I'm asking because I think I remember hearing that on top of there being a different tommy in the 2nd episode, the opening credits was a lot different too so since that is the case i see no point in the Pilot being in the syndication package. Anyone agree?

I disagree...I hate it when syndicated packages skip episodes. They have the pilot to Roseanne, with a different DJ. Hawaii 5-0 has the pilot movie (split into 2 episodes), with a different Danny (although it's shown as the last 2 episodes in the 1st season, rather than the 1st 2 episodes).

Actually I believe this is the first time the pilot has been shown in 20 years. Both TNN and E! never showed this episode when they aired the shows back in the 90's..they both started with the "Alice Gets A Pass" episode..I'm glad they showed this ep...haven't seen it in years and it doesn't seem likely a DVD package is coming out anytime soon.

Actually I believe this is the first time the pilot has been shown in 20 years. Both TNN and E! never showed this episode when they aired the shows back in the 90's..they both started with the "Alice Gets A Pass" episode..I'm glad they showed this ep...haven't seen it in years and it doesn't seem likely a DVD package is coming out anytime soon.


TNN and E did the right thing

I remember back in the 80s when they aired Alice,WGN ch 9 in Chicago did air the pilot.
When I first saw it on In2TV a few months ago and then last night on ION,it had probably been over 20 years since the last time I had seen it on WGN.

No I think the show should be shown in syndication. I don't like it when any episodes are skipped. A lot of times the pilots are just different from the regular episodes.

When Alice was originally syndicated locally in the 1980's the pilot was shown too.

Actually I believe this is the first time the pilot has been shown in 20 years. Both TNN and E! never showed this episode when they aired the shows back in the 90's..they both started with the "Alice Gets A Pass" episode..I'm glad they showed this ep...haven't seen it in years and it doesn't seem likely a DVD package is coming out anytime soon.

I disagree on two aspects. First the pilot should air because the only difference is the actor playing Tommy. Why is this a valid reason to discard it??? Second, this episode is anything but rare! It has always aired in syndication, I recall seeing it back in the early 90s on Channel 58 in Milwaukee. Furthermore, this episode did air at least once on TNN. I distinctly recall seeing this episode and going in to tv.com (then it was tvtome.com) to edit the info for the pilot and changed the info to reflect Alfred Lutter.

Interestingly, the PILOT episode aired August 31, 1976 and the next episode "Alice Gets a Pass" didn't air until almost a month later (September 29). I wonder why there was so much time between. Sorry this is O/T.

Interestingly, the PILOT episode aired August 31, 1976 and the next episode "Alice Gets a Pass" didn't air until almost a month later (September 29). I wonder why there was so much time between. Sorry this is O/T.


They probably were in the proces of REVAMPING the show before the Fall season kicked it

That's not true, E DID show the pilot b/c I have it on tape from there.

The pilot episode was VERY different from the res of the series, it resembled the moive Alice doesn't Live Here Anymore. Mel's Diner looked very different, and it was called Mel and Ruby's Cafe in the pliot just as it was in the movie.

The pilot episode was VERY different from the res of the series, it resembled the moive Alice doesn't Live Here Anymore. Mel's Diner looked very different, and it was called Mel and Ruby's Cafe in the pliot just as it was in the movie.



Now that I didn't Know

The pilot did seem to be like the movie a bit. Mel was meaner and Vera more childlike.
I think in the movie,Vera was supposedly mentally handicapped.
Alfred Lutter's Tommy was a few years older and more sarcastic,just like in the movie. Maybe the producers wanted to change the direction of the character,so they replaced him with Philip McKeon who was about 3 years younger than Alfred.

The pilot did seem to be like the movie a bit. Mel was meaner and Vera more childlike.
I think in the movie,Vera was supposedly mentally handicapped.
Alfred Lutter's Tommy was a few years older and more sarcastic,just like in the movie. Maybe the producers wanted to change the direction of the character,so they replaced him with Philip McKeon who was about 3 years younger than Alfred.


Vera was mentally handicapped on the Sitcom too

Vera was mentally handicapped on the Sitcom too

I think that's a little harsh ;) She was naive and a bit dimwitted (a dinghy chick, in Mel's words), but I wouldn't call her mentally handicapped.

I think that's a little harsh ;) She was naive and a bit dimwitted (a dinghy chick, in Mel's words), but I wouldn't call her mentally handicapped.



I don't even know why she was hired

I don't even know why she was hired

well, you know, as they say, "good help is hard to find" :D

When Alice was originally syndicated locally in the 1980's the pilot was shown too.
Yes it was.

That's not true, E DID show the pilot b/c I have it on tape from there.


That is correct! I have the taped pilot from "E" as well. There were one hour blocks when the show aired on "E". The last ep of the run aired in the first hour and then in the second hour the pilot aired.