If not LA, what city could the move have been to for Season 6? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Goldeneye · 07-25-2018, 09:17 PM

It is widely known that LA wasn't exactly the greatest of cities to move to for Season 6, but if they had to move, what city would have worked better?

AMackII · 08-03-2018, 12:14 PM

San Francisco

howilu · 08-10-2018, 10:17 AM

I would cast my vote for Chicago since it's closer to Milwaukee. It would have opened up the story lines a bit more and given Frank a more diverse restaurant community to open an eatery.

stevea · 08-10-2018, 03:59 PM

Hang on for a stupid question: does anyone know why it was decided to move the setting at all? The series was riding high, as far as I know (number 1 in seasons 3 and 4).

AB · 08-10-2018, 05:49 PM

I went with New York since they went there to visit Frank's mother in the Festival episode.

AB · 08-10-2018, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevea

Hang on for a stupid question: does anyone know why it was decided to move the setting at all? The series was riding high, as far as I know (number 1 in seasons 3 and 4).

I read somewhere that the move was in an effort to keep the material fresh. The writers felt the Milwaukee setting was getting stale and moved it to California in hopes of providing plenty of new material. But the move was a mistake because it dramatically changed the Laverne & Shirley characters.

MikeLutton · 12-21-2018, 11:26 PM

yeah see them cause havoc in disney world would of been fun to see

RetroGuy2000 · 12-22-2018, 12:37 AM

Disney World didn't exist in Season Six of Laverne and Shirley, and it's not close to Miami.

I would say Chicago: close enough to Milwaukee to have their friends still come for frequent visits, while being large enough to bring in guest stars from Chicago, especially athletes.

With everyone else coming for frequent visits, there would have been no need for everyone to pack up and move, which was unrealistic.

TV Guy · 01-14-2019, 07:13 PM

I don’t see how moving cities was really going to freshen the series, especially since the writers insisted on moving the ENTIRE supporting cast too. What they really needed was to dump Frank, Edna, and Carmine. They were comedy death.

I would have done a season of Army stories, with a new supporting cast, and maybe with a few weekend pass stories set back in Milwaukee.

Crusinforabrusin · 01-14-2019, 08:08 PM

Minneanapolis

Fallon97 · 11-13-2020, 09:26 PM

I liked the LA era.

Missygal21880 · 11-15-2020, 04:28 AM

The long-form answer about why the move happened: the show switched timeslots and that killed its ratings. The LA move was planned for season 6 as a response to that, even though the back end of season 5 improved when it was moved back to its original timeslot.

Penny wanted the show to move to New York and stay blue collar (it probably would've worked better than the Burbank move but I don't know if it would've better for the show's health in the long run, or if CW would've balked because that would've made the show even more Laverne-centric). It was Garry's idea to move them to LA, so they'd be able to get lots of guest stars on in a plausible manner. The requirement for L&S to end up with season 9 would've been to move the whole show - production and premise - to New York, which is where Penny wanted to take up work, but the network turned her down and it was cancelled.

Fun fact: Mark Rothman wrote a treatment for a Laverne and Shirley movie that basically functions as a full-length apology for the LA move. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAY7ErTsLrg

View Poll Results: What city would work better if Laverne & Shirley had to move for Season 6?
New York	5	41.67%
Chicago	3	25.00%
Boston	0	0%
Philadelphia	0	0%
San Francisco	3	25.00%
Another city	1	8.33%
None - End it at Season 5 with a proper, special series finale	0	0%
Voters: 12. You may not vote on this poll

07-25-2018, 09:17 PM	#1
Goldeneye Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jun 22, 2017 Posts: 34	If not LA, what city could the move have been to for Season 6? It is widely known that LA wasn't exactly the greatest of cities to move to for Season 6, but if they had to move, what city would have worked better?

12-21-2018, 11:26 PM	#7
MikeLutton Mike Lutton DVD Legend! Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 05, 2005 Location: usa pennsyvania Posts: 6,886	yeah see them cause havoc in disney world would of been fun to see
	__________________ Tv And DVD Addict got over a hundred dvds in my collection more than anyone in the neighborhood. also huge Animal lover family man

12-22-2018, 12:37 AM	#8
RetroGuy2000 Julie,Julie Anne,&Felice 4Ever Forum Star Join Date: Dec 27, 2013 Posts: 16,914	Disney World didn't exist in Season Six of Laverne and Shirley, and it's not close to Miami. I would say Chicago: close enough to Milwaukee to have their friends still come for frequent visits, while being large enough to bring in guest stars from Chicago, especially athletes. With everyone else coming for frequent visits, there would have been no need for everyone to pack up and move, which was unrealistic.
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08-03-2018, 12:14 PM	#2
AMackII Member Forum Star Join Date: Oct 23, 2015 Location: St. Louis Posts: 17,221	San Francisco

08-10-2018, 10:17 AM	#3
howilu Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 20, 2003 Location: St. Louis Park, MN Posts: 1,961	I would cast my vote for Chicago since it's closer to Milwaukee. It would have opened up the story lines a bit more and given Frank a more diverse restaurant community to open an eatery.

08-10-2018, 03:59 PM	#4
stevea 22 Years On Sitcoms Moderator Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 13, 2003 Location: Indy Posts: 44,682	Hang on for a stupid question: does anyone know why it was decided to move the setting at all? The series was riding high, as far as I know (number 1 in seasons 3 and 4).

08-10-2018, 05:49 PM	#5
AB Member Eternal Member Forum Icon Join Date: Dec 26, 2006 Location: The South Posts: 59,429	I went with New York since they went there to visit Frank's mother in the Festival episode.

01-14-2019, 07:13 PM	#9
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,419	I don’t see how moving cities was really going to freshen the series, especially since the writers insisted on moving the ENTIRE supporting cast too. What they really needed was to dump Frank, Edna, and Carmine. They were comedy death. I would have done a season of Army stories, with a new supporting cast, and maybe with a few weekend pass stories set back in Milwaukee.

01-14-2019, 08:08 PM	#10
Crusinforabrusin It's time to move on, Goodbye Senior Member Join Date: Dec 27, 2015 Posts: 2,056	Minneanapolis

11-13-2020, 09:26 PM	#11
Fallon97 Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 04, 2007 Location: America Posts: 1,271	I liked the LA era.

11-15-2020, 04:28 AM	#12
Missygal21880 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jul 03, 2002 Location: US Posts: 67	The long-form answer about why the move happened: the show switched timeslots and that killed its ratings. The LA move was planned for season 6 as a response to that, even though the back end of season 5 improved when it was moved back to its original timeslot. Penny wanted the show to move to New York and stay blue collar (it probably would've worked better than the Burbank move but I don't know if it would've better for the show's health in the long run, or if CW would've balked because that would've made the show even more Laverne-centric). It was Garry's idea to move them to LA, so they'd be able to get lots of guest stars on in a plausible manner. The requirement for L&S to end up with season 9 would've been to move the whole show - production and premise - to New York, which is where Penny wanted to take up work, but the network turned her down and it was cancelled. Fun fact: Mark Rothman wrote a treatment for a Laverne and Shirley movie that basically functions as a full-length apology for the LA move. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAY7ErTsLrg