MovieChat Forums > Laverne & Shirley (1976) Discussion > The show declined creatively even before...

The show declined creatively even before the move to Hollywood


I've always thought that the show noticeably declined in season 5, the last season in Milwaukee. The humor became more juvenile, with more "awwww" moments, and more dramatic episodes. They brought on writers like Bob Boyett and Jeff Franklin, who perfected the family-friendly "laughter with heart" formula later used in Full House, Family Matters, etc.

But I even see signs of the decline in season 4. The first three seasons, with better physical comedy and wittier dialogue, are far superior to what came after.

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I might agree as I watch the show again.

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What bugged me about season 5 were those 'moral' episodes.

Granted the 1970s were about that but these are Gary Marshall sitcoms ,
not Norman Lear. Mostly that episode about returning money to the phone co.



Go for it or just be a gopher!
(MR.) happipuppi13 🐕 *arf,man!*

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The only show I have ever been able to pinpoint that never went for the aww moments that badly was Three's Company, tho they did have one with Priscilla Barnes when she joined the show and Jack was making fun of her. Never understood what was going on there.

They did unintentionally have an earlier one when Crissy told about helping out another secretary, Susie Brown, by clocking in for her so she wouldn't get in trouble.

Then Crissy did some quick thinking to help out a client and when the higher up wanted to know who that was, the response was 'Susie Brown' and she got the promotion over Crissy.

That was an effective one. And there was nothing anyone could say to make the situation better.

Had it been Fonzie, he would have INTERFERRED and gone to the boss and said Susie Brown didn't do the good deed.

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Richard :
The only show I have ever been able to pinpoint that never went for the aww moments that badly was Three's Company, tho they did have one with Priscilla Barnes when she joined the show and Jack was making fun of her. Never understood what was going on there.

Well ,if you watch the whole episode it's like this. As we know Chrissy is long gone and Cindy's going to UCLA to learn veterinary medicine. So ,Jack & Janet need a new roommate.

Jack leaves it all up to Janet. Later ,Jack cuts his finger at Angelino's (no thanks to Felipe' bugging him). Jack goes to the hospital & Terri is the nurse who is going to give Jack the shot.

Jack wont lower his pants for her and she almost let's him have a janitor give him the shot. Once his pants are down ,she gets him ,which embarrasses Jack because mainly ,she hurt his pride. (Mainly Jack's a bit immature in this show.

Janet shows up and Jack tells her he's okay but has to get back to work. She meets Terri and Janet basically invites her to live with them. (We don't hear about why she needs a place.)

Jack comes home & finds this out & says no way, still mad at her but she gets to be anyhow. Despite this Furley & Larry are trying to get their won women into the apt. for selfish reasons.

When Terri tries 2 times to make up with Jack ,she only makes him angrier. So he enlists Larry's help to humiliate her at Cindy's farewell party. (Farwell? She's only going to be an hour away.)

So, they embarrass her with childish things like the hand-buzzer ,the nose & glasses with ink on the rims and worst of all ,a camera that squirts ink too. (Larry had told Jack he'd just use water but of course did something meaner.)

After Janet, Cindy & Furley tell Jack what they think of ruining her dress, Jack realizes he's been an idiot all around and squrits himself with the seltzer bottle. He tells her ,in short ,h's sorry & would love to have her as a roommate.



All well again in Three's Company land. 




Go for it or just be a gopher!
(MR.) happipuppi13 🐕 *arf,man!*

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I liked it throughout it's run. There were funny episodes even after Shirley left. Shirley was more the straight comedic one but she sometime drug down Laverne like a wet blanket.

One of my all time favorite episodes is the one in which a pregnant Sgt. Plout visits Laverne.

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