Laverne & Shirley Theme - CA Seasons

[vfreeck]

When Laverne & Shirley jumped the shark.

I refuse to watch the California seasons, but the Milwaukee seasons are pure gold.

[msmithstud]

Betty Garrett aka Edna was written out of the show in the 8th season when midway through the season.. She should have been written out a couple seasons before when she made her final appearance in season 6 episode FIFTH ANNIVERSARY. Notice how she was a no-show at Shirley's wedding, the first episode of season 8. She didn't even say good-bye to Laverne, her step-daughter, in her Dear John letter she left Frank. The writers made her look like a callous b****.

[MichaelBrookham]

You will note that this is the only season where they give credit to both Michael McKean (Lenny) and David L. Lander (Squiggy). You will also note that not one season gave credit to all the other actors who played parts in this.

[msmithstud]

MAJOR BLOOPER; notice the first floor front window on the outside of the building has an ''L'' on it. That's their apartment. On the inside of their apartment, you can see the french doors that open to the balcony, therefore, they must be atleast on the 2nd floor.

[TheMashwatcher585]

that is the set for 2 1/2 men

[msmithstud]

producers wanted a pregnant Cindy to work the week she was suppose to deliver. I read this on Penny's IMDB page.

[kduideo]

Inside looks like the house for 2 and half men!!

[TheBigRagu100]

@kduideo That's what I keep telling my daughter, I think it is the same house!

[MrJohnnyv1993]

I fondly remember watching this show as a kid when re-runs were shown on Nick@Nite (Nickelodeon). I would wake up every morning at 5:00 before school to watch it while waiting for "Pinky & the Brain" to start as it would come on after "Laverne & Shirley."

[JesseL85719]

@MrJohnnyv1993 Maybe you should remember it. Buy it on DVD or watch it on The Hub at 8:00 EST.

[Lotmeister]

I thought the lyrics were changed slightly when they moved to CA, but every video on YouTube of the opening I've found has the same lyrics...?

[tahitisweetie61496]

@Lotmeister its the same song just different videos :)

[cynthiacher]

How could they all afford to just pack up and head out to California? They were all just blue collar working stiffs. Where did they get the money to move?

[fjccommish]

You could take these girls out of Milwaukee, but you couldn't take Milwaukee out of these girls.

[gamehound83]

Lenny& Squigy RULE

[tahitisweetie61496]

@captainendzone the girls moved to California cause they lost their jobs as bottle cappers to a machine theirfore leading to them moving to California

Cindy Williams left before season 8 because the summer after she finished taping season 7 she got pregnant so they got her out of the show by making her get married then leading too her by herself

Micheal McLean left to work on the spinal tap

[Oceanpacifica1968]

@tahitisweetie61496 The last season was missing Shirley, Lenny, and Edna. I think everyone agrees it was much better without them.

[tahitisweetie61496]

@Oceanpacifica1968 lady i saw your fight with my friend doris day; and YOUR WRONG im not fighting with you; because your wrong and im not having a big huge fight with you over stupid crap that we dont even need to be talking about or explainin my self to you.....

[Oceanpacifica1968]

@tahitisweetie61496 Well, your friend "Doris Day" was really rude!!! I expect an apology, and then I will consider (though no guarantees) speaking & debating with her again.

[DorisDayFanatic]

@Oceanpacifica1968 Excuse me? I was rude? That's a laugh! I was the one who said that we should agree to disagree! YOU'RE the one who insisted that we keep squabbling. You're also the one who told me to "shove a Kotex up my asshole to stimulate my prostate pleasure." WTF? And I'M the rude one? OKAY, I'll be rude here: I don't want to speak with you, debate with you, or even see your name ever again. I'm not responding to you anymore. Go get laid, or fuck yourself, whichever you prefer.

[Oceanpacifica1968]

@DorisDayFanatic See tahiti, I told you she was rude. Such foul language is highly unnecessary for a civlized forum. I will not accept an aplology from her, nor will I speak with her again.

[tahitisweetie61496]

@Oceanpacifica1968 ok lady or whatever you are??? telling someone to go do theirself???? dont be jelous!!!! that was pretty rude considering your a 44 yr old woman/man on youtube fighting with young adults that WILL i repeat WILL win the fight; do you have nothing else to do then arugue with people? Dorisday isnt rude, shes the nicest person i know; shes never rude to someone you just pissed her off!!!

[tahitisweetie61496]

you know what i though about the other day this song doesnt really apply to the last season cause it was only penny marshall! just occured to me?

