The Summer of MeTV Blogathon: Laverne and Shirley (1976-1983)

It's that time of the year again! This retrospective is part of the Summer of MeTV Classic TV Blogathon hosted by the Classic TV Blog Association. Click here to check out the blogathon's complete schedule, and you should visit MeTV's awesome schedule too! And watch the shows! Enjoy!

Laverne DaFazio and Shirley Fenney were originally introduced on the wildly popular sitcom Happy Days in the season three episode A Date with Fonzie (O.A.D. 11/11/1975). As Cindy Williams said, the characters looked like they “dated the fleet,” and Fonzie even politely refers to the duo as “more boisterous than I usually like.” Richie thought they were edgy because Laverne drove without insurance (and beat up Shirley!). They easily stole the show with their hip swinging, easy action ways and soon got a chance to carry a series in 1976 when they were given their own spinoff. 

Williams and her costar Penny Marshall had been writing partners in the years leading up working together as actors, and their chemistry was off the charts. While they lost a bit of the trampy innuendo from that Happy Days episode (well Shirley did, Laverne remained a bit aggressive, but in a more innocent way), they played off each other perfectly as best buds in working class 1950s Milwaukee. Focusing on broad physical comedy and wild, cartoonish adventures, Laverne and Shirley became an iconic series that traversed the cultural landscape known as ABC Tuesdays back in the 1970s (where they stayed for the first three seasons, and then returned in 1980 after a few months of ratings woes). ABC's late 70s Tuesday night line up was seminal. During this comedy heyday, the schedule looked a lot like this (with some variations depending on the season, mostly in the 9:30 slot):

Fall 1978:  

8pm: Happy Days 
8:30 pm: Laverne and Shirley 
9pm: Three’s Company 
9:30pm: Taxi 

Promo for ABC's 1978 Tuesday Night lineup: 

And, it was not unusual to see Laverne and Shirley hanging out around the top of the Nielsens, often scoring higher ratings than Happy Days (furthermore, on January 10th, 1978, the girls scored the “largest audience for any TV sitcom ever” with The Mortician, boasting a rating of 37.6, which means they were seen in approximately 27.4 million homes, with an audience of over 60 million viewers! Holy guacamole!). It was hijinks galore and as the show expanded its physical humor shenanigans, it grew not just in popularity but the series also nurtured a devoted fanbase (i.e. me). To its credit (and frankly to the credit of all of ABC’s Tuesday night lineup during the late 1970s), the humor remains wildly relatable and laugh out loud funny.

These types of Nielsens numbers were not unusual for the dynamic duo!

That’s not to say all of America was in love with the put upon working class duo, as noted by a really stuffy critic for the Miami News named Bill von Mauer. I don’t mean to pick on this writer exclusively, but he obviously missed the components that made this show work. One of which was placing two strong (if somewhat overly romantic) women in diverse leading roles that allowed them to exercise their enormous gift for comedy, amongst a fairly male dominated lineup of funnymen, er, people.

A seemingly improvised moment from the Season 2 episode Steppin' Out

von Mauer wrote that he “worried about America,” and felt this show only spoke to “the male viewer with a beer can in one hand and a cigar in the other who sits in front of the tube in his undershirt. By his side is his female counterpart, the woman who still has her apron on, hasn’t done her hair for a week and throws back her beer right from the can the way her husband does.”

I think Laverne's expression speaks to how I feel about Mr. von Mauer's sentiments.

It’s such a strange statement, considering how many sitcoms that dealt with the lower classes of America during the 1970s appealed to a fairly diverse, and large, audience. And as a non-beer guzzling pre-teen during this era, I felt the show really spoke to strong females who may be trapped in a sort of 1950s ideology that basked in middle class Leave it to Beaver living, but who still felt they had the power to exercise choices. If they hadn’t, Shirley would have married Carmine and we would not have a long running series.

Hang in there, baby! We've got your back!

I also feel compelled to note that Laverne and Shirley also ran during the same era as the iconic female detective series Charlie’s Angels, and as a fan of both I can say I am glad that I grew up in a world where I could worship both Kelly Garrett and Laverne DaFasio.

The original Angora Debs, minus Rosie Greenbaum.

But even without the cultural critique, the fact still remains that Laverne and Shirley were completely relatable as flawed but good people who wanted the best for themselves. No amount of pratfalls was going to break them up, and like so many twenty-somethings from any era who are experiencing living as an adult for the first time, they found family with each other. And that’s what keeps drawing us back to Milwaukee and, eventually to Los Angeles, where the series hit a couple of bumps, but still managed to spin gold when it could.

Keepin' it real

I was beyond ecstatic to see that Laverne and Shirley and Carmine, er, I mean Marshall, Williams and Eddie Mekka, are curating the episodes that MeTV will be airing over the summer. And I was inspired to come up with my own list of faves. While this could change at the drop of a hat (except for my number one pick, that will never change!), here are the first five episodes that instantly came to mind.

Life in Hollywood was downright strange!

