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13 out of 16 people found the following review useful: I like L&S better than Lucy and Ethel..., 3 October 2003 Author: troy-32 from Chicago, Illinois
...because, as a friend once pointed out, these are two girls who don't have to rely on men and respond to the world so neurotically. (Only Lucy, actually... the egomaniac) "Laverne and Shirley" was about two best girl friends who were always trying to make the best of their blue collar existence. And they had so much fun along the way! They were not, like Lucy, histrionic and over-grown kids. They were kids, I suppose, in the sense that having a good time was a priority, but they were not obnoxious whiners. (Lucy really gets on my nerves sometimes!) They were extremely real (despite some of the show's slapstick) - vulnerable, hopeful, loyal and good hearted people. I guess that must part of their appeal: they were underdogs and completely capable of laughing at themselves and being silly. They were never presented as larger than life, like the beautiful people who inhabit a very unreal "real" world on "Friends". Also kind of ironic because the characters on that show are quite mean to each other, only showing themselves to be "friends" whenever it provided them with an opportunity to be melodramatic and narcissistic. Uggghhh... The more I think about that show, the more I really do not like it. (Except Lisa Kudrow, who is brilliant.) Not so with this show. These two girls are so authentic in the way they relate to each and their love for each other (paralleling this is the relationship between Lenny and Squiggy - so rare to see affection between two men) It is so real. It can be touching, almost on a regular basis. Remember when they encountered that crazy maniac on the train and Laverne thought he tossed Shirley out of the car and to her death and Laverne responds - "You killed Shirley! You killed my best friend!" and her hearty punch knocks the nut (who is in drag) across the room and she showed her bloomers or whatever she was wearing? I laughed and admittedly got teary-eyed at the same time. Or the song that one sings to the other when she is feeling down? "Laverne and Shirley" is unpretentious in the very BEST sense of the world. It's a very comforting show, much more so than its parent show "Happy Days", which was too clean for my taste. boring. I love these girls, and they complement each other beautifully... Laverne was the slightly more physically aggressive, more reality-bound girl whereas Shirley was the soft-hearted, slightly perky dreamer. And she is absolutely adorable. I love Boo-Boo Kitty!!! And the way Shirley can make everything so precious and cute - like her sneakers and her scooter pies! Or was that Laverne??? I guess if I were hard pressed to choose, I would go the lesser route and pick Shirley as my favorite, but I'd rather not have to... The show also has a barely perceptible bittersweet quality in the realistically naive, yet optimistic, outlook of these two great characters. Very warm and very funny at the same time.
7 out of 8 people found the following review useful: A rare combination of hilarity and every day life, 17 May 2002 Author: Ashley (classicfilmbroad@aol.com) from North Carolina
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!
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful: On Your Mark, Get Set and Go Now., 7 June 2004 Author: tfrizzell from United States
"Happy Days" spin-off about the two titled characters (Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams) and their total comedic and romantic misadventures as Milwaukee brewery workers in the 1950s and 1960s. The series seemed to work in spite of itself due to the likable leads and their ever-lasting love interests (scene-stealers Michael McKean and David L. Lander). The characters were silly, but had a reality to them that could not be over-looked. Adequate writing and above average direction were sufficient in keeping the show a ratings winner for a good eight years from 1976 through 1983. Still a show that has a strong following as it survives the years in relatively wide-spread syndication. 4 stars out of 5.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: A Lovable Show!, 22 April 2007 Author: Sylvia Marciniak (sylviastel@aol.com) from United States
Laverne and Shirley was one of my personal favorites growing up. Of course, we had reruns and repeats in those days. I loved Laverne and Shirley. They were the underdogs and perfectly suited as roommates and best friends. They were played brilliantly by Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams. Unfortunately, the show never recovered after Cindy Williams left to have her daughter and who could blame her. She was happily married to Bill Hudson, Kate's father, for twenty years with two children. Penny Marshall and the gang did their best to recover but never fully did. The reason and there are many that this show was so popular was the physical antics that Laverne and Shirley got into. I don't know if I preferred Milwaukee or Burbank but the supporting cast was top notch featuring Lenny and Sqiggy who could have had their own show. The delightful Carmine as the aspiring dancer. Elaine Joyce as the beautiful neighbor in Burbank. Betty Garrett and Al Molinaro as the landlady and Mr. Defazio. The show had plenty of it's moments too and great guest stars. It's certainly still a beloved show even in repeats.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Shlameel, Shlamazel..., 22 April 2000 Author: JoyLynn (joylynn725@hotmail.com) from Iowa, U.S.A.
