When Flo left how many of you liked the show a little less? I know she wasn't the star of the show, and she seemed to be the favorite of a lot people (like me). I used to wonder why they took her off. I was just a kid, so I never knew the rumors and backstabbing that was supposed to have happened on the Alice set. Maybe it was true because I remember no Flo clips being used in the final flashback episode. I thought maybe it was because Polly hadn't been on the show for a long time, and it wouldn't make sense to showcase her. Maybe Linda Lavin did hate Polly.

Belle was okay. I didn't like her until years later in when I watched the reruns. Diane Ladd also did a good job of playing Flo in the Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore movie.

Jolene "My little shoebutton" was godawful. When they kept trying to bring on new characters portrayed by lousy actresses it was time to pull the plug. I can't believe the show ran from 1976 to 1985!

The show did still manage to hold up when Belle came on. But it was Linda Lavin who killed the show. Her jealousy towards Polly Holliday and Diane Ladd drove them away from the show. From that point on Jolene was a horrible character and did not seemed to fit in. But she was not a threat to Linda Lavin so she stayed through the duration of the series.

I remember no Flo clips being used in the final flashback episode.

From what I remember, they only showed one clip of Flo, a token "Kiss my grits" clip, but that was it.

When Flo left how many of you liked the show a little less? I know she wasn't the star of the show, and she seemed to be the favorite of a lot people (like me). I used to wonder why they took her off. I was just a kid, so I never knew the rumors and backstabbing that was supposed to have happened on the Alice set. Maybe it was true because I remember no Flo clips being used in the final flashback episode. I thought maybe it was because Polly hadn't been on the show for a long time, and it wouldn't make sense to showcase her. Maybe Linda Lavin did hate Polly.

Belle was okay. I didn't like her until years later in when I watched the reruns. Diane Ladd also did a good job of playing Flo in the Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore movie.

Jolene "My little shoebutton" was godawful. When they kept trying to bring on new characters portrayed by lousy actresses it was time to pull the plug. I can't believe the show ran from 1976 to 1985!

It was a little sad to see Flo go but i knew about her tv show Flo coming out. I was very happy to see Diane Ladd Belle on the show. I love her in the movie Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore playing Flo... :mad: Boy was i MAD when Diane Ladd was gone from the show and they never gave her a goodbye episode. It was over for me when that NASTY Jolene character came to the show. By the way in the last episode they did not show any clips of Diane Ladd Belle they only showed 2 or 3 clips of Flo but that was it. I wish Linda Lavin or someone from Alice would have ask Polly Holliday to come back for the last episode Flo was a big part of the show.

I liked Jolene a lot more than Belle. The show lost something when Flo left but I thought it remained entertaining until the end.

I liked Jolene a lot more than Belle. The show lost something when Flo left but I thought it remained entertaining until the end.



Was it Belle or Jolene that was similar to Flo?

Was it Belle or Jolene that was similar to Flo?
Belle. She was to similar to her.

I had heard that Ms Ladd only signed on for the time she spent there...does anyone know the truth about this that she may have only signed and intended to stay just as long as she did?

I had heard that Ms Ladd only signed on for the time she spent there...does anyone know the truth about this that she may have only signed and intended to stay just as long as she did?


According to legend Diane Ladd was thrilled to play Belle, the Flo replacement ,since she played the original Flo in the movie. Linda Lavin felt she was threatened by Polly's popularity on the show and wanted her gone. Can you imagine her surprise when they brought in the "original Flo" as a replacement.

Diane Ladd said she felt that she was not welcomed nor wanted by Linda Lavin, and that the set had a very cold atmosphere. She went to CBS and told them she wanted out. That's the story I know.

According to legend Diane Ladd was thrilled to play Belle, the Flo replacement ,since she played the original Flo in the movie. Linda Lavin felt she was threatened by Polly's popularity on the show and wanted her gone. Can you imagine her surprise when they brought in the "original Flo" as a replacement.

