May 10th 1983 - The last episode of "Laverne & Shirley" aired on ABC

Here Today, Hair Tomorrow

Laverne & Shirley wraps up its eight-season run with its 178th and final episode, in which Carmine (Eddie Mekka) decides to leave Burbank and seek showbiz fame in New York. With 100 dollars loaned to him by Laverne (Penny Marshall), Carmine arrives in the Big Apple and auditions for the upcoming musical "Hair." Although his prospects for success look bleak, at least our hero finds a new roommate and kindred spirit in the form of a funky African American actor named Rick (Ben Powers).

It finished the season at #25 despite being pitted against A-Team in the second half. The cancellation made moot the season-long question of how they were ultimately going to resolve the issue of the title sans the character of Shirley.

As I recall it was Penny Marshall's insistence that production be moved to New York for the '83-'84 season that sealed the show's doom. But why didn't it get one last summer of reruns? Somebody who did a better job holding onto their TV Guide collection than I can perhaps verify that an issue from late June had a notation under whatever show was running at 8:30 Tuesdays that "Laverne & Shirley returns next week at this time" only to see next week the return of Joanie Loves Chachi.

It wasn't Laverne & Shirley anymore. The show should have been retitled Laverne.

There was rumor going around the last season that the show's title was going to change to Laverne & Friends, but that obviously never happened.

Laverne without Shirley is like the sound of one hand clapping.

That show started out with a bang and ended with a whimper. :(

They should have ended this show at the end of the Milwaukee seasons. The California seasons should never have happened.

They should have ended this show at the end of the Milwaukee seasons. The California seasons should never have happened.
I agree.

I agree.
So do I. :nod:

I suppose Carmine going to New York was the closest they were going to come to closure in that last season. Laverne with out Shirley wasn't the same.

I suppose Carmine going to New York was the closest they were going to come to closure in that last season. Laverne with out Shirley wasn't the same.
Good grief - why didn't they just marry off Shirley and Carmine already and send them out into the sunset?? BIG MISTAKE.

They should have ended this show at the end of the Milwaukee seasons. The California seasons should never have happened.
I also agree!!

They should have ended this show at the end of the Milwaukee seasons. The California seasons should never have happened.

I also agree.

That year (1980), Happy Days also jumped the shark with the departure of Ron Howard and the introduction of Ted McGinley. Both shows jumped the same season and began a long, downward slide. Though, mercifully, L&S ended a season earlier than HD.

Good grief - why didn't they just marry off Shirley and Carmine already and send them out into the sunset?? BIG MISTAKE.

That would have been a perfect solution.

They should have ended this show at the end of the Milwaukee seasons. The California seasons should never have happened.

The first season after they moved to California had some some pretty funny episodes but I agree it did go downhill during those California years.

Good grief - why didn't they just marry off Shirley and Carmine already and send them out into the sunset?? BIG MISTAKE.

After all those cold showers she made Carmine take, it was the least she could have done.

After all those cold showers she made Carmine take, it was the least she could have done.
:rofl:

Whoever Carmine ended up with probably had one hell of a first night together with him -- if ya know what I mean.;)

I wish they'd ended with a real finale; not just limped off to cancelation. Such a weak ending for such a once wonderful show.

I wish they'd ended with a real finale; not just limped off to cancelation. Such a weak ending for such a once wonderful show.
The thing is with Cindy Williams not being around any more they couldn't have done a proper finale anyway. At least not one that would have satisfied the fans.

The thing is with Cindy Williams not being around any more they couldn't have done a proper finale anyway. At least not one that would have satisfied the fans.
Too bad they couldn't have gotten her back to do one last show. Oh well.

L&S and Happy Days were two shows that should have just ended after five seasons and moved on. To this day, I can not understand how Happy Days lasted 11 seasons. After Ron Howard left, it died.

L&S and Happy Days were two shows that should have just ended after five seasons and moved on. To this day, I can not understand how Happy Days lasted 11 seasons. After Ron Howard left, it died.

I've been saying that for years. Even in it's seventh and last year with Howard, HD was showing signs of old age. Had it gone out in 1980, it would have went out a champion. Instead, the life just got drained out of it and it wasn't the same show anymore.

L&S and Happy Days were two shows that should have just ended after five seasons and moved on. To this day, I can not understand how Happy Days lasted 11 seasons. After Ron Howard left, it died.

Not right away but it did lose steam and lasted for 5 more years

Any final show that didn't have Shirley marrying Carmine was going to be disappointing. Shirley Feeney Meany. :rolleyes:

i really wish they could have worked something out with cindy williams.i mean come on she played the role for seven seasons and she was pregnant.i could understand if she had only been on the show a year or two and was requesting the same salary for less work but come on 7 years she definatley earned that.its not like she wanted to quit the show she just wanted to do less during her pregnancy.im sure the show may have lasted another season or two if they had just accepted cindy williams request.because when they let her go it basically destroyed the show.and it was pretty sad to because for seven seasons it was a really good show but after she was gone it was awful.

It was all down to bruised egos, a power struggle and when those factors come into play, it's all over. And Laverne & Shirley was over once "Shirley" was gone, IMO. It just limped to it's demise. Not even a grand finale to a long-running and once top rated show.:(