Penny Marshall wanted Laverne & Shirley to be a more risqué show
While today we look back at shows like Laverne & Shirley as incredibly tame, it was pretty far out for the time period it was released in. With two single girls living and taking on the world together, anything can happen, both the good and the bad.
But according to an interview with The Washington Post, the original plan was to make the show much more risque.
See Also
"Laverne and Shirley are much hipper than Happy Days," said series creator Garry Marshall. "They don't hang out at the malt shop. And the pizza place (which Laverne's father owns) is full of servicemen and hardhats."
However, actor Penny Marshall, best known for playing Laverne DeFazio, said that she wanted the show to take it a step further, starting with the girls' outfits. However, the network took opposition.
"I thought we should wear black neckerchiefs, tight pants, and have our hair in rollers most of the time," said Penny Marshall. "But ABC wants two nice girls and the ability to say, 'Oh my, look at the situation they get in this week.'"
Marshall also mentioned that the network censors at ABC "don't like girls talking about sex," and that originally, the show was set to feature much more liberated and mature content before ABC once again reigned them in.
So while the show wasn't quite as "out there" as Garry Marshall and Penny Marshall had hoped, it does seem that actors and viewers alike were very pleased with the final outcome of the show.
Watch Laverne & Shirley on Catchy Comedy
Weekdays 2p ET | 11a PT