Alice (American TV series)

Alice
Title card 1976–1978
Created by	Robert Getchell
Based on	Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore by Robert Getchell
Starring	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" performed by Linda Lavin
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	9
No. of episodes	202 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	R.S. Allen (1976–1977) William P. D'Angelo (1976–1977) Harvey Bullock (1976–1977) Thomas Kuhn (1977(?)–?) David Susskind (1977(?)–?)
Running time	22–25 minutes
Production company(s)	D'Angelo-Bullock-Allen Productions (1976–1977) (season 1) Warner Bros. Television
Release
Original network	CBS
Original release	August 31, 1976 (1976-08-31) – March 19, 1985 (1985-03-19)
Chronology
Related shows	Flo
External links
[{{#property:P856}} Website]

Alice is an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS from August 31, 1976, to March 19, 1985. The series is based on the 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.

Series summary

Alice Spivak Hyatt (Lavin) is an unemployed widow after her husband Donald is killed in a trucking accident, and with her young son Tommy (played by Alfred Lutter in the television pilot, reprising his role from the film, but portrayed by Philip McKeon thereafter) heads from their New Jersey home to Los Angeles to pursue a singing career. Her car breaks down in Phoenix, and viewers meet her soon after she has taken a job as a waitress at Mel's Diner, in Phoenix. (The later seasons' exterior shots were of a real diner, named Mel's, still in operation in Phoenix.) Alice works alongside Mel Sharples (Vic Tayback), the grouchy, stingy owner and cook of the greasy spoon, and fellow waitresses and friends, sassy, man-hungry Florence Jean "Flo" Castleberry (Polly Holliday), and neurotic, scatterbrained Vera Louise Gorman (Beth Howland).

With a single exception, episodes started inside the diner, and most if not all subsequent scenes took place there as well. A frequent set for non-diner scenes was Alice's one-bedroom apartment in the Desert Sun apartments. Season One, episode 21, “A Night to Remember” also opened here. (Tommy used the bedroom and Alice slept on a sleeper sofa in the living room.) Vera and Mel's studio apartments and Flo's trailer were occasionally seen. Two of the diner's biggest competitors, Barney's Burger Barn and Vinnie's House of Veal, were sometimes mentioned.

The diner had its share of regular customers through the years, such as Tommy's basketball coach Earl Hicks (Dave Madden), local trucker Chuck (played by Duane R. Campbell), and Henry Beesmeyer (Marvin Kaplan), a telephone repairman who always joked about Mel's cooking. Henry's oft-mentioned wife Chloe was seen in one episode, played by Ruth Buzzi. Celebrities playing either themselves or other characters (including Martha Raye as Mel's free-spirited mother, George Burns, Robert Goulet, Art Carney, Desi Arnaz, and Jerry Reed) were a hallmark of the show.

Polly Holliday left the show to star in her own spin-off series, Flo. In the episode airing February 24, 1980, Flo leaves to take a hostess job in Houston. On the way to Houston, Flo stops at her hometown Fort Worth, Texas (which she refers to by its moniker "Cowtown"). Flo decides to buy and run a failing roadhouse bar there, which she renames Flo's Yellow Rose. Polly Holliday never made a guest appearance on Alice after beginning Flo, although flashbacks including Flo were shown in the final episode of Alice. Vic Tayback made one guest appearance on Flo.

Diane Ladd, who received an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Flo in the film version joined the cast in 1980 as Isabelle "Belle" Dupree, a hard-edged but kind-hearted woman. She had been a waitress of Mel's in the past, during which the two had a romantic relationship. Despite Ladd's Golden Globe-winning performance as Belle, the character was not retained for the duration of the series and was replaced early in 1981, the character making one last appearance in which she telephones the diner to inform everyone that she had taken a job as a backup singer in Nashville, Tennessee. It has been said that Ladd clashed with her co-stars, and no flashbacks including Belle were shown during the series' final episode.

Season 8: Linda Lavin (Alice), Celia Weston (Jolene), and Beth Howland (Vera)

Theatre actress Celia Weston then joined the cast as the good-natured, boisterous truck driver Jolene Hunnicutt, who came from Myrtle Point, South Carolina. Jolene arrives as she and her male driving partner are in the midst of an argument over his unwelcome advances, during which she throws and breaks many of Mel's dishes. Mel agrees to hire her "temporarily" to work off the cost of the dishes, but she stays until the end of the series. Jolene frequently mentions her grandmother, "Granny Gums", who had only three or four teeth. Jolene also mentions her distant relative Jefferson Davis "Boss" Hogg, a character from the concurrent CBS series The Dukes of Hazzard. In one episode Sorrell Booke guest stars in this role, along with fellow Dukes character Enos (Sonny Shroyer).

