TMC
01-31-2026, 06:30 AM
https://www.forbes.com/sites/marcberman1/2026/01/27/schlemiel-schlimazel-laverne--shirley-turns-50/
Fifty years ago (https://www.mentalfloss.com/entertainment/tv/iconic-tv-shows-turning-50-2026), TV viewers were introduced to Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams in the iconic sitcom "Laverne & Shirley (https://m.imdb.com/news/ni65679420/?ref_=nm_nwr_1)."
Tuesday, January 27, 1976 (https://www.tvtango.com/listings/1976/01/27) - 'Laverne & Shirley' (https://web.archive.org/web/20140402224659/http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/topic/3053535-laverne-shirley/?view=getnewpost) premiered (https://cordcuttersnews.com/50-years-ago-today-laverne-shirley-premiered-bringing-blue-collar-buddy-comedy-to-prime-time/) on ABC (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpiwbycsohM&pp=ygUcMTk3NiBhYmMgbGF2ZXJuZSBhbmQgc2hpcmxleQ%3D%3D) at 8:30 pm (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0fxs4Z-__E&pp=ygUcMTk3NiBhYmMgbGF2ZXJuZSBhbmQgc2hpcmxleQ%3D%3D), following the hit comedy 'Happy Days' (https://web.archive.org/web/20140331134134/http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/topic/3116785-happy-days-where-the-shark-was-first-jumped/?view=getnewpost) in which the new comedy was spun-off (https://parade.com/entertainment/happy-days-episode-that-sparked-beloved-spinoff-turns-50). Penny Marshall (https://people.com/garry-marshall-mom-concerns-penny-marshall-career-laverne-shirley-11891327) played 'Laverne DeFazio' (https://happydays.fandom.com/wiki/Laverne_DeFazio) and Cindy Williams (https://www.aol.com/articles/michael-mckean-reveals-cindy-williams-111806636.html) played 'Shirley Feeney' (https://happydays.fandom.com/wiki/Shirley_Feeney), best friends from high school who became room-mates (https://www.facebook.com/ClassicTVGuide/posts/happy-50th-laverne-shirley/1362712585895439/) in Milwaukee (https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/television-radio/2026/01/23/laverne-shirley-50-anniversary-milwaukee-facts-penny-marshall-cindy-williams/88106137007/). The show (https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/136837-laverne-shirley-general-discussion/) was an immediate hit (https://www.datalounge.com/thread/26459680-why-was-laverne-shirley-popular-) placing #3 in the ratings (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laverne_&_Shirley#Broadcast_history_and_ratings) for the season, and topped the Nielsen ratings for their third (https://jacksonupperco.com/2021/10/20/the-ten-best-laverne-shirley-episodes-of-season-three/) and fourth (https://jacksonupperco.com/2021/10/26/the-ten-best-laverne-shirley-episodes-of-season-four/) seasons. In September, 1979 for the fifth season (https://jacksonupperco.com/2021/11/02/the-ten-best-laverne-shirley-episodes-of-season-five/), ABC decided to move the program to Thursday nights at 8 pm (opposite CBS' 'The Waltons' and NBC's 'Buck Rogers') and the show took a hit in the ratings. In December, 1979, ABC moved the show to Monday nights at 8 pm, and the ratings continued to fall.
In February, 1980 ABC moved the show back to Tuesdays at 8:30 pm, and ratings improved a bit - but the show was never as popular as it once was. The ratings dive was blamed on the fact (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125326/http://www.jumptheshark.com/l/laverneandshirley.htm) that the writers moved (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=272523) 'Laverne and Shirley' from Milwaukee to Burbank, CA where the girls worked in the gift-wrapping department at a department store. By the eighth season (https://jacksonupperco.com/2021/11/23/the-six-best-laverne-shirley-episodes-of-season-eight/), Cindy Williams (pregnant with her first child) filmed two shows in August, 1982 and then left the series. Williams left the show and filed a $20 million lawsuit against Paramount after they demanded Williams work on her scheduled due date (https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1798yjq/til_cindy_williams_left_laverne_shirley_because/). The case was later settled out of court and Williams was released from her contract. Penny Marshall was left (https://youtu.be/L3tRL-acE70?list=RDL3tRL-acE70) to carry the show on her own (https://popculturereferences.com/laverne-and-shirley-limped-off-the-air-with-no-shirley-and-a-halfhearted-carmine-spinoff-attempt/) in what would be their final season (https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/63671/laverne-shirley-eighth-final-season/). The show aired its (https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/laverne-shirley-finale-was-a-backdoor-pilot.html/) final episode (https://www.remindmagazine.com/article/39284/final-episode-of-laverne-shirley-what-happened/) on (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=283807) May 10, 1983 (http://www.tvtango.com/listings/1983/05/10).
