Alice - General Discussion

[Lisin]

Alice! 

[Lisin]

A place to discuss particular episodes, arcs and moments from the show's run. Please remember this isn't a complete catch-all topic -- check out the forum for character topics and other places for show-related talk.

[Maharincess]

I loved the show but I hated Alice. Or rather,  I didnt care for Linda Lavin.  I always HATED how she over sang the theme songs. It just sounded ridiculous to me. 

[Joan van Snark]

Probably my favorite show ever growing up as a little kid in the late 70s/early 80s.  Watched every morning in the Summer.  Flo was the best but I always had a soft spot for Vera, too. 

[GreatKazu]

I agree with you two.

It is funny how out of all the shows I have watched over the years, I will sit there and watch the opening credits of Alice just to hear the theme song even though I hate how Linda was so over-dramatic in her singing. I think this show had the most changes done to a theme song than any other show. Every season they changed it up and there was Linda belting out the lyrics in a different way. The lyrics themselves were changed at least three times. 

[GreatKazu]

Just about most of the episodes during the seasons that feature Flo. She was the best. 

I really love the one where Flo has a small party in her trailer. It is the one where Alice broke off her relationship with Tommy's principal. 

[GreatKazu]

Any episode that featured Mel's mother. Especially the one where she and Alice are singing Rod Stewart's song "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?"  

[Maharincess]

I hated any episode where Alice sang or that was about Tommy. That kid bugged the hell out of me for some reason. Maybe it was the horrible acting.  

[Ubiquitous]

I noticed Logo is playing this for some reason. I remember it being funnier when I watched it as a child.

[Maharincess]

I've been watching it a bit on LOGO and I agree, I don't remember it being so cheesy and over acted. I remember Lavin's over singing but I had forgotten about the acting. 

[PradaKitty]

Yeah, it totally sucks.  I can't believe I watched this show.  It's just... stupid!

[PradaKitty]

Oddly enough, the kid who played Tommy is the brother of Nancy McKeon, who was Jo on The Facts of Life. 

Alice's (and Linda Lavin's) singing was awful...

[blaase]

It's not good but somehow I always end up watching.

Linda Lavin was not funny, but loving Vera, Jolene and Flo. I have a feeling those three are the reasons the show lasted as long as it did.

I feel bad for all the actresses that had to kiss Mel during the show, he looks like his breath and body odor seemed like ass.

Edited June 25, 2017 by blaase

[Ubiquitous]

I recently caught the ep in which Mel's attitude towards the handicapped changed after getting trapped in the dinner in a wheelchair. I swear I've seen this plot on The Jeffersons...

[Ubiquitous]

I always wondered why Linda Lavin sang all the time on this show. Did she used to be a crooner or in musicals? I thought maybe they made her sing b/c that's the premise of the show, but I find it hard to believe they would do that.

[Maharincess]

I've been watching this crap every morning on Logo. What I don't understand is why did a place as small and un busy as Mel's Diner need 3 full time waitresses who all work at the same time?  There's never more than 4-5 customers in there at one time and the waitresses are usually just standing around. 

When I used to watch this as a kid, I had such a crush on Mel. I always had crushes on the older guys when I was young. 

Edited November 15, 2017 by Maharincess

[Maharincess]

1 hour ago, 17wheatthins said:

But do you still have a crush on him? I find him attractive for some reason :-)

Yeah, I do. There's just something sexy about him. I can't explain it but it's there. 

[Snow Apple]

There was an episode where the gang met Telly Savalas and Mel dressed like him in the end and looked very hot.

[janeyjay]

On 11/15/2017 at 9:05 PM, Maharincess said:

Yeah, I do. There's just something sexy about him. I can't explain it but it's there. 

Oh thank goodness. I thought it was just me who finds him sexy. Swarthy and a little alpha male. 

[Max fan]

On 12/3/2017 at 0:30 AM, janeyjay said:

Oh thank goodness. I thought it was just me who finds him sexy. Swarthy and a little alpha male. 

Count me in! I think Mel is hot too!  Watching as a young girl first run he was old and hairy , plus being my Father's age I didn't find him attractive at all. Now watching I'm like Hey Mel really isn't bad looking, sexy even! Love that he is so masculine, the voice and his gruff manner , but he is really sweet deep down which makes him really hot! I'm into the dark, swarthy type of men too! 

[silverspoons]

Glad to see the show back on Antenna TV (and in a decent times lot). The Jay Leno episode was on Today,  my kids watched to see Jay in the day, Even with the cheesy fake backgrounds of the outside, the show was "realistic" in the way they lived, small apartments, no cars, the struggles. Too bad we can't have another resturant based show or Alice reboot, how many people work in the food service industry at some point in their lives? and there are so many good (funny and otherwise) stories to tell. 