Diane Ladd said she felt that she was not welcomed nor wanted by Linda Lavin, and that the set had a very cold atmosphere. She went to CBS and told them she wanted out. That's the story I know.

That's the story I knew as well. I read about when Ruth Buzzi guest starred on an episode Linda Lavin was not welcoming towards her and projected that it is her show and she is the star. That's too bad but no matter I will always be a Linda Lavin fan. I wanted to name my daughter, if I would had a child, Linda because of Linda Lavin.

The show was never the same after Flo left.

Flo was the heart and soul of the show, even if Lavin was the star. Her leaving was like James leaving Good Times, Barney moving from Mayberry, etc. It lost a MAJOR key player.

Flo was the real reason to watch this show. To me, Polly was the star. They should've got rid of Linda Lavin and retitled Alice to "Flo" instead of giving Polly the bad spin-off called Flo.

When Flo left how many of you liked the show a little less? I know she wasn't the star of the show, and she seemed to be the favorite of a lot people (like me). I used to wonder why they took her off. I was just a kid, so I never knew the rumors and backstabbing that was supposed to have happened on the Alice set. Maybe it was true because I remember no Flo clips being used in the final flashback episode. I thought maybe it was because Polly hadn't been on the show for a long time, and it wouldn't make sense to showcase her. Maybe Linda Lavin did hate Polly.

Belle was okay. I didn't like her until years later in when I watched the reruns. Diane Ladd also did a good job of playing Flo in the Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore movie.

Jolene "My little shoebutton" was godawful. When they kept trying to bring on new characters portrayed by lousy actresses it was time to pull the plug. I can't believe the show ran from 1976 to 1985!

The show was just as entertaining after Flo left.

But it was Linda Lavin who killed the show. Her jealousy towards Polly Holliday and Diane Ladd drove them away from the show. From that point on Jolene was a horrible character and did not seemed to fit in. But she was not a threat to Linda Lavin so she stayed through the duration of the series.

Quote a source, or stop posting B.S. about Linda Lavin.

According to legend Diane Ladd was thrilled to play Belle, the Flo replacement ,since she played the original Flo in the movie. Linda Lavin felt she was threatened by Polly's popularity on the show and wanted her gone. Can you imagine her surprise when they brought in the "original Flo" as a replacement.

Diane Ladd said she felt that she was not welcomed nor wanted by Linda Lavin, and that the set had a very cold atmosphere. She went to CBS and told them she wanted out. That's the story I know.

"Legend" isn't fact, thankfully. So, unless you can start quoting sources, stop trashing Linda Lavin here.

"Legend" isn't fact, thankfully. So, unless you can start quoting sources, stop trashing Linda Lavin here.


Look on any website that deals with television shows. They all say the same thing about Alice. We aren't trashing Linda Lavin. We are just stating ancient history here. And nobody has to list sources. Nobody has a thing to prove to you. Look it up yourself.

Look on any website that deals with television shows. They all say the same thing about Alice.

Let me tell you what I do occasionally when I'm online. I like going to music lyric webpages. I find a favorite song of mine, and look at the lyrics for the song on a webpage. Most of the time, the lyrics are wrong, so I find another page with that song's lyrics. The SAME mistakes are made. Why? People copy from one page and claim it as their own. The only problem is, the same mistake on several lyric webpages proves these pages are copied thousands of times over by people. It's the same thing with pages on television shows. To believe anything you read on the Internet is truly idiotic. Linda Lavin made "Alice" the success it was, along with Vic Tayback, and that IS a fact.

I think I liked Jolene a little better than Belle, b/c Jolene kinda did her own thing and didn't try to act like Flo as much as Belle did.

And Flo was on SEVERAL flashback clips from the last eppi.. It shows Mel kissing her on the grill, her screaming when she meets Svalis (No idea how to spell his name right now:)), she's singing i=with the gang in the truck for xmas, she yells Kiss My Grits!!!
and a few more..
I don't know why Belle wasn't shown though?

