Just curious?

http://shellis-sentiments.com/wp-content/uploads/shirley.jpg

from what i remeber laverne got a note from shirley saying her new husband got transferd overseas and she went with him

from what i remeber laverne got a note from shirley saying her new husband got transferd overseas and she went with him


Shirley got married???

Shirley got married???
They needed to marry her off because Cindy Williams was pregnant in real life and they couldn't very well have Shirley Feeney be single and pregnant!

They needed to marry her off because Cindy Williams was pregnant in real life and they couldn't very well have Shirley Feeney be single and pregnant!

Gotcha!

She married Walter Meany. lol

Season 8, episode 1: Shirley marries Walter Meaney, who's in the Army. (we never see him because he's injured and his whole body is wrapped in bandages.)

episode 2: at the end of the episode, Shirley discover's she's pregnant. (this is her last on-screen appearance.)

episode 3: Shirley has left a note for Laverne, stating that her husband was transferred overseas, and she had to leave in a hurry to be with him.

after that, we never hear about her again. I think it would have been nice to have Laverne get the occasional letter or something!

http://i55.tinypic.com/110jazd.jpg

Actually, "Shirley" was married during Season 8 and so was the actress who portrayed her. Cindy Williams married Bill Hudson, bio dad to Kate Hudson. Cindy Williams wanted her same pay, but did not want to participate in the extreme physical comedy that was the show's trademark. I understand not wanting to engage in extreme physical activity during the last couple trimesters of a pregnancy, but she should have sucked it up and taken a lower pay check for that time period.

The show lost something without her. I think they should have either just ended the show, or wait until she had her baby.

As I recall, she wanted reduced working hours during her pregnancy. They basically decided to release her from her contract while she was pregnant, and then she sued. There was talk about her returning for the 1983-1984 season, if there was one, but the ratings sank so low without her, they cancelled the show in the spring of 1983.

I always heard she sued Paramount and won a ton of money, the amount was never disclosed (but there was a published report once that claimed she won nearly $20 million in what was labeled a 'wrongful termination' lawsuit. She claimed she was discriminated against because she was pregnant. While she won, I think it was hard for her to find work for a long time after that.

As I recall, she wanted reduced working hours during her pregnancy. They basically decided to release her from her contract while she was pregnant, and then she sued. There was talk about her returning for the 1983-1984 season, if there was one, but the ratings sank so low without her, they cancelled the show in the spring of 1983.

I always heard she sued Paramount and won a ton of money, the amount was never disclosed (but there was a published report once that claimed she won nearly $20 million in what was labeled a 'wrongful termination' lawsuit. She claimed she was discriminated against because she was pregnant. While she won, I think it was hard for her to find work for a long time after that.


It was time for it to end anyway because how long was two grown women going to live together?-lol My mom called them lesbians

It was time for it to end anyway because how long was two grown women going to live together?-lol My mom called them lesbians
There was actually an episode where the girls kiss each other on the lips! Was that TV's first lesbian kiss?

There was actually an episode where the girls kiss each other on the lips! Was that TV's first lesbian kiss?


No my mom considered them lesbians because they were grown woman living together and not married

The show lost something without her. I think they should have either just ended the show, or wait until she had her baby.


I agree. Also, they should have changed the title of the show to "Laverne"

Season 8, episode 1: Shirley marries Walter Meaney, who's in the Army. (we never see him because he's injured and his whole body is wrapped in bandages.)

episode 2: at the end of the episode, Shirley discover's she's pregnant. (this is her last on-screen appearance.)

episode 3: Shirley has left a note for Laverne, stating that her husband was transferred overseas, and she had to leave in a hurry to be with him.

after that, we never hear about her again. I think it would have been nice to have Laverne get the occasional letter or something!
.....and so she became Shirley Feeney Meaney!:lol:

I hated the final season. Shirley was rarely mentioned. Correct me if I'm wrong but Penny was hardly in the final episode.

I hated the final season. Shirley was rarely mentioned. Correct me if I'm wrong but Penny was hardly in the final episode.
Oh, yes. They focused on Carmine getting a job as part of the cast for Hair. Penny is shown in only one scene. She's sleeping in a makeshift "water bed" she created, and falls into the water!

Oh, yes. They focused on Carmine getting a job as part of the cast for Hair. Penny is shown in only one scene. She's sleeping in a makeshift "water bed" she created, and falls into the water!

When the lone star of a fading show can't be bothered to appear in the show aside from a cameo, you know it's doomed. Maybe that wasn't the last show shot.

This show didn't have a proper ending -- it just fizzled out and faded away.

I doubt anyone but the hardcore fans were watching towards the end.