The latter years of the show focused on some character development, such as the hasty courtship and marriage of Vera and lovable cop Elliot (Charles Levin). Tommy eventually goes to college and is seen less frequently. In the final season, the character of Alice was absent several times due to Lavin's directing a number of episodes and playing the character of Mrs. Walden, Vera's wizened, abrasive landlady of arbitrary foreign origin. The final story arc began in the spring of 1985, when country singer Travis Marsh (played by Lavin's real-life husband Kip Niven), discovering that he's falling for Alice, "kidnaps" her to take her to Nashville, telling her it is time to follow her dream there. Bewildered at the thought of her dreams finally coming true, Alice agrees, but not without extracting a promise from Travis to drive her back to Phoenix so she can get her affairs in order, including ending her current relationship with a writer.

In the series finale, which aired March 19, 1985, news of several life-changing events is revealed within a matter of minutes, something typical of sitcoms of the era. After nine years of trying, Alice finally gets a recording contract and is moving to Nashville with Travis Marsh. Vera announces she is pregnant and decides to be a full-time mother, Elliott having been promoted from officer to detective. Jolene's "Granny Gums" dies and leaves her enough money to open her own beauty parlor in her hometown. Besides all three waitresses suddenly leaving simultaneously, by an amazing coincidence Mel has just sold the diner for a large amount of money to a real-estate developer and must close within days. On closing day, he surprisingly gives each waitress a $5,000 farewell bonus. The remainder of the episode shows flashbacks to humorous and significant events, and many of the big stars who had appeared on the show, including Polly Holliday. Finally, while cleaning out her locker, Alice finds the "Waitress Wanted" sign that first drew her to the diner. The series' regular customers, including Henry, Chuck, and Earl, say their emotional farewells, followed by Elliot, and finally the principal characters Tommy, Jolene, Vera, and Alice. The last thing we see is Mel putting up the "Closed" sign and locking up.

The waitresses at Mel's Diner from left: Vera (Beth Howland), Alice (Linda Lavin), Flo (Polly Holliday)

Running gags and catchphrases

Flo's catchphrase, "kiss my grits!" (typically directed at her boss, Mel), enjoyed widespread popularity at the time the character appeared on Alice. According to Polly Holliday, the line was originally written as "kiss my honeydew!", but did not get any laughs. (In the original film, Flo, as played by Diane Ladd, tells Mel in one scene to "Kiss me where the sun don't shine.") Another of Flo's catchphrases was "when donkeys fly!" Since her portrayal of Flo, Polly Holliday has refused to repeat her famous "grits" line.

In an attempt to duplicate the success of Flo's "kiss my grits!", Belle began using a new put-down: "butter my biscuits!" Belle often used the phrase "my little voice", who called her "Isabelle", which she usually used when starting to tell others what she thinks is best.

Mel would snipe "stow it!" at anyone he had qualms with, especially his waitstaff. "Stow it!" was usually followed by either "Alice", "Vera", "Flo" "Belle", or "Blondie" (in reference to Jolene). He would also bark "bag it, Blondie!" to Jolene. He eventually gave Vera the nickname "Dingy" and would occasionally bellow "stow it, Dingy" at her. Jolene would sometimes say "when pigs wear perfume."

In a handful of episodes, Alice put on a double-breasted suit and fedora to assume the character of husky-voiced "Sam Butler", a mobster she made up as a ruse to fool her intended target. Linda Lavin also played the role of Mrs. Walden in the last season, once even playing both Alice and Mrs. Walden in a split-screen dual role.

Part of Mel's Diner was often destroyed, such as by Flo's crashing a truck through the front, Mel chopping down a tree which landed on the diner, Mel accidentally having the building targeted for demolition, and the waitresses crashing a hot air balloon through the roof (upon which Jolene cries, "we went to the bad place and it looks just like Mel's!"). In one episode, a wrecking ball destroyed the front of the diner because someone could not read Mel's handwriting. In another, a group of men literally hoisted up the entire front of the diner with their bare hands.

Mel was a stickler for punctuality. In the fourth season, he installed a time clock, which ended up working to the waitresses' advantage due to significant overtime (since before then they were forced to clean the storage room on Sundays without extra pay), and he finally smashed it onto the floor. Mel also had a strict rule against moonlighting, often leading to one or more waitresses getting fired, but he always rehired them before the end of each episode.

Although he had a fairly loyal clientele, Mel's food and cooking were constantly criticized by his waitresses and customers alike —especially Henry, who always blamed it for his indigestion. However, Mel's chili con carne was popular and became a plot point of several episodes. During the first season, a newspaper food critic (played by Victor Buono) dropped dead while eating Mel's chili, but it turned out that tainted Peking Duck from a Chinese restaurant was to blame. Art Carney guest-starred in one episode as the spokesman for retail distribution of Mel's Chili ("Chili con Carney") who backed out when he discovered Vera was a distant relative with part ownership in the venture. The popularity of Mel's Chili also led to an appearance on Dinah Shore's talk show, which led to some bickering among the waitresses because Mel could take only one person along, but everyone ended up going. Mel refused to reveal his "secret ingredient" to Dinah and her TV audience during the cooking demonstration.

