Why did L and S move to California? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

jeffersonsfan · 10-27-2005, 07:56 PM

I never could understand why the ladies left Milwaukee for La La Land. The show was never the same. Why do producers screw with a hit show's format?

If it isn't broke, don't fix it!

shotzette · 10-28-2005, 05:22 PM

Unfortunately, it was broken. The ratings had declined, and when season 6 rolled around, Garry Marshall elected to once again "jump the shark" by moving the entire cast to Burbank. I guess they figured that they would have more story ideas by putting the gang near the weirdness that was Hollywood in the mid sixties, since they'd exhausted their late 50's/early 60's storylines.

It worked a bit for season 6with the girls being the ultimate "fish out of water", but by season 7, they were once again scrounging for ideas. In all fairness, I think everyone, TBTB, the writers, directors, and actors; were all just phoning it in at that point.

I really wish they'd taken the show off of the air a season or two earlier and given the fans a real ending, with closure; rather than just limp along to cancelation in season 8. Too sad.

Shotzette

TVFactFan · 10-28-2005, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffersonsfan

I never could understand why the ladies left Milwaukee for La La Land. The show was never the same. Why do producers screw with a hit show's format?

If it isn't broke, don't fix it!

If you are asking why the characters moved to CA it was because they lost their jobs at the Beer place and decided to move West to explore other job opportunities. Now if you are asking why the setting of the show changed, I would guess that it was because when season 6 started, that was the beginning of a new decade and maybe they felt it was time for a change.

treky · 10-30-2005, 01:13 AM

the show probably wouldn't have "jumped the shark" when they did that if they didn't have half the city move with them!!

shotzette · 10-30-2005, 06:53 PM

I totally agree with you, Treky.

They had a decent reason to relocate Frank and Edna (opening a franchise restaurant--good business opportunity) but much less so with Lenny and Squiggy, and close to nil with Carmine.

Did anyone else find the character of Sonny (Laverne & Shirley's landlord and Laverne's love interest during season 6) sort of "Carmine-lite"? The characters were pretty similiar, and I always wondered if they used Ed Marinaro to leverage Eddie Mekka into staying. It was sort of interesting that after Carmine moved to CA, Sonny only stayed for a handful of episodes.

Then again, who could blame Ed Marinaro for jumping ship and going to "Hill Street Blues"?

Shotzette

jehobden · 10-31-2005, 09:01 PM

I remember a magazine article at the time stating that the show and the characters had gotten into a "Milwaukee Rut", so the show changed locations. It also skipped forward in time a few years, I think, since L&S was generally on the same 18-year time lag (between time when eps were set and actual year) that Happy Days was on, yet the 1980-81 eps had them in the opening credits w/ a banner saying "Happy New Year - 1965", and that banner changed to 1966 and 1967 in the last two seasons. I guess the show wanted to move forward in time to the post-Beatles timeframe, as the gals dragged their cardboard life-size poster of The Beatles into their LA apt.

BTW, a friend of mine, who's a Milwaukee native as well as still a resident there, has said that Garry Marshall has done more damage to Milwaukee than Jeffrey Dahmer! (Ouch, that's harsh!) I guess he didn't mind seeing L&S leave Milwaukee for LA at all.

robyrob · 11-06-2005, 09:51 AM

lagging ratings? - hey, lets just toss in some wacky, poorly-thought-out irreversible scenario that completely changes the entire premise of the show!!!

megamanj2004 · 11-07-2005, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffersonsfan

I never could understand why the ladies left Milwaukee for La La Land. The show was never the same. Why do producers screw with a hit show's format?

If it isn't broke, don't fix it!

And that's why all of Garry Marshall's post-Odd Couple shows JTS big time:

Happy Days: When Ron Howard and Donny Most left the show around 1980 or so.

Laverne and Shirley: This show jumped twice w/in the same setting. First off, the move from Milwaukee to LA, and the biggest jump off all was when Cindy Williams got pregnant and went on maternity leave, that left Penny Marshall almost completely alone and that season was really grating on many people!

