Laverne & Shirley Boned the Fish When... - Page 2 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

king of comedy · 10-03-2015, 08:28 AM

Shirley and Carmine were meant to be.

burtnmary · 10-03-2015, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by king of comedy

Shirley and Carmine were meant to be.

YES!!!! Shirley, who was my favorite, although I loved Laverne too, was actually the shallow one, looking back now on the old episodes. Laverne was written as sort of the 'shallow' roommate, always chasing men, and just out for a good time. She was in the here and now. Shirley was painted as the prim and proper type, the one who always did good. The one who always was in search of an everlasting 'love'. Laverne, looking back, was the deeper person of the two. She saw into peoples' hearts. Shirley was always looking for that one 'type' of man...namely, a doctor. She was always wanting to find a 'better class' of man, yet, every time she thought she found a higher society man, they were usually the sleaziest. She had her true love right under her nose the whole time...Carmine. Carmine was ALWAYS there for her. I think Shirley, deep down, knew this, and did love Carmine. However, she was raised with the deep sense of finding someone 'better'. To Shirley's mother, rich and 'classy' men were 'better'. Shirley fought that all her life. In the end, she got what she 'wanted'. She let a good man get away. Having said all this, Shirley is still my favorite, though I LOVE LOVE LOVE Laverne too.

Crusinforabrusin · 08-05-2016, 09:55 AM

Laverne And Shirley boned the fish when they moved to California. The Milwaukee years of the show (1-5) are the best

lakesgirl · 08-05-2016, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crusinforabrusin

Laverne And Shirley boned the fish when they moved to California. The Milwaukee years of the show (1-5) are the best

ITA. When they moved to California, it just wasn't the same.

Crusinforabrusin · 08-05-2016, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lakesgirl

ITA. When they moved to California, it just wasn't the same.

The California years are not bad, they just aren't good as the Milwaukee years. What really ruined the show for me was when Cindy Williams and Michael McKean bailed and left the show. That's when I seriously quit watching it

Bonniegirl · 08-05-2016, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burtnmary

When Shirley left, most specifically, when she married an unknown person, rather than Carmine. They should have had her marry Carmine.

That would have been great if they got married!

ILuvCarolBurnett · 02-13-2017, 01:19 AM

Moving to California was a mistake. The idea wasn't in and of itself bad, it was the execution of the idea. I think adding the stuntman and Rhonda characters did nothing to help the show. AND, I think Big Rosie should have moved with them. Why she wasn't featured more was a shame.

Dr. Thong · 02-13-2017, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treky

when they moved to Calif. and half the town moved with them

Because that happens all the time in real life.

Once they left Milwaukee, it was never the same.

The working class midwestern town suited the characters. Once they moved to California, they were just two dizzy girls who were starstruck.

um · 03-08-2017, 09:03 PM

It just seems like a rite-of-passage for any TV show that lasts more than about four seasons to Jump The Shark. Usually, the characters just change before half a decade is over . It is essentially the right amount of time for things to get different just like in real life.
People get older, they move , they think differently about their friends etc.
Often for TV characters they change too much and are not the individuals who everyone liked or loved at the beginning

Goldeneye · 07-29-2017, 11:17 AM

I probably might get razzed for this viewpoint, but I think there were really four stages of when it jumped the shark, in this order...

1. Timeslot Musical Chairs in Season 5
2. Move to California after Season 5
3. Betty Garrett (Edna) leaving at the end of Season 6
4. Cindy Williams (Shirley) leaving early in Season 8

Granted, I don't think it should have gone to Stage 4 and wiser minds should have let Season 7 be the final season.

TMC · 05-06-2018, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goldeneye

I probably might get razzed for this viewpoint, but I think there were really four stages of when it jumped the shark, in this order...

1. Timeslot Musical Chairs in Season 5
2. Move to California after Season 5
3. Betty Garrett (Edna) leaving at the end of Season 6
4. Cindy Williams (Shirley) leaving early in Season 8

Granted, I don't think it should have gone to Stage 4 and wiser minds should have let Season 7 be the final season.

