On This Date in 1983: 'Laverne & Shirley' Mercifully Ended Its TV Run

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by James28

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?

Happy Days did have a finale

[TJ]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

Happy Days did have a finale

You are misunderstanding what he said. He said "with no real finale like Happy Days did". He knows Happy Days had a real finale. He didn't mean to imply Happy Days meeting the same fate as Laverne & Shirley.

[Dr. Thong]

Originally Posted by James28

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).

The series' final episode wasn't even a series finale. It was a back door pilot for a Carmine Ragusa spinoff that obviously didn't happen.

I heard that ABC wanted Penny Marshall to do a 9th season, but that she demanded the series change locale or that she flat out refused, citing burnout from the 8th season.

Whatever the case, Laverne & Shirley went out with a whimper, not a bang. I think once the show relocated to California, it was the beginning of the end.

[Duster76]

Originally Posted by Dr. Thong

The series' final episode wasn't even a series finale. It was a back door pilot for a Carmine Ragusa spinoff that obviously didn't happen.

I heard that ABC wanted Penny Marshall to do a 9th season, but that she demanded the series change locale or that she flat out refused, citing burnout from the 8th season.

Whatever the case, Laverne & Shirley went out with a whimper, not a bang. I think once the show relocated to California, it was the beginning of the end.

In looking at the Carmine episode it could be considered a final episode as opposed to a backdoor pilot. There may have been a treatment, maybe even a specs script but I doubt the network would have ever greenlighted a pilot. This is the early 80's, Carmine had been around since the show's inception he was not a breakout character in any sense of the word, I always considered him a Fonzie wannabe. The episode itself doesn't play like a pilot, Carmine went to New York, and immediately made his dreams come true. He found an apartment, made friends, and got a job in a landmark Broadway production. Also, at the end Carmine and the some of the other dancers he made friends with perform "Age of Aquarius", which might be interpreted as a farewell to the era the series had represented, the late 50's and 60's, what's the line from the song, "this is the dawning of the age of Aquarius".

With respect to the 9th season, I can't believe ABC wanted to do a 9th season. I don't know how many times over the years I've read claims that the network was interested in renewing an obviously fading series. Dick Van Dyke claimed CBS wanted to renew The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Carol Burnett claimed she was the one who decided to end her series, CBS wanted another year, Elizabeth Montgomery claimed ABC wanted another season of Bewitched. The series was a ghost ship coming into port, no Shirley, no Edna, almost no Lenny, no Milwaukee, the heart and soul of the series had been ripped out of it, what sense would it make. Penny Marshall was approaching 40, the series was in desperate need of a major redesign with new characters and a reimagined premise, I can't imagine the network having any interest in doing another year.

[Dr. Thong]

Originally Posted by Duster76

In looking at the Carmine episode it could be considered a final episode as opposed to a backdoor pilot. There may have been a treatment, maybe even a specs script but I doubt the network would have ever greenlighted a pilot. This is the early 80's, Carmine had been around since the show's inception he was not a breakout character in any sense of the word, I always considered him a Fonzie wannabe. The episode itself doesn't play like a pilot, Carmine went to New York, and immediately made his dreams come true. He found an apartment, made friends, and got a job in a landmark Broadway production. Also, at the end Carmine and the some of the other dancers he made friends with perform "Age of Aquarius", which might be interpreted as a farewell to the era the series had represented, the late 50's and 60's, what's the line from the song, "this is the dawning of the age of Aquarius".

With respect to the 9th season, I can't believe ABC wanted to do a 9th season. I don't know how many times over the years I've read claims that the network was interested in renewing an obviously fading series. Dick Van Dyke claimed CBS wanted to renew The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Carol Burnett claimed she was the one who decided to end her series, CBS wanted another year, Elizabeth Montgomery claimed ABC wanted another season of Bewitched. The series was a ghost ship coming into port, no Shirley, no Edna, almost no Lenny, no Milwaukee, the heart and soul of the series had been ripped out of it, what sense would it make. Penny Marshall was approaching 40, the series was in desperate need of a major redesign with new characters and a reimagined premise, I can't imagine the network having any interest in doing another year.