[NinjaGhostScorpion]

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Schlamiel, Schlimazel, Hassenpfeffer Incorporated." What? Even Mike Myers said it.

[jnadle1]

This was used in season 7 because of 3 reasons, Michael McKean and David L. Lander were now credited, Milt Josefsberg and Jeff Franklin had left the series, as well as new scenes during the theme.

[cynthiacher]

Laverne and Shirley in California...what a terrible idea. And of course all the other characters inexplicably went out there too. There were a few funny moments during the California years, but the integrity of the show was gone. Laverne and Shirley were blue collar, down to earth working girls and now they were in shallow, sunny California. It just didn't fit.

[Neville6000]

@cynthiacher: They were trying to make it in Hollywood, and they almost did...it was Carmine that made it.

[jsrosa1282]

Is it true that Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams hated each other the whole time the show aired?

[DorisDayFanatic]

@jsrosa1282 No, it's not true. Tabloid rumors.

[Tonydan48]

@jsrosa1282 Actually the word hate is strong. Tabloids wanted u to believe that, but there was some opposition between both ladies at times towards who the real star was and which parts went to who. But they did not HATE each other.

[Stormievbva5]

I think that this the 7th season of Laverne and Shirley and also the last season that Cindy Williams appears in before she leaves the show altogether.

[arhuxtable]

This opening montage is from the 1981-82. Although this is almost like the one from the preceding season,that had no drum roll and the cast was ringing in 1965(here they rang in 1966).

[redonionsauce]

Seems to very similare to the set of " three and 1/2 men" inside the apartment. Seems like the same set.

[majesticlizard]

BUSTED!!! Why do you think 6364gg2 got so upset by that remark! Little dude does the knuckle shuffle to Laverne and Shirley. THE SECRET IS OUT FOOL!

[majesticlizard]

I wonder how many guys used to wack-off to Penny Marshall's gazongas on black and white TV's in the late 70's.

[6364gg2]

Shut up

[jacojahoss]

Wow, what a great theme song eh? TV shows don't really have fab themes anymore do they. But in the 70's and 80's, so many shows did. I had a real crush on Cindy Williams growing up as a kid in England in the 80's when Lav and Shirl was regularly repeated. Sadly, it hasn't been screened for many years and the shows are not out on DVD's that will play on European DVD players. Bum!

[rachelazw]

Great theme songs or theme music in the '60s, too: The Beverly Hillbillies, The Andy Griffith Show, Mission: Impossible, Family Affair, Batman, That Girl, Bonanza, to name a few.

[disneydanny2]

@jacojahoss mst laptops can play DVD's in any region

[ImperialAtlantis]

I can't really comment on the quality differences between the Milwaukee and Burbank seasons (I don't remember that far back), but I have to say the California credits really suit the optimism of the song's lyrics.

[rarebutgreat]

The show lost something after it moved from Milwaukee which it never seemed to recapture. Still had a huge crush on Penny though

[TruthandJustice101]

Did Carmine ever get to fuck Shirley?

She teased him for years on end.

In my own made up episode, Carmine confronts her and says, "Look bitch, are you ever gonna give up that pussy or what? I've passed every goddam loyalty test you've ever set for me!"

[hop2171]

i'd pay to see that episode, he should have gotten something for all the shit he did!

[jodyhoote]

The set from TAHM is this set just made over. I knew it the first time I watched TAHM. The stairs from both shows are unmistakable. The only difference is that TAHM is set in Malibu and LAS is set in Burbank I think?.

[jodyhoote]

This is the set from two and a half men.

[uhnter1]

yeah this when the girls were fighting and throwing punches between takes.you can see the tension and so could the other actors they should have axed this before the big move to hollywood

[wow77777]

just like when misadventures of sheriff lobo was awesome from country bumpkin orly county to semi funny in atlanta.everytime they'd attempt to be funny the atlanta stiffs would snuff out their jokes.with shirley gone how could they call the show laverne AND shirley? lol.didn't cindy or michael appear at all in the last season?

[evelau]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure Michael left before the last season. Probably to do Spinal Tap? Wise move! Although I -love- the Milwaukee seasons of L&S.

[LilDrummerSara]

i told my mom that. at least someone else out there sees it.

[GreyGhostly]

Had such a crush on C. Williams

[thatsmissbarbietoyou]

I also think it was the set for The Odd Couple, but they re-did most of it. :) I saw that on a BioChannel show haha :)

[RJSchex]

I'm not so sure about The Odd Couple, since it was set in New York City. "Two and a Half Men" and "Three's Company" feature the prominent arched doors seen here.

