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While I agree that Alice wasn’t the same since Flo left, the only reason the show lasted another 5 seasons was because of Mel. Without him, the show would have been canceled in 1981 instead of 1985.
I think just about everyone's favorite aspect of Flo is when in desperation to get the last word and before leaving the scene she says "Kiss my Grits."
@@FactsVerse, for me my favourite episode is when Flo drives one of her boyfriend's truck into Mel's Diner, completely destroying the front of the diner.
She was so sassy and charismatic on “Alice”! Used to love hearing her snap “Kiss my grits!” at anyone who made her mad.Her departure sucked a lot of life out of the show.
Agreed. Linda was jealous, she knew that kiss my grits was hilarious and memorable. It really makes me lose respect for Linda. She was the star but there was plenty of room to share the spotlight. Flo was an addition to the show. She made it better. Such a shame to be so petty. I wonder if she regrets it now ? i know that as i age i go over my life and have regrets for my mistakes. Some really hurt. To me, this is the kinda of behavior that should bring regret with it. I hope she prays and feels like she could have done better. She should've been kinder to Polly. So many of us stopped watching when she left.
A notable post-“Alice” guest appearance of Holliday’s was on a 1986 episode of “The Golden Girls.” She played the blind sister of Betty White’s character Rose.
So I sat through most of this, waiting for you to talk about the fact that the only reason Polly left Flo was because Linda Lavin was ticked off that the character of Flo was more popular with viewers than she was, so she forced Polly to leave, but you never even mentioned it! I've always been irritated with Linda Lavin because of that, and I never liked her singing, either. Talk about an inflated ego! Flo was the only reason I watched Alice, and when she left, so did I.
LISA: Bart, I figured it out! Who's someone you've been making irritating phone calls to for years? BART: Linda Lavin? LISA: No, someone who didn't deserve it.
That's a damn shame. But it was probably for the best. I didn't know that she went on to have such a long and successful career. "KISS MY GRITS". 😂😂❤❤❤❤
Polly Holiday will always be Florence Jean Castleberry from my childhood. Especially when she said "KISS MY GRITS OR WHEN DONKY'S FLY" I really love that episode with Alice teaches Flo how drive a semi and when the entire crew goes on the road and Flo always talked on the CB radio.
That's a great episode. Another one of my favorites was the one where Flo stayed with Alice at her apartment and drove her crazy because her trailer was stolen.
Guys, Diane Ladd and Celia Weston didn't take over the role of Flo. They played entirely different characters (although Ladd did play Flo in the Alice movie, which was a very different character than Polly Holliday embodied). Kiss my grits!!
And in Martin Scorsese's film "Alice Doesn't; live here Anymore" Diane Ladd played Flo and Vic Tayback played Mel the only actors from the film to reprise the tv series. Alfred Lutter played Tommy in the film and only the pilot episode of the series and he was replaced by Philip McKeon.
I used to watch this from time to time and I always liked Flo and Vera their characters stood out the most in the show . When she left it was never the same.
One of my favorite Flo moments from Alice was when she dated this Arabian shiek who turned out to be a millionaire who wanted to marry her. He gave her this huge ring, which originally she didn't think was real until she ran it over the glass front door of Mel's Diner and it cut the glass. When someone called her Flo she corrected them calling herself Florence of Arabia LOL. Then when Alice found out that the shiek had a multitude of wives and Flo would be the newest one, she and Vera dressed up like belly dancers to sneak into a restaurant to warn Flo. When she found out about the sheik's harem of wives, she told him to "Kiss My Couscous", reluctantly took the huge diamond ring off and threw it back at him then left
I respectfully disagree. I did like Flo, but in my opinion Alice made that show. If she would not have been on it, it would have never lasted as long as it did. She has a commanding stage presence.
@@sallykohorst8803 According to IMDB, she and Linda Lavin couldn't get along - and neither did Lavin and Diane Ladd. I think professional jealousy, maybe...
Actually Diane Ladd played Isabelle "Belle" on Alice but she had actually played the Flo character in the big screen "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore"! The tabloids at the time said these two exits were due to Linda Lavin becoming a major queen bee on the set! Haha! It really is a shame that so many of Polly's scenes were cut from Mrs Doubtfire because they really were great! I watched a compilation of them here in RUclips!
@@allan9603 oh I've mentioned before in the comments that sometimes it seems like FV is trying to crank out a product so fast that small to major goofs happen! I'm not sure if Tim is the actual creator of them or the narrator because he does have an acting and music career outside of this.
I was a very young girl when I watched this show and Flo was more memorable than anyone. "Mel, kiss my grits!!" She's the reason i watched the show. ❤❤❤
Why was this so sugar coated? I always heard it was because Linda Lavin wasn’t too happy with the Flo character overshadowing her as the more popular character on the show. Polly got the funniest one liners and catch phrases and Linda wasn’t getting the attention as she was suppose to be the main “Star” of the show. 😅
Well that could be why she didn't come back. But if that was the reason for her to leave why did they give her a spin off? Also i wonder if she didn't come back because after her show got shift by the network so much, she was just done with the whole mess.
Yes, from what I have read Ms Lavin had become a bit of a diva, and that's the reason Diana Ladd didn't stick around for more than a handful of episodes too. They didn't get along at all.
fondest memory of Flo on Alice was her tag line "KISS MY GRITS!" she also appeared on an episode of The Golden Girls as a blind woman who was a relative to one of the 4 ladies
The one episode of Alice I remember is when Flo crushed a semi in Mel's Diner. Mel was beside himself and said to Flo "Flo get down here" Flo said "what you going to do Mel ? Mel said "you want the whole list or just the top ten" Flo says "Oh dear and runs for her life. Funniest I ever saw on television.
