Added: 5 years ago
From: nhwxtracker
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  • I never knew this episode existed.

  • @DartsRme312 Yes he did:)

  • alfred luter played olgilvie in the bad news bears!

  • I love the look on Linda Lavin's face after she gets that cone shoved in her face at the end, hilarious.

  • why didn't alfred lutter stay on for the series?

  • @wallofvideo not sure, I know this was what was made to sell the series.

  • @wallofvideo He was older that what the producers wanted. They wanted someone younger who could grow with the series.

  • @wallofvideo CBS wanted someone younger, and a little less weird. Weird's OK for a Martin Scorcese movie, not for a weekly CBS sitcom.

  • @kbirdus i take it you're not a big fan of alfred lutter. as for non-weirdness being a criterion for a 70s weekly sitcom character, i'm not so sure - - doesn't reverend jim on "taxi" suggest otherwise?

  • LOVED this song. Especially Flo when she'd tell Mel to "kiss my grits!"

  • Alice is the best tv show! I own all the episodes..I love it!

  • linda lavin kicks ass with this theme!

  • as someone born in 1969 i remember alice! i was just a boy in the 70s, but it is true that you could tell what night of the week it was based on what show was on. OH and they didn't swear every other word too, like todays type of show (brothers and sisters).

  • This WAS a great song, was'nt it? Haven'r heard it in 30+ years, & I've replayed it 4-5 times! Love her voice............

  • nhwxtracker I just love this show can u put the series on youtube?

  • the 1980's ruined any wholesome down home feeling and comfort of a happy life....greed averice and manipulation has made the once american dream a sespool of greed and want! thanks neo-cons reagnites and right wing religious fanatics. (am i being too harsh?) lmao

  • I miss shows like this. "Pick up Dingy:"

  • Does anyone remember Alfred Lutter in the ABC After-School Special, It Must Be Love ('Cause I Feel So Dumb) (circa 1975)...? The CBC's Peanuts & Popcorn carried it in Canada. I'd love to see that again.  Wasn't there a scene where he tried using hand cream...?

  • This jazzy version of this song (which was also recorded with the 2nd lyrics) was better than the later Broadway style music. I also like these lyrics better. They fit the character. The other lyrics, "I used to be sad, used to be shy...kicking myself for nothing was my favorite sport..." do not describe pushy Jersey girl Alice at all.

  • she has that look on her face at the end like 'oh hell no im bout to beat your ass!'

  • this version is weeedd out dude..light up

  • Great song. Great singing.

  • I'm a big fan of Hillary Clinton, so please don't take offense Hillary fans... but is Alfred Lutter not a SPITTING IMAGE of Hillary Clinton when she was first lady of Arkansas before Chelsea was born?

  • i sure hope they release the first season on dvd as well as show it on tv again

  • Linda Lavin has a beautiful voice

  • i am soooo glad they recast tommy with phillip mckeon--alfred lutter was not very good

  • LoL, It is sooooo funny I think when Alice gets the ice cream cone in the face, especially the look on her face as she just stares at Tommy before it gets wiped off.

  • this is the link for the one I know not the other one. ;)

  • Wow, weird seeing the origional Tommy from the movie in the pilot. Never knew he was in it. The movie is so gritty and cutting edge 70s cinema (Scorcese of course) that it's just odd seeing him in the sitcom version. I know Tayback was in the movie too, but I guess after years of watching the TV show as a kid I could separate the two.

  • loved linda lavin's voice in this theme song...she really could belt it out!

  • i completely agree! i just love this song and i wish there was some way i could hear all of it.

  • This opening is decent. Every year Lavin redid the opening song and every season she got worse instead of better :)

  • you are right i just finishing listening to all opening themes and this one does sound like the best one.

  • So true. The only really good version is this first one. Better lyrics, better arrangement.

  • @markxxx21

    I hate to say it, but that's true. They should've stuck with the version the whole way through the series.

  • loved this show...

  • Could not stand Alfred Lutter. The 2nd Tommy was much better.

  • Was he the "fresh freckle face" mentioned by Linda Lavin?

  • I actually think the song is refering to Alice herself. Fresh meaning new to the neighborhood.

  • Ellen Burstyn had freckles but not Linda Lavin. I don't think this song was used in the film, though.

  • @greendragon94 I don't know what Alfred Lutter was like as an actor, but if looks were an issue, Philip McKeon definitely had it there---AND in acting:):):)

  • @meowfit didn't alfred lutter play in the bad news bears as olgilve?

  • Alice is my hero....

  • This song is 'sick'. (meaning it kicks ass) :)

  • Comment removed

  • Linda Ravin was hot back in the day... nothing hotter than JAPs and Cowboy themes.

  • you mean Lavin not Ravin lol

  • I had such a crush on Alice. I truely enjoyed her persona. She was so relaxed. And could sing her nice round butt off as well!