I'm sure that this has been asked before, but why wasn't the name of the show simply changed to Laverne when Cindy Williams left? It was awfully insulting to the audience's intelligence to try to pass things off as the same when there's a gigantic elephant in the room (namely, why the hell is it still called Laverne and Shirley when Shirley had left the building).

TV Guy · 05-06-2018, 08:12 AM

I agree that it was strange. I vaguely remember Penny Marshall saying she wanted to rename the show so it didn’t seem like they were trying to put one over on the audience, but ABC insisted on keeping the title as is.

It reminds me a little of when “Archie’s Place” was announced as the successor to “All in the Family” in the spring of 1979. And then during the summer - prior to the premiere - the show was renamed “Archie Bunker’s Place” because CBS was worried that we stupid viewers wouldn’t be able to make the connection without “Bunker” in the title. Same thing with “Laverne” - “Oh, that must not be related to ‘Laverne & Shirley’ at all! Even though it has the same time slot and cast members!”

Or when the ABC promos for the initial episodes of “Three’s a Crowd” used the “Three’s Company” instrumental theme, to help us morons could figure out that the shows were related.

um · 05-06-2018, 06:02 PM

It is a bit surprising to hear this. I stopped watching Laverne and Shirley before these major changes were made. I stopped watching a lot of TV shows before they did things like cut out a major character or put a new major character in or have certain characters make major changes such as move elsewhere or marry etc. I might have heard a bit about changes to be made with Laverne and Shirley at the time but I cannot recall now that I specifically was aware that the show would no longer have Shirley even though the original title will stay the same . I do recall reading that both Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall did not like doing the series anymore, especially Penny Marshall. So it is a bit surprising to hear now that Shirley was the one who was written out.

horizonbeach11 · 06-04-2018, 11:47 PM

Definitely the move to California. Laverne and Shirley were too old by then to be so silly and starstruck, and especially to act like they were in love with the Beatles. They were of the Dion and Elvis era, by the time the Beatles exploded onto the scene most women Laverne and Shirley's age had moved on from that sort of thing and were married with kids.

It might not have worked any better to keep them in Milwaukee and have Shirley marry Carmine and Laverne marry some Italian American truck driver type, but it couldn't have been any worse. Rhonda and Sonny added nothing to the show and Lenny and Squiggy in LA was just an awkward, fish out of water scenario.

Like others here have stated, I think Shirley and Carmine belonged together. I used to hate the Milwaukee episodes where one or both of them were dating someone else, it felt so sad, like you wanted to shake them and yell, "What are you doing?? Don't you see that "the One" is right here under your nose?!" Eddie Mekka and Cindy Williams had great chemistry, and they would have had cute, albeit short, kids.

TMC · 06-10-2018, 01:54 AM

Logo has now been airing the Season 8 episodes and I wonder if Penny Marshall could've successfully carried a show on her own? I think that she kind of needed Cindy Williams as a straight-woman/second banana (Laverne was more rough around the edges and dour while Shirley was more pesky and prissy) to her Laverne.

View Poll Results: Boned When...
Laverne without Shirley - Shirley leaves the show	14	38.89%
Moved to California - Show missed the working class edge	18	50.00%
Day 1	1	2.78%
"The Big Ragu" - The singing, dancing tough guy....OK	0	0%
Never Boned	3	8.33%
Voters: 36. You may not vote on this poll

08-05-2016, 09:55 AM	#18
Crusinforabrusin It's time to move on, Goodbye Senior Member Join Date: Dec 27, 2015 Posts: 2,056	Laverne And Shirley boned the fish when they moved to California. The Milwaukee years of the show (1-5) are the best
	__________________ I've enjoyed reading through all the threads and posting here throughout the years, but now is the perfect time to say goodbye and move on to other things.

10-03-2015, 08:28 AM	#16
king of comedy Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Aug 31, 2012 Location: New Jersey Posts: 5,140	Shirley and Carmine were meant to be.

