Laverne & Shirley - TV-G

Classic sitcom duo is still doing it their way.

TV Rating: TV-G Network: Lifetime Television, Syndicated Cast: Michael McKean, Cindy Williams, Penny Marshall Genre: Comedy
Available on: DVD

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that this classic slapstick sitcom is about two young women living and working on their own in Milwaukee in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Their desire to live independently is often challenged by the traditional gender roles of the time. The series stresses the importance of friendship, loyalty, and family. Alcohol (mostly beer) is visible -- the girls work in a brewery, after all -- and characters sometimes get drunk. The show's mild references to sexual activity will easily go over kids' head.

Families can talk about what it's like to move out of your parents' home and live independently. What are some of the major responsibilities of people living on their own? At what age is it OK for kids to leave the "nest"? Was it the same for young people in the '50s and '60s? Families can discuss the traditional gender roles of the '50s and '60s. How does the show address those issues? Does it reinforce them or try to change them? How does the fact that the show was filmed in the '70s and '80s affect its messages about independence and gender roles two decades earlier?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Melissa Camacho

A spin-off of Happy Days, LAVERNE & SHIRLEY is a slapstick-heavy sitcom that follows the adventures of tough-talking cynic Laverne De Fazio (Penny Marshall) and refined, perky Shirley Feeney (Cindy Williams), two twenty-something working-class women trying to make it on their own in Milwaukee, Wisc., in the late 1950s.

The roommates support themselves by working at the (fictitious) Shotz brewery and enjoy a life full of bowling, dating, and getting out of mishaps. They live alone but are often joined by pesky neighbors Lenny Kosnowski (Michael McKean) and Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggmann (David Lander), two dense, greasy men with genuinely good hearts. Often looking in on them is Laverne's over-protective father, Pizza Bowl owner Frank De Fazio (Phil Foster). They also get frequent visits form landlady Edna Babish (Betty Garrett), and Shirley's on-again/off-again boyfriend, Carmine Ragusa (Eddie Mekka).

Laverne and Shirley spend a lot of time thinking about their ideal man (preferably a rich doctor), and many of the show's humorous plotlines revolve around the trials and tribulations that come with their bad dates -- and the search for good ones. Catastrophes also occur when the two attempt to help family and friends with crazy antics, leading to plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.

While Laverne & Shirley is guilty of some gender stereotyping, it's primarily used to demonstrate the tensions that exist between Laverne and Shirley's desire to be true to themselves and the traditional expectations placed on them as women in the late '50s and early '60s. While both women look at men as potential marriage material, they're not willing to stay with someone just for the sake of getting married. Furthermore, their overall choices usually defy conventional gender stereotypes, making them two of television's first liberated women.

It's worth noting that the show suffered considerably after the characters left Milwaukee for L.A. in the sixth season; several regular cast members eventually left, and things just weren't the same. The first five seasons are definitely the ones to watch.

Fans may enjoy other classic sitcoms like Happy Days and I Love Lucy.

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content Occasional kissing and mild sexual innuendo that will go over the head of young viewers. Shirley is a prude and refers to sex as "vodeo-doe-doe." Occasional discussions about the double standards that exist for men and women when it comes to sexual activity. Laverne is sexually active and has a pregnancy scare.
Violence Plenty of physical comedy and pratfalls, and some slapstick-like pushing and shoving. One specific episode suggests that Laverne was at risk of being raped by a blind date.
Language
Message
	Social Behavior Laverne and Shirley are independent but must contend with the double standards that exist for men and women as well as the traditional female roles of the time (the show is set in the late '50s and early '60s). Friendship and loyalty are strong themes, particularly between Laverne and Shirley and Lenny and Squiggy. The cast is Caucasian, but many of the characters are of Italian and/or Polish heritage. The characters are from a working-class background, and occasional plots highlight this fact. Frank De Fazio exhibits chauvinistic behavior, and Mrs. Babish has been married eight times.
	Commercialism Pepsi bottles are visible, and the product is referred to often (Laverne likes to drink Pepsi and milk). Squiggy likes to drink Bosco chocolate flavoring.
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco Alcohol (especially beer) and tobacco products are occasionally visible and consumed. Some characters appear drunk as part of the comedy sequences.