Laverne & Shirley

Laverne and Shirley is another good example of a successful spinoff and mid-season replacement. It debuted in January of 1976 and was an instant hit. Ranking number 3 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1975-1976 season. On Happy Days Laverne De Fazio and Shirley Feeney were two girls who were love interests for Richie Cunningham and Fonzie. Their occasional appearances led to their own series, which took place in the same city as Happy Days, Milwaukee, Wisconsin during the 1950's. Laverne and Shirley were lower class girls who shared an apartment and worked together at Shotz Brewery as bottlecappers. Laverne and Shirley were also quite different. Laverne was feisty, quick-tempered and manhungry while Shirley was more naive and trusting and quite inexperienced when it came to romance. Others in the cast included, Laverne's gruff father, Frank De Fazio who ran the Pizza Bowl, where Laverne and Shirley worked on occasions and Edna Babish was the girls landlady who later ma