All the possible versions of the Laverne and Shirley Intro...

[Goldeneye]

I will attempt to list the eleven known versions of the Laverne and Shirley intro throughout its eight seasons and these detail many of the major changes.

Note that this only for the original run, not the Laverne & Shirley & Company syndicated version, which may have different intros than these described, and the moniker "Laverne & Shirley & Company" probably exists only for the earlier seasons (Seasons 1 to 5?), since the syndicated version only ran from 1981 to 1983, as the original series ended in May 1983.

Group A - The Milwaukee Years

Version 1 - Only version showing the characters last names on the title card and the only one within the Milwaukee years not showing the bicycle scene on its last two frames. Main actresses credits occur when ladies run into the Shotz Brewery.

When used: Season 1.

Version 2 (Transitional) - Only version with the ladies outside in the rain with the main actresses' credits. Added Carmine and ladies dance scene. Added Shirley and Edna scene (even though Edna doesn't debut until Episode 4 that season). Added snowball fight scene. Added the Clumsy Laverne scene in Pizza Bowl. Added Laverne and Shirley riding bicycle on the street as final scenes.

When used: Season 2, Episodes 1, 2 and 3.

Version 3 - As Version 2 above, but the main actresses' credits shown inside the apartment rather than outdoors. Carmine, Laverne and Shirley dance scene with different outfits.

Variant A: Regular title card
When used: Season 2, Episodes 4 to 11 and Episodes 13 to end of Season 2 and Season 3, Episodes 1 to 3 and Episode 11.

Variant B: Title card has "Birthday Show" on the bottom of it.
When used: Season 2, Episode 12 only.

Version 4 - As Version 3 above, but shorter scene between Shirley and Edna and shorter dance scene with Carmine, Laverne and Shirley. Pizza tossing scene with Frank and Edna added. Lenny and Squiggy in firemen scenes added. Removed the scene in Shotz Brewery where Shirley slaps Laverne's hand. Shorter snowball fight scene. Unknown blonde walking in Pizza Bowl with Lenny and Squiggy biting hands.

When used: Seasons 3, Episodes 4 to 10 and Episodes 12 to end of Season 3 and Season 4.

Version 5 (Transitional) - The two ladies wearing different outfits during the main actresses' credits inside the apartment compared to Versions 3 and 4, added a Carmine dancing with Edna with Frank sleeping in a chair scene, changed the Clumsy Laverne in the Pizza Bowl scene and different pizza tossing scene between Frank and Edna.

When used: Season 5, Episodes 1 to 4. For some reason, Episode 4's intro music runs at a faster pace than the 3 other episodes known with this version of the intro.

Version 6 - Slight differences from Version 5, with the major ones being Carmine eating a huge sandwich with bits falling out instead of the Carmine and Edna dance scene and slight difference with Frank's reaction to Clumsy Laverne and also a slight difference with the scene with the main actresses' credits inside the apartment.

Variants:
Variant A:
Final couple of scenes of the intro are the bicycle on the street scene, same as Versions 2 to 5.
When used: Season 5, Episode 5 to end of Season 5 and Season 6, Episode 1.

Variant B:
Bicycle scenes at the end of the intro replaced by Carmine sending the crew off to California, since they did move at the end of Season 6, Episode 1.
When used: Season 6, Episode 2 only.

Group B - California Years

Version 7 (Transitional) - Filled Ampersand in the Title Card. Showing scenes of the new locale of Burbank, California, including many scenes in and around Cowboy Bill's. Adds references to the new characters of Sonny and Rhonda. Has the Frank and Edna scene and the ladies roller skating while squatted in front of Cowboy Bill's before the main actresses names are credited. Lacks any reference to Bardwell's Department Store or Shirley throwing the knives at Laverne. Has references to Paramount Pictures Studios. Celebrating New Year of 1965, which is the only reference to Carmine in this intro.

Variants:
Variant A: Final scene of intro shows Laverne and Shirley nodding in front of Cowboy Bill's nodding head.
When used: Season 6, Episode 3 only.

Variant B: Final scene shows Laverne and Shirley roller-skating while holding hands outside Cowboy Bill's, the same final scene as in Versions 8, 9 and 10 of the intro.
When used: Season 6, Episodes 4 and 5.

Version 8 - One scene with Carmine added, modifying/reducing references to Sonny and Rhonda (removing the topless Sonny scene and the Laverne and Sonny scene), also removes references to Paramount Pictures Studios and also adds references to Bardwell's Department Store and Shirley throwing knives at Laverne and the final scenes showing the ladies roller skating outside of Cowboy Bill's, with roller skating while squatted first, then roller skating while holding hands.