In the seventies, so many sitcoms were making an effort to change something, to make a point. And this show did it without anybody really ever realizing it. Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney are hardworking girls, out on thier own, putting up with men, work, neighbors, and other life problems. Laverne had her "L", on every single item of clothing that she owned, Shirley had her security Boo-Boo-Kitty, and wrote in her diary. The annoyance and sometimes utter stupidity of Lenny Kosnowski and Andrew Squiggmann just made you have to love the guys. Lenny was the soft one, who looked up to his best friend, had a toy lizard, a slight crush on Laverne, and a tough childhood. Squiggy seemed to be above the world, yet he did show emotions, if you only looked. He loved Lenny more than anything. Laverne and Shirley had their quarrels, but they were always best friends, and Shirley did finally achieve her dream: she married a doctor and lived happily ever after (much to the downfall of the series, but none the less). Laverne and Shirley is my favorite show, as you may have noticed, and there is so much to be seen in it, as there is with many comedies, if we only try to look hard enough!
4 out of 6 people found the following review useful: Loved it as a kid..., 15 May 2004 Author: hillary1 from South Portland, ME
I was 13 when L&S debuted, loved at and followed it faithfully until it jumped the shark when they all moved to California (didn't the same thing happen to Lucy & Ethel?)It actually was a far better show than "Happy Days" other spin-off, "Mork & Mindy", which relied solely on the admittedly generous comedic talents of Robin Williams to generate laughs (the rest of the cast may as well have come from Madam Tussaud's). This was a show where everyone had a role, a chance to stand out-except maybe for Carmine Ragusa, who was the only somewhat weak character. These weren't lily-white folks-on one show Laverne thought she was pregnant-they were working class dreamers who aspired to something better, albeit their dreams were of rich husbands. One of my favorite scenes is where Laverne & Lenny (who now reminds me of Butthead to Squiggey's Beavis) are singing "I Know the Look!" A classic, and I'm glad I had the privilege to see it the first time around!
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful: Laverne & Shirley : Fun & Witty but Has Some Boo-Boo- Kittys!!, 6 April 2007 Author: happipuppi13 from Phx. Arizona ("Arizona Smells Funny"!- Homer Simpson)
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Being a devout fan of Happy Days and having had Aurthur Fonzerelli or a hero,it only made sense I would watch "Laverene and Shirley" as well. Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams certainly made an impression on their 1st guest appearance in "Happy Days". Penny was definitely already "Laverne" but "Shirley" while nice was sort of like Laverene too,thankfully she became the sweet,boo-boo kitty hugging Shirley we know & love. The show debuted in January of 1976 and just took of straight from there. With "Happy days" as it's lead in of course. The theme,"Making Our Dreams Come True" by Cyndi Grecco was a top 20 hit (although the music a bit faster than that from the TV version.) After watching the Cunninghams,Fonzie & Ralph & Potsie,I sat tight for even bigger,bawdier & sillier slapstick laughs from these two wonderful females. Those that know this show like the back of their hand could most likely name of all the best sight gags and stunts. I loved the one with the seemingly alive "Murphy Bed". This was a bed that you could lift up and put away into the wall behind two doors. The girls open these doors in someone's apartment and the bed hits the floor. They try to put it back but it seems this bed has a mind of it's own! They walk near it and it lifts itself off the ground. They step back...it goes back. Finally they tackle the bed like football players and it sends them both up into the wall space and up & down until they come flipping out of there,land on their feet and slam it back shut! Laverne: "That thing tried ta eat me"!! LOL! If Lucille Ball was tuning in that night,I'm sure she laughed herself sore.Just as important as the physical humor were the touching stories about the importance friendship and standing by someone through "whatever". They even stand by the lecherous Lenny & Squiggy ("Hello!"),who are always busting into their apartment and sometimes making inappropriate advances on them. Yet,somehow over the course of the show they become friends.My favorite episode,before the ill-fated idea of moving to California,was the 2 parter,"The Moosejaw Express". Laverne & Shirley board this train of the same name and end up in the middle of espionage & murder. It's not so much that this episode is "funny" but it shows what had to be the strongest test of their friendship. The