"Laverne & Shirley" (1976) TV series 1976-1983

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Creators:

Lowell Ganz
Garry Marshall
Mark Rothman

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Release Date:

27 January 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Plot:

The misadventures of two single women in the 1950's and '60's.

Plot Keywords:

Brewery | 1950s | Roommate | 1960s | Pepsi

Awards:

Nominated for 6 Golden Globes. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Penny Marshall	...	Laverne DeFazio (178 episodes, 1976-1983)
Cindy Williams	...	Shirley Feeney (159 episodes, 1976-1983)
David L. Lander	...	Andrew 'Squiggy' Squiggman (155 episodes, 1976-1983)
Michael McKean	...	Leonard 'Lenny' Kosnowski / ... (149 episodes, 1976-1983)
Eddie Mekka	...	Carmine 'The Big Ragoo' Ragusa (147 episodes, 1976-1983)
Phil Foster	...	Frank DeFazio (147 episodes, 1976-1983)
Betty Garrett	...	Edna Babish / ... (96 episodes, 1976-1981)
Leslie Easterbrook	...	Rhonda Lee (50 episodes, 1980-1983)

Also Known As:

"Laverne & Shirley & Company" (USA) (syndication title)
"Laverne & Shirley & Friends" (USA) (syndication title)
"Laverne DeFazio & Shirley Feeney" (USA) (first season title)

Runtime:

30 min (178 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG | USA:TV-G | Australia:PG (some episodes) | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Miller-Milkis Productions

Trivia:

"The Big Ragoo" was a dance instructor.

Quotes:

Rosie Greenbaum: Shirley, is that the sexiest thing you have to wear?
Shirley Feeney: Is there something wrong with this?
Rosie Greenbaum: Shirley, Shirley, ya gotta advertise a little! Put the goods in the window! That's what Big Rosie does.
Laverne De Fazio: Oh yeah? I always thought ya put 'em right out on the street.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Happy Days: 30th Anniversary Reunion (2005) (TV)

A rare combination of hilarity and every day life

Reading through the comments for "Laverne & Shirley," I have seen several remarking that they felt the show was "lacking," "annoying," "dull" and several other negative adjectives. It is obvious to me that these people have yet to indulge themselves in the fantastic world of the 1970's sitcom that jumped on the nostalgia boat. I was all of 12 years old when I first discovered "Laverne & Shirley" on Nick @ Nite (this was circa the summer of 1998). I would be lying if I said that it hadn't shaped my life-- and I know that sounds totally insane, but it broadened my horizons to a world of classic television, classic movies, and the theatre. But enough about me-- the show is a gem. The show was never meant to be a groundbreaker like "All in the Family" or "Maude" (although it did have it's tender moments and morals in episodes such as "Look Before You Leap" and "What Do You Do With a Drunken Sailor", taking a gentle look towards single parenting and alcoholism). It was only meant to do one thing: be funny. And it did so in a way that had only been done by the likes of "The Honeymooners"-- it involved the antics of the blue collar working class. It was meant to entertain, and it does a darned good job of it! The chemistry between Cindy Williams & Penny Marshall is awesome-- comparable, in their own way, to that of Lucy Ricardo & Ethel Mertz, Ralph Kramden & Ed Norton, and those that came before them. Cindy's cute-as-a-button, innocent but never naive portrayal of Shirley Feeney and Penny's tough-as-nails exterior with a heart of gold combined with the desire to be "loose" but the morals to be a "prude" make for one uniquely and incredibly comical friendship. Also, Michael McKean's Lenny & David L. Lander's Squiggy are outlandish but hilarious characters. Who could have played the "guy who's really smart and thinks he's dumb" and "the guy who's really dumb and thinks he's smart" better than these two?! Also in the cast you have outstanding veteran actors like Phil Foster as the gruff but huggable Frank 'Pop' DeFazio and sweet MGM musical star Betty Garrett as the girls' wise landlady (and later, Laverne's stepmother). Eddie Mekka is charming and funny as Carmine Ragusa, Shirley's boxing/dancing/singing boyfriend (is there anything this fella CAN'T do?). The cast is electric. This show's motto should have been "We aim to please." If you're having a bad day, this show is sure to put a smile on your face, your laughter in the air, and a quote in your head! It's one of the greatest examples of classic TV of all time!