New York Daily News TV Critic Review of Alice in December of 1976 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TVFactFan · 06-07-2006, 04:43 PM

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" was a bittersweet movie about a gusty widowed waitress and would-be singer hoping to start a new life and a sho-biz career. Alice is CBS's takeout version-or TV dinner.

Alice still waits on tables, but she doesn;t sing, which made her so touching in the movie. Here, she seems almost glad to be working ina truck stop: there's no feel of frustration. They hardly mention her career these days. Linda Lavin as Alice works time-and-a half to look naive and helpless, but she belongs in a New York deli, not an Arizona diner. Lavin is too dryly satiric for the slam-bang world of situation comedy. Alice offers fun without humor and without being human: when Alice concludes that her late husband cheated on her, she gets off a zinger; when her son asks about sex, she stutters and squirms. This is knee-jerk gagwriting; it is designeed to show off the writers, not the characters, and so everyone winds up doing stand up stick: "Mom, you gotta show him some leg; I gotta X-rated kid!....What's the soup du jour? Split pea. That was the soup du yesterjour........Kiss mah grits.....Can't you be nice to a hardworkin girl? I don't know-i never had one work here before....Kiss mah grits

At Mel's Diner, the jokes plie up like dirty dishes, and the pace is so fast that there's no room between them for much more than cardboard-cutout characters, like growly owner Mel(Vic tayback) and trembly waitress Vera(Beth Howland). A truer note is struck by the kiss-mah grits gal, Flo. Twangy, gum-popping Polly Holiday plays her as if she's been born with a greasy spoon in her mouth. Alice's son Tommy is precociously precocious. The movie's wise-guy kid wore specs and worked deadpan; here, Phillip Mckeon is wideeyed, towheaded and cute-a veritable Patridge.

Like most new situation comedies, Alice wants to be silly and sincere all at once, tackling relevant issues in caps and bells. The canned laughter has been replaced by canbed editorials: in one episode, Alice dated an ex-jock who turned out to be gay(homsexuals are this season's big laugh-getters), but when she refused to let tommy go fishing with him, Mom realized her own hypocrisy, etc. In a recent seminar on sex eduucation, Tommy's teacher showed a film on reproduction in the diner, and there was much fine talk to the tune of "alarming increase in pregnancies," peer pressure," "sex is more than physical" and-the topper-"valuesof love, caring and responsibility must come from the home..........we in sex education can only do so much." Still, that episode was hardly as pianful as the one that mined it's tin-ear gags and synthetic sentiments from a pair of suicide attempts. The current rage in TV comedy is to make tidy sociological points at the expense of good old laughter, and it's like trying to have your pie and throw it too. Alice throws pies even slings hash-but still it keeps on missing.

December 1976, NY Daily News, Gerald Nachman

Brian Damage · 06-07-2006, 05:10 PM

Man O Man, do I disagree with that review. The worst thing about Alice is when they focused episodes on her singing.

TVFactFan · 06-07-2006, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

Man O Man, do I disagree with that review. The worst thing about Alice is when they focused episodes on her singing.

I agreed with tne statement-"TREMBLING VERA"-lol

Brian Damage · 06-07-2006, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVResearcher

I agreed with tne statement-"TREMBLING VERA"-lol

That's true, she did look like she OD'd on coffee. lol

mstewart · 06-08-2006, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

Man O Man, do I disagree with that review. The worst thing about Alice is when they focused episodes on her singing.

Those were some of my favorite episodes when Linda Lavin got to sing. Wow she sure can belt those broadway tunes out.

TVFactFan · 06-08-2006, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

Man O Man, do I disagree with that review. The worst thing about Alice is when they focused episodes on her singing.

I was laughing at the part when he said Linda Lavin's character looked like she belonged in NYC not Arizona-lol I told you she reminded me of Elaine, and this was said WAY before the Elaine character existed

Mikado · 06-08-2006, 03:54 AM

I agree with every word of that review

Ireneparalegal · 06-08-2006, 10:29 AM

I agree with the review also. But what a reviewer says and how the show ends up can be two totally different things. I love Alice.

TVFactFan · 06-08-2006, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

I agree with the review also. But what a reviewer says and how the show ends up can be two totally different things. I love Alice.

Irene everyones know that irene-lol

Ireneparalegal · 06-08-2006, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVResearcher

Irene everyones know that irene-lol

but what i am trying to say is that rarely do I agree with a "bad" review of a show. I was expecting to say, what does this reviewer know, blah blah blah. However, this review describes the show as being real BAD but it's so true. If I went solely by the review, then I would not have watched the show. The review described the show to a tee and yet it's those things that made me like the show.

TVFactFan · 06-08-2006, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

but what i am trying to say is that rarely do I agree with a "bad" review of a show. I was expecting to say, what does this reviewer know, blah blah blah. However, this review describes the show as being real BAD but it's so true. If I went solely by the review, then I would not have watched the show. The review described the show to a tee and yet it's those things that made me like the show.