Funny, when I started watching Alice for the first time since my childhood, I SWORE Belle was the LAST waitress and Jolene came directly after Flo.

Alice was never the same after Flo left.....it just lacked that extra something, you know?

Agreed. Flo was like the heart of the show. She made it something special IMHO.;)

yes, she was the gem of the show. without her it went downhill. she demanded more money for her part as flo, on the tv series. but refused her. than fired her from the show. the other characters that took her place could'nt act in my book. it was'nt funny anymore. there are 9 seasons and only 5 with flo. the waitress after she left the show only lasted 1 year. bad actress and the other finished the series to the end. with only looks to appeal the men. with big hooters.

Flo was the heart and soul of the show, even if Lavin was the star. Her leaving was like James leaving Good Times, Barney moving from Mayberry, etc. It lost a MAJOR key player.

Not to mention the sass and the spice. Alice, by the nature of being a sitcom lead, had to be somewhat of a "straight man." Flo, being a supporting character, was able to steal the show and toss off her one-liners and disses with flair.

It was never the same after Flo left. They should have just brought her back.

Not to mention the sass and the spice. Alice, by the nature of being a sitcom lead, had to be somewhat of a "straight man." Flo, being a supporting character, was able to steal the show and toss off her one-liners and disses with flair.

It was never the same after Flo left. They should have just brought her back.

Definitely agree.

yes, she was the gem of the show. without her it went downhill. she demanded more money for her part as flo, on the tv series. but refused her. than fired her from the show. the other characters that took her place could'nt act in my book. it was'nt funny anymore. there are 9 seasons and only 5 with flo. the waitress after she left the show only lasted 1 year. bad actress and the other finished the series to the end. with only looks to appeal the men. with big hooters.

Polly Holliday was not fired from Alice. She got her own spin off series and plus there was friction between her and Linda Lavin because people was saying that Flo was the star. If you look at the final episodes with Polly on Alice you can see there was a difference in the way Linda interacted with Polly on the show compared to the earlier episodes. Diane Ladd, the original Flo, replaced Polly as Belle and Linda did not get along with her as well. Midway through the middle of the following season, 5 that is, she asked off the show. Then Celia Weston came along and I guess she did not posed as a threat to Linda and stayed for the rest of the series. I'll tell you one thing the show was not as interesting after Polly left the show. I bet if her and Linda got along splindedly she would had came back to Alice after Flo failed.

I still liked the show, but it wasn't the same. It might sound ridiculous, but Alice the character was not the same after she started wearing her hair short. The show still had funny moments, but there was something different after Polly Holliday left.

It is true. Linda Lavin HATED Polly Holliday. My uncle worked on Alice from 1977-1978. It was well-known that Lavin had tremendous resentment towards Holliday's success. Lavin felt the show was suppose to be all about her and with Holliday's success surpassing Lavin's, it was a bitter pill to have to swallow. It was rumored that instead of firing Holliday, which could have led to a lawsuit, they would spin the character off into her own show, "Flo". The series wasn't expected to last supposedly. It is a shame because Polly Holliday's talent is greatly missed by TV viewers.

It is true. Linda Lavin HATED Polly Holliday. My uncle worked on Alice from 1977-1978. It was well-known that Lavin had tremendous resentment towards Holliday's success. Lavin felt the show was suppose to be all about her and with Holliday's success surpassing Lavin's, it was a bitter pill to have to swallow. It was rumored that instead of firing Holliday, which could have led to a lawsuit, they would spin the character off into her own show, "Flo". The series wasn't expected to last supposedly. It is a shame because Polly Holliday's talent is greatly missed by TV viewers.

That is a REAL shame because they worked GREAT together those first few years. Do you know if Polly and Lavin have spoken since she left ALICE or if they get along now? Just wondering.

I'd like to know about that, also. Although, Polly is sucha private person, I'd be surprised if she has said much about it. I'd like to think that Linda has matured, and feels sorry for any acrimony now. I've always enjoyed her in other things, too.

I still think that if "Flo" hadn't been bounced around, it could have lasted, and may have developed into a great show.