02-13-2017, 01:19 AM	#22
ILuvCarolBurnett Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 20, 2014 Location: Beverly Hills CA Posts: 312	Moving to California was a mistake. The idea wasn't in and of itself bad, it was the execution of the idea. I think adding the stuntman and Rhonda characters did nothing to help the show. AND, I think Big Rosie should have moved with them. Why she wasn't featured more was a shame.

03-08-2017, 09:03 PM	#24
um Member Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 26, 2015 Posts: 906	It just seems like a rite-of-passage for any TV show that lasts more than about four seasons to Jump The Shark. Usually, the characters just change before half a decade is over . It is essentially the right amount of time for things to get different just like in real life. People get older, they move , they think differently about their friends etc. Often for TV characters they change too much and are not the individuals who everyone liked or loved at the beginning

07-29-2017, 11:17 AM	#25
Goldeneye Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jun 22, 2017 Posts: 34	I probably might get razzed for this viewpoint, but I think there were really four stages of when it jumped the shark, in this order... 1. Timeslot Musical Chairs in Season 5 2. Move to California after Season 5 3. Betty Garrett (Edna) leaving at the end of Season 6 4. Cindy Williams (Shirley) leaving early in Season 8 Granted, I don't think it should have gone to Stage 4 and wiser minds should have let Season 7 be the final season.

05-06-2018, 08:12 AM	#27
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,419	I agree that it was strange. I vaguely remember Penny Marshall saying she wanted to rename the show so it didn’t seem like they were trying to put one over on the audience, but ABC insisted on keeping the title as is. It reminds me a little of when “Archie’s Place” was announced as the successor to “All in the Family” in the spring of 1979. And then during the summer - prior to the premiere - the show was renamed “Archie Bunker’s Place” because CBS was worried that we stupid viewers wouldn’t be able to make the connection without “Bunker” in the title. Same thing with “Laverne” - “Oh, that must not be related to ‘Laverne & Shirley’ at all! Even though it has the same time slot and cast members!” Or when the ABC promos for the initial episodes of “Three’s a Crowd” used the “Three’s Company” instrumental theme, to help us morons could figure out that the shows were related.

05-06-2018, 06:02 PM	#28
um Member Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 26, 2015 Posts: 906	It is a bit surprising to hear this. I stopped watching Laverne and Shirley before these major changes were made. I stopped watching a lot of TV shows before they did things like cut out a major character or put a new major character in or have certain characters make major changes such as move elsewhere or marry etc. I might have heard a bit about changes to be made with Laverne and Shirley at the time but I cannot recall now that I specifically was aware that the show would no longer have Shirley even though the original title will stay the same . I do recall reading that both Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall did not like doing the series anymore, especially Penny Marshall. So it is a bit surprising to hear now that Shirley was the one who was written out.

06-04-2018, 11:47 PM	#29
horizonbeach11 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 05, 2018 Location: Inside a console TV Posts: 109	Definitely the move to California. Laverne and Shirley were too old by then to be so silly and starstruck, and especially to act like they were in love with the Beatles. They were of the Dion and Elvis era, by the time the Beatles exploded onto the scene most women Laverne and Shirley's age had moved on from that sort of thing and were married with kids. It might not have worked any better to keep them in Milwaukee and have Shirley marry Carmine and Laverne marry some Italian American truck driver type, but it couldn't have been any worse. Rhonda and Sonny added nothing to the show and Lenny and Squiggy in LA was just an awkward, fish out of water scenario. Like others here have stated, I think Shirley and Carmine belonged together. I used to hate the Milwaukee episodes where one or both of them were dating someone else, it felt so sad, like you wanted to shake them and yell, "What are you doing?? Don't you see that "the One" is right here under your nose?!" Eddie Mekka and Cindy Williams had great chemistry, and they would have had cute, albeit short, kids.

06-10-2018, 01:54 AM	#30
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,673	Logo has now been airing the Season 8 episodes and I wonder if Penny Marshall could've successfully carried a show on her own? I think that she kind of needed Cindy Williams as a straight-woman/second banana (Laverne was more rough around the edges and dour while Shirley was more pesky and prissy) to her Laverne.