This show didn't have a proper ending -- it just fizzled out and faded away.



Agreed. It was a piss-poor end to what had once been a fantastic show. I wish that they had given it a real ending on the 7th season and given the fans some closure. Then again, lack of closure has always produced some pretty good fan fiction since fans *have* to have answers. :crazy:

Agreed. It was a piss-poor end to what had once been a fantastic show. I wish that they had given it a real ending on the 7th season and given the fans some closure. Then again, lack of closure has always produced some pretty good fan fiction since fans *have* to have answers. :crazy:

Yeah, but they'll never be as good as the real thing.

I think that if a show is long-running and they decide to cancel it, they should allow them to do an additional episode as the season finale or come back in the fall to do a one hour final episode that ties things up.

L&S deserved better.

Yeah, but they'll never be as good as the real thing.

I think that if a show is long-running and they decide to cancel it, they should allow them to do an additional episode as the season finale or come back in the fall to do a one hour final episode that ties things up.

L&S deserved better.


Yeah I think any sitcom that has been on the air for 8 years or longer should have some type of finale

Yeah I think any sitcom that has been on the air for 8 years or longer should have some type of finale

A similar fate befell Archie Bunker's Place on CBS that same season. It was cancelled without a finale. And this was Archie Bunker, a character who had been on CBS for 12 years and at one time was on the highest rated show in the country, All In The Family.

When the lone star of a fading show can't be bothered to appear in the show aside from a cameo, you know it's doomed. Maybe that wasn't the last show shot.

This show didn't have a proper ending -- it just fizzled out and faded away.

I doubt anyone but the hardcore fans were watching towards the end.
I think I quit watching a few months earlier. I don't even remember watching the final.

A similar fate befell Archie Bunker's Place on CBS that same season. It was cancelled without a finale. And this was Archie Bunker, a character who had been on CBS for 12 years and at one time was on the highest rated show in the country, All In The Family.


Looks CBS considered ABP a true spinoff and not seasons 10 to 13 of AITF since it was no finale

Yeah, but they'll never be as good as the real thing.



I don't know, I've read some pretty terrific ones on fanfiction.net (shamelessly blowing own horn).

I agree with everyone though that L&S deserved a real ending. :happyface

I think I quit watching a few months earlier. I don't even remember watching the final.

Me neither.

Looks CBS considered ABP a true spinoff and not seasons 10 to 13 of AITF since it was no finale

Spinoff or not, Archie Bunker deserved a proper finale.

12 years on the same network should have counted for something.

They needed to marry her off because Cindy Williams was pregnant in real life and they couldn't very well have Shirley Feeney be single and pregnant!

I've often wondered why they had her marry Walter. When they wrote the episode, they didn't know Cindy Williams was going to be leaving the show, so why didn't they have her marry Carmine?

I've often wondered why they had her marry Walter. When they wrote the episode, they didn't know Cindy Williams was going to be leaving the show, so why didn't they have her marry Carmine?

They were planning a spin off based on the Carmine character going to NYC to become a dancer on Broadway. Unfortunately, the very last episode of L&S (Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow) was wasted on this back-door pilot.

Cindy Williams had told everyone that she wouldn't be renewing her contract after season 7, and Penny had planned to quit as well; despite pressure to continue this series for syndication $. Cindy flip flopped on her decision so they moved forward with season 8. Unfortunately, Betty Garrett, Penny Marshall and Michael McKean had already committed to other projects so their presence in season 8 would already be limited. Then Cindy turned out to be pregnant which curtailed her role even further and led to her lawsuit against Garry Marshall and Paramount.

Long story short (too late, I know ;) ) the fans were gypped out of a real send off for the show and the characters and Cindy Williams' career has never really recovered.

I agree. Also, they should have changed the title of the show to "Laverne"
Actually according to a David Lander interview the producers planned to do that, but Penny feared people would think she'd kicked Cindy off the show.
And also in that interview, Lander noted there were several show that didn't even feature Laverne because Penny was taking a vacation!

I can't imagine "Laverne & Shirley" without Laverne & Shirley! But I remember there were some funny episodes with just Laverne in the final season. I've recently seen some episodes from 1981 and they were just not funny at all. I'm surprised it got renewed after the 1981-1982 season.

I thought they changed the name to Laverne & Co., but that may have been just for syndication.

The title did remain Laverne & Shirley, as installLSC alluded to earlier in this thread.

There were still some pretty good episodes. Who can forget Laverne's date with the guy who turned out to be a married man, with Laverne ending up inside the restaurant's giant fish tank? :)

I loved that episode. Most shows where the girls did physical comedy were terrific.