Laverne & Shirley (1981 TV series)

Last updated
Laverne & Shirley
Genre Comedy
Developed byDuane Poole
Tom Swale
Directed by George Gordon
Carl Urbano
Rudy Zamora
Voices of Penny Marshall
Cindy Williams (1981–82)
Lynne Marie Stewart (1982)
Ron Palillo
Kenneth Mars
Henry Winkler (1982)
Frank Welker (1982)
Composer Hoyt Curtin
Country of origin United States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes21
Production
Executive producers William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
ProducersDuane Poole
Art Scott
Tom Swale
Running time30 minutes
Production companies Hanna-Barbera Productions
Paramount Television
Original release
Network ABC
ReleaseOctober 10, 1981 (1981-10-10) 
November 13, 1982 (1982-11-13)
Related
Laverne & Shirley
Happy Days

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. [1]

Contents

Overview

The series is set at Camp Fillmore and follows the comedic antics of roommates Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney as privates with the U.S. Army. They wind up getting involved in clandestine escapades with their immediate superior, a pig named Sgt. Squealy, who is always threatening to report them to his superior, Sgt. Turnbuckle. The series aired for one season of 13 episodes from October 10, 1981, to January 2, 1982.

The following season, the series was re-titled Laverne & Shirley with The Fonz and combined with a half-hour adaptation of the 1978–1982 sitcom Mork & Mindy to form the Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour , which lasted for one season. [2] During the second season, Laverne and Shirley were joined by the characters of The Fonz (voiced by Henry Winkler) and his anthropomorphic dog Mr. Cool (voiced by Frank Welker; from the 1980–81 animated series The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang ) working as mechanics in the army camp's motorpool. In August 1982, Cindy Williams quit her role as Shirley on the live-action sitcom Laverne & Shirley and, conversely, Williams' role in the animated series was taken over by Lynne Marie Stewart. Only eight episodes were produced from September 25 to November 13, 1982. [3]

Cast

Additional voices

Episodes

Season 1: Laverne & Shirley in the Army (1981–82)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleWritten byOriginal air date
11"Invasion of the Booby Hatchers"Duane Poole & Tom SwaleOctober 10, 1981 (1981-10-10)
The girls accidentally hijack a secret army rocket and get captured by aliens, who want to invade Earth.
22"Jungle Jumpers"Ray Parker & Barry Blitzer October 17, 1981 (1981-10-17)
The girls parachute in the middle of a jungle island and find themselves caught between the Zambulu tribe and a giant ape.
33"Naval Fluff"Haskell BarkinOctober 24, 1981 (1981-10-24)
Assigned to the Navy, the girls are caught in the middle of a target test, while enemy spies are about to attack the laser cannon ship.
44"April Fools in Paris"David R. Toddman, Duane Poole & Tom SwaleOctober 31, 1981 (1981-10-31)
Laverne & Shirley are on special assignment in Paris on April Fool's Day.
55"I Only Have Ice for You" Jack Mendelsohn, Duane Poole & Tom SwaleNovember 7, 1981 (1981-11-07)
Fed up with kitchen duties and Squealy, the ladies make a transfer to an entertainment unit, only to have Squealy trick them and falsely sends the privates to Antarctica, where the plan backfires upon arrival. Unfortunately, they're about to be in for a chilly reception: the Army base has been abandoned since 1946, and the current occupants are a sinister scientist, his assistant, and pet polar bear, who are planning to take over the world by melting the continent and flooding the planet.
66"When the Moon Comes Over the Werewolf"David R. Toddman, Duane Poole & Tom SwaleNovember 14, 1981 (1981-11-14)
Laverne, Shirley, and Squealy end up on an island, where they discover Dr. Yarkoff and his henchman, Talbot are planning to launch werewolf spray from a rocket. Before the villains are defeated, both Talbot and Laverne become werewolves.
77"Bigfoot"David Villaire & Coslough JohnsonNovember 21, 1981 (1981-11-21)
Sgt. Turnbuckle refuses to believe that the privates have seen a Bigfoot creature until he sees it for himself.
88"Two Mini Cooks"Ray Parker, Martha Humphreys & Norman Maurer November 28, 1981 (1981-11-28)
Laverne & Shirley are sent to the kitchen for their punishment in another goof-up.
99"Super Wacs"Ray Parker, Duane Poole & Tom SwaleDecember 5, 1981 (1981-12-05)
An Army vs. Navy basketball games has been scheduled. Laverne and Shirley sign up so they can get out of their regular duties. They have no idea what is in store for them, as the Navy players are nearly professional players and the practices that they go through are harder than the duties that they were trying to get away from.
1010"Meanie Genie"David VillaireDecember 12, 1981 (1981-12-12)
Laverne and Shirley discover a bottle while on maneuvers. When they clean it up, a genie appears, but he is not happy at having been disturbed from his deep sleep.
1111"Tokyo--Ho, Ho" Diane Duane December 19, 1981 (1981-12-19)
Laverne & Shirley are off to Tokyo for a special mission.
1212"The Dark Knight"David VillaireDecember 26, 1981 (1981-12-26)
Shirley slips and hits her head, sending her and Laverne off to a dream state of the Middle Ages, where they are forced to fight an evil knight.
1313"Super Duper Trooper"David VillaireJanuary 2, 1982 (1982-01-02)
Evil mastermind Tony Glut kidnaps the army football teams to steal their strength for his Crusher robot. His plan backfires when Shirley, Laverne and Squealy infiltrate the laboratory.

