo (best known for his role as Arnold Horshack on Welcome Back, Kotter ) who is always threatening to report them to Sgt. Turnbuckle (voiced by Kenneth Mars).

Seasons 6–8

For the sixth season in 1980, Laverne and Shirley and their friends all moved from Milwaukee to Burbank, California. Laverne and Shirley took jobs at Bardwell's department store as gift wrappers. Frank and Edna managed a Texas barbecue restaurant called Cowboy Bill's, Carmine delivered singing telegrams and sought work as an actor, and Lenny and Squiggy started a talent agency called Squignowski Talent Agency. From this point until the end of the series' run, Laverne & Shirley was set in the mid-1960s. In one of the shots in the show's new opening sequence, the ladies are seen kissing a 1964 poster of the Beatles. With each season, a new year passed in the timeline of the show, starting with 1965 in the 1980–81 season, and ending in 1967 with Carmine heading off for Broadway to star in the musical Hair . When the series' setting changed to California, two new characters are added: Sonny St. Jacques, a stunt man, landlord of the Burbank apartment building and love interest for Laverne; as well as Rhonda Lee, the ladies' neighbor and an aspiring actress.

In March 1982, Cindy Williams became pregnant with her first child. In August, two episodes into production of the series' eighth season, Williams left the show and filed a $20 million lawsuit against Paramount after they demanded Williams work on her scheduled due date. The case was later settled out of court and Williams was released from her contract. [11]

The series' final season continued with two episodes with Williams still playing Shirley; then it was just Marshall as Laverne, who now worked for an aerospace company. Despite the absence of Williams and her character, the series' title remained unchanged. Ratings dipped but were strong enough for the show to be considered for a ninth season. Marshall agreed based on the agreement that the show would move production to New York City. Faced with the high cost of such an endeavor, ABC opted not to renew the series and it was removed from the schedule in May 1983.

Characters

Main

CharacterPortrayed bySeason
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Laverne DeFazio Penny Marshall Main
Shirley Feeney Cindy Williams Main [lower-alpha 1]
Leonard "Lenny" Kosnowski Michael McKean Also Starring MainRecurring [lower-alpha 2]
Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman David Lander Also StarringMain
Carmine Ragusa Eddie Mekka Also Starring
Fabrizio "Frank" DeFazio Phil Foster Also Starring
Edna DeFazio Betty Garrett Does not appearAlso StarringDoes not appear
Rhonda Lee Leslie Easterbrook Does not appearAlso Starring
Sonny St. Jacques Ed Marinaro Does not appearAlso StarringDoes not appear
Cast photo, 1976. Standing, L-R: Carole Ita White, Phil Foster, Eddie Mekka, Betty Garrett. Middle row, standing: Penny Marshall, Cindy Williams. Seated: Michael McKean, David Lander. Laverne and Shirley cast 1976.JPG
Cast photo, 1976. Standing, L–R: Carole Ita White, Phil Foster, Eddie Mekka, Betty Garrett. Middle row, standing: Penny Marshall, Cindy Williams. Seated: Michael McKean, David Lander.

Notes

  1. Before her departure from the show, Cindy Williams is credited in the main title until the second episode of the eighth season, "Window on Main Street".
  2. Michael McKean is only credited in the episodes he appears in during the eighth season.

Recurring

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally airedRankRating
First airedLast aired
1 15January 27, 1976 (1976-01-27)May 18, 1976 (1976-05-18)327.5
2 23September 28, 1976 (1976-09-28)April 5, 1977 (1977-04-05)230.9
3 24September 20, 1977 (1977-09-20)May 30, 1978 (1978-05-30)131.6
4 24September 5, 1978 (1978-09-05)May 15, 1979 (1979-05-15)130.5
5 26September 13, 1979 (1979-09-13)May 13, 1980 (1980-05-13)42
6 22November 18, 1980 (1980-11-18)May 26, 1981 (1981-05-26)2020.6 [lower-alpha 1]
7 22October 13, 1981 (1981-10-13)May 11, 1982 (1982-05-11)2019.9
8 22September 28, 1982 (1982-09-28)May 10, 1983 (1983-05-10)2517.8