Diane Ladd is NOT a bad actress. She's damn good as a matter of fact. The problem with Belle, was the part. She was meant to be Flo Mach Two, and it just didn't sit well. Not Ladd's fault. I enjoyed her more in re-runs then I did when the shows were being filmed with her. LOVED her in the film.

I liked Jolene, and Watson better, because at least her part wasn't meant to be such a blatant Flo clone.

I agree that it was Linda who hurt the show the most in it's final years, despite her talents. Something was off in her portrayal. Maybe her heart wasn't really in it?

The thing to remember, is that as far as the actors go, it was the chemistry that the original cast shared that made things really interesting. Polly brought alot of energy to the show.
Christopher

The thing that made laugh about the FLo character was that she thought she was HOT and wasn't-lol

I'd like to know about that, also. Although, Polly is sucha private person, I'd be surprised if she has said much about it. I'd like to think that Linda has matured, and feels sorry for any acrimony now. I've always enjoyed her in other things, too.

I still think that if "Flo" hadn't been bounced around, it could have lasted, and may have developed into a great show.

Diane Ladd is NOT a bad actress. She's damn good as a matter of fact. The problem with Belle, was the part. She was meant to be Flo Mach Two, and it just didn't sit well. Not Ladd's fault. I enjoyed her more in re-runs then I did when the shows were being filmed with her. LOVED her in the film.

I liked Jolene, and Watson better, because at least her part wasn't meant to be such a blatant Flo clone.

I agree that it was Linda who hurt the show the most in it's final years, despite her talents. Something was off in her portrayal. Maybe her heart wasn't really in it?

The thing to remember, is that as far as the actors go, it was the chemistry that the original cast shared that made things really interesting. Polly brought alot of energy to the show.
Christopher

Very well said. If Lavin had realized more that it was the ENSEMBLE that was what made the show a classic, we could have had a lot more seasons of "classic" shows like the ones from the 76-79 era. I actually LIKED the interaction between Alice and Flo, especially in the first season. There was a bond the two had, like in the ep. where Vera tried to OD on sleeping pills, that was sorely missed that last season Holliday was on(79-80). As it was, FLO and ALICE were BOTH weakened by Holliday's departure.;)

I have to say that I like that idea. As much as I loved the WHOLE SHOW, and Linda Lavin, FLO was my fave and she should have never left. BUT, I did like Belle's "Uncle Bud's got chillin'" and I loved JOLENE's "Oh, C'mooooan!"

I'm not as interested in the post-Flo episodes as I am with the "classic" years, the ones PH was on as Flo.

I Think Alice Alice went ok After Polly Holliday Left The Show
but can someone tell me what season Polly Holliday Left Alice
to go do Flo

yes, she was the gem of the show. without her it went downhill. she demanded more money for her part as flo, on the tv series. but refused her. than fired her from the show. the other characters that took her place could'nt act in my book. it was'nt funny anymore. there are 9 seasons and only 5 with flo. the waitress after she left the show only lasted 1 year. bad actress and the other finished the series to the end. with only looks to appeal the men. with big hooters.
Polly Holliday DID NOT demand a raise. Warner Bros. wanted to do a "Flo" spin-off and make more $$$ off of that show. Polly Holliday was just interviewed on tv the other night and stated Warner Bros. "pushed" her to do the spin-off, she DIDN'T WANT TO. Now we know, Polly was right, she was better off staying on ALICE. read this: http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=178649

Polly Holliday DID NOT demand a raise. Warner Bros. wanted to do a "Flo" spin-off and make more $$$ off of that show. Polly Holliday was just interviewed on tv the other night and stated Warner Bros. "pushed" her to do the spin-off, she DIDN'T WANT TO. Now we know, Polly was right, she was better off staying on ALICE. read this: http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=178649


I thought it was because there was tension between her and Linda Lavin

I thought it was because there was tension between her and Linda Lavin
Did you read the link Solomon...it mentions something abt that.