My favorite Flo episode was the one where she borrowed her boyfriends " tuxedo " for Tommy to wear to the prom, and it had more glitz and glam than a Christmas tree 🎄 but his sister did get married on horseback lol!
Ya never did say WHY Flo was written out of the cast of Alice.. usually there is a reason.. the how to remove Flo was the going to another high end resturant..but why leave a cast member of a highly rated show?
As a kid, I loved the show Alice and Flo was my favorite. I made a cassette of everytime Flo said "Kiss My Grits!" because I thought it was so funny. You could usually tell when she was about to do it, so I had my recorder ready at all times. I was a weird kid 😆😆😆 I have not seen this old show streaming anywhere...
@@draperscott7698 pretty well reported. Diane Ladd bumped into Holiday before she went on the show. She wished Holiday good luck only for Holiday to reply she would need the good luck. She she wondered what she had gotten into. That's why she only did one season on the show. Lavin was a nightmare.
@@draperscott7698 I am sure neither thought or were trying to be the star. Carol Burnett and Mary Tyler Moore both understood that you have to have a strong supporting cast and share the spotlight. Lavin didn't like the fact that Flo had the catch phrase and got the laughs. Often, the star is the straight man in a comedy series. Look at Hal Linden on Barney Miller. He was the main character for which the series was named. He was the straight man and set up the jokes. I have never heard he had any issue with that. I doubt Ladd came on the show expecting to be the star.
Me too, and "When donkeys fly!". "Kiss my grits" was originally written as "Kiss my honeydew" but it got no laughs, so it was changed to "Kiss my grits", which worked perfectly.
Some information that is missing in the video. Linda Lavin wanted her off the show because Flo’s Character was upstaging Alice and that why they created the spinoff.
An incredible actress who has a lot of diversity in both comedy and drama. I have always enjoyed her performances, and when she left Alice, I never thought the show was the same. The TV show Flo I remember it was very poorly written. They had a great cast, but the story line in the dynamic of the characters left much to be desired. She is eighty-five as if today's date. She's coming up on her eighty six birthday on July 2nd. She still looks as beautiful as always. Wishing you continued health, happiness, and prosperity, Polly Dean Holliday, born July 2, 1937.
I’m glad you pointed that out, the writing, for the show was definitely terrible at best. But it was a very much needed show in those times as the greater part of americana could definitely relate to their situation.
I got to be an extra in a TV movie Polly Holliday was in. She was very nice. At one point she and the other actors had to be crying tears of relief and it felt so real it was almost distressing to be close to the emotion.
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The first season was alright with the theme song but after that she went so nuts with the obnoxious over singing the theme song got more laughable every season
Always loved Polly in everything she did but my best memory is sitting across from her in the Rome airport while she told muck of her life story to a fellow traveler. I traveled half around to find a southern bell.
Well, kiss my grits!! 😂 I enjoyed watching Alice back in the day. It still sucks me in when I'm channel switching. Flo and Mel carried the show. I actually felt Alice was annoying. 😂 Thank you!!😀
It seemed to me that Linda Lavin’s character on her show, as well as Bonnie Franklin‘s character on her show, seem to resemble one another with the ironic fact that both of them had a huge egos on the set of their respective shows, and got other actors and actresses pushed out because of it
One of the biggest things I remember when I watch the show was when Flo use to say her catch phrase “ Kiss My Grits “ that cracked me up as a child with her Southern Accent 😂😂🤣🤣
I was told that Linda & Polly didn't get along and they didn't want to work with each other any more. This drove the producers to create a spin off and would explain why Polly never returned to Alice. Perhaps it was because Polly was becoming a breakout star and it made Linda feel jealous. Of course back then, when a character who wasn't the main character of the show was popular, you spun them off to their own show. The Ropers, The Jeffersons, Mrs. Garrett, Laverne and Shirley, Maude, Florida Evans, Gloria Stivic, Rhoda, Phyllis, etc. They even tried to give the Fonz his own show, but Henry Winkler talked them out of it.
I remember reading in the Star or Enquirer that Linda Lavin went clothes shopping with an assistant producer for new outfits for the rest of the cast to wear. Polly Holiday didn't like the choice clothing, but had to wear them.They weren't speaking, after that. Apparently things progressed worse from there
My most memorable episode with Flo, is the Christmas episode inspired by the Gift of the Magi, where all the characters had to sell a precious item to buy someone else a gift, and in the end Mel had gone out and bought back everyone's things they had sold.
Linda Lavin was NOT a smart woman. The strength in anything is unity. She should’ve thought of Ron Howard on Happy Days. Ron knew Henry Winkler was the key reason for the show’s success. Ms. Lavin should’ve thought the same thing: u have a breakout character people love, that’ll just make my character and show stronger. Ms. Lavin hated the attention “Flo” got the attention. Thats why Polly Holiday left the show.
I loved Alice played by Linda Lavin. But Flo was one character on that show that kept us laughing. Her expression kiss my grits will always stand out for me..
@@jamescarp True you are right about that. But the funny thing is today. Any network today would kill to receive the kind or ratings her short lived show received !...
Kiss my grits as well. Both she & Cloris Leachman would have been great on The Golden Girls, or a Mama's Family-type show, as they were both older & still great actresses....
Polly Holiday as Flo was great in Alice and she made the show funny along with Vic Tayback as Mel. Alice as a series was ok, but not one of my favorites. Vera got on my nerves and it got to be unwatchable after Polly left the series. Flo's phrase KISS MY GRITS! will go down in TV history for the funniest comedic lines of all times!
I was lucky enough to work with Polly Holliday long after her years on Alice. She was warm and kind and a very generous colleague. We shared a dressing room, and had plenty of time to chat, and it was always such a pleasure. No ego. ❤️❤️
Ok Tim, so why did Polly leave Alice and never return? You gave her aftermath from the show, but didn't make clear why she left the show. So, because your researchers seem to take too many coffee breaks Tim, below is the real "FACT " about Polly leaving the show: In a 1982 interview with a Montgomery, Alabama radio station, Holiday revealed that "sinking ratings" was the reason why she left Alice. Obviously she was right, the show hit rock bottom after she left.