Cast

Opening title cast members:

• Linda Lavin as Alice Hyatt
• Vic Tayback as Mel Sharples (Tayback reprised his role from the film)
• Philip McKeon as Tommy Hyatt (Alfred Lutter had initially reprised his role from the film but was replaced by McKeon after the pilot episode)
• Polly Holliday as Florence Jean "Flo" Castleberry (Seasons 1–4: 1976–1980)
• Beth Howland as Vera Louise Gorman Novak
• Diane Ladd as Isabelle "Belle" Dupree (Seasons 4–5: 1980–1981) (Ladd played the role of Flo in the film)
• Celia Weston as Jolene Hunnicutt (Seasons 5–9: 1981–1985)
• Charles Levin as Elliot Novak (Season 8 recurring, Season 9 regular: 1983–85)

Other recurring cast members:

• Marvin Kaplan as Henry Beesmeyer (diner regular who worked for the phone company) (1977–1985)
• Dave Madden as Earl Hicks, a basketball coach, date to Flo and a diner customer (1978–1985)
• Victoria Carroll as Marie Massey (Mel's girlfriend) (1978–1984)
• Martha Raye as Carrie Sharples (Mel's mother) (1978–1984)
• Doris Roberts as Mona Spivak (Alice's mother) (1981–1982)
• Robert Picardo as Officer Maxwell, a police officer and Elliott's partner (1982–1984)
• Pat Cranshaw as Andy (diner regular) (1976–1978)
• Tony Longo as Artie (diner regular) (1981–1984)
• Patrick J. Cronin as Jason (diner regular) (1976–1980)
• Duane R. Campbell as Chuck (diner regular) (1978–1985)
• Ted Gehring as Charlie (diner regular) (1979–1982)
• Alan Haufrect as Brian (diner regular) (1978–1980)

Notable guest stars include: Eve Arden, Desi Arnaz, Brice Beckham, Fred Berry, Sorrell Booke (as Boss Hogg), George Burns (as himself), Ruth Buzzi (as Chloe Beesmeyer, Henry's wife), Art Carney (as himself), Corey Feldman, Robert Goulet, Joel Grey (as himself), Florence Halop, Eileen Heckart (as Rose Hyatt, Alice's interfering mother in-law), Florence Henderson, Jay Leno, Bill Maher, Rue McClanahan, George Wendt, Nancy McKeon (Philip's sister, appearing twice, in different roles), Frank Nelson, Donald O'Connor (as himself), Janis Paige, Kelly Parsons, Jerry Reed (as himself), Debbie Reynolds, Kim Richards, Michael Rupert, Telly Savalas (as himself), Sonny Shroyer (as Enos Strate), Jerry Stiller, and Jim Varney.

Production information

The show's theme was called "There's a New Girl in Town", performed by Linda Lavin with music by David Shire and lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. Several arrangements of this tune were used throughout the series' run, including ones that were used only for a few episodes. The lyrics were altered after the second season.

In the opening credits Alice and Tommy pass under overhead road signs that say "Phoenix" and "El Paso". The only location this occurs in this configuration is at the northern end of Interstate 19 in Tucson.

The Mel's Diner set made changes over the years; in the pilot the diner contained a blue refrigerator, but in the series the refrigerator was a dirty stainless steel, then later was changed to clean and shiny stainless steel in 1979–81 and much later the set featured an even shinier stainless steel refrigerator and better appliances. The rest of the set, however, remained the same.

The men's and ladies' restrooms were confined to one room in the pilot and during the first season. From 1977 to 1985, there were separate restrooms with "Ladies" and "Men" written on them.

The storeroom was inside the diner where the men's restroom would later be and said "Private" on it during the 1976–77 season. The storeroom from 1977 to 1985 was confined to the back of the diner. Here, the waitresses took their breaks, had their lockers, and stored their uniforms. Mel also conducted his business from this space.

The payphone was a touch tone and was located on the left of the "Restrooms" door in the pilot episode. For the first season, it was moved to the right of the doors that led to the kitchen section of the diner. For the second season, it was moved to the wall between the two doors that became two separate restrooms and was replaced by a phone with a rotary dial. From 1978 to 1985, the phone was a touch tone and was located at a section that was a few steps away from the entrance to the diner.

In the first season, the diner was decorated in an Aztec and cowboy motif to accommodate the feel of Arizona. For the second season, the walls had pink wallpaper with red lines on it. For the third season, the walls had wallpaper with orange leaves on it.