spy/killer on board is trying to sell microfilm to the Russians,somehow it has ended up in the girls possession. In the climax of part 2,Shirley is seemingly thrown out the door of the luggage car by the villain and Laverne is beyond anger. "You killed her. You killed Shirley!! You killed my best friend!!" She decks him on the jaw,struggles with him and she's almost thrown off herself but suddenly a hand from outside the car grabs him and he flies out the door. It's Shirley! Who has somehow grabbed onto something outside earlier. She grabs Laverne's hand and they're safe inside again. One of the best shows from between 1976-1980. Then comes the '80-'81 season. Talk about Jumping the Shark! What in the world possessed producers or whoever to move the girls to Hollywood,California we'll never know. Unless it was ratings. Can anyone out there name more than five of these '80-'83 shows? Unless I read IMDb's episode list,I'd be hard pressed too. The most telling thing that should have said "end it" was the episode where Shirley has moved out and gone to live with her new husband Walter Meeny (whom she married in the season before,he was in a body cast.) "Shirley Feeny Meeny" leaves Laverne a note letting her know where she's gone so suddenly and why. So,in the final season we end up with "The Laverne Show" (I called it) with almost forgettable episodes. The worst? There's a ghost in the apartment that is the spirit of an Olympic athlete who cannot ascend until he wins a race that he lost decades ago. He inhabits Laverne for this race and (this is really stupid)when the race starts we go to slow motion and hear the theme from..."Chariots Of Fire"???! Anyhow,the show by this time,unlike "Happy Days",is set in the year 1968,(Happy Days was still somewhere in 1963),Betty Garrett has departed,Lenny & Squiggy's act has worn thin and Carmine has gotten nowhere in Hollywood. For those that don't know,the show had no "good-bye" episode and no return visits from Shirley. The last show in May of '83 was about Carmine leaving California and heading to New York to try and make it there. I've only read about this episode,I've never seen it because,like most,I lost track of the show because it had become such an "unfunny" series. 7 out of 10 for mainly,1976 to spring 1980. If I had to rate the series solely on '80 to '83? Two stars at best,making those years "Schlemiel/Schlomozzel". (END)
2 out of 3 people found the following review useful: Good show until it moved the locale to California, 9 December 2001 Author: SkippyDevereaux from Parkersburg, West Virginia
When this show started out, it was hilarious and stayed that way for many years, but when the show moved to setting to California, it lost that special magic that it had. Also, what hurt the show is when Cindy Williams left the show--it just was not funny with Penny Marshall trying to carry the show alone. Phil Foster was one of, if not the worst, actor ever on a regular television show. He talked as he had a mouthful of mush!! Whoever said that he was funny or could even act?? Heck, anyone can act like him--all you have to do is say "What, Who, Where" in a loud voice with your tongue hanging out of your mouth!! There!! You have just done an inpersonation of Frank De Fazio--lol
Classic, 6 November 2002 Author: katieb06907 from New York
This is a great show. I was thrilled when it was released on video. The characters are hysterical and love all the episodes. "Shirley's Operation is one of my favorites. A "mediocre" show would not last six years on primetime, go into syndication and then get released on video.
2 out of 4 people found the following review useful: Great early years,but ran too long., 19 January 2005 Author: SmileyVision from United States
Nothing beats classic physical comedy,and that's exactly what you get with Laverne and Shirley.Often called the "Lucy and Ethel" of the 70's, the comparison is right on the money.Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams were nothing short of fantastic and fall down funny.The comedic chemistry between the two is undeniable,and while we are on the subject,they were not the only overwhelmingly funny duo on this show.Lenny and Squiggy(Michael McKean and David Lander)are certainly not to be overlooked.They stole the show more than a time or two.Physical comedy is one of the hardest things to do well,and Laverne and Shirley pulled it off with flying colors.On the down side,I think the show was guilty of perhaps running a bit too long.There reached a point where it wasn't quite Laverne and Shirley,but Laverne and whomever.Once Cindy Williams was gone,the producers should have done the right thing and pulled the plug.The Milwaukee years of the show were the best.Once they moved things to California,it ran gradually dry.In short,even the best of shows run too long.
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