I loved the episode during which she was spending a few nights in Alice's apartment. Flo was asleep on the sofa bed after a long night of dancing at "The Vee Eff Dubya." When she turned over in bed in her sleep, she did a little boogie shimmy. 😂
Flo had the same similar problem that Sandra Clark had on 227: they were Side Charaters that actually accentuated or STOLE the scenes they were in. But when they attempted to become leads on their own series they weren't fully fleshed out charaters and Flo and Sandra were great "one-liner"/Supporting charaters but not LEADS (modern example? NBC's JOEY..nuff said)
This show was funny especially Florence Jean Castleberry aka Flo was hilarious, when she says Kiss My Grits 💋 I'd thought I'd die laughing and those words spread like wildfire I would love to meet this remarkable wonderful lady and I was surprised to see her once on the Golden Girls and Gremlins
I thought the demise of her character in the movie gremlins was much too disturbing and below the type of standards. This lady brought to the table. That could have been done by a B actress instead.
The three girls had wonderful chemistry. In the late 70's I was going through some bad times, yet hearing the show intro theme somehow made me feel it's all going to be okay. Come to think of it, I feel nostalgia for most show themes of that era. Perhaps I know 40 years can pass and I'd still be alive.
I only just now found out this TV show was based on the Martin Scorsese film "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," [now on NetFlix] which starred Ellen Burstyn, Kris Kristofferon, and Harvey Keitel!
Opal and Ericka Kane, I ran to my dorm room during lunch to watch All My Children every day. One day I saw Opal in full TV make up at Fairway Groceries in Manhattan 🗽 I said hi Opal, she said Hi Honey 🤓
There is no other actress filling in as the third waitress that could fit the bill. Polly had the best character and will be missed on the show Alice. I would love to see re runs of those days with the the "Kiss My Grits" and gum chomping actress Flo. You're the Best!
@ Facts, I've noticed more than a few times your thumb nails are misleading. You never told WHY she left a top rated show. Was it to star in her own show?
I met Polly Holiday once when I was working at the famous Patelson's sheet music shop across from Carnegie Hall. She came in to buy a book of Haydn Sonatas. I mentioned to her I watched the show back in the 70's and asked her for her autograph. I made the mistake of telling her that one of my favorite lines of Flo was, 'Mel...stick your head where the sun don't shine!'. She said she never said that in the show and I insisted that she did. I remembered later that it was probably Diane Ladd in the movie Alice doesn't Live Here Anymore where the character of Flo originated who said that famous line.
MY FAVORITE EPISODE WAS WHEN SHE DROVE THE 18 WHEELER THAT SHE LOST CONTROL OF AND CRASHED IT INTO MEL'S DINER AND SHE THEN ASKS MEL WHAT IS HE GOING TO DO TO HER AND MEL THEN SAYS----- DO YOU WANT THE WHOLE LIST OR JUST THE TOP TEN????
All caps have NOTHING to do with yelling. I can read it better when it's LARGE anyway. Where did you get the idea that statement is true or is it something you MADE- UP.??? JUST ASKING FOR A FRIEND. 😊
@@FactsVerse I love content about shows from the 80's and 90's, in particular, but I'm sure that I will enjoy whatever you post. Thanks, and I appreciate your hard work and dedication to bring us enjoyable content.🤗👏👍
"Kiss my Grits" growing up in Minnesota and moving to Texas in 95, the 1st morning there eating breakfast they had grits on the menu. We all thought grits was southern slang for ones ass. Never new it was a food. We all laughed hysterically. The waitress thought we were morons for laughing at grits.
@FactsVerse you have too many videos to sift through all of them. Just found out the S.S. Minnow from Gilligan's Island exists and it's in Nanoose Bay in Nanaimo, B.C., Canada on Vancouver Island. I just left there earlier this year to meet my mother and brothers for the 1st time after finding them just before Covid and had to wait 3 more years. Also finally getting my wife her tourist visa we think and hope to Canada from the Philippines. So hopefully for the 1st time in 5 plus years we won't be separated when I leave and go to Canada/America and not only will she leave Philippines for the 1st time in her life, but she'll meet my family and we are definitely going to check out the minnow. Sorry currently I got Gilligan on my mind.
My favorite Flo moment was when she cut the window at Mel's with what she thought was a fake diamond ring...the glass falls out and someone says, "Flo..." She replies, "Not Flo, honey, Florence of Arabia!"
You completely sidestepped the real reason why she was pushed out of Alice which was Linda Lavin's insecurities and massive ego. There's probably a special place in hell for actors like Linda Lavin
@@Yoyomu205 Holliday was *NOT* fired, she was given the spin-off series Flo, which debuted *less than a month* after the airing of the episode showing her character's departure from Alice. And, Flo simply did not work out. After an initial burst of viewer interest and good ratings during its short first season, the show fell completely out of the Top 40 shows by the middle of its second season, which was its last. Holliday went on to act in many other television shows/movies and also feature films (including her iconic supporting comedic role in Gremlins).
This doesn't give an actual reason why Polly Holiday left the series. Did she have a falling out with the producers or Linda Lavin? There's zero explanation.
I live in Phoenix AZ and there is a Mels Diner (which serves great food!) The sign out front is the same as it was in the show and diner is different inside but it is filled with Alice memorabilia, and even the menus feature the original cast of the series. On the daily specials board is written in big letters "KISS MY GRITS!" They even sell Mel's Diner T-shirts. If you're ever in Phoenix, it's on Grand Avenue across the street from the State Fair grounds!
