The 1970s was a Golden Era for TV sitcoms . But it goes without saying that the cream of the crop was none other than Laverne and Shirley , starring Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall.
During their unprecedented stay at the top, Williams and Marshall were two of TV’s most revered comedic stars. In order to pay homage for all that they’ve given us, here are 15 interesting facts about Laverne and Shirley that fans didn’t know about.
Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall recorded an album together.
By no means was the debut Rock n’ Roll album anything to write home about. That being said, Phil Spector, The Beach Boys , and Kenny Loggins were all involved in the writing/recording process, in varying degrees.
The show itself was actually a spin-off of ‘Happy Days’.
Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall first appeared in a Happy Days episode titled ” A Date With Fonzie .” They were an instant hit with fans, and producers quickly realized they had the makings of a hit on their hands.
Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall first worked as writers under Francis Ford Coppola.
At the time, Penny and Cindy were working on a spoof called My Country Tis of Thee , alongside the legendary Steve Martin, Martin Mull, and renowned actor/comedian Harry Shearer.
‘Laverne and Shirley’ was the most popular of all the ‘Happy Days’ spin-offs.
Laverne and Shirley was, far and away, the most popular of the three main Happy Days spin-offs. The other two series were Mork and Mindy , as well as the ill-fated Joani Loves Chachi .
The show’s theme song helped make Cyndi Grecco a One-Hit Wonder.
The song hit the Billboard charts in July of 1976 and climbed all the way to the No. 25 spot . Unfortunately for Cyndi, this was the only time throughout her entire career where she charted so high.
Spinal Tap appear in one episode of ‘Laverne and Shirley’… sort of.
Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, as well as Harry Shearer all appear in Season 3’s ” Bus Stop ” episode. Later on, this triumvirate would go on to star in the iconic mockumentary film, This Is Spinal Tap .
By the show’s 3rd season, it had become the most popular series on television.
According to the Neilsen Ratings, Laverne and Shirley was the most popular show on TV in its 3rd season. Not even Happy Days was able to accomplish this feat.
“Schlemiel! Schlimazel!” was a song from Penny Marshall’s childhood.
The duo’s popular hopscotch mantra was a song that Penny and her friends used to sing on the way to school. Cindy Williams admits she had no idea what it meant back then and is still a little hazy on the actual meaning.
Pepsi Milk was inspired by real life events.
Fans of the show will no doubt recall that Pepsi Milk was Laverne’s drink of choice. Penny Marshall started drinking this as a child, due to the fact that her mother always made her have a glass of milk before she was allowed any soda.
‘Laverne and Shirley’ really was a family affair.
Penny Marshall was of course the star of the show, but she also directed a few episodes as well. Her brother, Garry, was the show’s creator/lead writer , and their sister Ronny worked as the casting director.
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Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams reunited thanks to Ariana Grande.
Before Ariana Grande became the international singing sensation that she is today, she was best known for her role on Nickelodeon’s Sam and Cat . Marshall and Williams played the feuding co-creators of a popular 1970s children’s show, called Salmon Cat .
‘Laverne and Shirley’ joined the army.
In the 1980s, an animated series titled Laverne and Shirley in the Army made its television debut. It ran for a single season, and Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall provided all the voice work for their respective characters.
Former NFL star Fred Dryer made his acting debut in Season 6.
Fred Dryer made a name for himself as the first NFL Defensive player to record two safeties in the same game. Before he retired, he had a brief walk-on part playing a lifeguard in Laverne’s dream.
Cindy Williams left the show after she became pregnant.
Cindy had always planned to return to the set, figuring that the camera crew would do their best to hide her protruding baby bump. But when she later learned that the producers wanted her to work on the same day she was to deliver her baby — she left and never looked back.
Mike Myers and Dana Carvey spoofed the intro sequence in the first ‘Wayne’s World’ movie.
As Wayne and Garth are making their way to see Alice Cooper, Wayne notices Schotz Brewery from inside the Mirthmobile. The camera then cuts to a perfect parody sequence of Wayne and Garth doing their best impression of Laverne and Shirley .