[JAYJAY1979]

I've been rewatching the show... is it realistic to have three waitresses working the same shift where there are maybe only 5 customers in the diner?  I can only imagine that tips are slim.

[JAYJAY1979]

Oddly, I know Alice is the lead... but I always found Vera to be more entertaining and endearing.  

[Snow Apple]

They all work from breakfast to dinner too. But I guess they have a lot if down time to rest.

[alegtostandon]

On 11/15/2017 at 7:05 PM, Maharincess said:

Yeah, I do. There's just something sexy about him. I can't explain it but it's there. 

A man in uniform, lol! Actually, the guy who played Mel was a good looking man, I've seen him in other shows. 

I'm sure this has been said..I live I the Phoenix area. The opening scene of the outside of the diner with the huge coffee cup is a real place, on Grand Ave. My husband worked around the corner & we use to eat lunch there. In the mid 80's, they took advantage of being recognized & IIRC, changed their name to Mel's.  Watched the show the other day and they commented being on Bush Hwy, which is a 'highway' here but not near town at all.  Guess that's TV for you!

Edited May 8, 2018 by alegtostandon

[silverspoons]

On 5/8/2018 at 10:57 AM, alegtostandon said:

A man in uniform, lol! Actually, the guy who played Mel was a good looking man, I've seen him in other shows. 

I'm sure this has been said..I live I the Phoenix area. The opening scene of the outside of the diner with the huge coffee cup is a real place, on Grand Ave. My husband worked around the corner & we use to eat lunch there. In the mid 80's, they took advantage of being recognized & IIRC, changed their name to Mel's.  Watched the show the other day and they commented being on Bush Hwy, which is a 'highway' here but not near town at all.  Guess that's TV for you!

Thanks for posting this. Our family has to travel to Scottsdale for medical care often. It is such a long horrible hot  drive so I try and find a few fun things to do. I guess I will be visiting Mel's next month on our next trip. Has to be better then the trip we took to Amy's Baking company years ago!

[alegtostandon]

22 hours ago, silverspoons said:

Thanks for posting this. Our family has to travel to Scottsdale for medical care often. It is such a long horrible hot  drive so I try and find a few fun things to do. I guess I will be visiting Mel's next month on our next trip. Has to be better then the trip we took to Amy's Baking company years ago!

Just checked, Mel's is still there! I've not been over that way in years, I'm way on the west side.

Hope everything is ok, Silverspoons

http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/mels-diner-in-phoenix-serves-surprisingly-excellent-food-7376891

Edited May 14, 2018 by alegtostandon

[Kazu]

The Antenna episodes are unedited. I love it. I have been recording the episodes on discs.

LOGO sucks. They chopped the hell outta the episodes.

[blpalv]

The one where Flo's trailer was stolen and she stayed with Alice.  Their personal lives clashed like cymbals! 

And Oh, George Burns!  Even though Vera was really out there in this episode.  Thinking that characters on TV or in the movies were REAL.  Nowadays, that would not be aired, and she would be seeing a therapist.

[Vixenstud]

I just saw one that I remember as a kid, Close Encounters of the Worst Kind.

Alice took a psychology class and was sharing what she learned with Flo, Vera and Mel and everyone wound up fighting over each other’s quirks:

Alice would crinkle her nose and sneer whenever Flo went out with a different guy

Flo thought that Alice saw herself as a perfect goody-two-shoes

Vera hated Mel calling her a dinghy chick

Mel hated Vera’s flakiness

As much as I liked this eppy back then, watching it as an adult if I were Flo I would have told Alice to fuck herself!  Who I date/fuck/whatever is none of your business, don’t be judging me.

[Vixenstud]

Co-sign to the late, great Vic Tayback love....I crushed on him all during Alice, my sister never understood it.  And Telly Savalas was sexy AF, especially once he shaved off his hair.

I didn't watch the show much once Polly Holiday left; couldn't stand Belle and absolutely loathed Jolene, who was hard on the eyes.  As for Vera, I always hated the stupid ditsy types in the 70's....once she married Elliot she became watchable.

[smiley13]

I hated anytime Alice had to sing.  I liked Flo, Vera and Mel much better than Alice.

[smiley13]

Carrie was awful!  Martha Raye made me cringe.  And yes that episode was the worst.  Geriatric Carrie and Alice singing that song, ugh!!