The only time the show wasn't watchable to me is when they were at Alice House

TVFactFan · 04-22-2007, 07:20 PM

Read the Review again since I started watching the show on ION and I do agree with the Critic when he says Alice doesn't look miserable to be working at Mel's dinner. To me it does look like Alice is not bothered by working at a Truck Stop and not concerned about singing-lol

Brian Damage · 04-22-2007, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVResearcher

Read the Review again since I started watching the show on ION and I do agree with the Critic when he says Alice doesn't look miserable to be working at Mel's dinner. To me it does look like Alice is not bothered by working at a Truck Stop and not concerned about singing-lol

That is not true Solomon, Alice was going to night school to better herself.

TVFactFan · 04-22-2007, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

That is not true Solomon, Alice was going to night school to better herself.

From watching the show so far, she looks THRILLED to be working at Mel's diner-lol

Brian Damage · 04-22-2007, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVResearcher

From watching the show so far, she looks THRILLED to be working at Mel's diner-lol

I wouldn't say thrilled, just a good worker with good friends.

06-07-2006, 04:43 PM	#1
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 99,065	New York Daily News TV Critic Review of Alice in December of 1976 Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" was a bittersweet movie about a gusty widowed waitress and would-be singer hoping to start a new life and a sho-biz career. Alice is CBS's takeout version-or TV dinner. Alice still waits on tables, but she doesn;t sing, which made her so touching in the movie. Here, she seems almost glad to be working ina truck stop: there's no feel of frustration. They hardly mention her career these days. Linda Lavin as Alice works time-and-a half to look naive and helpless, but she belongs in a New York deli, not an Arizona diner. Lavin is too dryly satiric for the slam-bang world of situation comedy. Alice offers fun without humor and without being human: when Alice concludes that her late husband cheated on her, she gets off a zinger; when her son asks about sex, she stutters and squirms. This is knee-jerk gagwriting; it is designeed to show off the writers, not the characters, and so everyone winds up doing stand up stick: "Mom, you gotta show him some leg; I gotta X-rated kid!....What's the soup du jour? Split pea. That was the soup du yesterjour........Kiss mah grits.....Can't you be nice to a hardworkin girl? I don't know-i never had one work here before....Kiss mah grits At Mel's Diner, the jokes plie up like dirty dishes, and the pace is so fast that there's no room between them for much more than cardboard-cutout characters, like growly owner Mel(Vic tayback) and trembly waitress Vera(Beth Howland). A truer note is struck by the kiss-mah grits gal, Flo. Twangy, gum-popping Polly Holiday plays her as if she's been born with a greasy spoon in her mouth. Alice's son Tommy is precociously precocious. The movie's wise-guy kid wore specs and worked deadpan; here, Phillip Mckeon is wideeyed, towheaded and cute-a veritable Patridge. Like most new situation comedies, Alice wants to be silly and sincere all at once, tackling relevant issues in caps and bells. The canned laughter has been replaced by canbed editorials: in one episode, Alice dated an ex-jock who turned out to be gay(homsexuals are this season's big laugh-getters), but when she refused to let tommy go fishing with him, Mom realized her own hypocrisy, etc. In a recent seminar on sex eduucation, Tommy's teacher showed a film on reproduction in the diner, and there was much fine talk to the tune of "alarming increase in pregnancies," peer pressure," "sex is more than physical" and-the topper-"valuesof love, caring and responsibility must come from the home..........we in sex education can only do so much." Still, that episode was hardly as pianful as the one that mined it's tin-ear gags and synthetic sentiments from a pair of suicide attempts. The current rage in TV comedy is to make tidy sociological points at the expense of good old laughter, and it's like trying to have your pie and throw it too. Alice throws pies even slings hash-but still it keeps on missing. December 1976, NY Daily News, Gerald Nachman

06-07-2006, 05:10 PM	#2
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	Man O Man, do I disagree with that review. The worst thing about Alice is when they focused episodes on her singing.
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06-08-2006, 10:29 AM	#8
Ireneparalegal LEGAL SPICE ;) Forum Legend Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: OXNARD, CA - WHERE THE DALLAS COWBOYS TRAIN & PRACTICE Posts: 38,691	I agree with the review also. But what a reviewer says and how the show ends up can be two totally different things. I love Alice.
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06-08-2006, 03:54 AM	#7
Mikado Main st bridge Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 06, 2005 Posts: 25,886	I agree with every word of that review

04-22-2007, 07:20 PM	#12
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 99,065	Read the Review again since I started watching the show on ION and I do agree with the Critic when he says Alice doesn't look miserable to be working at Mel's dinner. To me it does look like Alice is not bothered by working at a Truck Stop and not concerned about singing-lol