The giant "14-ounce coffee cup" sign used in later seasons was seen by a producer scouting Phoenix for an establishing shot for the show's later seasons. It was at "Chris' Diner" and the owner agreed to change the name to Mel's for the show.

The cash register was a Sweda Model 46 and was fully functional for the first few seasons. Later in the series it no longer worked and was shown with the "0" in the cents position off-center due to the register being locked up.

Alice's apartment remained more or less unchanged during most of the show's run; the apartments of Mel and Vera and Flo's trailer were occasionally seen. (The set for Flo's trailer was also used on the spinoff Flo.)

The pilot episode was taped at CBS Television City in Hollywood, California. After this, the series was taped at The Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California.

Arthur Marx, son of Groucho Marx, co-wrote (with writing partner Robert Fisher and others) 39 episodes of the series, from season two through season six.

Mel's Diner

File:MelsDinerPhoenixArizona.jpg

Mel's Diner in Phoenix, Arizona

Mel's Diner is the setting for the 1976−1985 American TV series Alice. It is a fictional roadside diner on the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona, that serves locals and truckers. It has a counter, two large booths and a couple of tables. Although one of the three waitresses, Alice, is the main character, the show revolves around all of the waitresses and Mel Sharples, the owner and cook. Most scenes of the show take place in the diner as well.

Throughout the run of the series, Mel's Diner has a reputation, especially among its regular customers, for serving terrible food, though, more often than not, this is meant to be a joke. Mel's is noted for its gourmet chili, which is referred to as "Mel's Famous Chili". In the episode 'Sharples vs Sharples', Mel's mother, Carrie (Martha Raye), publishes a cookbook with Mel's chili recipe in it and the two fight about whose recipe it really is. Carrie takes it out of the book because Mel claims "it's mine, mine, mine".

The outside shot of the diner's sign with the giant coffee cup sometimes seen in the opening credits of Alice is of a real Mel's Diner (1747 NW Grand Avenue) in Phoenix. The sign was seen by a producer scouting Phoenix for an establishing shot. It had been "Chris’ Diner" but the owner agreed to change the name to "Mel's" for the show and is called the same to this day.

In the "Mel Spins His Wheels" episode, Alice informs a customer that the diner's address is 2128 Bush Highway. However, in a subsequent episode ("Big Bad Mel"), the diner's address is given as 1130 Bush Highway. In the "Alice's Blind Date" episode, Alice states over the payphone that the address is 1030 Bush Highway when telling her date where to pick her up.

In Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, the movie on which the series Alice is based, the restaurant is called Mel & Ruby's Cafe, located in Tucson, Arizona.

Differences between the film and television series

Alice had many contrasts with the film on which it was based, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. The tone and style of the series differed greatly from the film, and there were a number of factual differences concerning the characters and setting.

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 extremely clumsy, and rather slow-witted.

Episodes

Main article: List of Alice episodes

Alice is an American sitcom television series that ran from August 31, 1976 to March 19, 1985 on CBS, during which a total of 202 episodes were produced spanning nine seasons. The series is based on the 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 her life over again, and finds a job working at a roadside diner on the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona. Most of the episodes revolve around events at Mel's Diner.

Series overview

Season		Episodes	Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
	1	24	August 31, 1976 (1976-08-31)	March 26, 1977 (1977-03-26)
	2	24	October 2, 1977 (1977-10-02)	April 9, 1978 (1978-04-09)
	3	24	September 24, 1978 (1978-09-24)	April 1, 1979 (1979-04-01)
	4	24	September 23, 1979 (1979-09-23)	April 6, 1980 (1980-04-06)
	5	20	November 2, 1980 (1980-11-02)	May 3, 1981 (1981-05-03)
	6	24	October 4, 1981 (1981-10-04)	May 16, 1982 (1982-05-16)
	7	23	October 6, 1982 (1982-10-06)	September 18, 1983 (1983-09-18)
	8	23	October 2, 1983 (1983-10-02)	May 20, 1984 (1984-05-20)
	9	16	October 14, 1984 (1984-10-14)	March 19, 1985 (1985-03-19)

Episodes

Season 1 (1976–77)