![CHEERS CAST (1982 - 2023) ★ Then and Now How |They've Changed [41 Years LATER]](/img/1.gif)
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It was because the other members of the show didn't go with the flo and when she left they still didn't go with the flo.....😏😂
So why did she leave the show?
To me Alice was never the same without Flo and Kiss my Grits
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You can thank the jealous diva linda lavin she had Polly fired and had Diane Ladd fired too
@hombredeacero3131, I know, right? We could say “Kiss my grits”, and adults didn’t know we were saying “kiss my ass” unless they saw the show.
While I agree that Alice wasn’t the same since Flo left, the only reason the show lasted another 5 seasons was because of Mel. Without him, the show would have been canceled in 1981 instead of 1985.
Me too Alice seemed Hard to be around
I think just about everyone's favorite aspect of Flo is when in desperation to get the last word and before leaving the scene she says "Kiss my Grits."
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You beat to the comment.
Linda Lavin ....Kiss My Grits !!!!
I always thought Flo was the show on Alice. After she left, it was never the same it just kept going downhill.
So true! Which episode of Alice appealed to you the most?
@@FactsVerse I haven’t seen the show in quite some time I just always remembered Flo was the best
@@FactsVerse, for me my favourite episode is when Flo drives one of her boyfriend's truck into Mel's Diner, completely destroying the front of the diner.
EXACTLY !!!!
@@FactsVerse I wrote to Polly and received a lovely handwritten letter from her
She was so sassy and charismatic on “Alice”! Used to love hearing her snap “Kiss my grits!” at anyone who made her mad.Her departure sucked a lot of life out of the show.
Facts
Agreed. Linda was jealous, she knew that kiss my grits was hilarious and memorable. It really makes me lose respect for Linda. She was the star but there was plenty of room to share the spotlight. Flo was an addition to the show. She made it better. Such a shame to be so petty. I wonder if she regrets it now ? i know that as i age i go over my life and have regrets for my mistakes. Some really hurt.
To me, this is the kinda of behavior that should bring regret with it. I hope she prays and feels like she could have done better. She should've been kinder to Polly. So many of us stopped watching when she left.
A notable post-“Alice” guest appearance of Holliday’s was on a 1986 episode of “The Golden Girls.” She played the blind sister of Betty White’s character Rose.
She was in the movie Gremlins
She also replaced Eileen Brennan on “Private Benjamin” after Brennan was struck by a car.
She did a very fine performance as her sister .
I REMEMBER THAT ONE
So I sat through most of this, waiting for you to talk about the fact that the only reason Polly left Flo was because Linda Lavin was ticked off that the character of Flo was more popular with viewers than she was, so she forced Polly to leave, but you never even mentioned it! I've always been irritated with Linda Lavin because of that, and I never liked her singing, either. Talk about an inflated ego! Flo was the only reason I watched Alice, and when she left, so did I.
You are correct.
LISA: Bart, I figured it out! Who's someone you've been making irritating phone calls to for years?
BART: Linda Lavin?
LISA: No, someone who didn't deserve it.
Linda Lavin was also a poor simger
Even as a teenager, I would cover my ears when the theme song came on. She is a horrible singer. I hate how she exaggerates words and phrases.
That's a damn shame. But it was probably for the best. I didn't know that she went on to have such a long and successful career. "KISS MY GRITS". 😂😂❤❤❤❤
Polly Holiday will always be Florence Jean Castleberry from my childhood. Especially when she said "KISS MY GRITS OR WHEN DONKY'S FLY" I really love that episode with Alice teaches Flo how drive a semi and when the entire crew goes on the road and Flo always talked on the CB radio.
That's a great episode. Another one of my favorites was the one where Flo stayed with Alice at her apartment and drove her crazy because her trailer was stolen.
Hot cargo 😆 I remember...
I remember that episode. In the climax, she drove the semi right through the front of Mel's Diner. LOL!
Flo was the best part of ‘Alice’ she stole every scene she was in and the show really took a hit when she left, it was never the same.
Guys, Diane Ladd and Celia Weston didn't take over the role of Flo. They played entirely different characters (although Ladd did play Flo in the Alice movie, which was a very different character than Polly Holliday embodied). Kiss my grits!!
Ladd’s character is named Belle
And in Martin Scorsese's film "Alice Doesn't; live here Anymore" Diane Ladd played Flo and Vic Tayback played Mel the only actors from the film to reprise the tv series. Alfred Lutter played Tommy in the film and only the pilot episode of the series and he was replaced by Philip McKeon.
@@rony41165 and Weston played Jolene Hunnicutt the series jumped the shark letting Vera get married which was the shows death knell in my opinion.
@@l.j.goldstein8143 I don't see it that way. The show had ran it's lifetime by the time Vera got married towards the end of the series.
@@l.j.goldstein8143 And only the pilot episode of Alice had the full name of the diner on the door, after that it just became Mel's
Polly Holliday looked absolutely beautiful back then when she was on that show. There was something about her that was so attractive.
Seriously?
Flo was hilarious, confident and sexy.
Never really thought she was attractive though.
I think you're referring to her sass
I used to watch this from time to time and I always liked Flo and Vera their characters stood out the most in the show . When she left it was never the same.
I LOVED HER! 😢 I WAS HEARTBROKEN, WHEN SHE LEFT THE SHOW! Guess she left, saying kiss my grits! ❤
We're happy to know that you love the show and Flo. In your opinion, what is its best episode?
Season 3, The dirt bike episode. When the guitar 🎸 gets traded for it. I love the line about coming down with Saturday night fever!
