On This Date in 1983: 'Laverne & Shirley' Mercifully Ended Its TV Run - Page 3 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Duster76 · 02-09-2023, 03:28 PM

I wrote a piece on this 5 years ago, I'm not so sure the final episode was a back door pilot, it may have crossed Garry Marshall's mind but I don't ABC would have greenlighted the idea. Garry may have decided to go with it anyhow as an interesting way to wind up the series.

The episode of course is somewhat anticlimactic to begin with, Penny Marshall could almost be listed as special guest appearance by, in spite of being the star. The show is devoid of Shirley, Lenny, Squiggy, Edna, basically a ghost ship pulling into port. What we are left with is Carmine.

As we head off to New York with Carmine, what we see as the rest of the episode unfolds is not a start, but the conclusion of Carmine's story. He is in fact an instant success making friends, getting a part in a landmark Broadway play, finding an apartment (not exactly the Ritz but it's a start) and the episode closes with a big musical number. The only new character introduced is played by Ben Powers (with all due respect a career supporting actor). I always thought of Carmine as a low rent Fonzie, the character wasn't interesting enough, and actor playing him (Eddie Mekka) lacked the charisma to take the character to the next level. It's hard to imagine anyone would have seriously considered this character or the actor playing him as having the potential for a spin off series.
The musical number performed at the end of the show was Aquarius, it was almost symbolic in a way, a farewell to the era that the series covered by welcoming in a new era.

biffbronson · 02-09-2023, 03:39 PM

I haven't seen that episode in some years.

Is it possible that Marshall earlier had produced a Carmine pilot that didn't sell, and decided to toss it in -- or partial footage from it -- for the finale of L & S, since the series was ending anyway?

If so, it's a different case from a back-door pilot produced in hopes it would be picked up for a new series -- it would be just mopping up with a rejected film already in the can.

Dr. Thong · 02-09-2023, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMC

The last episode was essentially a backdoor pilot for a Carmine centered spin-off:

Before the cancellation, Penny Marshall was offered one more season by the network. I think she realized the show was creatively dead and there was a skeleton crew of a cast left (Betty Garrett, Cindy Williams, & Michael McKean having all departed by this point).

I imagine all the backstage drama had probably burned Penny out as well.

The series went out with a whimper, not a grand finale, so it's just as well the show ended.

James28 · 05-31-2023, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andress_jade

Yes, Penny Marshall mentioned it in an interview. She said that she would only do a 9th season if the show would have moved to New York. Since they didn't want to invest in that, the show was canceled. Penny Marshall was happy with that decision though because she really didn't even want to do an 8th season, which she was bullied into doing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Thong

Before the cancellation, Penny Marshall was offered one more season by the network. I think she realized the show was creatively dead and there was a skeleton crew of a cast left (Betty Garrett, Cindy Williams, & Michael McKean having all departed by this point).

I imagine all the backstage drama had probably burned Penny out as well.

The series went out with a whimper, not a grand finale, so it's just as well the show ended.

So in other words, Laverne & Shirley was deadlocked out of a proper sendoff by ABC.

TMC · 06-01-2023, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James28

So in other words, Laverne & Shirley was deadlocked out of a proper sendoff by ABC.

I wonder if there was ever any consideration to bring any one of the Laverne & Shirley cast members over to Happy Days as a means of providing that show some proper closure? Granted, I don't know how that would've worked considering that Laverne & Shirley was by the end of its run, located in California while Happy Days was still set in Wisconsin. But still, Happy Days did last one more year after Laverne & Shirley mercifully ended.

TMC · 07-07-2024, 04:41 AM

Quote:

It all comes down to this. When Frank and Rhonda realize that Carmine has broken up with his girlfriend, turned off his utilities, and quit his job they fear the worst. But Carmine confesses to them that he's decided to leave California for busier pastures; the isle of Manhattan and the chance to be on Broadway. With the support of his friends and all of Laverne's waterbed money, he heads for New York. There, he auditions for a new musical called "Hair" and meets Rick West, a wise, quick-talking, but still struggling and unemployed fellow actor who becomes a fast friend. The two make it to the callbacks, but will they overcome the jitters and get a chance to join the Age of Aquarius?!

On pod, we talk the strangely unLaverne & Shirley finale to Laverne & Shirley, the folks behind and in front of the camera, and reflect on the time spent over 3 and a half years reviewing all 178 episodes of the show.