Broadcast history and ratings

Laverne & Shirley debuted in the 1975–76 TV season, with its first episode airing in January 1976, in the Tuesday night time slot after Happy Days. By its third season, it had become the most-watched American television program according to Nielsen ratings. In August 1979, before the start of its fifth season, Laverne & Shirley was moved to Thursdays at 8 pm opposite The Waltons on CBS and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century on NBC. By the end of the fifth season, ratings fell sharply and the sitcom failed to make the list of the top 30 programs. In an effort to improve the show's ratings, ABC moved Laverne & Shirley to Mondays at 8 p.m. in December 1979. The ratings fared no better, so in February 1980 the network moved the series back to its familiar Tuesday-night berth, where it remained for the next three years. Between 1980 and 1982, the ratings improved considerably, but, despite having regained its original time slot and changing its format, Laverne & Shirley never regained the popularity it had attained during its first four years on the air, and during its final season struggled against The A-Team on NBC. By the time of its cancellation in 1983, the series ranked at number 25 for the season. The show aired in reruns on ABC daytime from April 1979 to June 1980.

Animated spin-off

During the run of the main show, an animated spin-off called Laverne & Shirley in the Army began airing on Saturday mornings. The first program was aired on October 10, 1981, and featured the voices of Marshall and Williams playing Laverne and Shirley in the Army with a talking piglet drill sergeant named "Squealy" (voiced by Ron Palillo). The show was retitledLaverne & Shirley with Special Guest Star The Fonz when the Fonz began working in the motorpool as the chief mechanic, and then again retitled Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour when new segments involving a teenaged Mork & Mindy were added to the mix. The series ran until September 3, 1983.

Merchandise

The program was so successful at the time that it spawned a merchandise franchise. Mego released two models of Laverne and Shirley dolls, and one model of Lenny and Squiggy dolls. Matchbox created a Shotz Brewery delivery van, and several novelty toys were sold such as Halloween costumes, a board game, jigsaw puzzles, coloring books, video slot machine [16] and other toys.[ citation needed ]

Home media

Paramount Home Entertainment and (starting with season 2) CBS DVD have released the entire series of Laverne and Shirley on DVD in Region 1, albeit with music substitutions and scene deletions. [17]

On June 16, 2015, CBS DVD released Laverne & Shirley – The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1. [18]

Season 1 has also been released on DVD in Region 2.

The first three seasons have been released on DVD in Region 4 by Paramount.

DVD nameNo. of
episodes
Release dates
Region 1Region 2Region 4
The Complete First Season15August 17, 2004April 7, 2008August 25, 2020
The Complete Second Season23April 17, 2007TBASeptember 4, 2008
The Complete Third Season24November 27, 2007TBAFebruary 5, 2009
The Complete Fourth Season24April 22, 2008TBATBA
The Complete Fifth Season26April 10, 2012TBATBA
The Complete Sixth Season22May 21, 2013TBATBA
The Complete Seventh Season22February 4, 2014TBATBA
The Complete Eighth and Final Season22May 6, 2014TBATBA
The Complete Series178June 16, 2015TBATBA
Laverne & Shirley Sing (1976) cover Laverne and Shirley Sing LP.jpg
Laverne & Shirley Sing (1976) cover
Lenny and the Squigtones (1979) cover Lenny and the Squigtones LP.jpg
Lenny and the Squigtones (1979) cover

Music

The theme song from the series ("Making Our Dreams Come True" as performed by Cyndi Grecco) was released as a single from Cyndi's LP by the same name and became a radio favorite, becoming a top-30 American hit in 1976. [19]

In 1976, Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams released an album, performed in character, titled Laverne & Shirley Sing, which contained some original songs along with some 1950s and 1960s standards. The album was originally released on Atlantic Records. On November 11, 2003, Collector's Choice released it on CD. The single "Sixteen Reasons" reached #72 in Canada. [20]

In 1979, Michael McKean and David Lander followed suit with the album Lenny and the Squigtones , also performed in character, featuring original songs (and some spoken material) penned by McKean and Lander. The album was released on Casablanca Records. [21] [22]

In July 1979, McKean and Lander also appeared together (in character) on American Bandstand performing the song "King of the Cars", the single released from their Lenny and the Squigtones album. They also performed "Love Is A Terrible Thing", another song from the album.