Main article: Alice (season 1)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	1	"Pilot"	Paul Bogart	Robert Getchell	August 31, 1976 (1976-08-31)
Recently widowed mother Alice Hyatt, who works as a waitress at Mel's Diner, hopes for a big break when a talent agent arrives.
2	2	"Alice Gets a Pass"	Jim Drake	Martin Donovan	September 29, 1976 (1976-09-29)
A quarterback-turned-actor makes a pass at Alice.
3	3	"A Piece of the Rock"	Bill Persky	Ben Joelson & Art Baer	October 6, 1976 (1976-10-06)
Alice learns that her late husband named another woman as the benificiary of his life insurance, then the woman pays her a visit.
4	4	"Pay the Fifty Dollars"	Bill Persky	Lloyd Garver	October 13, 1976 (1976-10-13)
Alice gets arrested for prostitution while waitressing at a nightclub.
5	5	"A Call to Arms"	Jim Drake	Lloyd Garver	October 20, 1976 (1976-10-20)
Alice considers buying a gun when a heavy breather keeps calling her.
6	6	"The Last Review"	James Sheldon	Harvey Bullock & R.S. Allen	October 27, 1976 (1976-10-27)
Alice invites a newspaper food critic to eat at Mel's Diner, where he unfortunately has his last meal.
7	7	"Sex Education"	Bruce Bilson	Patricia Jones & Donald Reiker	November 6, 1976 (1976-11-06)
When Alice finds a picture of a naked woman in Tommy's wallet, she decides to teach him about the birds and the bees.
8	8	"Big Daddy Dawson's Coming"	Norman Abbott	Arnold Kane & Bruce Johnson	November 13, 1976 (1976-11-13)
Flo's ex-husband, a womanizer known as "Big Daddy" Dawson, tries to court Alice.
9	9	"Good Night, Sweet Vera"	Norman Abbott	Simon Muntner	November 20, 1976 (1976-11-20)
Alice and Flo try to help Vera when she takes too many sleeping pills.
10	10	"The Dilemma"	James Sheldon	Martin Donovan	November 27, 1976 (1976-11-27)
Alice is faced with a dilemma when an old boyfriend she doesn't love proposes to her.
11	11	"Who Killed Bugs Bunny?"	Bruce Bilson	Lloyd J. Schwartz	December 4, 1976 (1976-12-04)
Alice talks Mel into taking Tommy on a camp-out that turns out to be a hunting trip.
12	12	"Mother-in-Law: Part 1"	William P. D'Angelo	Martin Donovan	December 11, 1976 (1976-12-11)
Alice's self-centered mother-in-law pays a visit.
13	13	"Mother-in-Law: Part 2"	William P. D'Angelo	Arnold Kane & Bruce Johnson and R.S. Allen	December 18, 1976 (1976-12-18)
Alice's mother-in-law says she wants to stay in Phoenix.
14	14	"Vera's Mortician"	Bill Hobin	Bruce Kane	December 25, 1976 (1976-12-25)
Vera dates a mortician whom Alice suspects is married.
15	15	"Mel's in Love"	Alan Rafkin	Gary David Goldberg	January 15, 1977 (1977-01-15)
Mel falls in love with a woman who hiked all the way from New Jersey.
16	16	"The Accident"	Alan Rafkin	Roy Kammerman and Harvey Bullock	January 22, 1977 (1977-01-22)
Flo wrecks Mel's car in an accident after he entrusts it to Alice.
17	17	"The Failure"	William P. D'Angelo	Art Baer & Ben Joelson	January 29, 1977 (1977-01-29)
A robber considers himself a failure when he tries to hold up the diner.
18	18	"The Hex"	Alan Rafkin	R.S. Allen & Arnold Kane	February 5, 1977 (1977-02-05)
A gypsy places a curse on the diner after she's caught stealing silverware.
19	19	"The Pain of No Return"	Alan Rafkin	Rick Mittleman	February 12, 1977 (1977-02-12)
A seemingly mild-mannered IRS agent informs Alice that her late husband never paid his taxes.
20	20	"The Odd Couple"	William P. D'Angelo	Teleplay: Roy Kammerman & Arnold Kane and Harvey Bullock & R.S. Allen Story: Roy Kammerman	February 26, 1977 (1977-02-26)
Flo and her boyfriend drive Alice crazy when they bunk at her house after Flo's trailer is stolen.
21	21	"A Night to Remember"	Alan Rafkin	Arnold Kane and R.S. Allen	March 5, 1977 (1977-03-05)
Alice and Flo set out to find a man for Vera.
22	22	"Mel's Cup"	Norman Abbott	Roy Kammerman and Harvey Bullock	March 12, 1977 (1977-03-12)
Alice realizes that the silver cup she donated to a rummage sale belongs to Mel from his days in the Navy.
23	23	"The Bundle"	Norman Abbott	Ben Joelson & Art Baer	March 19, 1977 (1977-03-19)
Alice is the only one to return the $40,000 somebody left in the diner.
24	24	"Mel's Happy Burger"	Burt Brinckerhoff	Arnold Kane	March 26, 1977 (1977-03-26)
Alice wears a hamburger costume to promote Mel's Happy Burgers in a TV commercial.

