In the long run did Linda Lavin hurt Alice??? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

mstewart · 07-06-2007, 10:39 AM

Here's a quote from a previous posting:

Quote:

Originally Posted by CeeBo

I agree that it was Linda who hurt the show the most in it's final years, despite her talents. Something was off in her portrayal. Maybe her heart wasn't really in it?

I believe she did by trying to smother Polly Holliday in letting loose on her portrayal of Flo. She went to CBS and Warner Brothers complaining that people was saying it was Flo's show and not Alice. As it was stated that they could not fire Polly because there would had been major lawsuits and that would had probably had the show cancelled. Diane Ladd had the potential of saving the show but it was Linda who, again, got jealous and gave her an unwelcoming feeling.

Another way that Linda hurt the show was the last two seasons where she did not put all that she could in her portrayal of Alice Hyatt. She got quite boring and uninteresting in those years. When Linda Lavin cut her hair her acting on the show was not the same. It looked as though she was going through the motions of playing Alice Hyatt. Yes, after the sixth season, the edge of the show was gone and it was not as good as the previous seasons. Even after Flo left the show still had some sparkle in it but not the same as when Flo was there. She should had pulled the plug after the sixth season.

I understood that Linda got upset over the actor who was chosen to play Vera's husband. Vera was engaged previously and the actor who portrayed him was Kip Niven, Linda Lavin's real life husband at the time but no longer married, and she wanted him to be the actor playing her husband. Kip is an actor who did not make big and got a shot of Alice because of his wife being the star.

In the final season of the show Linda was not in a whole lot of episodes she would do a walk on at the beginning of the episode and that was it. In last season I understand that the writers ran out of ideas so they cut the season to 15 instead of the standard 22 episodes they did at the time.

Scoobiedoo30 · 07-06-2007, 12:40 PM

I did not know none of this

AB · 07-06-2007, 04:08 PM

That was interesting, I didn't realize she was such a major pain.

catlover79 · 07-06-2007, 07:00 PM

What a shame. It's also a shame that none of the main cast ever were part of a successful TV show again. Linda Lavin had a few failed attempts (Conrad Bloom and Room For Two, to name a couple), Polly Holliday had a recurring role in the 1990s as Jill's mom on Home Improvement, Diane Ladd went back to movies, and I never saw anything in recent years with Beth Howland, Celia Weston and Philip McKeon. Of course, Vic Tayback passed on only a few years after Alice left the air.

I had heard and read before about LL's problems on the Alice set, and maybe that's why she was never able to score a successful show again. These days she is primarily a stage actress and performs her singing act at small venues. The only TV appearance I've seen her in recent years was as a mean Jewish grandma on an episode of L&O: CI.

friendsfan77 · 07-07-2007, 11:16 AM

I always hate it when I read about controversy like this behind the scenes, especially if it's a show I like. I still find the show entertaining, but when I read, see, and hear stuff like this about behind the scenes stuff with Alice, Three's Company, etc., I still like the shows, but I can't help but look at them from a different perspective after the fact.

mstewart · 07-07-2007, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

What a shame. It's also a shame that none of the main cast ever were part of a successful TV show again. Linda Lavin had a few failed attempts (Conrad Bloom and Room For Two, to name a couple), Polly Holliday had a recurring role in the 1990s as Jill's mom on Home Improvement, Diane Ladd went back to movies, and I never saw anything in recent years with Beth Howland, Celia Weston and Philip McKeon. Of course, Vic Tayback passed on only a few years after Alice left the air.

I had heard and read before about LL's problems on the Alice set, and maybe that's why she was never able to score a successful show again. These days she is primarily a stage actress and performs her singing act at small venues. The only TV appearance I've seen her in recent years was as a mean Jewish grandma on an episode of L&O: CI.

Room for Two had a potential of being a hit but it got moved against Cheers and it was cancelled. It was a great show.