  • How the Hell did they get this TV show out of "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore?"

  • Not sure what you mean.  Odd Couple. M*A*S*H. Same thing.

  • Did you WATCH the original movie Alice?

  • Yup. I've seen it. It has its parallels. As much as I would expect from a TV spin off from a movie.

    I dunno. Maybe if I'd seen the movie first, I probably wouldn't have expected they'd make a sitcom out of it.

  • There's a connection somewhere.

  • Thank God they recast 'Tommy'

  • ALICE premired on August 31, 1976. I know this because the month and date is the same when my older brother was born- he wasn't born in 1976, he was born August 31, 1960. Anyway, you all should see what Linda Lavin looks like now.

  • Awesome! And I still remembered all the words to the theme song. Great show!

  • Bout 2 sample dis right now lol!!!!!

  • this lady sings hot...she's pretty :)

  • this lady sing hot ... nice legs, too....

  • I have every season on dvd...love this show!! Now kiss my grits!!!! When donkeys fly!

  • Nope 1976 :)) the year I was born:)) July 2,1976 same birthday as Polly Holliday:))

  • This show started in 1975...good lord.

  • love this theme great memories

  • That's interesting. No footage of Mel's diner or any co-starts! Just some B-reel to go with the music. Or was the B-reel from the movie?

  • I think thats because this is for the pilot episode. I was thinking the same thing actually but then I noticed that it referred to it being from the pilot, which is often different.

  • do you have the pilot episode

  • 1975 wow

  • What a great voice. Born for jazz, Linda!

  • This helped me out with a work project(believe it or not) thanks mucho.

  • Dam this is very old!!!>.

  • Give Linda Lavin (who played Alice credit), she is also the SINGER of the theme song.

    Very talented. Not my favorite sitcom but it did show working class woman trying to make it in the 1970's.

  • Same with Lee Majors on "The Fall Guy"

  • I always loved this show. Thank God they changed the pilot opening. It's lame.

    The song always brings me back to the early '80s, if even for a second or two. Thanks for posting.

  • beautiful

  • i like dis  one 4 real

  • The first season song was so much better!

  • Whoa! I remember seeing reruns of this show in the 1980s. Was hilarious!

  • This was a funny show, vera and mel always cracked me up ;)

  • I never knew another Tommy was cast for the pilot. Philip McKeon was a much better choice. I think season one theme was the best one.

  • This was the Tommy from the movie but he'd grown too big by the time the pilot was picked up.

  • no offense to the kid but i can see why they recast lol

  • This was the kid who plays Tommy in the movie. He is fantastic in the film as Tommy is much more animated and mischievous. Philip McKeon was nowhere near as good in the part. heck, Linda Lavin was no Ellen Burstyn.

  • its all about the bompa ba pomp bo augh,

  • I love Alice. This was the funniest show.

  • the other Tommy was HOT

  • I did not know about this one. You learned something all the time

  • does linda lavin l.a.'s craigslist rant and rave stalker leave comments on here about her?

  • I named my cat "Mel" after Vic Tayback's character in the show. RIP Mel.

  • i can remember it seems right before he died they were going to do a TV show - spin off similar to Alyce with him starring in it. too bad that he had a heart attack and died!

  • Was she going to shrimp her kid's toe?

  • Does anybody remember when Alice played Vera's landlord? I was little and she creeped me out big time when she did that. LOL

  • This song is so uplifting and relaxing at the same time. I wasn't born in the 70s, and never even saw this show, I only heard this theme song a couple of years ago, and there's just something so mysteriously nostalgic about it, even though I wasn't even alive during that era, does anybody else get that feeling, I think the 60s and 70s were an incredible time, the music from that era definitely reflects the uniquely beautiful ethos of that period. Maybe I'm just crazy.

  • You're not crazy (well, not from your comment at any rate). I was born in 1970, so I grew up on the music you mention (like this theme song). Just be careful about over-idealizing a past era; I was of the age to look back on the 1960s the same way. (That said, I think you're right--the 70s were beautiful in many ways.)

  • Take a look at the wealth of early Sesame Street clips on YouTube. Some of the music is incredible. There was definitely a lot more love put into TV music back then. Even kids TV shows featured music with beautifully jazzy arrangements.

  • yes there is something with TV music during this time period,, even in the early 80's

    could listen to stuff like this all day.

  • @angela1894 Oh that's sweet. I was born in 76 so caught only the last few seasons of this show. And honestly, the theme song was probably the best part of the show every week.

  • @reymatt76

    I happen to remember that they changed the theme song at least once. Which version did you like best?

  • @angela1894 Amen. And well said.

  • @angela1894 Dead on, it's why i sought out the reruns online. i remember this(both song and show) from when i was a kid and it really does embody the whole "vibe" and feeling of the era. Not like now at all....don't get me started about where we've gone....but yeah these days were great!

