Alice (American TV series)
Updated: 12/10/2025, 5:19:42 PM Wikipedia source
Alice is an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS from August 31, 1976, to March 19, 1985. The series is based on director Martin Scorsese's 1974 film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. The show stars Linda Lavin in the title role, a widow who moves with her young son to start life over again and finds a job working at a roadside diner in Phoenix, Arizona. Most of the episodes revolve around events at Mel's Diner, where Alice is employed. With more than 200 episodes over nine seasons, Alice was the longest-running American television sitcom to feature a woman in the starring role until it was surpassed by Roseanne in 1996.
Infobox
Created by
Robert Getchell
Based on
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymoreby Robert Getchell
Starring
mw- Linda Lavin Vic Tayback Beth Howland Polly Holliday Philip McKeon Diane Ladd Celia Weston Charles Levin
Theme music composer
David Shire (music) Alan and Marilyn Bergman (lyrics)
Opening theme
"There's a New Girl in Town"by Linda Lavin
Country of origin
United States
Original language
English
No. of seasons
9
No. of episodes
202 (list of episodes)
Executive producers
R.S. Allen (1976–1977) William P. D'Angelo (1976–1977) Harvey Bullock (1976–1977) Thomas Kuhn David Susskind
Running time
22–25 minutes
Production companies
D'Angelo-Bullock-Allen Productions (season 1) Warner Bros. Television
Network
CBS
Release
August 31, 1976 (1976-08-31) –March 19, 1985 (1985-03-19)
Tables
· Differences between the film and television series
Alice's maiden name was Graham.
Alice's maiden name was Graham.
Film
Alice's maiden name was Graham.
Television series
Alice's maiden name was Spivak.
Alice and Tommy had previously lived in Socorro, New Mexico.
Alice and Tommy had previously lived in Socorro, New Mexico.
Film
Alice and Tommy had previously lived in Socorro, New Mexico.
Television series
Alice and Tommy had previously lived in northern New Jersey.
Alice's late husband Donald was portrayed as abusive.
Alice's late husband Donald was portrayed as abusive.
Film
Alice's late husband Donald was portrayed as abusive.
Television series
Alice's relationship with Donald is never described, but she kept a photo of him displayed on the wall of her apartment for years after his death.
Alice's original plans were to move back to her hometown of Monterey, California, to restart her singing career.
Alice's original plans were to move back to her hometown of Monterey, California, to restart her singing career.
Film
Alice's original plans were to move back to her hometown of Monterey, California, to restart her singing career.
Television series
Alice's original plans were to move to Los Angeles to restart her singing career.
The restaurant where Alice becomes a waitress was called Mel & Ruby's Cafe and located in Tucson.
The restaurant where Alice becomes a waitress was called Mel & Ruby's Cafe and located in Tucson.
Film
The restaurant where Alice becomes a waitress was called Mel & Ruby's Cafe and located in Tucson.
Television series
The restaurant where Alice becomes a waitress is called Mel's Diner and is located in Phoenix. In the pilot episode, the sign on the door says "Mel & Ruby's Cafe".
Alice and Flo do not initially like each other and do not become friends until well into the "Tucson" segment of the film.
Alice and Flo do not initially like each other and do not become friends until well into the "Tucson" segment of the film.
Film
Alice and Flo do not initially like each other and do not become friends until well into the "Tucson" segment of the film.
Television series
Flo takes on the role of "big sister" to the other waitresses, and she and Alice are best friends, unlike the actresses and similar to the film, from the beginning of the series.
Alice ran out of money, and took the job at Mel and Ruby's temporarily to earn enough money to get them the rest of the way to Monterey.
Alice ran out of money, and took the job at Mel and Ruby's temporarily to earn enough money to get them the rest of the way to Monterey.
Film
Alice ran out of money, and took the job at Mel and Ruby's temporarily to earn enough money to get them the rest of the way to Monterey.
Television series
Alice took a job at Mel's because her car broke down when she and Tommy reached Phoenix on the way to Los Angeles.
Mel was a widower, having been married to a woman named Ruby; hence the restaurant's name, "Mel & Ruby's Cafe".
