The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
Premiering on ABC in January of 1976, Laverne and Shirley captured 47 percent of the television viewing audience, becoming an instant hit. In its first season, the sitcom—set in 1950s Milwaukee—ranked second only to Happy Days, the show from which Laverne and Shirley was spun-off. The program's success can be attributed to the appeal of its title characters, Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney—played by Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams—who were single women employed as bottlecappers at the "Shotz Brewery." They lacked college degrees or promising careers, and lived in a modest basement apartment, which made them blue-collar when working class comedies like All in the Family reigned and women were entering the work force in record numbers. In addition, their slapstick comedy recalled I Love Lucy, a favorite of the 1950s. Unlike Lucy and Ethel, however, Laverne and Shirley did not have husbands. They were, as their theme song asserted, doing it their way.
Brooks, Tim, editor, and Earle Marsh, contributor. The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present. New York, Ballantine Books, 1995.
McNeil, Alex. Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present. New York, Penguin USA, 1997.