Or something else
One of my favorite Flo moments from Alice was when she dated this Arabian shiek who turned out to be a millionaire who wanted to marry her. He gave her this huge ring, which originally she didn't think was real until she ran it over the glass front door of Mel's Diner and it cut the glass. When someone called her Flo she corrected them calling herself Florence of Arabia LOL. Then when Alice found out that the shiek had a multitude of wives and Flo would be the newest one, she and Vera dressed up like belly dancers to sneak into a restaurant to warn Flo. When she found out about the sheik's harem of wives, she told him to "Kiss My Couscous", reluctantly took the huge diamond ring off and threw it back at him then left
After Flo left Mel's, I stopped watching Alice. Flo made that sitcom!
I agree with you! Flo got more laughs than anyone on the show.
So true! Wich episode of Alice appealed to you the most?
@@FactsVerse all season 7, 8 and 9. So sad about Phillip McKeon and Charles Levin
Facts sis
I respectfully disagree. I did like Flo, but in my opinion Alice made that show. If she would not have been on it, it would have never lasted as long as it did. She has a commanding stage presence.
It's good to know she had lots of success after Alice. I loved that show and I loved her in it. ❤❤❤
You forgot to mention her role as Rose's blind sister in a Golden Girls episode😊
That show is a lot of fun but did wonder why she left the show. Thanks for her story.
@@sallykohorst8803 According to IMDB, she and Linda Lavin couldn't get along - and neither did Lavin and Diane Ladd. I think professional jealousy, maybe...
@@sallykohorst8803 I heard Linda lavin is hard to work with
@jeffwhite4227 Linda Lavin was jealous of Polly, and her character's popularity with the viewers. She wanted to be the center of attention.
& Gremlins! I will always remember her from that movie! Lol.
Actually Diane Ladd played Isabelle "Belle" on Alice but she had actually played the Flo character in the big screen "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore"! The tabloids at the time said these two exits were due to Linda Lavin becoming a major queen bee on the set! Haha! It really is a shame that so many of Polly's scenes were cut from Mrs Doubtfire because they really were great! I watched a compilation of them here in RUclips!
Vic tayback, who played Mel on the show, was also in the movie version of the show, too.
@Jon, Tim doesn't react well when mistakes are brought to mind;as a matter of fact, he doesn't react at all.
Was it true that Linda Lavin wanted to dominate the show?
@@nassauguy48 Linda lavin was a very insecure person. She viewed the other female co-stars on the show as competition.
@@allan9603 oh I've mentioned before in the comments that sometimes it seems like FV is trying to crank out a product so fast that small to major goofs happen! I'm not sure if Tim is the actual creator of them or the narrator because he does have an acting and music career outside of this.
Flo was one of a kind. I liked her alot.
We absolutely agree! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. Be safe and have a great day!
I was a very young girl when I watched this show and Flo was more memorable than anyone.
"Mel, kiss my grits!!" She's the reason i watched the show. ❤❤❤
“Mel kiss my grits”. I do not know how many people I told that to when I was a kid.
She was famous for saying "kiss my grits" and if I remember right didn't she also used to say "When donkeys fly"?
Yes she did
Yep! Just as funny. 😂
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She once said, ' Kiss my coos coos ! '
Why was this so sugar coated? I always heard it was because Linda Lavin wasn’t too happy with the Flo character overshadowing her as the more popular character on the show. Polly got the funniest one liners and catch phrases and Linda wasn’t getting the attention as she was suppose to be the main “Star” of the show. 😅
Linda lavin didn't want Polly back on the show after Polly's spinoff, Flo, flopped in the ratings.
Yes I heard both those things😊
Well that could be why she didn't come back. But if that was the reason for her to leave why did they give her a spin off? Also i wonder if she didn't come back because after her show got shift by the network so much, she was just done with the whole mess.
Yes, from what I have read Ms Lavin had become a bit of a diva, and that's the reason Diana Ladd didn't stick around for more than a handful of episodes too. They didn't get along at all.
How many times are people going to tune in to see her alter ego, Sam Butler?
fondest memory of Flo on Alice was her tag line "KISS MY GRITS!"
she also appeared on an episode of The Golden Girls as a blind woman who was a relative to one of the 4 ladies
One of our favorites too, you've got taste! What other types of video would you like to see?
Rose's sister, I think.
The one episode of Alice I remember is when Flo crushed a semi in Mel's Diner. Mel was beside himself and said to Flo "Flo get down here" Flo said "what you going to do Mel ? Mel said "you want the whole list or just the top ten" Flo says "Oh dear and runs for her life. Funniest I ever saw on television.
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She was always fun to watch, had talent and good body language. Now I have watch 'Mrs Doubtfire' again. I had no idea.
RIP Robin Williams as Holliday was very underrated in the Miss Doubtfire movie.
We love Robin ♥♥
My favorite Flo episode was the one where she borrowed her boyfriends " tuxedo " for Tommy to wear to the prom, and it had more glitz and glam than a Christmas tree 🎄 but his sister did get married on horseback lol!
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Hella bling
They originally wrote the line as Kiss my Honeydew, but changed it thinking that was too explicit...
Ya never did say WHY Flo was written out of the cast of Alice.. usually there is a reason.. the how to remove Flo was the going to another high end resturant..but why leave a cast member of a highly rated show?
As a kid, I loved the show Alice and Flo was my favorite. I made a cassette of everytime Flo said "Kiss My Grits!" because I thought it was so funny. You could usually tell when she was about to do it, so I had my recorder ready at all times. I was a weird kid 😆😆😆
I have not seen this old show streaming anywhere...
We're happy to know that you love the show and Alice. In your opinion, what is its best episode?
@@FactsVerse It's so long ago, I don't remember any of them now.
It's on. I watch it every day.
The one who played Alice was a nightmare. the shabby way she treated other cast members was a abomination.
So true.
@@draperscott7698 pretty well reported. Diane Ladd bumped into Holiday before she went on the show. She wished Holiday good luck only for Holiday to reply she would need the good luck. She she wondered what she had gotten into. That's why she only did one season on the show. Lavin was a nightmare.
