The first season of Laverne & Shirley, an American television sitcom series, began airing on January 27, 1976 on ABC. The season concluded on May 18, 1976 after 15 episodes.
| Laverne & Shirley | |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | |
 DVD cover | |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 15 |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Original release | January 27 – May 18, 1976 |
| Season chronology | |
The series is a spin-off from Happy Days, as the two lead characters were originally introduced on that series as acquaintances of Fonzie (Henry Winkler). Set in roughly the same time period, the timeline runs from approximately 1958, when the series began, through 1967, when the series ended. As with Happy Days, it was made by Paramount Television, created by Garry Marshall (along with Lowell Ganz and Mark Rothman) and executive produced by Garry Marshall, Edward K. Milkis, and Thomas L. Miller from Miller-Boyett Productions.
The season aired Tuesdays at 8:30-9:00 pm (EST), with a lead-in from its parent series, Happy Days. Its only competition was a CBS series titled Popi.[1][2] It ranked 3rd among television programs and garnered a 27.5 rating.[3] The entire season was released on DVD in North America on August 17, 2004.
Overview
editThe series revolves around the titular characters Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney, bottle-cappers at Shotz Brewery in 1950s Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Episode plots include their adventures with neighbors and friends, Lenny and Squiggy.
Cast
editStarring
edit- Penny Marshall as Laverne DeFazio
- Cindy Williams as Shirley Feeney
- Michael McKean as Leonard "Lenny" Kosnowski
- David Lander as Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman
- Phil Foster as Frank DeFazio
- Eddie Mekka as Carmine Ragusa
Guest Starring
edit- Henry Winkler as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli
- Robert Hays as Tom
- Fred Willard as Charles
- Mark Harmon as Victor
- Pat Carroll as Lily Feeney, Shirley's mother
Episodes
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Society Party" | Garry Marshall | Bob Brunner | January 27, 1976 | |
|
The girls mingle at a party being thrown by their boss's family, but their revelry is cut short when another guest accuses them of theft. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "The Bachelor Party" | Jerry Paris | Lowell Ganz & Mark Rothman | February 3, 1976 | |
|
Laverne permits Fonzie to have a bachelor party at the Pizza Bowl when her father leaves her in charge, but when the "entertainment" cancels, she begs Shirley to step in. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Bowling for Razzberries" | Alan Myerson | Marty Nadler | February 10, 1976 | |
|
Despite her illness, Laverne is determined to beat a snotty tour guide in a bowling tournament. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "A Nun's Story" | Alan Myerson | Michael Warren & William Bickley | February 24, 1976 | |
|
The girls attend a class reunion where they meet an old classmate who's gone from being wild to being a nun. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Falter at the Altar" | Jay Sandrich | Arthur Silver | March 2, 1976 | |
|
Although she's only been dating him for two months, Laverne decides to marry her boyfriend. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Dog Day Blind Dates" | James Burrows | Dale McRaven | March 9, 1976 | |
|
The girls have a double-blind date that turns into a disaster when their dates turn out to be bank robbers. Guest stars: Fred Willard and Guich Koock. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Once Upon a Rumor" | Howard Storm | Holly Mascott | March 16, 1976 | |
|
Lenny starts a rumor that Squiggy and Shirley are an item, even though Squiggy was just fixing Shirley’s skirt zipper. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "One Flew Over Milwaukee" | Michael Kidd | Michael Warren & William Bickley | March 23, 1976 | |
|
Shirley drives everyone cuckoo with her mothering of her pet canary. | ||||||
| 9 | 9 | "Dating Slump" | Alan Myerson | Arthur Silver | March 30, 1976 | |
|
Shirley's exact dating standards have left her dateless. | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | "It's the Water" | Dennis Klein | Greg Strangis | April 6, 1976 | |
|
Laverne is jealous of Shirley's promotion. | ||||||
| 11 | 11 | "Fakeout at the Stakeout" | Alan Myerson | Deborah Leschin & David W. Duclon | April 13, 1976 | |
|
Laverne goes undercover as a decoy to help catch a thief. | ||||||
| 12 | 12 | "Hi, Neighbors" | Alan Myerson | Michael McKean & David L. Lander & Harry Shearer | April 27, 1976 | |
|
Lenny and Squiggy move into the girls' building, becoming their new neighbors. | ||||||
| 13 | 13 | "How Do You Say 'Are You Dead' in German?" | John Thomas Lenox | Bob Brunner | May 4, 1976 | |
|
A German deliveryman (Peter Eibling) faints in the girls' apartment, leading them to assume he's dead. | ||||||
| 14 | 14 | "From Suds to Stardom" | James Burrows | Buz Kohan | May 11, 1976 | |
|
The girls have lost out of making the company's talent competitions for the past four years, but they're determined to make it this year. | ||||||
| 15 | 15 | "Mother Knows Worst" | Alan Myerson | Arthur Silver | May 18, 1976 | |
|
Shirley's mother, Lily, comes for a visit. | ||||||
References
edit- ^ TV Listings for January 27, 1976
- ^ TV Listings for May 18, 1976
- ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (Ninth Edition). Ballantine Books. p. 1687-1690. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.