In 1980, Romina Power (of Al Bano and Romina Power fame) recorded a separate theme tune for the show when it was introduced to the Italian market. The track, simply titled "Laverne & Shirley", featured verses in English and Italian. Released as a single in the same year, the track failed to chart. [23]

Notes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael McKean</span> American actor, screenwriter (born 1947)

Michael John McKean is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, composer, singer, and musician known for various roles in film and television such as Lenny Kosnowski in Laverne & Shirley, David St. Hubbins in This Is Spinal Tap, and Chuck McGill on Better Call Saul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Lander</span> American actor (1947–2020)

David L. Lander was an American actor, comedian, musician, and baseball scout. He was best known for his portrayal of Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman in the ABC sitcom Laverne & Shirley. He also served as a goodwill ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

<i>Happy Days</i> American television sitcom (1974–1984)

Happy Days is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most successful series of the 1970s. The series presented an idealized vision of life in the 1950s and early 1960s Midwestern United States, and it starred Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham, Henry Winkler as his friend Fonzie, and Tom Bosley and Marion Ross as Richie's parents, Howard and Marion Cunningham. Although it opened to mixed reviews from critics, Happy Days became successful and popular over time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penny Marshall</span> American actress, director and producer (1943–2018)

Carole Penny Marshall was an American actress, director, and producer. She is best known for her role as Laverne DeFazio on the television sitcom Laverne & Shirley (1976–1983), receiving three nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for her portrayal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cindy Williams</span> American actress (1947–2023)

Cynthia Jane Williams was an American actress and producer. She is best known for her role as Shirley Feeney on the television sitcoms Happy Days (1975–1979), and Laverne & Shirley (1976–1982). She also appeared in American Graffiti (1973), The Conversation (1974), Mr. Ricco (1975), and More American Graffiti (1979).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynne Marie Stewart</span> American actress (born 1946)

Lynne Marie Stewart is an American actress, widely known for her performance as Miss Yvonne, the Most Beautiful Woman in Puppet Land. She originated the role in the 1981 stage show The Pee-wee Herman Show, continuing it on the CBS television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, the 2010 Los Angeles stage revival, and the Broadway production which opened in November 2010 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.

Blansky's Beauties is an American sitcom television series and ostensible spin-off of Happy Days that aired on ABC from February 12 to June 27, 1977. The main character of the series was introduced on an episode of Happy Days, then set in the early 1960s, but the show is set in the present day of 1977. The series was a rare ratings flop for producer Garry Marshall and was cancelled after only 13 episodes.

Lenny and the Squigtones is a fictional musical group headed in character by Michael McKean and David Lander, the two actors who played Lenny and Squiggy on the U.S. television series Laverne & Shirley, which is set primarily in the 1950s. The group's album, Lenny & Squiggy Present Lenny and the Squigtones, was released on the Casablanca label in 1979. Recorded live at the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, they perform parodies of 1950s rock ballads. In between, there a tracks of schtick and banter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen Page Camp</span> American actress (1930–1991)

Helen Page Camp was an American actress.

Laverne & Shirley, also known as Laverne & Shirley in the Army, is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and Paramount Television broadcast on ABC from October 10, 1981, to November 13, 1982. It is a spin-off of the live-action sitcom Laverne & Shirley with the titular characters voiced by Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams and was loosely based on the 1979 two-part episode "We're in the Army, Now" in which Laverne and Shirley enlisted in the Army.

<i>Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour</i> American TV series or program

Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour is a 1982–1983 American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and Ruby-Spears Enterprises in association with Paramount Television, featuring animated versions of characters from the live-action sitcoms Mork & Mindy, Laverne & Shirley and Happy Days (Fonzie), all part of the same franchise. This Saturday morning series lasted for one season on ABC.

This is a list of episodes from the sixth season of Happy Days.

<i>Laverne & Shirley</i> (season 1) Season of television series

The first season of Laverne & Shirley, an American television sitcom series, began airing on January 27, 1976 on ABC. The season concluded on May 18, 1976 after 15 episodes.

<i>Laverne & Shirley</i> (season 2) Season of television series

The second season of Laverne & Shirley, an American television sitcom series, began airing on September 28, 1976 on ABC. The season concluded on April 5, 1977 after 23 episodes.