24/7 reruns · 07-07-2024, 10:04 AM

What an odd ending. Was this to be a spin off? The show should have ended with Shirley announcing that she's pregnant and moves away.

TVFactFan · 07-07-2024, 02:02 PM

The ranking for that Finale below

Dude111 · 07-07-2024, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

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

Yes it was very sad.......... This was a good show!!! (Still IS in my opinion)

24/7 reruns · 07-07-2024, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dude111

Yes it was very sad.......... This was a good show!!! (Still IS in my opinion)

I agree it was a good show for the first 5 seasons. Moving to California really didn't work well.

Dude111 · 07-07-2024, 06:35 PM

Ya I suppose thats why it ended.....

James28 · 02-17-2026, 03:56 PM

Earlier today, over at this thread, I posted a breakdown of the ratings for the final original airings of Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley for the 1982-83 broadcast season in comparison to those of The A-Team. According to TVTango, L&S's penultimate episode, "Councilman DeFazio", had an 11.3 household rating and 18 share, and a previous post by TVFactFan, the final-ever episode, "Here Today, Hair Tomorrow", had an 11.4 rating and 19 share. This had me remarking that Laverne & Shirley died on a series low.

Who else wishes the "Councilman DeFazio" and "Here Today, Hair Tomorrow" episodes had been swapped out in favor of a one-hour farewell episode on May 10, 1983, however cliched it would have been? I'm not sure if the timing of Cindy Williams's pregnancy and childbirth would prevent her from returning for any such hypothetical series finale. According to the Laverne & Shirley Production Guide, the eighth season of L&S wrapped production on December 13, 1982, with "How's Your Sister?" (which aired March 1, 1983). Given that L&S's average rating for 1982-83 was a 17.8, would any real/proper series finale for L&S have beaten The A-Team's first season finale (which had an 18.8 rating and 32 share)?

NDHappyDaysFan · 02-17-2026, 05:17 PM

At a minimum, Laverne should have gotten a happy ending by the last episode... the whole theme song is "Making our dreams come true" and Shirley got hers by getting married earlier that season. Laverne deserved something too.

Dr. Thong · 02-17-2026, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James28

Earlier today, over at this thread, I posted a breakdown of the ratings for the final original airings of Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley for the 1982-83 broadcast season in comparison to those of The A-Team. According to TVTango, L&S's penultimate episode, "Councilman DeFazio", had an 11.3 household rating and 18 share, and a previous post by TVFactFan, the final-ever episode, "Here Today, Hair Tomorrow", had an 11.4 rating and 19 share. This had me remarking that Laverne & Shirley died on a series low.

Who else wishes the "Councilman DeFazio" and "Here Today, Hair Tomorrow" episodes had been swapped out in favor of a one-hour farewell episode on May 10, 1983, however cliched it would have been? I'm not sure if the timing of Cindy Williams's pregnancy and childbirth would prevent her from returning for any such hypothetical series finale. According to the Laverne & Shirley Production Guide, the eighth season of L&S wrapped production on December 13, 1982, with "How's Your Sister?" (which aired March 1, 1983). Given that L&S's average rating for 1982-83 was a 17.8, would any real/proper series finale for L&S have beaten The A-Team's first season finale (which had an 18.8 rating and 32 share)?

Even if Cindy Williams' pregnancy situation allowed for it, it's doubtful she would have returned, much less been asked to. The very public war between Cindy and the studio would likely have had the studio standing firm and not having her back. They probably would have wanted to make an example of her for publicly airing her side of the feud.

Of course, this is all speculation on my part, but given the way studios treated women who spoke out and stood up for themselves (remember the Suzanne Somers thing from a couple of years prior to this?), I don't think it's an implausible scenario.

James28 · 02-18-2026, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Thong

Even if Cindy Williams' pregnancy situation allowed for it, it's doubtful she would have returned, much less been asked to. The very public war between Cindy and the studio would likely have had the studio standing firm and not having her back. They probably would have wanted to make an example of her for publicly airing her side of the feud.

Of course, this is all speculation on my part, but given the way studios treated women who spoke out and stood up for themselves (remember the Suzanne Somers thing from a couple of years prior to this?), I don't think it's an implausible scenario.