  • @angela189 your right on, the 60s and 70s were magical...they really were.

  • @angela1894 I was born in the late 60's and spent my childhood in the 70's. Those were  indeed some very creative and original times. We used our minds and imagination a lot without interference from cell phones, facebook updates, 24 hour cable/satellite tv, violent video games, etc. That's part of the atmosphere that helped create the positive vibe you hear flowing from the Alice song. And no you're not crazy.

  • @willidaws I agree with you totally,we used our minds with out distractions,TV was so much better then,I was born in 1970,and like the shows of the 60's and 70's alot more than what is on today,

  • @angela1894 TV in the 70's was so much diffrent than today,I totally HATE reality shows,and back then you knew what was on each night of the week,Tuesday nights,was always Happy Days,Lavern and Shirley,3's company,Sunday night was All in the Family and The Jeffersons,show then were created with thought not technology,it is great that a young person like you,enjoys the classic shows

  • che ricordi!

  • wow, they changed that kid to Michael McKeon.

  • well ... his name was Philip McKeon. But yeah...

  • yes. that kid looks like the one who played tommy in the movie with ellen burstyn.

  • It was him. He was in this pilot episode, and possibly for the next couple episodes (??). After that, Philip McKeon took over the role of Tommy for the entire duration of the show's 9 season run.

    -Matt

  • that kid looks like Wormser from Revenge of the Nerds

  • That's the same kid who played Ogylvie in "The Bad News Bears"

  • He played Tommy in the film version of "Alice"

  • Damn, that's the old opening.

  • Isn't Linda Lavin the singer?

  • yes, and i think she has a beautiful voice too.

  • kiss my grits!

  • i would like to kiss some grits

  • I Loved This Show So Much, Vera Inspired Me To Tap Dance and I had a CRUSH ON HER TOO!

    Alice, The Jeffersons, Good Times, Facts Of Life, Dallas, Dynasty, Different Strokes,BOY,

    TV WAS INSPIRING BACK THEN!!!!!

    TV WAS TV THEN!!

  • I have a question I hope someone can answer. If I'm not mistaken this was a comedy but I was reading about the show on IMDB and it was based on the movie "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" which was apparently a Drama. Why would someone make a sitcom out of a Dramatic movie?

  • The original movie although a drama, did have some comedic parts to it and those parts transfered well to the TV show. Polly Holiday modeled here "Flo" character off of Diane Ladd's "Flo". So if you were to watch the original movie, you could see where some of the comedy came from.

  • Oh, thank you. It was confusing. I mean Martin Scorsese directed a film that became a sitcom? LOL his movies aren't usually "funny" they are more shoot 'em to kill LOL but Thank You for the answer :)

  • Yeah, kinda funny to think that Martin "You Talkin' To Me?" Scorcese directed one of the archetypal chick flicks of the '70s.

  • It was one of his early movies, so he probably had less freedom to make the kinds of films he really wanted to make back then.

  • @nhwxtracker not to mention the original 'drama' was BORING AS HELL and would have been luckt to last more than am onth as a series!

  • Maybe they liked doing that back in those days. For instance, check out M*A*S*H the movie versus M*A*S*H the tv show.

  • @elrota The same reason they did a sitcom out of the movie M*A*S*H. They felt the premise would be sitcom material, so instead of doing a rip off they got to promote it as a continuation out of an actual movie. This has been done countless times but most often the TV show fails. Alice, and M*A*S*H were exceptions.

  • @elrota The same reason they turned one of the greatest tear jerker drama love stories THE GHOST AND MRS MUIR into a silly sitcom...

  • I loved eveything in this show. The characters were great. People tell me they thought it got lame after Flo left but I still really loved it till the end!

  • Stow it blondie!

  • I recal Sunday evening programming being excellent with The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time, ...my mind is going blank.... think Alice was on or was it Mondays?

  • You can't even tell what this show would be about from that opening. It didn't make any

    sense.

  • that's why it was so successful

  • It seems to me that Alfred Lutter had made a very good film role of Tommy, but Philip McKeon was better in the series, as he wasn't that nerdy.

    In fact, McKeon wasn't nerdy at all.

  • the chili gave me gas.

  • thanks for the posting. maybe you could post the whole pilot episode. i love alice and watch it every weeknight at 7 on ion tv. they are getting ready to turn over, but i don't know if they'll show the pilot.

  • Hmmm. Looks like Alice and Tommy having a little vacation as they move across the country.

  • I love this song !!!so beautiful as is Linda Lavin and her great voice thanx 4 posting !!!

  • Linda has a great singing voice!

  • It is very interesting to watch this and think of what might have been, but wasn't. I think I'm glad they cast Philip McKeon in the role as Tommy, he was so cute--and good!