Stephen Keep was the best part of the show.
@@draperscott7698 I am sure neither thought or were trying to be the star. Carol Burnett and Mary Tyler Moore both understood that you have to have a strong supporting cast and share the spotlight. Lavin didn't like the fact that Flo had the catch phrase and got the laughs. Often, the star is the straight man in a comedy series. Look at Hal Linden on Barney Miller. He was the main character for which the series was named. He was the straight man and set up the jokes. I have never heard he had any issue with that. I doubt Ladd came on the show expecting to be the star.
@@draperscott7698Do you have an altar to Linda Lavin? You're shilling hard.
I loved Flo's "kiss my grits" catchh phrase 😅
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Me too, and "When donkeys fly!". "Kiss my grits" was originally written as "Kiss my honeydew" but it got no laughs, so it was changed to "Kiss my grits", which worked perfectly.
Some information that is missing in the video. Linda Lavin wanted her off the show because Flo’s Character was upstaging Alice and that why they created the spinoff.
An incredible actress who has a lot of diversity in both comedy and drama. I have always enjoyed her performances, and when she left Alice, I never thought the show was the same. The TV show Flo I remember it was very poorly written. They had a great cast, but the story line in the dynamic of the characters left much to be desired. She is eighty-five as if today's date. She's coming up on her eighty six birthday on July 2nd. She still looks as beautiful as always. Wishing you continued health, happiness, and prosperity, Polly Dean Holliday, born July 2, 1937.
Beautiful words, thank you for your message for Flo. Be safe and have a great day ❤❤
I’m glad you pointed that out, the writing, for the show was definitely terrible at best. But it was a very much needed show in those times as the greater part of americana could definitely relate to their situation.
I got to be an extra in a TV movie Polly Holliday was in. She was very nice. At one point she and the other actors had to be crying tears of relief and it felt so real it was almost distressing to be close to the emotion.
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She was very good in the shows. Thanks for the video and nice memories
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She played a guest starring role on "The Golden Girls" as Betty White's character Rose's blind sister.
Linda Lavin, Killed that Theme Song. ONE of my favorites.
No doubt about it. The theme song pops in my head every once in a while! Very memorable, and a bygone Era!
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The first season was alright with the theme song but after that she went so nuts with the obnoxious over singing the theme song got more laughable every season
Love that theme song.
There were 2 versions.
Always loved Polly in everything she did but my best memory is sitting across from her in the Rome airport while she told muck of her life story to a fellow traveler. I traveled half around to find a southern bell.
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I like Flo. Show wasn't the same after she left But It still was Good. I liked Joleen Too!
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Well, kiss my grits!! 😂 I enjoyed watching Alice back in the day. It still sucks me in when I'm channel switching. Flo and Mel carried the show. I actually felt Alice was annoying. 😂
Thank you!!😀
I think you are absolutely right. Even though it was her show, she was very annoying. I prefer the character of Flo and Mel. Those two were hilarious.
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I just loved Vera , she was just sweet
My dad and I always agreed they carried the show.
It seemed to me that Linda Lavin’s character on her show, as well as Bonnie Franklin‘s character on her show, seem to resemble one another with the ironic fact that both of them had a huge egos on the set of their respective shows, and got other actors and actresses pushed out because of it
I love the Alice series I miss that show and Polly made it funny when she left no one could fill her shoes❤
We're happy to know that you love the show. In your opinion, what is its best episode?
@@FactsVerse My favorite episode is when Vera tap danced and Donald O'Connor came to cheer her on
Still in reruns.
One of the biggest things I remember when I watch the show was when Flo use to say her catch phrase “ Kiss My Grits “ that cracked me up as a child with her Southern Accent 😂😂🤣🤣
Love Flo's character and still enjoy watching her in Alice repeats.
Echoed sentiment
I was told that Linda & Polly didn't get along and they didn't want to work with each other any more. This drove the producers to create a spin off and would explain why Polly never returned to Alice. Perhaps it was because Polly was becoming a breakout star and it made Linda feel jealous. Of course back then, when a character who wasn't the main character of the show was popular, you spun them off to their own show. The Ropers, The Jeffersons, Mrs. Garrett, Laverne and Shirley, Maude, Florida Evans, Gloria Stivic, Rhoda, Phyllis, etc. They even tried to give the Fonz his own show, but Henry Winkler talked them out of it.
There was also Jackée Harry
@@yell0wberryWhich only got one episode
I remember reading in the Star or Enquirer that Linda Lavin went clothes shopping with an assistant producer for new outfits for the rest of the cast to wear. Polly Holiday didn't like the choice clothing, but had to wear them.They weren't speaking, after that. Apparently things progressed worse from there
My most memorable episode with Flo, is the Christmas episode inspired by the Gift of the Magi, where all the characters had to sell a precious item to buy someone else a gift, and in the end Mel had gone out and bought back everyone's things they had sold.
I thought Vic Tayback was the heart and soul of the show.
I was in love with Alice 😍😍😍
Glad to know that you're a fan. Which episode is the most memorable for you?
@@FactsVerse the episode that telly savalas guest starred on
"Alice" was a great sitcom, but when "Flo" left the sitcom...the sitcom went downhill fast. Loved "Flo," she "made the show."
Sad but true! Which episode of Alice appealed to you the most?
@@FactsVerse All of them, you never knew what Flo would do from week to week, great show with her there.
Linda Lavin was NOT a smart woman. The strength in anything is unity. She should’ve thought of Ron Howard on Happy Days. Ron knew Henry Winkler was the key reason for the show’s success. Ms. Lavin should’ve thought the same thing: u have a breakout character people love, that’ll just make my character and show stronger. Ms. Lavin hated the attention “Flo” got the attention. Thats why Polly Holiday left the show.