You're probably right. Penny Marshall might have said what she said out of ego. Season 8 was painful enough, one more probably wouldn't have made it past 13 episodes before cancellation.

[James28]

Originally Posted by Duster76

With respect to the 9th season, I can't believe ABC wanted to do a 9th season. I don't know how many times over the years I've read claims that the network was interested in renewing an obviously fading series. Dick Van Dyke claimed CBS wanted to renew The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Carol Burnett claimed she was the one who decided to end her series, CBS wanted another year, Elizabeth Montgomery claimed ABC wanted another season of Bewitched. The series was a ghost ship coming into port, no Shirley, no Edna, almost no Lenny, no Milwaukee, the heart and soul of the series had been ripped out of it, what sense would it make. Penny Marshall was approaching 40, the series was in desperate need of a major redesign with new characters and a reimagined premise, I can't imagine the network having any interest in doing another year.

What there should also be disbelief over is Laverne & Shirley and Happy Days still ranking in the Year-End Nielsen Top 30 for the 1982-83 broadcast season at all (L&S ranked at #25 with a 17.8 rating, and HD ranked at #28 with a 17.4 rating), despite Laverne & Shirley hitting an even worse series low than Happy Days after The A-Team premiered (if we're only counting original airings).

Plus, as someone who is terrible at fan fiction, what would be your idea of a real/proper series finale episode for Laverne & Shirley? (it can be with or without Shirley.)

[Duster76]

Originally Posted by James28

What there should also be disbelief over is Laverne & Shirley and Happy Days still ranking in the Year-End Nielsen Top 30 for the 1982-83 broadcast season at all (L&S ranked at #25 with a 17.8 rating, and HD ranked at #28 with a 17.4 rating), despite Laverne & Shirley hitting an even worse series low than Happy Days after The A-Team premiered (if we're only counting original airings).

Plus, as someone who is terrible at fan fiction, what would be your idea of a real/proper series finale episode for Laverne & Shirley? (it can be with or without Shirley.)

Let me think about the second part of your comments, and deal with the first part. While it is true the series finished in the top 30, the devil as they say is in the detail. The annual numbers can be a bit misleading, the week to week numbers are much more important. This is particularly true when evaluating a new series or an older series. Remember, renewing a show means investing in the future performance of the show.

Laverne and Shirley got off to a good start with several of the episodes finishing in the top 10. However things started to change as the season carried on. The 8th episode of the season finished in 12th place, this was the week of 12/5, at this point 14 episodes remained and The A Team was still a month off. Only one episode would rank as high as 12 for the remainder of the season. In fact out of the 14 remaining episodes 6 would finish below the top 40! That includes 5 out of the last 8. So the show was not only trending downward but it needed a new title and a major infusion of characters and a reimagined premise. There were too many issues to deal with and the likelihood of getting the series moving in the right direction was pretty slim. The network decision makes sense, keeping the show would have made no sense.

[Dr. Thong]

Originally Posted by Duster76

Let me think about the second part of your comments, and deal with the first part. While it is true the series finished in the top 30, the devil as they say is in the detail. The annual numbers can be a bit misleading, the week to week numbers are much more important. This is particularly true when evaluating a new series or an older series. Remember, renewing a show means investing in the future performance of the show.

Laverne and Shirley got off to a good start with several of the episodes finishing in the top 10. However things started to change as the season carried on. The 8th episode of the season finished in 12th place, this was the week of 12/5, at this point 14 episodes remained and The A Team was still a month off. Only one episode would rank as high as 12 for the remainder of the season. In fact out of the 14 remaining episodes 6 would finish below the top 40! That includes 5 out of the last 8. So the show was not only trending downward but it needed a new title and a major infusion of characters and a reimagined premise. There were too many issues to deal with and the likelihood of getting the series moving in the right direction was pretty slim. The network decision makes sense, keeping the show would have made no sense.

Good analysis.

L&S was long past its expiration date -- it was time for it to end.

[CJMD03]

Man, this show tanked.