<i>Laverne & Shirley</i> (season 3) Season of television series

The third season of Laverne & Shirley, an American television sitcom series, began airing on September 20, 1977 on ABC. The season concluded on May 30, 1978 after 24 episodes.

<i>Laverne & Shirley</i> (season 4) Season of television series

The fourth season of Laverne & Shirley, an American television sitcom series, began on September 5, 1978 on ABC. The season concluded on May 15, 1979 after 24 episodes.

<i>Laverne & Shirley</i> (season 5) Season of television series

The fifth season of Laverne & Shirley, an American television sitcom series, began airing on September 13, 1979, on ABC. The season concluded on May 13, 1980, after 26 episodes.

<i>Laverne & Shirley</i> (season 6) Season of television series

The sixth season of Laverne & Shirley, an American television sitcom series, began airing on November 18, 1980, on ABC. The season concluded on May 26, 1981, after 22 episodes.

<i>Laverne & Shirley</i> (season 7) Season of television series

The seventh season of Laverne & Shirley, an American television sitcom series, began airing on October 13, 1981 on ABC. The season concluded on May 11, 1982 after 22 episodes.

<i>Laverne & Shirley</i> (season 8) Season of television series

The eighth and final season of Laverne & Shirley, an American television sitcom series, began airing on September 28, 1982 on ABC. The season concluded on May 10, 1983 after 22 episodes.

References

  1. "MARK ROTHMAN". Archive of American Television. October 23, 2017. Archived from the original on May 6, 2022. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  2. SHER, LAUREN. "'Laverne & Shirley' Reunion: 5 Fun Facts From the Cast". ABC News. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  3. "LAVERNE & SHIRLEY". Archive of American Television. Archived from the original on February 26, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  4. B. Myint (January 27, 2016). "7 Facts About 'Laverne and Shirley'". Biography.com. Archived from the original on March 8, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  5. "Laverne & Shirley - Awards". IMDb . Archived from the original on October 7, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  6. "Cindy Williams Actress". The Interviews. Television Academy Foundation. October 23, 2017. Archived from the original on March 30, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  7. Michael Eisner on casting Cindy Williams on "Laverne & Shirley" Archived March 14, 2021, at the Wayback Machine , interview with EmmyTvLegends.org (posted to YouTube on Nov 8, 2011)
  8. "Michael Eisner". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Interviews. October 23, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  9. "'Laverne & Shirley' Reunion: 5 Fun Facts From the Cast". ABC News . Archived from the original on October 27, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  10. 1 2 YouTube video: "Squiggy on Marijuana Archived May 22, 2016, at the Wayback Machine ."
  11. Ree Hines (June 9, 2015). "Cindy Williams on why she left 'Laverne' in 'Shirley, I Jest'". TODAY.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  12. "The Story of Laverne's "L"". www.childrensmuseum.org. The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Archived from the original on January 17, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  13. "CINDY WILLIAMS". Archive of American Television. Archived from the original on October 15, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  14. Myint, B. "7 Facts About 'Laverne and Shirley'". biography.com. Archived from the original on March 8, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  15. "Betty Garrett". The Interviews. Television Academy Foundation. October 23, 2017. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  16. Laverne & Shirley Video Slots by IGT
  17. "Laverne & Shirley DVD news: Announcement for Laverne & Shirley - The Complete 8th and Final Season - TVShowsOnDVD.com". Archived from the original on April 27, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  18. "Laverne & Shirley DVD news: Announcement for Laverne & Shirley - The Complete Series - TVShowsOnDVD.com". Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  19. Super Hits of the '70s, Volume 18, Rhino Records, 1993, liner notes
  20. "RPM Top 100 Singles - December 25, 1976" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on June 26, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  21. "Kiss Related Recordings; Peter Criss (as Ming The Merciless) : Lenny and Squiggy - Lenny and the Squigtones1979". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  22. "Casablanca Album Discography, Part 3 (NBLP 7100-7199)". Archived from the original on January 19, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  23. Romina Power - Laverne & Shirley (1980). YouTube. March 4, 2011. Archived from the original on July 12, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.