Mork and Mindy: Probably when the birth of Mearth and when Mork and Mindy got married.

Joanie Loves Chachi: DAY FRICKIN' ONE!!! I don't know how Scott Baio can even sing, let alone even getting his start from this crapfest!

jeffersonsfan · 11-07-2005, 07:30 PM

Agree with you about Joanie Loves Chachi. Major mistake.

TVFactFan · 11-07-2005, 07:33 PM

Joanie Loves Chachi was MUCH MUCH better than Mork and Mindy

shotzette · 11-07-2005, 08:11 PM

JLC was truly one of the weakest links in the Happy Days pantheon. You know it's bad when even Garry Marshall wasn't truly on board with it. In his book, he stated that he knew he was in trouble when he started counting the ceiling tiles while on the JLC set.

Oddly enough, even though the show was mediocre at best, the trends of what people liked and didn't like had changed so much that even if the show had been good; no one was really up for another HD spinoff.

Then again, "Blanksy's Beauties" and "Out of the Blue" never got beyond their 2nd or 3rd episodes before they were cancelled.

Shotzette

TVFactFan · 11-07-2005, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shotzette

JLC was truly one of the weakest links in the Happy Days pantheon. You know it's bad when even Garry Marshall wasn't truly on board with it. In his book, he stated that he knew he was in trouble when he started counting the ceiling tiles while on the JLC set.

Oddly enough, even though the show was mediocre at best, the trends of what people liked and didn't like had changed so much that even if the show had been good; no one was really up for another HD spinoff.

Then again, "Blanksy's Beauties" and "Out of the Blue" never got beyond their 2nd or 3rd episodes before they were cancelled.

Shotzette

I'm still trying to find a episode of Blansky Beauties

robyrob · 11-08-2005, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetroTVCollector

Joanie Loves Chachi was MUCH MUCH better than Mork and Mindy

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetroTVCollector

I'm still trying to find a episode of Blansky Beauties

you'll be soooo-rry...

TVFactFan · 11-08-2005, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robyrob

you'll be soooo-rry...

It would be a good show to have since I'm a Tv Trader. If i found I don't think I would watch it.

seventies_sitcoms · 11-08-2005, 01:11 PM

L&S moving to L.A. has to be the worst "jump the shark" movement in history. Having them live in an apartment building of Hollywood hopefuls also didn't help. I swear the L.A. apartment is the set of Three and a Half Men.

I hated the L.A. years. They were annoying. If the show lasted into the year 1969 L&S could've been Helter Skelter victims of Charles Manson. That could've been a final episode.

Nah! Make that Rhonda Lee and the stunt guy upstairs.

10-27-2005, 07:56 PM	#1
jeffersonsfan Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 19, 2005 Posts: 101	Why did L and S move to California? I never could understand why the ladies left Milwaukee for La La Land. The show was never the same. Why do producers screw with a hit show's format? If it isn't broke, don't fix it!

10-30-2005, 01:13 AM	#4
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	the show probably wouldn't have "jumped the shark" when they did that if they didn't have half the city move with them!!
	__________________ the Clampetts are in a fancy Beverly Hills jewelry store. Granny points to a tray of rubies. Granny: "How much fer one o' them red diamonds?" clerk: "Madam, those are rubies." Granny: "OK ask her kin we buy one offa her." clerk: " The ruby I am talking about is not a lady." Granny: "Lissen, how she got them diamonds is her business. I'm just sayin' ask her kin we buy one from her."