Kiss my Gritts is iconic...thanks Flo. I lived in Phoenix and the show supposedly took place there, I watched the show all the time as a youngster.
I think Linda Lavin fought with most of her co-stars. She fought with Polly, then she fought with Diane Ladd who also quit...
Polly Holiday probably said, ' Kiss my ass! ' to L.L. before leaving
I love Polly. Alice was never as good without her although Joleen was pretty funny.
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I loved Alice played by Linda Lavin. But Flo was one character on that show that kept us laughing. Her expression kiss my grits will always stand out for me..
Linda lavin was the reason pollybwas fired same with Diane Ladd Linda was jealous of both of them
I agree, I loved Joleen, Celia Weston played her brilliantly
@@Defensewhiz I loved joleen too she was funny 😄 Diana Ladd didn’t last long I did hear that too because of Linda laven.
Flo most memorable episode on Alice, to me, was when the diner was being held up and she saved the day. I've always had a fond memory of that show.
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She also played a bank drive thru teller in the Burt Reynolds movie " W.W. & The Dixie Dance King"
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That was a really funny movie that I don't think gets enough attention
I always loved it when Flo would say to Mel "kiss my grits"😁
Us too! Thanks for the trip down memory lane 😄
The episode where Mel visists "Flo's Yellow Rose' is the only episode i rememeber from the spin off
still dont know why she left ALICE!
The usual reason money 💵 !...It's always about the money......
rumours were Linda lavin was jealous of the "Flo" character..and polly got more laughs with the "kiss my grits" line.
They offered her her own show, which flopped!
@@jamescarp True you are right about that. But the funny thing is today. Any network today would kill to receive the kind or ratings her short lived show received !...
I Wished She Would Have Stayed With Alice Loved Her On There
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“Kiss my grits” will always be my fav Flo moment! 💜😌
Well kiss my grits. I remember everyone saying that.😊
Kiss my grits as well. Both she & Cloris Leachman would have been great on The Golden Girls, or a Mama's Family-type show, as they were both older & still great actresses....
We remember it too! Which episodeo f the show appealed to you the most?
They showed scenes from "Flo" with her and George Goober Lindsey !!
Both are from the same hometown :
Jasper, Alabama !!
(Me too !)
"Kiss my grits" !!!!! I loved that line. 😊
Polly Holiday as Flo was great in Alice and she made the show funny along with Vic Tayback as Mel. Alice as a series was ok, but not one of my favorites. Vera got on my nerves and it got to be unwatchable after Polly left the series. Flo's phrase KISS MY GRITS! will go down in TV history for the funniest comedic lines of all times!
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Cause mel couldn't kiss her grits any longer
😂😂😂😂
So why’d she leave???
She didn't get along with Linda lavin.
Women....☕️
Vera needed a spin off! Her character was uncanny and very funny.
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In Mel's voice Vera you dingy broad...
they always made vera appear stupid maybe a smart vera was a threat to linda lavin
Even though Vera was funny, she couldn't carry a whole show on her own.
@@dampergoldenrod4156 Vera was as dumb as a fox. 😉
I loved it when she said...KISS MY GRITS!
I was lucky enough to work with Polly Holliday long after her years on Alice. She was warm and kind and a very generous colleague. We shared a dressing room, and had plenty of time to chat, and it was always such a pleasure. No ego. ❤️❤️
Did you ever think about asking what was her experience like, on Alice, before leaving?
Ok Tim, so why did Polly leave Alice and never return?
You gave her aftermath from the show, but didn't make clear why she left the show.
So, because your researchers seem to take too many coffee breaks Tim, below is the real "FACT " about Polly leaving the show:
In a 1982 interview with a Montgomery, Alabama radio station, Holiday revealed that "sinking ratings" was the reason why she left Alice.
Obviously she was right, the show hit rock bottom after she left.
Loved Flo, kiss my grits is my favorite.
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I loved the episode during which she was spending a few nights in Alice's apartment. Flo was asleep on the sofa bed after a long night of dancing at "The Vee Eff Dubya." When she turned over in bed in her sleep, she did a little boogie shimmy. 😂
Mrs Flo is one of the best characters in the world of sitcoms ❤
Flo had the same similar problem that Sandra Clark had on 227: they were Side Charaters that actually accentuated or STOLE the scenes they were in. But when they attempted to become leads on their own series they weren't fully fleshed out charaters and Flo and Sandra were great "one-liner"/Supporting charaters but not LEADS (modern example? NBC's JOEY..nuff said)
This show was funny especially Florence Jean Castleberry aka Flo was hilarious, when she says Kiss My Grits 💋 I'd thought I'd die laughing and those words spread like wildfire I would love to meet this remarkable wonderful lady and I was surprised to see her once on the Golden Girls and Gremlins
We're happy to know that you love the show. In your opinion, what is its best episode?
I thought the demise of her character in the movie gremlins was much too disturbing and below the type of standards. This lady brought to the table. That could have been done by a B actress instead.
When they had George Burns and Jerry Reed
With ratings in the top 20 Flo should've continued!
The three girls had wonderful chemistry. In the late 70's I was going through some bad times, yet hearing the show intro theme somehow made me feel it's all going to be okay. Come to think of it, I feel nostalgia for most show themes of that era. Perhaps I know 40 years can pass and I'd still be alive.
1970s had some really creepy foul freakshows like mork and mindy and the white shadow alice was something people could identify with.
it is 45 years at this point alice was already at its peak around 1978 and stayed there until 1981.
I only just now found out this TV show was based on the Martin Scorsese film "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," [now on NetFlix] which starred Ellen Burstyn, Kris Kristofferon, and Harvey Keitel!
Flo was funny and a great actress...