Mel was a widower, having been married to a woman named Ruby; hence the restaurant's name, "Mel & Ruby's Cafe".
Film
Mel was a widower, having been married to a woman named Ruby; hence the restaurant's name, "Mel & Ruby's Cafe".
Television series
Mel was a middle-aged bachelor.
Alice and Tommy live in a nearby motel while she works at Mel's.
Alice and Tommy live in a nearby motel while she works at Mel's.
Film
Alice and Tommy live in a nearby motel while she works at Mel's.
Television series
Alice and Tommy move to the Desert Sun Apartments; the distance between her apartment and Mel's Diner is never revealed, but is presumably within walking distance, as it is mentioned that Alice and/or Tommy occasionally walk between the diner and home.
Alice meets and falls in love with a divorced rancher named David, whose wife left him and took their children; David becomes Tommy's guitar teacher.
Alice meets and falls in love with a divorced rancher named David, whose wife left him and took their children; David becomes Tommy's guitar teacher.
Film
Alice meets and falls in love with a divorced rancher named David, whose wife left him and took their children; David becomes Tommy's guitar teacher.
Television series
Alice does not get involved in a serious relationship until the last season.
Alice and Flo were around the same age.
Alice and Flo were around the same age.
Film
Alice and Flo were around the same age.
Television series
Flo was roughly ten years older than Alice (despite the fact that in reality Holiday and Lavin were approximately the same age, having both been born in 1937).
Flo had blonde hair. She was in a crumbling marriage and her husband was not speaking to her. She had a daughter to support and flirted with and accepted passes from her male customers, but never dated any of them. She had a number of one-liners, including "You can kiss me where the sun don't shine."
Flo had blonde hair. She was in a crumbling marriage and her husband was not speaking to her. She had a daughter to support and flirted with and accepted passes from her male customers, but never dated any of them. She had a number of one-liners, including "You can kiss me where the sun don't shine."
Film
Flo had blonde hair. She was in a crumbling marriage and her husband was not speaking to her. She had a daughter to support and flirted with and accepted passes from her male customers, but never dated any of them. She had a number of one-liners, including "You can kiss me where the sun don't shine."
Television series
Flo had red hair, was divorced three times and had no children. She lived by herself in a trailer park, dated many men, and her usual catchphrases were "Kiss my grits!" and "When donkeys fly!"
Vera had a low, quiet voice; she was taken to and from work by her father; she was shy and somewhat awkward, but was not dumb.
Vera had a low, quiet voice; she was taken to and from work by her father; she was shy and somewhat awkward, but was not dumb.
Film
Vera had a low, quiet voice; she was taken to and from work by her father; she was shy and somewhat awkward, but was not dumb.
Television series
Vera had a high voice that was fairly loud; she lived alone in an apartment that was located at an unknown distance from the diner; she was clumsy, naive, and slow-witted.
| Film | Television series |
| Alice's maiden name was Graham. | Alice's maiden name was Spivak. |
| Alice and Tommy had previously lived in Socorro, New Mexico. | Alice and Tommy had previously lived in northern New Jersey. |
| Alice's late husband Donald was portrayed as abusive. | Alice's relationship with Donald is never described, but she kept a photo of him displayed on the wall of her apartment for years after his death. |
| Alice's original plans were to move back to her hometown of Monterey, California, to restart her singing career. | Alice's original plans were to move to Los Angeles to restart her singing career. |
| The restaurant where Alice becomes a waitress was called Mel & Ruby's Cafe and located in Tucson. | The restaurant where Alice becomes a waitress is called Mel's Diner and is located in Phoenix. In the pilot episode, the sign on the door says "Mel & Ruby's Cafe". |