Season 2 (1977–78)

Main article: Alice (season 2)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
25	1	"The Second Time 'Round"	Kim Friedman	Tom Whedon	October 2, 1977 (1977-10-02)
Flo's third ex-husband comes to the diner along with a suspected flasher.
26	2	"The Indian Taker"	Marc Daniels	Tom Whedon	October 9, 1977 (1977-10-09)
A Native American refuses to leave the diner because he believes it lies on sacred Indian ground.
27	3	"86 the Waitresses"	Marc Daniels	Sybil Adelman	October 23, 1977 (1977-10-23)
The waitresses quit when Mel gives a new waiter more money than them.
28	4	"Alice by Moonlight"	Kim Friedman	Tom Whedon	October 30, 1977 (1977-10-30)
Alice moonlights as a nightclub singer, which takes a toll on her waitressing job.
29	5	"Single Belles"	Kim Friedman	Bruce Howard	November 6, 1977 (1977-11-06)
The girls go to a singles bar.
30	6	"The Sixty Minutes Man"	Kim Friedman	Teleplay: George Tibbles, Warren S. Murray and Tom Whedon Story: George Tibbles	November 13, 1977 (1977-11-13)
Alice suspects a customer of being a gangster.
31	7	"That Old Back Magic"	William Asher	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	December 4, 1977 (1977-12-04)
Mel is unable to move out of Alice's place when his bad back gets worse.
32	8	"Love Is Sweeping the Counter"	Kim Friedman	Arthur S. Rabin	December 11, 1977 (1977-12-11)
Flo and Mel's relationship improves after they go to an out-of-town game together.
33	9	"A Semi-Merry Christmas"	Marc Daniels	Madelyn Pugh Davis & Bob Carroll, Jr. and Tom Whedon	December 18, 1977 (1977-12-18)
Alice and the gang are snowbound on their way to spend Christmas with her cousin.
34	10	"Oh! George Burns"	Marc Daniels	Seaman Jacobs & Fred S. Fox	January 1, 1978 (1978-01-01)
When George Burns comes into Mel's, Vera thinks he's God after seeing the movie Oh, God!
35	11	"The Eyes of Texas"	Kim Friedman	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	January 8, 1978 (1978-01-08)
Flo refuses to get glasses even though she needs them.
36	12	"Love Is a Free Throw"	Marc Daniels	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	January 15, 1978 (1978-01-15)
A high-school basketball star develops a crush on Alice.
37	13	"Close Encounters of the Worst Kind"	William Asher	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	January 22, 1978 (1978-01-22)
Everyone gets hostile at Mel's when the workers express their petty grievances.
38	14	"The Pharmacist"	Noam Pitlik	Teleplay: Michael Loman and Chris Hayward Story: Michael Loman	January 29, 1978 (1978-01-29)
A pharmacist threatens to commit suicide in Mel's Diner as he protests against food additives.
39	15	"Love Me, Love My Horse"	William Asher	Tom Whedon	February 5, 1978 (1978-02-05)
Flo fixes Alice up with her cowboy brother.
40	16	"The Reporter"	Dennis Steinmetz	Michael Loman	February 12, 1978 (1978-02-12)
An investigative reporter hides out in Mel's Diner.
41	17	"Florence of Arabia"	Kim Friedman	Tom Whedon	February 19, 1978 (1978-02-19)
Flo is courted by an Arab who already has three wives.
42	18	"The Cuban Connection"	William Asher	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	February 26, 1978 (1978-02-26)
Alice tries to settle an argument between a womanizing photographer and his fed-up wife.
43	19	"Mel's Big Five-0"	William Asher	Warren S. Murray	March 5, 1978 (1978-03-05)
Mel insists he does not want a party for his fiftieth birthday.
44	20	"Don't Lock Now"	William Asher	Tom Whedon	March 12, 1978 (1978-03-12)
Someone's stealing food and making long-distance calls to the diner.
45	21	"The Star in the Storeroom"	Marc Daniels	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	March 19, 1978 (1978-03-19)
Flo is hounded for tickets to Jerry Reed's concert just because she was his babysitter.
46	22	"The Bus"	Marc Daniels	Teleplay: Erik Tarloff Story: Chris Hayward	March 26, 1978 (1978-03-26)
The staff of Mel's Diner brace themselves for a busload of customers.
47	23	"Mel's Recession"	William Asher	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx and Tom Whedon	April 2, 1978 (1978-04-02)
Mel thinks about letting a waitress go to save money.
48	24	"Earthquake"	Noam Pitlik	Teleplay: Chris Hayward and Gary Markowitz Story: Chris Hayward	April 9, 1978 (1978-04-09)
A Native American predicts an earthquake will strike.