When used: Season 6, Episodes 6 to 13 (despite Sonny's last appearance being in Episode 12)

Version 9 - References to Sonny removed (excepting the "St. Jacques" name on the mailbox), replaced by a scene of Laverne throwing chocolate pudding at Shirley and Shirley in her bunny outfit going after Squiggy.

When used: Season 6, Episodes 14 to end of Season.

Version 10 - References to Edna removed, as Betty Garrett left after Season 6. Also removed the scene with Shirley in the bunny outfit going after Squiggy, replacing it with a scene inside Cowboy Bill's with Shirley and Carmine in the center being surrounded by Frank and Laverne. Also begins to credit McKean and Lander (Lenny and Squiggy).

Variants:
Variant A: Title Card has a filled Ampersand, like Title Card of Versions 7, 8 and 9. Celebrating the New Year of 1966, with Rhonda and Shirley, but no Edna.
When used: Season 7, Episodes 1 to 12 and 16.

Variant B: As variant A, but Title Card has a hollow Ampersand.
When used: Season 7, Episodes 13, 14, 15 and 17 to end of Season.

Variant C: Title Card has a hollow Ampersand. Celebrating the New Year of 1967, with Rhonda, but no Edna or Shirley.
When used: Season 8, Episodes 1 and 2.

Version 11 - Title Card has a hollow Ampersand. All references to Shirley removed (except for the invisible one at the final frame where Shirley drags Laverne into the beer, a Season 4 scene), also all references to Bardwell's removed and many, many different scenes compared to Versions 8, 9 and 10 and Celebrating the New Year of 1967, same scene as Version 10, Variant C.

Variants:
Variant A: Credits Michael McKean as Lenny in addition to David Lander (Squiggy), like Version 10.
When used: Season 8, Episodes 3 to 13, 15, 16, 18, 20 and 22

Variant B: Only credits David Lander (Squiggy), but still retains scenes of Lenny throughout intro.
When used: Season 8, Episodes 14, 17, 19 and 21

*Note: Lander and McKean only appear on 11 of the episodes in Season 8, yet Lander is credited in the intros for all episodes of Season 8 and McKean is credited in episodes except noted in Variant B.

Please feel free to make any changes, as this list likely has inaccuracies or clarifications needed and is a work in progress, especially in when a particular episode has a particular version of an intro.

[biffbronson]

Thanks for doing this, very interesting.

You might want to add, as a note or otherwise, the "Laverne & Shirley & Company" change made for syndicated airings. A lot of us remember that, along with "Happy Days Again." (I don't recall though for L & S if it was "and" or ampersand "&" -- maybe someone has uploaded the lettering somewhere.) Were there variations of those syndicated openings as well?

[MA]

I know that Growing Pains had nine (!) different intros.

[Goldeneye]

Originally Posted by biffbronson

Thanks for doing this, very interesting.

You might want to add, as a note or otherwise, the "Laverne & Shirley & Company" change made for syndicated airings. A lot of us remember that, along with "Happy Days Again." (I don't recall though for L & S if it was "and" or ampersand "&" -- maybe someone has uploaded the lettering somewhere.) Were there variations of those syndicated openings as well?

Since I was basically a baby when the L&S&C version came out (and even then this was fairly short lived, as it ran for about 2 1/2 years tops), if I saw it as such back then, I was not very familiar if there were any changes to the regular intro except for the obvious difference in the title card in the intro.

[TV Guy]

Originally Posted by Goldeneye

Since I was basically a baby when the L&S&C version came out (and even then this was fairly short lived, as it ran for about 2 1/2 years tops), if I saw it as such back then, I was not very familiar if there were any changes to the regular intro except for the obvious difference in the title card in the intro.

If you google "Laverne and Shirley and Company", you can see the font they used for that title.

There's one variation you didn't include. It's a season 2 variation that credits the actresses coming through the apartment doors, but it says "Penny Marshall as Laverne" "Cindy Williams as Shirley" (including the character names like the umbrella/front steps opening) as opposed to "Penny Marshall" "Cindy Williams". I haven't seen this opening since ABC daytime reruns in the late 70s/early 80s, but I remember it distinctly, because it so clearly indicated it was a season 2 opening as opposed to season 3 (which didn't use the character names with the actress' credits).