First Season was the best - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Retro Vic · 11-06-2019, 09:10 PM

Have to say after watching all seasons of Alice, first was the best. There were some good episodes in later seasons, but few and far between. Also the original Alice theme song was great. All of the subsequent moaning rehashes by Linda were really terrible, oh & BTW, she should have stayed with her hair & look from season 1, the chopped off hair of “The NEW Alice” absolutely god awful. I am also a fan of the Alice doesn’t live here anymore movie, & season 1 sticks closest to the movie concept of Alice in my opinion.

Wawwie · 11-06-2019, 10:59 PM

The seasons with Flo were the best.
Belle stunk.
Jolene was OK.

Flo seasons were the best seasons.

rcbrad · 11-07-2019, 10:02 PM

Yes, I agree the first season overall was the best and my favorite. I do not think that Linda was happy with the direction of the show and some of the scripts. New producers were brought in after season one. Once Flo left it was becoming worse and worse as each season passed. As much as I loved the show and watched during it's original run, I kind of lost interest for the most part after season 5. It's funny that I also agree with the first season theme being the best and I hated her short hair. I do like the season 4 version of the theme as my second favorite.

Kasey · 11-17-2019, 11:00 AM

Although S1 had some great episodes and I prefer it over S2, I think the Third Season is when the show really clicked. I do agree that the First Season theme was the best of all the versions.

Wawwie · 11-17-2019, 03:53 PM

Let's face it.... Linda Lavin wrecked the show. It is all her fault that Flo (Polly Holliday) left.... all because Linda was jealous. She also ruined things when she cut her hair short and unflattering. Mel (Vic Tayback) was gold. He was really the star of the show IMO. Vera (Beth Howland) was great too, but the best seasons were definitely with Flo. Linda Lavin wrecked that... as "Mel" would say...... "she's a dumb broad!"

Mood Ring · 04-16-2020, 02:50 PM

Yes, the first season was great.

Same goes for Happy Days, MASH, Charlie's Angels, All In The Family, Maude, Welcome Back Kotter, etc.

TV Guy · 04-24-2020, 12:22 PM

Also agree about the first season being the best. There was some turnover in the production team at the beginning of the second season, and they finally settled on Bob Carroll and Madelyn Davis of “I Love Lucy” fame. Their style of comedy was dated by the late 70s. That’s when we got episodes with Alice singing, or Alice dressing up as other characters, or has-been guest stars playing themselves (“George Burns, what are you doing in Phoenix?”).

Mood Ring · 04-24-2020, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TV Guy

Also agree about the first season being the best. There was some turnover in the production team at the beginning of the second season, and they finally settled on Bob Carroll and Madelyn Davis of “I Love Lucy” fame. Their style of comedy was dated by the late 70s. That’s when we got episodes with Alice singing, or Alice dressing up as other characters, or has-been guest stars playing themselves (“George Burns, what are you doing in Phoenix?”).

I loved the George Burns episode. The squinting back and forth scene was funny as hell!

sm95fan · 08-19-2025, 10:50 PM

Actually I liked S1 the least,

I would order them 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 8, 9, 1

weldonballou · 08-22-2025, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sm95fan

Actually I liked S1 the least,

I would order them 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 8, 9, 1

Season 1 was too depressing and Lear-esque. People were sick of that by then so it was back to the Lucy formula which only showed that the sitcom industry had run out of ideas until the new comedy wave arrived in the mid 1980s

BestTVever · 08-22-2025, 03:30 AM

Alice was a great sitcom. In most great sitcoms the first season is great but the next 2 get even better when the actors really grasp their characters and it all jells together better. Think about it: All In The Family, Roseanne, Threes Company, Golden Girls, etc. They all had terrific first seasons. However they got better over the next 2 years. Most sitcoms start to decline after season 4. Alice had a character change which made it even more dramatic.

FredScuttle · 10-25-2025, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BestTVever

Alice was a great sitcom. In most great sitcoms the first season is great but the next 2 get even better when the actors really grasp their characters and it all jells together better.

most of my favorite episodes and from the 2nd and 3rd season.

TheLittleFaerie · 11-06-2025, 12:03 AM

The early seasons were more true to life and seemed to mirror the movie it was made from more. They delved into issues like homosexuality, bigotry, suicide, etc.... the later seasons became like a cartoon, dealing with issues like robot waitresses and UFOs lol

BestTVever · 11-06-2025, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheLittleFaerie

The early seasons were more true to life and seemed to mirror the movie it was made from more. They delved into issues like homosexuality, bigotry, suicide, etc.... the later seasons became like a cartoon, dealing with issues like robot waitresses and UFOs lol

Yes. The first 4 seasons were excellent. It still was good when Flo left but she left just as most sitcoms start their decline after season 4.