Just another reason why I see Laverne & Shirley being cancelled with no real finale like Happy Days did the following year as "deadlock" (the first reason being ABC turning down Penny Marshall's request to move production of L&S to New York for a season 9).

If I had been an agent for Cindy Williams during that time, I would have just strong-armed Paramount Television into letting her return for any hypothetical series finale for L&S after she gave birth no matter what, not seeing any point in caring about the producers' behavior towards Ms. Williams.

Plus, when did American television start getting past this type of poor treatment of female main-cast members?

07-07-2024, 02:02 PM	#38
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 98,955	The ranking for that Finale below Attached Images

02-09-2023, 03:28 PM	#31
Duster76 Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 01, 2008 Location: New jersey Posts: 1,639	I wrote a piece on this 5 years ago, I'm not so sure the final episode was a back door pilot, it may have crossed Garry Marshall's mind but I don't ABC would have greenlighted the idea. Garry may have decided to go with it anyhow as an interesting way to wind up the series. The episode of course is somewhat anticlimactic to begin with, Penny Marshall could almost be listed as special guest appearance by, in spite of being the star. The show is devoid of Shirley, Lenny, Squiggy, Edna, basically a ghost ship pulling into port. What we are left with is Carmine. As we head off to New York with Carmine, what we see as the rest of the episode unfolds is not a start, but the conclusion of Carmine's story. He is in fact an instant success making friends, getting a part in a landmark Broadway play, finding an apartment (not exactly the Ritz but it's a start) and the episode closes with a big musical number. The only new character introduced is played by Ben Powers (with all due respect a career supporting actor). I always thought of Carmine as a low rent Fonzie, the character wasn't interesting enough, and actor playing him (Eddie Mekka) lacked the charisma to take the character to the next level. It's hard to imagine anyone would have seriously considered this character or the actor playing him as having the potential for a spin off series. The musical number performed at the end of the show was Aquarius, it was almost symbolic in a way, a farewell to the era that the series covered by welcoming in a new era.

02-09-2023, 03:39 PM	#32
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,281	I haven't seen that episode in some years. Is it possible that Marshall earlier had produced a Carmine pilot that didn't sell, and decided to toss it in -- or partial footage from it -- for the finale of L & S, since the series was ending anyway? If so, it's a different case from a back-door pilot produced in hopes it would be picked up for a new series -- it would be just mopping up with a rejected film already in the can.

07-07-2024, 10:04 AM	#37
24/7 reruns Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 10, 2022 Location: New York Posts: 1,468	What an odd ending. Was this to be a spin off? The show should have ended with Shirley announcing that she's pregnant and moves away.

07-07-2024, 06:35 PM	#41
Dude111 Forum Legend Join Date: Nov 05, 2013 Posts: 35,386	Ya I suppose thats why it ended.....

02-17-2026, 03:56 PM	#42
James28 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 14, 2007 Posts: 3,967	Earlier today, over at this thread, I posted a breakdown of the ratings for the final original airings of Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley for the 1982-83 broadcast season in comparison to those of The A-Team. According to TVTango, L&S's penultimate episode, "Councilman DeFazio", had an 11.3 household rating and 18 share, and a previous post by TVFactFan, the final-ever episode, "Here Today, Hair Tomorrow", had an 11.4 rating and 19 share. This had me remarking that Laverne & Shirley died on a series low. Who else wishes the "Councilman DeFazio" and "Here Today, Hair Tomorrow" episodes had been swapped out in favor of a one-hour farewell episode on May 10, 1983, however cliched it would have been? I'm not sure if the timing of Cindy Williams's pregnancy and childbirth would prevent her from returning for any such hypothetical series finale. According to the Laverne & Shirley Production Guide, the eighth season of L&S wrapped production on December 13, 1982, with "How's Your Sister?" (which aired March 1, 1983). Given that L&S's average rating for 1982-83 was a 17.8, would any real/proper series finale for L&S have beaten The A-Team's first season finale (which had an 18.8 rating and 32 share)?

02-17-2026, 05:17 PM	#43
NDHappyDaysFan Member Occasional Poster Join Date: May 01, 2011 Location: North Dakota Posts: 15	At a minimum, Laverne should have gotten a happy ending by the last episode... the whole theme song is "Making our dreams come true" and Shirley got hers by getting married earlier that season. Laverne deserved something too.