Sidenote #1: You may notice my picks are very Laverne-centric. Shirley also had her share of relatable problems and foibles, but deep down I’m just a milk and Pepsi girl.

Sidenote #2: My choices are also a little boy-centric as well because I’m basically just as boy crazy as Laverne!

And away we go... 

The bed that eats!

5. Dinner for Four (OAD 12/5/1978): Dinner for Four has the girls working at an event for veterinarians, which is being held at the Pizza Bowl. Laverne and Shirley are, of course, on the make and meet up with handsome doctors Rob (Denny Smith) and Jeff (Jeffrey Kramer, probably best known as Deputy Hendricks from Jaws, or as the captain of my heart). When the two vets invite Laverne and Shirley over for dinner the girls break a date with Lenny and Squiggy only to find that their "dates" want the girls to serve dinner, not enjoy it!

Lenny and Squiggy let you know when you've hurt their feelings!

A lot of Laverne and Shirley episodes are filled with bittersweet moments where the girls realize that whatever that week’s particular dream is, it is just not going to happen. But along the way, they encounter a man-eating bed and Laverne proves that revenge is better served with lasagna (keyword: served). The girls make peace with Len and Squig, dust off their egos and move on to their next adventure.

Cigarette or cracker? Shirley doesn't care!

4. Guinea Pigs (OAD 1/18/1977): Because the girls can’t afford to attend a high-class cocktail party, they sign themselves up as scientific experiments (at the behest of Lenny and Squiggy, which is your first clue it’s all going to hell in a handbasket). After 48 hours of pure torture, where Laverne has to stay awake for two days straight and Shirley has to eat dirt (!), they finally arrive at the party, and are definitely worse for wear!

Who wouldn't want to vodeo-do under the table with this guy?!?

One of my favorite moments of this episode comes at the end when Laverne crawls out from under the table with gorgeous Charles, who is played by Richard Young from Friday the 13th Part V! See I told you I was boy crazy. This episode also features an almost unrecognizable Kip Gilman, and even more cartoonish looking Harry Shear as a man with an acquired taste for dumplings made out of mud!

Royally awesome!

3. The Debutante Ball (OAD 5/9/1978): This episode always makes me misty because it’s all about dignity and pride. When it is discovered that Lenny is heir to a Polish throne, he is invited to an awesomely royal shindig and asks Laverne to be his date. They score their outfits from a wax museum and do their best to fit into the elite party. After a little public humiliation, Laverne seeks shelter in the woman’s room, and Shirley comes to her rescue.

All washed up? Never!

There’s very little to not love about this one. While it’s laugh out loud funny (Laverne’s major pratfall is both hysterical and heartbreaking), it’s equally as sweet, first with Lenny’s crush on Laverne and then with the handsome duke who openly admires Laverne’s dignity. I am actually getting choked up now. Go Laverne!

Swoon-erific

2. Why Did the Fireman…(OAD 2/4/1980): This episode is perhaps one of the most iconic of the series. For one, it features a super swoon-worthy Ted Danson as a dashing fireman who sweeps Laverne off of her feet. And it’s also a great example of how tragic moments on sitcoms never make it to another episode. After Laverne loses the great love of her life in a fire, she has to come to terms with the tragedy.

**sniff sniff**

Why Did the Fireman… features Phil Foster, who played Laverne’s pop, Frank in an uncharacteristically quietly powerful moment where he compares Laverne’s grief to when he lost his own wife, and he doesn’t shy away from the depth of sadness Laverne is about to endure. Which makes it all the more ironic that the series never refers to Danson’s character again. This also happens in the episode The Slow Child when we learn that Mrs. Babish (the great Betty Garrett who rocked capri pants) has a learning disabled daughter… then poof! Issues begone! Still, Fireman is terribly romantic and heartfelt, and it gives an early glimpse into Danson’s magnetic onscreen presence. Swoon! Swoon! Swoon!

Did I say swoon? 

No caption needed.

1. Laverne and Shirley Meet Fabian (OAD 11/17/1977): Speaking of swoon... After missing out on tickets to see Fabian in concert, and after dealing with Rosie Greenbaum's (Carole Ita White) obnoxious bragging (P.S. I adore Rosie!), our put-upon duo attempt to sneak into Fabian's hotel room and meet him. Unfortunately, they are quickly discovered and try to hide on Fabian's window ledge. Of course, they are soon discovered, but Fabian has a kind heart... and kissable lips. And let's face it, he turns me loose!

Ha! I'm here all week.

**squee**

It was Laverne and Shirley who introduced me to singing idol Fabian, and it’s hard not to love his sense of humor in this episode. When he starts singing, it's like watching a mini-recreation of The Beatles performing on The Ed Sullivan Show, and is one of the highlights of the series for me. As I've said before, I've always felt a little bit like these lovely ladies, from boy craziness to doing it my way, and this episode gives the girls their just dues, and like the theme song says, they are making their dreams come true!

Tune into Laverne and Shirley every Wednesday night this summer on MeTV!