Season 3 (1978–79)

Main article: Alice (season 3)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
49	1	"Take Him, He's Yours"	William Asher	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	September 24, 1978 (1978-09-24)
Mel bets Alice he can raise Tommy better than she can.
50	2	"Car Wars"	William Asher	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	October 1, 1978 (1978-10-01)
The girls buy a car from Mel that doesn't start.
51	3	"Citizen Mel"	William Asher	Charles Isaacs	October 8, 1978 (1978-10-08)
Mel identifies a criminal who assaulted his last witness.
52	4	"Vera's Popcorn Romance"	William Asher	Tom Whedon	October 15, 1978 (1978-10-15)
Vera is unwilling to let everyone meet the guy she met at the movies.
53	5	"Block Those Kicks"	William Asher	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	October 22, 1978 (1978-10-22)
Everyone at the diner tries to kick their bad habits.
54	6	"What Happened to the Class of '78?"	William Asher	Tom Whedon	October 29, 1978 (1978-10-29)
Flo attends night school, but her night life gets in the way of her studies.
55	7	"Better Never Than Late"	William Asher	Tom Whedon	November 5, 1978 (1978-11-05)
The diner is robbed while Mel sleeps in the storeroom.
56	8	"Mel's in a Family Way"	William Asher	Teleplay: Jerry Winnick and Tom Whedon Story: Jerry Winnick	November 12, 1978 (1978-11-12)
Alice invites Mel to dinner with her family, but he misinterprets his intentions.
57	9	"Who Ordered the Hot Turkey?"	William Asher	Tom Whedon	November 19, 1978 (1978-11-19)
Mel discovers that the turkeys he bought for Thanksgiving dinner at an orphanage are stolen.
58	10	"The Happy Hoofers"	William Asher	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	November 26, 1978 (1978-11-26)
Alice gets a second job delivering singing telegrams, but it's making her late for the diner.
59	11	"A Slight Case of ESP"	William Asher	Alan Rosen & Fred Rubin	December 3, 1978 (1978-12-03)
Although he's skeptic about it, Mel looks for a way to exploit Vera's ability to predict the future.
60	12	"The Principal of the Thing"	William Asher	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	December 10, 1978 (1978-12-10)
Tommy does not approve of his mother dating his principal.
61	13	"What're You Doing New Year's Eve?"	Marc Daniels	Dawn Aldredge & Marion C. Freeman	December 31, 1978 (1978-12-31)
Flo doesn't have a date for New Year's Eve.
62	14	"Sweet Charity"	William Asher	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	January 14, 1979 (1979-01-14)
Alice's date has two extra tickets to a celebrity ball and everyone wants them.
63	15	"The Fourth Time Around"	William Asher	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	January 21, 1979 (1979-01-21)
Flo and Mel's brother think about getting married, even though it would be the fourth marriage for both of them.
64	16	"Tommy's First Love"	William Asher	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	January 28, 1979 (1979-01-28)
Alice is upset with Tommy for using the phone too much to speak with his first crush.
65	17	"Mel Grows Up"	William Asher	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	February 4, 1979 (1979-02-04)
Mel's pushy mother spends the winter near him.
66	18	"Vera's Broken Heart"	Lee Lochhead	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx and Tom Whedon	February 18, 1979 (1979-02-18)
Vera is left with a broken heart when her boyfriend says he's marrying someone else.
67	19	"Alice's Decision"	Lee Lochhead	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx and Tom Whedon	February 25, 1979 (1979-02-25)
Alice must decide what to do with Tommy when she's offered a chance at singing on the road.
68/69	20/21	"The Last Stow It"	William Asher	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	March 11, 1979 (1979-03-11)
Mel opens an eatery in Alice's apartment after selling the diner to a humorless restauranteur.
70	22	"If the Shoe Fits"	Marc Daniels	Tom Whedon and Charles Isaacs	March 18, 1979 (1979-03-18)
Alice and Vera are up for the same part in a play being cast by a handsome director.
71	23	"My Fair Vera"	William Asher	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	March 25, 1979 (1979-03-25)
Vera is asked to audition for a supermarket commercial.
72	24	"Flo Finds Her Father"	William Asher	Dawn Aldredge & Marion C. Freeman	April 1, 1979 (1979-04-01)
Flo's father comes back into her life long after abandoning her when she was a child.

Season 4 (1979–80)