[Vixenstud]

I've always wondered if she was the reason that Polly Holiday left....I remember watching when the show was first run and they did not get along.

[Vixenstud]

On 4/26/2017 at 2:47 PM, GreatKazu said:

Especially the one where she and Alice are singing Rod Stewart's song "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?"

What..in..the...bluedilly FUCK?!  

OMG....you know, I've heard about this for years and have never seen it until now.

I, I,....there are no words.  

I will say that I need potatoes, eggs and toast added to the HAM that was this!  

*Rocks in fetal position, cries silently*

[Snow Apple]

I think Polly left for the Flo spinoff. But I don't know why she never made a guest appearance after it got cancelled.

[Vixenstud]

True, she left for Flo....however, she and Lavin did not get along, maybe 'cause she got the majority of the laughs?  

Anyway, PH should have taken a page out of Whitman Mayo (Sanford and Son)/Marla Gibbs (The Jeffersons) and put it in her contract that if 'Flo' flops, she could return to Alice.

[Vixenstud]

Damn all of you!  I cain't help it but I find myself watching the above video over and over.

[Irate Panda]

Couldn’t stand Martha Raye.  Was she supposed to be annoying so we could she why Mel was Mel or was it just her acting in general?  I never saw her in anything else.

[Irate Panda]

On 11/15/2017 at 7:22 PM, 17wheatthins said:

But do you still have a crush on him? I find him attractive for some reason :-)

I don’t know why but I always liked Mel as a little kid.  I saw the show in reruns, it’s not like I thought he was good looking but I was drawn to his character for some reason.

[Irate Panda]

I hated the character Alice but liked Flo and Mel.  Vera I can only handle in small doses.

[Vixenstud]

On 10/14/2018 at 8:00 PM, Irate Panda said:

Was she supposed to be annoying so we could she why Mel was Mel or was it just her acting in general?

Great question, for me it was MR's over acting.

[funky-rat]

On ‎4‎/‎30‎/‎2017 at 10:46 PM, Ubiquitous said:

I noticed Logo is playing this for some reason. I remember it being funnier when I watched it as a child.

That was me with Three's Company.  I LOVED that show as a kid.  I can't watch it now.  It's so formulaic, that I know how it's going to end about 10 minutes in, if even.

Count me in with the Vic Tayback love.  There was just something about him - he wasn't afraid to take charge or stand up, but he was a teddy bear inside.

[funky-rat]

On ‎4‎/‎24‎/‎2017 at 4:21 PM, Maharincess said:

I loved the show but I hated Alice. Or rather,  I didnt care for Linda Lavin.  I always HATED how she over sang the theme songs. It just sounded ridiculous to me. 

There's a NEEEEWWWWW gurl in tooooooowwnwnnnn and she's loookin' gud!  There's a fwesh fweckled fashe in the NAYBOOOOOOHOOOOOD!  Fum fum fum fuuummmmmmm……..

I cringe when she sings.

[funky-rat]

I could barely tolerate Jolene, but I HATED it when she called Vera "Shoe Button".  Ugh.

[Ubiquitous]

On 5/13/2018 at 2:13 AM, silverspoons said:

Thanks for posting this. Our family has to travel to Scottsdale for medical care often. It is such a long horrible hot  drive so I try and find a few fun things to do. I guess I will be visiting Mel's next month on our next trip. Has to be better then the trip we took to Amy's Baking company years ago!

Holy crap! THAT place?

4 hours ago, funky-rat said:

That was me with Three's Company.  I LOVED that show as a kid.  I can't watch it now.  It's so formulaic, that I know how it's going to end about 10 minutes in, if even.

I am the same way! It was always bad when Linda Lavin sining was involved.

[Snow Apple]

Have to agree. The theme song wasn't bad in the beginning but I feel secondhand embarrassment in the later years.

[Irate Panda]

Ugh...another Martha Raye episode.  She’s awful.

[funky-rat]

They played the episode where Vera gets married yesterday.  That episode set sucked bad enough, but Linda Lavin screeching out "True Love" in a really awful and awkward voice was just the cherry on the sundae.

[catlover79]

On 7/27/2018 at 10:56 AM, Vixenstud said:

Anyway, PH should have taken a page out of Whitman Mayo (Sanford and Son)/Marla Gibbs (The Jeffersons) and put it in her contract that if 'Flo' flops, she could return to Alice.

You can add Sonny Shroyer (Deputy Enos Strate, The Dukes of Hazzard) to that list. Ironically, he and Sorrell Booke both wound up as Enos and Boss Hogg in a later episode of Alice. Supposedly, Boss and Jolene were distant relatives.