Dude111 · 11-06-2025, 07:41 PM

I find most shows are BEST in thier first season...

11-06-2019, 09:10 PM	#1
Retro Vic >-\|-< \ /ANTENNA TV\ / >-\|-< Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 13, 2011 Location: Missouri Posts: 369	First Season was the best Have to say after watching all seasons of Alice, first was the best. There were some good episodes in later seasons, but few and far between. Also the original Alice theme song was great. All of the subsequent moaning rehashes by Linda were really terrible, oh & BTW, she should have stayed with her hair & look from season 1, the chopped off hair of “The NEW Alice” absolutely god awful. I am also a fan of the Alice doesn’t live here anymore movie, & season 1 sticks closest to the movie concept of Alice in my opinion.
	__________________ Joy for what was....... Sadness for what is. Last edited by Retro Vic; 11-06-2019 at 10:12 PM.

11-06-2019, 10:59 PM	#2
Wawwie Member Forum Star Join Date: Jul 26, 2006 Location: New York Posts: 14,376	The seasons with Flo were the best. Belle stunk. Jolene was OK. Flo seasons were the best seasons.

11-07-2019, 10:02 PM	#3
rcbrad Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 21, 2007 Posts: 479	Yes, I agree the first season overall was the best and my favorite. I do not think that Linda was happy with the direction of the show and some of the scripts. New producers were brought in after season one. Once Flo left it was becoming worse and worse as each season passed. As much as I loved the show and watched during it's original run, I kind of lost interest for the most part after season 5. It's funny that I also agree with the first season theme being the best and I hated her short hair. I do like the season 4 version of the theme as my second favorite.

11-17-2019, 11:00 AM	#4
Kasey Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 22, 2004 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,143	Although S1 had some great episodes and I prefer it over S2, I think the Third Season is when the show really clicked. I do agree that the First Season theme was the best of all the versions.

11-17-2019, 03:53 PM	#5
Wawwie Member Forum Star Join Date: Jul 26, 2006 Location: New York Posts: 14,376	Let's face it.... Linda Lavin wrecked the show. It is all her fault that Flo (Polly Holliday) left.... all because Linda was jealous. She also ruined things when she cut her hair short and unflattering. Mel (Vic Tayback) was gold. He was really the star of the show IMO. Vera (Beth Howland) was great too, but the best seasons were definitely with Flo. Linda Lavin wrecked that... as "Mel" would say...... "she's a dumb broad!"

04-16-2020, 02:50 PM	#6
Mood Ring Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Aug 28, 2014 Location: East coast Posts: 468	Yes, the first season was great. Same goes for Happy Days, MASH, Charlie's Angels, All In The Family, Maude, Welcome Back Kotter, etc.

04-24-2020, 12:22 PM	#7
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,419	Also agree about the first season being the best. There was some turnover in the production team at the beginning of the second season, and they finally settled on Bob Carroll and Madelyn Davis of “I Love Lucy” fame. Their style of comedy was dated by the late 70s. That’s when we got episodes with Alice singing, or Alice dressing up as other characters, or has-been guest stars playing themselves (“George Burns, what are you doing in Phoenix?”).

08-19-2025, 10:50 PM	#9
sm95fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 07, 2021 Location: Las Lunas Posts: 1,880	Actually I liked S1 the least, I would order them 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 8, 9, 1

08-22-2025, 03:30 AM	#11
BestTVever Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 29, 2021 Location: Miami Posts: 1,874	Alice was a great sitcom. In most great sitcoms the first season is great but the next 2 get even better when the actors really grasp their characters and it all jells together better. Think about it: All In The Family, Roseanne, Threes Company, Golden Girls, etc. They all had terrific first seasons. However they got better over the next 2 years. Most sitcoms start to decline after season 4. Alice had a character change which made it even more dramatic.

11-06-2025, 12:03 AM	#13
TheLittleFaerie Member Senior Member Join Date: Oct 15, 2017 Posts: 1,938	The early seasons were more true to life and seemed to mirror the movie it was made from more. They delved into issues like homosexuality, bigotry, suicide, etc.... the later seasons became like a cartoon, dealing with issues like robot waitresses and UFOs lol

11-06-2025, 07:41 PM	#15
Dude111 Forum Legend Join Date: Nov 05, 2013 Posts: 35,386	I find most shows are BEST in thier first season...