| Alice and Flo do not initially like each other and do not become friends until well into the "Tucson" segment of the film. | Flo takes on the role of "big sister" to the other waitresses, and she and Alice are best friends, unlike the actresses and similar to the film, from the beginning of the series. |
| Alice ran out of money, and took the job at Mel and Ruby's temporarily to earn enough money to get them the rest of the way to Monterey. | Alice took a job at Mel's because her car broke down when she and Tommy reached Phoenix on the way to Los Angeles. |
| Mel was a widower, having been married to a woman named Ruby; hence the restaurant's name, "Mel & Ruby's Cafe". | Mel was a middle-aged bachelor. |
| Alice and Tommy live in a nearby motel while she works at Mel's. | Alice and Tommy move to the Desert Sun Apartments; the distance between her apartment and Mel's Diner is never revealed, but is presumably within walking distance, as it is mentioned that Alice and/or Tommy occasionally walk between the diner and home. |
| Alice meets and falls in love with a divorced rancher named David, whose wife left him and took their children; David becomes Tommy's guitar teacher. | Alice does not get involved in a serious relationship until the last season. |
| Alice and Flo were around the same age. | Flo was roughly ten years older than Alice (despite the fact that in reality Holiday and Lavin were approximately the same age, having both been born in 1937). |
| Flo had blonde hair. She was in a crumbling marriage and her husband was not speaking to her. She had a daughter to support and flirted with and accepted passes from her male customers, but never dated any of them. She had a number of one-liners, including "You can kiss me where the sun don't shine." | Flo had red hair, was divorced three times and had no children. She lived by herself in a trailer park, dated many men, and her usual catchphrases were "Kiss my grits!" and "When donkeys fly!" |
| Vera had a low, quiet voice; she was taken to and from work by her father; she was shy and somewhat awkward, but was not dumb. | Vera had a high voice that was fairly loud; she lived alone in an apartment that was located at an unknown distance from the diner; she was clumsy, naive, and slow-witted. |
First released
First released
Season
First released
Episodes
Last released
1
1
Season
1
Episodes
24
Episodes
August 31, 1976 (1976-08-31)
Originally released
March 26, 1977 (1977-03-26)
Originally released
30
Rank
20.0
2
2
Season
2
Episodes
24
Episodes
October 2, 1977 (1977-10-02)
Originally released
April 9, 1978 (1978-04-09)
Originally released
8
Rank
23.2
3
3
Season
3
Episodes
24
Episodes
September 24, 1978 (1978-09-24)
Originally released
April 1, 1979 (1979-04-01)
Originally released
13
Rank
23.2
4
4
Season
4
Episodes
24
Episodes
September 23, 1979 (1979-09-23)
Originally released
April 6, 1980 (1980-04-06)
Originally released
4
Rank
25.3
5
5
Season
5
Episodes
20
Episodes
November 2, 1980 (1980-11-02)
Originally released
May 3, 1981 (1981-05-03)
Originally released
7
Rank
22.9
6
6
Season
6
Episodes
24
Episodes
October 4, 1981 (1981-10-04)
Originally released
May 16, 1982 (1982-05-16)
Originally released
5
Rank
22.7
7
7
Season
7
Episodes
23
Episodes
October 6, 1982 (1982-10-06)
Originally released
September 18, 1983 (1983-09-18)
Originally released
41
Rank
—
8
8
Season
8
Episodes
23
Episodes
October 2, 1983 (1983-10-02)
Originally released
May 20, 1984 (1984-05-20)
Originally released
25
Rank
17.2
9
9
Season
9
Episodes
16
Episodes
October 14, 1984 (1984-10-14)
Originally released
March 19, 1985 (1985-03-19)
Originally released
58
Rank
12.5
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | Rank | Rating | ||
| First released | Last released | |||||
| 1 | 24 | August 31, 1976 (1976-08-31) | March 26, 1977 (1977-03-26) | 30 | 20.0 | |
| 2 | 24 | October 2, 1977 (1977-10-02) | April 9, 1978 (1978-04-09) | 8 | 23.2 | |
| 3 | 24 | September 24, 1978 (1978-09-24) | April 1, 1979 (1979-04-01) | 13 | 23.2 | |
