Flo on "Alice"

Why did her sitcom fail? Must've been a weak supporting cast, and not so fabulous writers. Did they yank it before it finished the 1st and only season? The eps are probably on YouTube.

[quote]Why did her sitcom fail?

I watched it in first run. There just wasn't a strong enough story that they could sustain it over several episodes. Flo was always a supporting character.

They eventually let her back on Alice, didn't they? I remember they tried the original Flo first, Diane Ladd, but Polly had reinvented the character for herself and no one else could play Flo anymore, or be a replacement character. I think Polly could've headlined a show with better support.

I don't think she ever went back to Alice. (She probably would even have wanted to, with the conflict she had with Linda Lavin.) I don't even remember Diane Ladd on the show, but I do remember Jolene, played by Celia Weston.

Did they let her back on? Because after Dianne Ladd's "My little voice always calls me Isabelle" they had Jolene. I think Ladd was only on for one season and she was probably pissed because she was from the original movie and Linda Lavin was not.

[quote]They eventually let her back on Alice, didn't they

The producers wanted her back on the show, because Diane Ladd was exiting around the same time, but Polly told them no. She felt she had done enough with the character.

Diane Ladd said Linda Lavin stopped speaking to her some few episodes into her run.

[quote]Why did her sitcom fail?

"Flo" was consistently in the Top 10 during its first season run, but the ratings plummeted in the second season, after CBS moved it from a Monday primetime slot to Saturdays, opposite ABC's "Love Boat," and NBC's "Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters." Rather than moving "Flo" to a better time slot, CBS canceled the series.

She lived in my building in Union Sq. Not the nicest lady.

[quote]Diane Ladd said Linda Lavin stopped speaking to her some few episodes into her run.

Would love to hear more about this. Ladd’s run on the show seemed to just kind of fizzle out. She was there and then just gone mid-season with no real announcement.

Diane Ladd played a "new" character named Belle, I think. Different, but not really.

Ladd was perfect for the movie, but Polly's spin on the character worked much better for a sitcom.

Polly later lost her eyesight and attempted to get her sister Rose Nyland to Care for her.

[quote]Diane Ladd said Linda Lavin stopped speaking to her some few episodes into her run. d

Lucky bitch.

I thought Flo and Mel sometimes fucked around. The image of that could be used as an ipecac.

Tell us more, R8 !

Polly was leaving the set I think for the last time when she encountered Diane. Polly told her good luck in a kind of ominous way. Diane then thought what now?! That was her first clue that dealing with Lavin was going to be a bitch.

Why was Lavin such a bitch?

Linda labored under the delusion that she had talent.

Diane Ladd may be a good actress, but off camera, she is BATSHIT CRAZY. Go online and watch some of her interviews....it shows. I would probably stop talking to her after a few weeks of listening to he babble myself.

Polly was difficult on Flo and didn't get along with Sudie Bond (who played her mother) or Joyce Bulifant (who played her long-time friend). Bulifant quit the show towards the end of it's run because she was tied of all the BS.

Lucy Lee Flippin (who played her sister) was more diplomatic about Polly though. She said there was a lot of pressure on Polly because she was star and was coming off a hit show. Also, Flo was in nearly every scene, and the supporting cast wasn't given much to do. Flippin said Polly had her good moments too and sent her a nice telegraph commending her on her good performance on Little House on the Prairie.

Flo - diner waitress by day, truck stop hooker by night

Wait, Linda Lavin is Jewish?? I would have never guessed!!!

OYYYYYY VEYYYYYY

Theme song:

Flo does her taxes:

Linda Lavin still can’t get enough of this.

Is Polly a Lez ?

They had one show featuring a single woman in a restaurant so why did they need another? The characters on Flo never were strong, like on Alice. Polly Holliday said, she had never seen the movie "Alice," and when she was up for the role didn't want to watch it as she was afraid she'd copy Diane Ladd, so she waited till after she was on Alice to see the movie.

r23 That cunt couldn't even sing her own theme song.

Flo should've been done like Roseanne. Flo didn't have a family, but she would've had parents and the siblings could provide the child characters. But Roseanne was years away and there was no template for a great working class sitcom yet.

That show was shit too

Yeah, according to dumbos who'd rather watch Golden Girls for the 4,000th time.

It's hard to tell whether a spinoff will work or not.

The Jeffersons and Maude worked (although Maude was just a one time character on All in The Family). Frasier was even better than Cheers.

Polly's show, Grady off Sanford & Son and Marla Gibbs Jeffersons spinoff didn't, amongst other spinoffs.

Like The Ropers spinning off from Three's Company, R32. It was a resounding failure even though I almost liked it better than the lame, constantly-rehashing-the-same-stupid-plot that was Three's. I totally agree that Frasier was far better than Cheers.

Flo, exactly where are your grits ?

I liked how they took "kiss my ass" and made it into the more sitcom friendly "kiss my grits." It was one of the few sitcom catchphrases that actually worked beyond its initial use.

OMG, "The Ropers." Instant depression just thinking about that. Nadir of human existence

I always thought she was putting out for Alice's son.

R37,Only Mindy Cohn would put out for beaver face McKeon.

^ Which McKeon, r38?

Jo’s taken.

I keep thinking Blair from Facts of Life and Candace Cameron Bure from the tuna commercials are the same person.

[quote]Frasier was even better than Cheers.

In no world is Frasier better. The Ropers did quite well in the ratings, till they moved it to the death slot.

A friend of mines mom went to the same church as Polly Holiday. At some point, there was some kind of charity auction, and my friend's mom was charged with approaching her to see if she'd like to contribute something.

No one in the group had spoken to her before. So I day, after church, my friend's mom timidly approached her and awkwardly said "excuse me. You're Flo, right?" Polly replied, icily "I am not Flo." And turned on her heels and walked away.

I know she doesn't have the accent in real life, but I picture her using it here: "I-ah am NOT Flo!"

I don't see anything wrong with her reaction.

So I've been watching reruns and I came here to ask WHY Alice dressed up to disguises when they were in no way believable? Those scenes were so incredibly stupid. Now I hear that Flo was a bitch in real life as was Alice. Flo was dumb not to come back when her spin-off failed. A paycheck is a paycheck.

Well, sorry, but anyone who asks an ACTOR if they are the character they play, it's a stupid question to begin with. Of course, Polly could have handled it in a thousand NICER ways, yes. But I would bet serious money she was sick to shit of being treated as if she WERE that character or by people gawking "There goes Flo" or asking "Flo for her autograph." Some actors learn to savor it and appreciate it (Henry Winkler for example) and over time realize how important those iconic characters are to people. Holliday has always sounded like an icy bitch.

Plus no one in the church had ever spoken to her? What the hell kind of church is that?