http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bHshAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SIoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5304,1988115&dq=polly+holliday&hl=en

In the above article dated December 11th, 1978, Polly Holliday revealed that the producers weren't big fans of her character Flo or Phillip McKeon's character Tommy on the hit show 'Alice.' In fact, CBS tried to cut Flo's screen time significantly and cut the Tommy character all together. However, audiences would not have any of that & the rest is sitcom history!

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p65/halloweennut/1305927900.jpg

So CBS didn't like the Flo character...and yet they gave her a spinoff? Hmmm...

I wonder if it was Linda who was a not big fan of Flo or Tommy and it was not CBS who was unhappy with them? I believe that even during the first season things were not always smooth with Linda.

I managed to see the first several or so episodes in syndication that were associated with the new producers hired for the second season. The episodes were almost dreadful and rather boring. I always wondered about these episodes. I did not remember seeing these episodes during the airing of the second season on CBS in the fall. I did not remember the producers either. I really liked the first season a lot, I wonder why the first season producers were not retained for the second season?

Thanks again as always to the OP for posting these old articles they are great!

I wonder if it was Linda who was a not big fan of Flo or Tommy and it was not CBS who was unhappy with them? I believe that even during the first season things were not always smooth with Linda.

I managed to see the first several or so episodes in syndication that were associated with the new producers hired for the second season. The episodes were almost dreadful and rather boring. I always wondered about these episodes. I did not remember seeing these episodes during the airing of the second season on CBS in the fall. I did not remember the producers either. I really liked the first season a lot, I wonder why the first season producers were not retained for the second season?

Thanks again as always to the OP for posting these old articles they are great!
Maybe Linda Lavin didn't get along with them!