Fifty years ago (https://www.mentalfloss.com/entertainment/tv/iconic-tv-shows-turning-50-2026), TV viewers were introduced to Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams in the iconic sitcom "Laverne & Shirley (https://m.imdb.com/news/ni65679420/?ref_=nm_nwr_1)."
Tuesday, January 27, 1976 (https://www.tvtango.com/listings/1976/01/27) - 'Laverne & Shirley' (https://web.archive.org/web/20140402224659/http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/topic/3053535-laverne-shirley/?view=getnewpost) premiered (https://cordcuttersnews.com/50-years-ago-today-laverne-shirley-premiered-bringing-blue-collar-buddy-comedy-to-prime-time/) on ABC (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpiwbycsohM&pp=ygUcMTk3NiBhYmMgbGF2ZXJuZSBhbmQgc2hpcmxleQ%3D%3D) at 8:30 pm (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0fxs4Z-__E&pp=ygUcMTk3NiBhYmMgbGF2ZXJuZSBhbmQgc2hpcmxleQ%3D%3D), following the hit comedy 'Happy Days' (https://web.archive.org/web/20140331134134/http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/topic/3116785-happy-days-where-the-shark-was-first-jumped/?view=getnewpost) in which the new comedy was spun-off (https://parade.com/entertainment/happy-days-episode-that-sparked-beloved-spinoff-turns-50). Penny Marshall (https://people.com/garry-marshall-mom-concerns-penny-marshall-career-laverne-shirley-11891327) played 'Laverne DeFazio' (https://happydays.fandom.com/wiki/Laverne_DeFazio) and Cindy Williams (https://www.aol.com/articles/michael-mckean-reveals-cindy-williams-111806636.html) played 'Shirley Feeney' (https://happydays.fandom.com/wiki/Shirley_Feeney), best friends from high school who became room-mates (https://www.facebook.com/ClassicTVGuide/posts/happy-50th-laverne-shirley/1362712585895439/) in Milwaukee (https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/television-radio/2026/01/23/laverne-shirley-50-anniversary-milwaukee-facts-penny-marshall-cindy-williams/88106137007/). The show (https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/136837-laverne-shirley-general-discussion/) was an immediate hit (https://www.datalounge.com/thread/26459680-why-was-laverne-shirley-popular-) placing #3 in the ratings (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laverne_&_Shirley#Broadcast_history_and_ratings) for the season, and topped the Nielsen ratings for their third (https://jacksonupperco.com/2021/10/20/the-ten-best-laverne-shirley-episodes-of-season-three/) and fourth (https://jacksonupperco.com/2021/10/26/the-ten-best-laverne-shirley-episodes-of-season-four/) seasons. In September, 1979 for the fifth season (https://jacksonupperco.com/2021/11/02/the-ten-best-laverne-shirley-episodes-of-season-five/), ABC decided to move the program to Thursday nights at 8 pm (opposite CBS' 'The Waltons' and NBC's 'Buck Rogers') and the show took a hit in the ratings. In December, 1979, ABC moved the show to Monday nights at 8 pm, and the ratings continued to fall.
In February, 1980 ABC moved the show back to Tuesdays at 8:30 pm, and ratings improved a bit - but the show was never as popular as it once was. The ratings dive was blamed on the fact (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125326/http://www.jumptheshark.com/l/laverneandshirley.htm) that the writers moved (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=272523) 'Laverne and Shirley' from Milwaukee to Burbank, CA where the girls worked in the gift-wrapping department at a department store. By the eighth season (https://jacksonupperco.com/2021/11/23/the-six-best-laverne-shirley-episodes-of-season-eight/), Cindy Williams (pregnant with her first child) filmed two shows in August, 1982 and then left the series. Williams left the show and filed a $20 million lawsuit against Paramount after they demanded Williams work on her scheduled due date (https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1798yjq/til_cindy_williams_left_laverne_shirley_because/). The case was later settled out of court and Williams was released from her contract. Penny Marshall was left (https://youtu.be/L3tRL-acE70?list=RDL3tRL-acE70) to carry the show on her own (https://popculturereferences.com/laverne-and-shirley-limped-off-the-air-with-no-shirley-and-a-halfhearted-carmine-spinoff-attempt/) in what would be their final season (https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/63671/laverne-shirley-eighth-final-season/). The show aired its (https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/laverne-shirley-finale-was-a-backdoor-pilot.html/) final episode (https://www.remindmagazine.com/article/39284/final-episode-of-laverne-shirley-what-happened/) on (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=283807) May 10, 1983 (http://www.tvtango.com/listings/1983/05/10).