Quote:

Originally Posted by friendsfan77

always hate it when I read about controversy like this behind the scenes, especially if it's a show I like. I still find the show entertaining, but when I read, see, and hear stuff like this about behind the scenes stuff with Alice, Three's Company, etc., I still like the shows, but I can't help but look at them from a different perspective after the fact.

That was too bad that Linda was like that if she had learned from Andy Griffith (whose show was named after him but Don Knott's character was the breakout of the show), Dick Van Dyke (Mary Tyler Moore became unofficially the lead actress of the show after it was recognized she was beyond a honey how was your day TV wife), and Mary Tyler Moore (Valerie Harper's Rhoda was a breakout character and when she got own series Mary told Valerie if the show does not work she can come back to MTM) where their shows were ensemble shows and not only about the star.

Even though I look at Linda Lavin in a different way because of what she did to Alice but she still remains one of my favorite sitcom actresses.

TJAMES03 · 08-21-2007, 05:23 AM

Didn't (in real-life) LL turn into an alcoholic and have to declare bankrupcty?

Scoobiedoo30 · 08-21-2007, 01:46 PM

that would be news to me

Mikado · 08-21-2007, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TJAMES03

Didn't (in real-life) LL turn into an alcoholic and have to declare bankrupcty?

I seem to recall something like that....but...dont quote me

catlover79 · 08-21-2007, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TJAMES03

Didn't (in real-life) LL turn into an alcoholic and have to declare bankrupcty?

No clue, sorry.

Mikado · 08-21-2007, 06:43 PM

probably something from the Ntl Enquirer!

( So it MUST be true

)

TJAMES03 · 08-21-2007, 08:39 PM

No - it wasn't the NE!

This was quite a long time ago and it was RUMORED that LL's life had not turned out all that well. Oh well.

07-06-2007, 12:40 PM	#2
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	I did not know none of this
	__________________ Who Dat

07-06-2007, 07:00 PM	#4
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,382	What a shame. It's also a shame that none of the main cast ever were part of a successful TV show again. Linda Lavin had a few failed attempts (Conrad Bloom and Room For Two, to name a couple), Polly Holliday had a recurring role in the 1990s as Jill's mom on Home Improvement, Diane Ladd went back to movies, and I never saw anything in recent years with Beth Howland, Celia Weston and Philip McKeon. Of course, Vic Tayback passed on only a few years after Alice left the air. I had heard and read before about LL's problems on the Alice set, and maybe that's why she was never able to score a successful show again. These days she is primarily a stage actress and performs her singing act at small venues. The only TV appearance I've seen her in recent years was as a mean Jewish grandma on an episode of L&O: CI.
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

07-06-2007, 04:08 PM	#3
AB Member Eternal Member Forum Icon Join Date: Dec 26, 2006 Location: The South Posts: 59,428	That was interesting, I didn't realize she was such a major pain.

07-07-2007, 11:16 AM	#5
friendsfan77 - Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 02, 2004 Location: Duluth, GA Posts: 3,165	I always hate it when I read about controversy like this behind the scenes, especially if it's a show I like. I still find the show entertaining, but when I read, see, and hear stuff like this about behind the scenes stuff with Alice, Three's Company, etc., I still like the shows, but I can't help but look at them from a different perspective after the fact.

08-21-2007, 05:23 AM	#7
TJAMES03 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 25, 2005 Posts: 193	Didn't (in real-life) LL turn into an alcoholic and have to declare bankrupcty?

08-21-2007, 01:46 PM	#8
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	that would be news to me

08-21-2007, 06:43 PM	#11
Mikado Main st bridge Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 06, 2005 Posts: 25,886	probably something from the Ntl Enquirer! ( So it MUST be true )

08-21-2007, 08:39 PM	#12
TJAMES03 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 25, 2005 Posts: 193	No - it wasn't the NE! This was quite a long time ago and it was RUMORED that LL's life had not turned out all that well. Oh well.