Season 2: Laverne & Shirley with The Fonz (1982)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleOriginal air date
141"The Speed Demon Get-Away Caper"September 25, 1982 (1982-09-25)
When the Fonz is wrongly accused and imprisoned for stealing a car he was working on, Laverne and Shirley (along with Squealy) go on a quest to capture the real criminal.
152"Swamp Monsters Speak with Forked Face"October 2, 1982 (1982-10-02)
Laverne and Shirley (along with Squealy, The Fonz and Mr. Cool) board a boat to obtain photographic proof of a two-headed swamp monster.
163"Movie Madness"October 9, 1982 (1982-10-09)
Laverne and Shirley masquerade as stuntmen in hopes of meeting star Lance Velour when a movie is being filmed at the military base.
174"One Million Laughs B.C."October 16, 1982 (1982-10-16)
Laverne and Shirley are sent through a time warp into prehistoric times in a jeep that Fonzie has been working on.
185"The Robot Recruit"October 23, 1982 (1982-10-23)
A robot called M.A.B.E.L. is sent to the camp to sabotage the military games, for which Laverne and Shirley receive the blame. But when M.A.B.E.L. gets broken, the Fonz gives her a repair and tune-up.
196"All the President's Girls"October 30, 1982 (1982-10-30)
207"Laverne and Shirley and the Beanstalk"November 6, 1982 (1982-11-06)
218"Raiders of the Lost Pork"November 13, 1982 (1982-11-13)

Home media

On November 5, 2019, the 13-episode first season was released as a made-on-demand DVD-R by CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment.

Related Research Articles

<i>Mork & Mindy</i> American television sitcom (1978–1982)

Mork & Mindy is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 14, 1978, to May 27, 1982. A spin-off after a highly successful episode of Happy Days, "My Favorite Orkan", it starred Robin Williams as Mork, an extraterrestrial who comes to Earth from the planet Ork, and Pam Dawber as Mindy McConnell, his human friend, roommate, and eventual love interest.

<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.

<i>Laverne & Shirley</i> American television sitcom (1976–1983)

Laverne & Shirley 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.

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

Carole Penny Marshall was an American actress, film 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. 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.

<i>The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang</i> 1980 American animated television series

The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang is an American animated science fiction comedy series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and Paramount Television and originally broadcast during the Saturday morning schedule on ABC from November 8, 1980, until November 28, 1981. It is a spin-off of the live-action sitcom Happy Days.

<i>Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour</i> 1982 American TV series or program

Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour is a 1982 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.

<i>Happy Days</i> season 3 Season 3 of the television series Happy Days

This is a list of episodes from the third season of Happy Days. It was the first season of the show to be filmed in front of a live audience.

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

This is a list of episodes from the seventh 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.

"My Favorite Orkan" is the 22nd episode of the fifth season of the American television sitcom Happy Days, and the 110th episode overall. Written by Joe Glauberg and series creator Garry Marshall and directed by Jerry Paris, the episode originally aired on ABC on February 28, 1978. It is notable for introducing Robin Williams to a larger audience; the actor's popular appearance in this episode led to the spin-off series Mork & Mindy, which was based on his character.

<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. Hyatt, Wesley (1997). The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television. Watson-Guptill Publications. p. 257. ISBN   978-0823083152 . Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  2. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 489–490. ISBN   978-1476665993.
  3. Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 352. ISBN   978-1538103739.