  • I use to watch this shit all the time when i was real young. Some very fund memories. Makes me wonder how much influence it had over me. I aint in jail or nutin!!!!

  • It looks as boring as bat shit!

  • I can't believe there are whole discussions on the Internet based on this theme song. This made my day, even the nasty comments, just the fact that folks are *arguing* about it!

    Try getting this song out of your head, it's impossible :)

  • You can catch it weeknights on Ion tv-2 episodes back to back. I'm glad a network is rerunning "Alice" finally again.

  • Tommy was hot!

  • Yes, he was hot when he was older. I never realized until just recently he was Nancy McKeon's brother.

  • I'm glad they went with Mckeon as Tommy,for some reason Lutter really irked me,that's probably why I hated the movie.

  • who u calling stupid! I agree with u, but how dare u call an ALICE fan stupid, sounds like u need to get a life!

  • ok, explain to the stupid girl, are you talking about the boy's charactor. No offense but they probably picked right. He had the right chemistry, who cares about age

  • Not sure if this was reported or not already and if so, sorry. But I read that the reason why they replaced Alfred was because they wanted someone to be younger if the series went on longer then they thought. But McKeon was pretty much the same age, but guess looked younger!

  • I am glad they changed the son to Phillip Mckeon..the other boy way no hottie back in the 70's

  • This show started out about a woman starting over and chasing her dream of being a singer. Then it turned into a zany sitcom about a diner... "Kiss mah grits!!" Boo! (GREAT song, though.)

  • i was a kid n the 80's when i started watching alice reruns.love the theme but it always made me sad when she said bom bom bom bom bommmm.lol!i think 80's t.v. shows had the best theme music.

  • Really,it made you sad?Huh,That part always made me happy.Lavin had A warmth to her voice,so bom,bom,bom,made me smile.

  • Season two lyric changes: 1977-78

    "Used to be sad, used to be shy, funniest thing the saddest part is I never knew why, Going through life with blinders on, it's tough to see, I had to get up and out from under and look for me,

    there's a new girl in town, with a brand new style,

    she was just passin' through, but if things work out, she's gonna stay...awhile, bom bom bom bom bommmmmm.

  • Mel's sausage surprise with a side of Flo's menstrual eggs was always a favorite.

  • add some of my white ketchup to it and you've got a yummy snack!

  • Another great theme song.

  • dont eat mels chili

  • Also, on the intros from 1976 to 79 they showed the Ford station wagon front view on the highway, which was taken from the actual movie "Alice Doesnt Live Here Anymore", and its easy to see the pictures of her putting out the fire under the hood, that its a Galaxie wagon, not the LTD shown a few seconds earlier.

  • boy that alfred lutter makes clay aiken look masculine!

  • how many shows was this tommy on?

  • none. this was only the pilot episode. I don't think it ever went on TV.

  • this Tommy looks like Ogilve from the 70s Bad News Bears.

  • That's because it is. Alfred Lutter was also in "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore", the basis for the series.

    This episode did air, though - in August of 1976, about a month before the regular series premiered.

  • ilove linda lavin this theme is the best and she is sexy

  • I loved this show. This show was made for all single mothers doing it on their own.

  • This is still one of my all time favorite TV shows!  I wish it would go back into syndication!

  • same here, i agree with you 100%.

  • Wow, I don't remember this opening at all and didn't know that Phillip McKeon was the second Tommy. Interesting.

  • He is the kid from the movie Alice Doen't Live Here Anymore. Sad they did not keep him, since he would have brought some realness to the show.

    The show was so bad it took me years to go back to the original film--and see how good it was.

  • Oh yeah, great voice, too. Go Linda!!!

  • I love Linda Lavin. She's cute and she's got great legs. Mmmm.

  • I was around 11 or 12 when this show came on, but I thought (especially the first year or two when she had that long hair) was just a great-looking woman! I had a little crush going on there!

  • Linda Lavin, who played Alice, sang the theme song every season. To me, this is the best one. It was also used on the finalized version after this pilot. The next theme till the end of the show all went downhill. Too Vegasy for me. But again, this one's the best!

  • I agree... I like her voice. This was a great show. T.V. sux now!

  • I've always thought too that the first season version of the theme song was the absolute best version. I read once that Motown wanted their singers to stick to the melody line, and not to get to "jazzy" with the singing. I now know why I love this version so much: Linda Lavin sings it simple and to the point, but at the same time, she's damn Soulful here! Wish they kept this version- they never did top this one!

  • Thats true, I actualyl like this better with the film intro, its more realistic to her character. The subsequent intros were ok, I think there was a good one in 1978, on the first lyric update, but then she did get a little too jazzy with the 1979 - 84 version vocals. I did love this show a lot and will never forget it!

  • I never knew Alice sung this song!