11-06-2005, 09:51 AM	#7
robyrob certified wackball#3 Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Aug 03, 2003 Location: hiding under the third booth at Arnold's Posts: 58,189	lagging ratings? - hey, lets just toss in some wacky, poorly-thought-out irreversible scenario that completely changes the entire premise of the show!!!
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10-28-2005, 05:22 PM	#2
shotzette Member Senior Member Join Date: Jun 30, 2004 Posts: 1,782	Unfortunately, it was broken. The ratings had declined, and when season 6 rolled around, Garry Marshall elected to once again "jump the shark" by moving the entire cast to Burbank. I guess they figured that they would have more story ideas by putting the gang near the weirdness that was Hollywood in the mid sixties, since they'd exhausted their late 50's/early 60's storylines. It worked a bit for season 6with the girls being the ultimate "fish out of water", but by season 7, they were once again scrounging for ideas. In all fairness, I think everyone, TBTB, the writers, directors, and actors; were all just phoning it in at that point. I really wish they'd taken the show off of the air a season or two earlier and given the fans a real ending, with closure; rather than just limp along to cancelation in season 8. Too sad. Shotzette

10-30-2005, 06:53 PM	#5
shotzette Member Senior Member Join Date: Jun 30, 2004 Posts: 1,782	I totally agree with you, Treky. They had a decent reason to relocate Frank and Edna (opening a franchise restaurant--good business opportunity) but much less so with Lenny and Squiggy, and close to nil with Carmine. Did anyone else find the character of Sonny (Laverne & Shirley's landlord and Laverne's love interest during season 6) sort of "Carmine-lite"? The characters were pretty similiar, and I always wondered if they used Ed Marinaro to leverage Eddie Mekka into staying. It was sort of interesting that after Carmine moved to CA, Sonny only stayed for a handful of episodes. Then again, who could blame Ed Marinaro for jumping ship and going to "Hill Street Blues"? Shotzette

10-31-2005, 09:01 PM	#6
jehobden Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 06, 2002 Location: DFW Area, TX Posts: 2,004	I remember a magazine article at the time stating that the show and the characters had gotten into a "Milwaukee Rut", so the show changed locations. It also skipped forward in time a few years, I think, since L&S was generally on the same 18-year time lag (between time when eps were set and actual year) that Happy Days was on, yet the 1980-81 eps had them in the opening credits w/ a banner saying "Happy New Year - 1965", and that banner changed to 1966 and 1967 in the last two seasons. I guess the show wanted to move forward in time to the post-Beatles timeframe, as the gals dragged their cardboard life-size poster of The Beatles into their LA apt. BTW, a friend of mine, who's a Milwaukee native as well as still a resident there, has said that Garry Marshall has done more damage to Milwaukee than Jeffrey Dahmer! (Ouch, that's harsh!) I guess he didn't mind seeing L&S leave Milwaukee for LA at all.

11-07-2005, 07:30 PM	#9
jeffersonsfan Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 19, 2005 Posts: 101	Agree with you about Joanie Loves Chachi. Major mistake.

11-07-2005, 07:33 PM	#10
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 99,058	Joanie Loves Chachi was MUCH MUCH better than Mork and Mindy

11-07-2005, 08:11 PM	#11
shotzette Member Senior Member Join Date: Jun 30, 2004 Posts: 1,782	JLC was truly one of the weakest links in the Happy Days pantheon. You know it's bad when even Garry Marshall wasn't truly on board with it. In his book, he stated that he knew he was in trouble when he started counting the ceiling tiles while on the JLC set. Oddly enough, even though the show was mediocre at best, the trends of what people liked and didn't like had changed so much that even if the show had been good; no one was really up for another HD spinoff. Then again, "Blanksy's Beauties" and "Out of the Blue" never got beyond their 2nd or 3rd episodes before they were cancelled. Shotzette

11-08-2005, 01:11 PM	#15
seventies_sitcoms * Senior Member Join Date: Jan 09, 2005 Posts: 2,244	L&S moving to L.A. has to be the worst "jump the shark" movement in history. Having them live in an apartment building of Hollywood hopefuls also didn't help. I swear the L.A. apartment is the set of Three and a Half Men. I hated the L.A. years. They were annoying. If the show lasted into the year 1969 L&S could've been Helter Skelter victims of Charles Manson. That could've been a final episode. Nah! Make that Rhonda Lee and the stunt guy upstairs.