When the song comes on🥰 Love this show & all of Mel's yelling
She was also Lily Lindstrom-Magnusson who played sister to Rose Nylund on Golden Girls.
I liked Polly as Jill's mom on Home Improvement. And I saw Gremlins when I was 6, and couldn't believe she was the spinster
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I always felt that the character of Opal on All My Children was based on Flo. The woman who played Opal mannerism and dressed was all Flo.
Opal and Ericka Kane, I ran to my dorm room during lunch to watch All My Children every day. One day I saw Opal in full TV make up at Fairway Groceries in Manhattan 🗽 I said hi Opal, she said Hi Honey 🤓
I REMEMBER THAT
And now the REAL reason Polly Holiday left. Linda Lavin was a total diva. I loved Alice and still do....but it wasn't the same after Flo.
There is no other actress filling in as the third waitress that could fit the bill. Polly had the best character and will be missed on the show Alice. I would love to see re runs of those days with the the "Kiss My Grits" and gum chomping actress Flo. You're the Best!
We absolutely agree! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. Be safe and have a great weekend!☺
@ Facts, I've noticed more than a few times your thumb nails are misleading. You never told WHY she left a top rated show. Was it to star in her own show?
I met Polly Holiday once when I was working at the famous Patelson's sheet music shop across from Carnegie Hall. She came in to buy a book of Haydn Sonatas. I mentioned to her I watched the show back in the 70's and asked her for her autograph. I made the mistake of telling her that one of my favorite lines of Flo was, 'Mel...stick your head where the sun don't shine!'. She said she never said that in the show and I insisted that she did. I remembered later that it was probably Diane Ladd in the movie Alice doesn't Live Here Anymore where the character of Flo originated who said that famous line.
I just got done binge watching the whole DVD Alice series 💗👍🏼🥰
I loved it when she said kiss my grits 😂
My memory for Polly Holiday is her Flo catchphrase, “Kiss my grits.”
MY FAVORITE EPISODE WAS WHEN SHE DROVE THE 18 WHEELER THAT SHE LOST CONTROL OF AND CRASHED IT INTO MEL'S DINER AND SHE THEN ASKS MEL WHAT IS HE GOING TO DO TO HER AND MEL THEN SAYS----- DO YOU WANT THE WHOLE LIST OR JUST THE TOP TEN????
Don't yell your post in all caps. It's rude as heck.
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@@robertveith6383 DON'T MAKE A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLEHILL!!!! IT'S RUDE AS HELL!!!!
IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU COULD SHOW THAT EPISODE HERE ON RUclips!!!
All caps have NOTHING to do with yelling. I can read it better when it's LARGE anyway. Where did you get the idea that statement is true or is it something you MADE- UP.??? JUST ASKING FOR A FRIEND. 😊
Flo was definitely the heart of the show!😆♥️👏💃
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@@FactsVerse I love content about shows from the 80's and 90's, in particular, but I'm sure that I will enjoy whatever you post. Thanks, and I appreciate your hard work and dedication to bring us enjoyable content.🤗👏👍
My favorite flo moments in Alice was when she used to always say kiss her yeast infection I mean her grits😂😂😂😂😂😂
"Kiss my Grits" growing up in Minnesota and moving to Texas in 95, the 1st morning there eating breakfast they had grits on the menu. We all thought grits was southern slang for ones ass. Never new it was a food. We all laughed hysterically. The waitress thought we were morons for laughing at grits.
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@FactsVerse you have too many videos to sift through all of them. Just found out the S.S. Minnow from Gilligan's Island exists and it's in Nanoose Bay in Nanaimo, B.C., Canada on Vancouver Island. I just left there earlier this year to meet my mother and brothers for the 1st time after finding them just before Covid and had to wait 3 more years. Also finally getting my wife her tourist visa we think and hope to Canada from the Philippines. So hopefully for the 1st time in 5 plus years we won't be separated when I leave and go to Canada/America and not only will she leave Philippines for the 1st time in her life, but she'll meet my family and we are definitely going to check out the minnow. Sorry currently I got Gilligan on my mind.
My favorite Flo moment was when she cut the window at Mel's with what she thought was a fake diamond ring...the glass falls out and someone says, "Flo..." She replies, "Not Flo, honey, Florence of Arabia!"
You completely sidestepped the real reason why she was pushed out of Alice which was Linda Lavin's insecurities and massive ego. There's probably a special place in hell for actors like Linda Lavin
Exactly she had holiday fired then she had laura derns mother fired,linda was jealous of any character that was more famous then she was
@@Yoyomu205Polly wasn’t fired, CBS knew of the friction, so they offered Polly a spin-off.
@@TheEwing69 No the psycho insecure linda had her fired
@@Yoyomu205 Holliday was *NOT* fired, she was given the spin-off series Flo, which debuted *less than a month* after the airing of the episode showing her character's departure from Alice. And, Flo simply did not work out. After an initial burst of viewer interest and good ratings during its short first season, the show fell completely out of the Top 40 shows by the middle of its second season, which was its last. Holliday went on to act in many other television shows/movies and also feature films (including her iconic supporting comedic role in Gremlins).
How do you know this? Were you there?
This doesn't give an actual reason why Polly Holiday left the series. Did she have a falling out with the producers or Linda Lavin? There's zero explanation.
I live in Phoenix AZ and there is a Mels Diner (which serves great food!) The sign out front is the same as it was in the show and diner is different inside but it is filled with Alice memorabilia, and even the menus feature the original cast of the series. On the daily specials board is written in big letters "KISS MY GRITS!" They even sell Mel's Diner T-shirts. If you're ever in Phoenix, it's on Grand Avenue across the street from the State Fair grounds!
I really miss this tv series
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Polly also played Rose's blind sister on Golden Girls
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I used to watch this show all the time and I really enjoyed Flo catch phase well kiss my grits!