[captainendzone]

Another question buffs...why wasn't Michael McKean not in the last season. David Lander was, but not Michael. Another curious question to ask

[ph174699]

Michael McKean left to work on "This Is Spinal Tap".

[captainendzone]

Ok L&S buffs, I need to know something...what was the reasoning behind the girls moving to California and why did Cindy Williams leave the show. I was always curious of these two questions I ask. I would appreciate someone clarifying this for me. Thanks guys!

[ph174699]

Cindy Williams got pregnant during summer hiatus after season 7 & Marshall did not want to attempt a "Norman Lear" (the godfather of television) move and make the show controversial, i.e single, pregnant lady. Murphy Brown had enough trouble w/Dan Quale and single pregnancy circa 1990s. Michael McKean left to work on "This Is Spinal Tap". The last season left Penny in a good position to step up her burlesque theater & dance roots. Everybody left the show in good spirits and without negativity.

[sonicxisforever]

i think i remember this 1

[dadadruma]

once they came to L.A.the show took a crap also there are so many inconsistancies wasnt this show a spinoff from happy days and if so why were lavern and shirley always a few years ahead of the happy days clan

[ph174699]

"L&S" moving to California was one of the more lousy plot twists in TV history. However, L&S spun off the 2nd season of "Happy Days" and grew within its time period 1962, 63, etc... "Happy Days" remained in the same mysterious late 1950s year, every season. In other words the writers on "Happy Days" never really acknowledged the progression of time like the writers on L&S.

[JAldridge86]

Actually, the last episode of L&S was set in 1967 (aired in 1983), and the last episode of HS was set in 1965 (aired in 1984). Still weird.

[handinside]

From two mid-American working girls to two broads in tinsel town.A really lousy Plot twist if ever there was one.

[christheone8773]

I agree - the plot of the show moving from Milwaukee to Burbank was really terrible, and a real ratings plunger-

[MrCobain215]

@christheone8773 actually actually it kind of helped their ratings because, during the 3rd and 4th season the show was #1 in the ratings but then the idiots at abc decided to move the show to thursdays for the fitth season which made show drop from #1 to #39, so after the 5th season they moved it back to tuesdays for the remaining seasons which brought the show back into the top 30 in the ratings

[christheone8773]

@MrCobain215 You may be right on that one - when the show was Number One in the ratings, I really dont know why ABC made the stupid decision to shuffle it around on the schedule-

[sneezyize]

@christheone8773 Yeah, but at the time in popular culture and music there was a huge shift going to nostalgia for the 1950's to nostalgia for the 1960's, which actually accelerated shortly into the abbreviated (it was abbreviated due to the 1980 actor's strike) first (season 6) season the show moved to Hollywood in the 1980 - 1981 season due to John Lennon's killing and the new wanting to get all things Beatles plus the popular New Wave music being a nod to much of the 60's sound.

[christheone8773]

@sneezyize this is true - the setting of the show started around 1959, and it ended sometime in 1967-

[sneezyize]

@christheone8773 I agree that season 6 had not as a great episodes (although there was some funny ones & some very funny moments and a few touching ones as well), but season 7 had a lot more funny and touching ones (episodes and scenes). And actually in season 7, 1981-82 the ratings were still respectable for a show that lasted that long. I do wish that in season 6, 7 (and even the awful season 8) that the writers had gotten some of their chronology correct on events of the 1960's -- but I

[sneezyize]

@sneezyize think that happens a lot with nostalgia based shows (look how bad that NBC-TV's series, American Dreams got things back in 2002 - 2005, actually much worse than Laverne & Shirley two decades earlier).

[msmithstud]

@christheone8773 it seems like the show's 8th season should have been in 66 not 67. The show began in Jan.76 and ended in May 83. It ran for 8 seasons. It began in the 59 era and should have ended 8 years in 66. They are off by 1 year. But the hairstyles are totally 80's. HAPPY DAYS had the same problem

[christheone8773]

@msmithstud THEY SURE DID - I was surprised to see the guys wearing their hair in the "parted down the middle, and feathered" look, and the girls wore their hair in the "Farrah" look- towards the ending run of each show, neither of them looked like the era of the 60s-

[Neville6000]

@ph174699: Sorry, but they did: one episode of Happy Days focused on the Freedom Rider movement in the early '60's, and the show ended in 1964-'65, so there WAS an attempt to go into the 60's.

