Alice

I thought this was such a great show. It always made me laugh and I thought that Flo's "Kiss My Grits" was a great line. I might not have enjoyed it had I been an adult when it was on, but I was a kid and I thought it was SO funny. I wish it was in reruns somewhere!! I remember that the cast was great and they seemed to compliment each other because each was funny in his or her own way. Mel was always saying something smart alecky to Vera or Flo or Alice and he had some great lines. I really think that Mel should win a TV Land Award next year for the meanest boss. And this show had the best theme song that is STILL stuck in my head after all of these years. I still remember every word of it to this day.

This was one of the funniest shows of its time, at least for the first few years when Polly Holliday was still on. People may call it trashy, but I look at it as a comedy about everyday people and didn't rely on politics or lots of slapstick like a lot of other shows that were around when this one was. The characters all blended nicely. You had working mother Alice, man hungry Flo, dim bulb Vera and gruff on the outside, but tender on the inside Mel. Also, you had the diner patrons in Earl and Henry who helped to make this show what it was.

The only thing I didn't like about the show were the constant attempts to try to replace the person who was the one breakout character on the show, Flo. She pretty much invented one of the most memorable catch phrases of the 1970's in kiss my grits and she was the main reason people tuned in every week to watch the show. Dianne Ladd was okay as Belle, but once Celia Weston came in as Jolene, that pretty much ended my love for this show.

What happened to "Alice"? You can't find it on DVD, can't find it on cable, and can't even locate it late at night in local syndicated reruns. It's hard to guess why the powers-that-be at TV Land or Nick at Nite haven't realized that this show would be popular as part of their lineup.

Anyway, this show set itself apart from many of its era by its semi-unpredictability. Every plot didn't have a happy ending, and there wasn't necessarily a "good" lesson taught to the viewer by the end. For example, in one episode when Flo enrolls in night school to finally earn her high school diploma, she has trouble concentrating on her homework, and is "forced" by Alice to stay home and study. Rather than provide the viewer with the happy and P.C. ending where Flo realizes the value of an education, the episode concludes with her sneaking out the window to go on a date. Presumably, Flo never gets that diploma.

The show did a good job presenting a blue-collar "diner" setting. None of the waitresses were beautiful, and outside of the endless parade of famous guest stars, the clientele shown in Mel's fit well with that of a '70s greasy spoon in a city like Phoenix. Supporting characters such as Henry and Earl -- everymen in all senses of the term -- fit in well with this motif.

Each character brought something to the show. Alice was the sensible single mom with big hopes and dreams. Vera was the childlike ditz. Flo was the outspoken, aging, oversexed country woman. Mel was gruff and selfish, but was kind-hearted beneath the surface. "Kiss my grits" became a household phrase.

Unfortunately, with Flo's departure, the show took a steady turn downhill. Diane Ladd's Belle and Celia Weston's Jolene were nowhere near as colorful as Flo, and as a result, the plots started to slip, as well. A lot of the later episodes were stupid and downright embarrassing. Many of the early elements that made this show great were simply missing in the later years.

Overall, this was a very entertaining show, and it's a shame that it can no longer be found. Hopefully this will change in future years.

I used to watch this show when I was a kid. Since then, I've rarely seen it in re-runs, even though my cable system has over a hundred channels. Anyway, "Alice" was a nice, enjoyable little show that lost a lot of steam after Polly Holiday (Flo) left to pursue her own sitcom. I really think Flo was the most interesting character. The producers of "Alice" replaced her with similar characters, but none were as good.

Yes, I do have too much time on my hands, and I enjoy it. Alice is just one of the many programs I enjoy from the 70's era. It may not be an award winner, but to me it's better then some of the new stuff I've seen come out today. The actors play the roles as if they really did exist, natural, and just right. All I can say is, if you like it, you like it, and if you don't, be nice. There's no need to be nasty about what you don't care for.