Laverne & Shirley

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ABC (ended 1983)
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Show Summary

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Laverne and Shirley debuted as a mid-season replacement in January of 1976 and was an instant hit ranking number three in the Nielsen ratings for the 1975-1976 season.

On Happy Days, Laverne De Fazio and Shirley Feeney were two girls who were love interests for Richie Cunningham and Fonzie. Their occasional appearances led to their own series which takes place in the same city as Happy Days: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the 1950s and 1960s.

Laverne and Shirley are lower-society girls who share an apartment and work together at the Shotz Brewery as bottlecappers. Laverne and Shirley are very different people. Laverne is feisty, quick-tempered, and man-hungry while Shirley is more naive and trusting and quite inexperienced when it comes to romance.

Others in the cast includ Laverne's gruff father, Frank De Fazio, who runs the Pizza Bowl where Laverne and Shirley work on occasion. Edna Babish is the girls' landlady who later marries Frank. Carmine "The Bag Ragu" Ragusa is a singer/dancer who has an on-again, off-again romance with Shirley. The other two main characters of the series are the male counterparts of Laverne and Shirley. Lenny Kosnowski and Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman live upstairs in the same apartment building as Laverne and Shirley and, also, work at the brewery. They constantly enter the girls' apartment with an annoying "hello."

In 1980, the series changed scenery. The girls want something new so they decide to move to California. Lenny and Squiggy follow them along with Frank, Edna, and Carmine. The girls want to get into movies while Frank and Edna open a restaurant, Cowboy Bill's. New characters included stuntman and apartment building manager Sonny St. Jacques and neighbor and model Rhonda Lee.

In 1982, Cindy Williams left the series with her character marrying Walter Meany, a military man who was assigned overseas.

Main Title Theme Song''"Making Our Dreams Come True" - written by Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox; performed by Cyndi Grecco

ABC Broadcast History''January 27, 1976 - July, 1979 ---- Tuesdays ---- 8:30 P.M.''August, 1979 - December, 1979 ---- Thursdays ---- 8:00 P.M.''December, 1979 - February, 1980 ---- Mondays ---- 8:00 P.M.''February, 1980 - May, 1983 ---- Tuesdays ---- 8:30 P.M.

Nielsen Ratings - Top 30''Season 1 (1975-1976) #3 (27.5)''Season 2 (1976-1977) #2 (30.9)''Season 3 (1977-1978) #1 (31.6)''Season 4 (1978-1979) #1 (30.5)''Season 5 (1979-1980) Not In Top 30''Season 6 (1980-1981) #20 (tie) (20.6)''Season 7 (1981-1982) #20 (19.9)''Season 8 (1982-1983) #25 (17.8)

Emmy Awards Nominations''Outstanding Costume Design for a Series''1979 - Alfred E. Lehman

(source: Academy of Television Arts & Sciences)

Golden Globe Awards Nominations''Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy''1977''1978

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy''1978 - Cindy Williams''1978 - Penny Marshall''1979 - Penny Marshall''1980 - Penny Marshall

First Telecast: January 27, 1976 Last Telecast: May 10, 1983''Episodes: 178 color episodes plus one reunion specialmoreless
8.3
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Average Rating: Great
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S 8 :  Ep 24 Aired 5/7/02
S 8 :  Ep 23 Aired 5/22/95
S 8 :  Ep 22 Aired 5/3/83
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S 8 :  Ep 22 Aired 5/10/83
S 8 :  Ep 20 Aired 3/15/83

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Fan Reviews (12)

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  • Bravo !!!!!

    10
    "Perfect"
    By PaulaHuebner, Feb 23, 2010 Report Abuse
    This is one show that takes back in time and makes you laugh. Bravo to the cast and crew.. I laugh so much it takes me away from the depression of all bad days. It is funny to see how these girls and their friends can be so entertaining and be so together... I miss this show they aught to at least put it on TV land again...When the kids are away I too, love to laugh...But, I am sure they would laugh right along with me. There is no Violence, Nudity, Bad language. I hate vulgar TV..moreless

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    0 0

  • A wonderful, classic show about two women who can't help but stay out of mischief! They will have you laughing out loud within minutes of the beginning of the show!

    10
    "Perfect"
    By milkandpepsi94, Dec 29, 2008 Report Abuse
    I absolutely LOVE this show, although it was long before I was born. I love older shows like this, they entertain me a lot more than some t.v. shows today. This is a classic t.v. show whose comical genius was simply incredible. You just can't replace the comical duo of Laverne and Shirley, who remind me in there antics of Lucy and Ethel! Whether I am feeling down, or I am just in the mood for a good laugh, I can put on a "Laverne and Shirley" and feel great instantly. Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams are just hilarious in all of the sticky situations they get themselves into! :Dmoreless

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    2 0

  • Laverne and Shirley--making our dreams come true for me and you

    9.9
    "Superb"
    By senor_fritz, Oct 02, 2007 Report Abuse
    This show was non-stop riotous entertainment for me growing up. I remember I first got hooked on it while in middle school. As most of you know, it chronicled the daily and weekly adventures of two Milwaukee blue-collar working gals living together, as well as their interactions with friends and family. It was just awesome. I don't know what made it so delightful--the brilliant comedic actresses or the plots. Probably both. The producers couldn't have gotten two actresses with better dynamic. Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall shined and I never got bored of following them and their crazy antics. It wasn't just Marshall and Williams, though. Who could forget Lenny and Squiggy? Or Laverne's eccentric Italian father? The entire cast made this show the great caliber of entertainment that it was and I'm sure future generations will be as fond of it as I was as a kid.moreless

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    2 1

  • SUCKFEST!!! I wish i could give it a zero!!!

    1.0
    "Abysmal"
    By YummyLuvr11, Apr 05, 2007 Report Abuse
    I absolutely hate this show.. I hate how the actresses attempt to act, and the cast, and the whole entire thing is grotesque. It makes me sick it stayed on so long. I guess it may have benn cool back then, but now it is a complete and total embarrassment to the poor people who get the channel that comes on!! My sister is an old soul, and she watches all these old, horrid shows. I may have liked it if it wasn't pushed on me, but I highly doubt it. And what kind of names are LENNY and SQUIGGY?moreless

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    0 7

  • A somewhat funny show about two women that work in a brewery and their friends. Another spin-off from Happy Days

    7.0
    "Good"
    By vicmackey31, Apr 09, 2006 Report Abuse
    I use to watch this show when it was on (when I was a kid). That tells you how old I am I guess. Anyway, the show was pretty good at the time but doesn't real hold up against current day comedies.

    Penny Marshall (now a famous movie director) starred as Laverne DeFazio along with Cindy Wiiliams as Shirley Wilhelmina Feeney. Both were pretty good at their roles. There were several other actors that made it big after the show. Ed Marinaro who later went on to star in Hill Street Blues joined the cast in season six. Michael McKean who played Lenny Kosnowski has gone on to make several movies.moreless

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