[deliciousd90210]

i love this show so so much me and my ex best friend were the black Laverne and Shilrey of the projects aka Ghetto

i really miss her !

[preciousjey]

i like the part where they kiss the beatles goodbye

[36yrexangst]

I had a crush on Rhonda!

[NYC10019NYC]

I LOVED THIS SHOW!!! When they moved to CA it "Jumped The Shark!"

[ilovepoppedcollars]

LOL

[rocker10541]

where can you download THIS version of the theme

[kenichisaitohchenii]

this one is the closest of all with what i heard on the radio （in solid gold 70s special thing in 1980s）and a cd i used to have.thanks for your uploading.

[NinjaGhostScorpion]

Cindy Williams was a helly-fine woman back in them days.

[Lbertucci4132]

which dvd Season is that from is it one of the 2 that I Have here

[JJGSeven13]

no its from the one of the seasons that the show was set in los angeles

[heartbreaker220]

they remind me of lucy and ethle (idk how to spell ethle)

[JJGSeven13]

ethel

[Garysc6]

What a great topic...thanx SonjaNeez. I just love good old classic tv, rally I do..especially from the mid 70's to mid 80's.

[SonjaNeez]

Does anyone know or remember what season(s) Vicki Lawrence (Carol Burnette show and better known as "Mama Harper") guest starred on this show as a seargent of some sort? I only remember it was in the CA years and would love to see a clip of that character on here. :)

[Garysc6]

It was the very last season and she was one of the means they used to fill the gaps of not having Cindy Williams. It was great. She guest starred several times I think and it was while she was doing "Mama's Family".

[SonjaNeez]

Thanks for clearing that up! :) I vaguely remember seeing it when it originally aired(which kinda gives away my age), but haven't seen it since. I'll just have to wait till the DVD comes out(since I've been collecting all of them so far). BTW, how many seasons were there and any idea when season 4 is coming out?

[Garysc6]

There were 8 seasons in all from 1976 to 1983 ( 7 full ones and a half one) beginning with a half season in early 1976 and the second season starting that fall so the last season with the Vicki Lawrence appearances would have been 1982 to 1983. What a great show and what a great theme!

[JohnLennon813]

Hey, I see the Beatles. I never knew Laverne and Shirley like the Beatles. Or do they like them in real life?

[NinjaGhostScorpion]

Probably. They're that popular.

[luisbriseno]

WHAT IS THE NAME OF THIS SONG PLEASE

[BobbyDamiano]

Making Our Dreams Come True, by Cyndi Greco.

[WJRSTV]

This was from season 7 as Betty Garrett had already left the show. But, the instrumental sounds more like season 6. Season 7 had a slight change, but not sure if it's from the quality.

[um6xr]

love this one tv theme i got this on 45

[lusiouslips90210]

who ever sent me this i love you for posting this becasue it really made my day,

i love this show so so so much!

[jsclogger2]

Omg i absolutly love this tv show I wish they still showed it. I watch it with my daddy when i was a little girl.

[hoosierguy97]

This is the season 7 opening (1981-1982), the second of the two CA seasons with both Laverne & Shirley. Season 6 is similar but includes clips of Betty Garrett and Ed Marinaro, who left after that season.

[WJRSTV]

Yes this is from season 7, but Ed Marinaro left during season 6 after a couple of episodes!

[caradecaballo]

that was a fun season... and i liked when they added the girl with the big rack.

[Yesimustbestupid2]

I agree, the season 7 was pretty fun. I think the writers were better at presenting what was going in 1966 than they were with season 6 with 1965 or season 8 with 1967. Too bad that couldn't last. I wasn't as thrilled though with the show as in it's early years, but the 1981 - 82 season wasn't really bad. I liked that they introduced the actor who would later play "Bull" on NBC's "Night Court" in one memorable ep. where Shirley was handcuffed to him.

[ScullySayer]

They were both so gorgeous in the later seasons but the show lacked the charm of the earlier seasons. It's painfully obvious when watching the theme song. In any case, thanks so much for sharing this!

[Yesimustbestupid2]

I don't totally agree. I think Season 6 & 7 were fairly decent seasons, more Season 7 than 6, it was probably the only CA season that actually made it look like the show was in the year they were suppose to be in (1966) -- the season 6 was sort of uneven when it came to what was really going in 1965.

[KissFreak09]

There was a small change in that season, the beginning is when the sign on the back of the truck, "CALIFORNIA OR BUST"

[COGIC1]

THANKS SO MUCH!!!