| 4 | 24 | September 23, 1979 (1979-09-23) | April 6, 1980 (1980-04-06) | 4 | 25.3 | |
| 5 | 20 | November 2, 1980 (1980-11-02) | May 3, 1981 (1981-05-03) | 7 | 22.9 | |
| 6 | 24 | October 4, 1981 (1981-10-04) | May 16, 1982 (1982-05-16) | 5 | 22.7 | |
| 7 | 23 | October 6, 1982 (1982-10-06) | September 18, 1983 (1983-09-18) | 41 | — | |
| 8 | 23 | October 2, 1983 (1983-10-02) | May 20, 1984 (1984-05-20) | 25 | 17.2 | |
| 9 | 16 | October 14, 1984 (1984-10-14) | March 19, 1985 (1985-03-19) | 58 | 12.5 | |
· Home media
The Complete First Season
The Complete First Season
DVD name
The Complete First Season
Ep. #
23
Release date
June 12, 2012
The Complete Second Season
The Complete Second Season
DVD name
The Complete Second Season
Ep. #
24
Release date
October 23, 2012
The Complete Third Season
The Complete Third Season
DVD name
The Complete Third Season
Ep. #
24
Release date
March 19, 2013
The Complete Fourth Season
The Complete Fourth Season
DVD name
The Complete Fourth Season
Ep. #
26
Release date
October 22, 2013
The Complete Fifth Season
The Complete Fifth Season
DVD name
The Complete Fifth Season
Ep. #
26
Release date
August 1, 2017
The Complete Sixth Season
The Complete Sixth Season
DVD name
The Complete Sixth Season
Ep. #
24
Release date
December 5, 2017
The Complete Seventh Season
The Complete Seventh Season
DVD name
The Complete Seventh Season
Ep. #
23
Release date
July 10, 2018
The Complete Eighth Season
The Complete Eighth Season
DVD name
The Complete Eighth Season
Ep. #
24
Release date
October 23, 2018
The Complete Ninth Season
The Complete Ninth Season
DVD name
The Complete Ninth Season
Ep. #
16
Release date
March 12, 2019
| DVD name | Ep. # | Release date |
| The Complete First Season | 23 | June 12, 2012 |
| The Complete Second Season | 24 | October 23, 2012 |
| The Complete Third Season | 24 | March 19, 2013 |
| The Complete Fourth Season | 26 | October 22, 2013 |
| The Complete Fifth Season | 26 | August 1, 2017 |
| The Complete Sixth Season | 24 | December 5, 2017 |
| The Complete Seventh Season | 23 | July 10, 2018 |
| The Complete Eighth Season | 24 | October 23, 2018 |
| The Complete Ninth Season | 16 | March 12, 2019 |
References
- Tied with M*A*S*H
- Tied with The CBS Tuesday Night Movie, Webster, Knight Rider and Hardcastle and McCormick
- "Awards Database"https://goldenglobes.com/awards-database/
- Star-Phoenixhttps://books.google.com/books?id=CjlgAAAAIBAJ&q=gary%20deeb%20diane%20ladd%20alice&pg=PA71
- "Phoenix visitors relive TV history at Mel's Diner", Associated Press in USA Today, December 17, 2010.https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/2010-12-19-mels-diner-phoenix-alice_N.htm
- TV Rating Guide (www.tvratingsguide.com)https://web.archive.org/web/20180118134355/http://www.tvratingsguide.com/2017/07/1982-83-top-30-soap-bubbles-rise.html
- www.tvshowsondvd.comhttps://web.archive.org/web/20180504014726/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Alice-Season-1/17082
- WB Shophttp://www.wbshop.com/product/code/1000355317.do?promo=sliderALICE2wac
- www.tvshowsondvd.comhttps://web.archive.org/web/20170724170931/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Alice-Season-3/18163
- www.tvshowsondvd.comhttps://web.archive.org/web/20170718181716/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Alice-Season-4/19101
- www.tvshowsondvd.comhttps://web.archive.org/web/20180504014726/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Alice-Season-5/23530
- www.tvshowsondvd.comhttps://web.archive.org/web/20171201041103/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Alice-Season-6/23827
- WB Shophttps://www.wbshop.com/products/alice-the-complete-seventh-season-mod
- WB Shophttps://www.wbshop.com/products/alice-the-complete-eighth-season-mod
- VideoETAhttps://videoeta.com/items/209720-alice:-the-complete-ninth-season
- Amazon: Alice Season 1–9 Archived 2018-05-04 at the Wayback Machinehttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B000RVP5NY
- www.amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com/Alice-Season-What-Doing-Years/dp/B0010QYBKI
- Alice, "Tommy's Lost Weekend," Variety, December 10, 1984