Main article: Alice (season 4)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
73	1	"Has Anyone Here Seen Telly?"	Marc Daniels	Tom Whedon & Charles Isaacs and Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	September 23, 1979 (1979-09-23)	166936
Vera quits when no one believes that Telly Savalas was in the diner.
74	2	"Mona Lisa Alice"	Marc Daniels	Tom Whedon & Charles Isaacs	September 30, 1979 (1979-09-30)	166932
Mel wants the waitresses to smile in order for customers to pay, but Alice is feeling sour over Tommy's matchmaking.
75	3	"Mel Loves Marie"	Marc Daniels	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	October 7, 1979 (1979-10-07)	166931
Mel gets engaged to a woman named Marie, then insists that she sign a pre-nup.
76	4	"Vera Robs the Cradle"	Marc Daniels	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	October 21, 1979 (1979-10-21)	166933
Tommy falls for Vera as she teaches him how to dance.
77	5	"Flo's Chili Reception"	Marc Daniels	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	October 28, 1979 (1979-10-28)	166934
Mel's rival courts Flo to get his chili recipe.
78	6	"Little Alice Bluenose"	Marc Daniels	Tom Whedon & Charles Isaacs	November 4, 1979 (1979-11-04)	166937
Vera's boyfriend objects to her sketches of nude males in art class.
79	7	"Carrie Sharples Strikes Again"	Lee Lochhead	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	November 11, 1979 (1979-11-11)	166940
Mel's domineering mother returns.
80	8	"Mel's in the Kitchen with Dinah"	Norman Abbott	Tom Whedon & Charles Isaacs	November 18, 1979 (1979-11-18)	166938
Dinah Shore invites Mel to cook his chili on her show, but he can only bring one waitress with him.
81	9	"Cabin Fever"	Marc Daniels	Thad Mumford & Dan Wilcox	December 2, 1979 (1979-12-02)	166935
Mel, his girlfriend and the waitresses spend the weekend stuck together in the same fishing cabin.
82	10	"My Cousin, Art Carney"	Lee Lochhead	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx and Tom Whedon & Charles Isaacs	December 9, 1979 (1979-12-09)	166942
Vera asks her distant relative Art Carney to endorse Mel's chili so it can be on the market as a frozen product called "Chili con Carney".
83	11	"Mel, the Magi"	Marc Daniels	Mark Egan & Mark Solomon	December 23, 1979 (1979-12-23)	166945
The waitresses chip in their meager resources to celebrate Christmas at the diner.
84	12	"Good Buddy Flo"	Marc Daniels	Linda Morris & Vic Rauseo	January 6, 1980 (1980-01-06)	166943
Flo learns how to drive a truck when she learns her boyfriend has a female partner.
85	13	"Alice in TV Land"	Norman Abbott	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	January 13, 1980 (1980-01-13)	166939
Tommy causes trouble on TV when he gossips about the staff of Mel's Diner on a talk show.
86	14	"Alice Beats the Clock"	Marc Daniels	Katherine Green	January 27, 1980 (1980-01-27)	166946
When Mel installs a new time clock, the waitresses demand overtime for the Sunday cleanup they used to do at no extra charge.
87	15	"Carrie's Wedding"	Gary Shimokawa	Mark Egan & Mark Solomon	February 3, 1980 (1980-02-03)	166941
Mel is happy for his mother getting remarried until he sees the man who will be his stepfather.
88	16	"My Funny Valentine Tux"	Marc Daniels	Tom Whedon & Charles Isaacs	February 10, 1980 (1980-02-10)	166947
Tommy needs a tuxedo for a Valentine's Day dance with his date, Wanda (Kelly Parsons).
89	17	"Auld Acquaintances Should Be Forgot"	Marc Daniels	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	February 17, 1980 (1980-02-17)	166944
Mel takes in a friend whose wife has just left him.
90	18	"Flo's Farewell"	Marc Daniels	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	February 24, 1980 (1980-02-24)	166848
Flo says goodbye to Mel's when she takes a job offer from a wealthy Houston restaurateur. This episode sets up the spin-off series Flo, which premiered the following month. NOTE: Polly Holliday's last episode.
91	19	"For Whom the Belle Toils"	Marc Daniels	Linda Morris & Vic Rauseo	March 2, 1980 (1980-03-02)	166949
Mel hires a new waitress from Mississippi named Belle, who has dreams of being a country-music writer. NOTE: Diane Ladd's first episode. Ladd, starred as Flo in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
92	20	"One Too Many Girls"	Marc Daniels	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	March 9, 1980 (1980-03-09)	166950
Although Belle is getting along fine with Mel, she's not doing so well with Alice and Vera.
93	21	"Vera, the Vamp"	Linda Lavin and Lee Lochhead	Linda Morris & Vic Rauseo	March 16, 1980 (1980-03-16)	166951
Vera asks Belle to help make her be more attractive to men.
94	22	"Profit Without Honor"	Lee Lochhead	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	March 23, 1980 (1980-03-23)	166952
Mel discovers how much he'll get for letting the city condemn his property when he signs an agreement to share his profits with the women.
95	23	"Cook's Tour"	Linda Lavin and Lee Lochhead	Linda Morris & Vic Rauseo	March 30, 1980 (1980-03-30)	166953
A tour guide (Pamela Myers) steers business towards the diner out of love for Mel.
96	24	"Here Comes Alice Cottontail"	Marc Daniels	Robert Fisher & Arthur Marx	April 6, 1980 (1980-04-06)	166954
Alice bets that Mel will kick Tommy out, while Mel bets she will be snooping to check up on her son.

Season 5 (1980–81)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
97	1	"Mel and the Green Machine"	Lee Lochhead	Linda Morris & Vic Rauseo	November 2, 1980 (1980-11-02)
98	2	"Dog Day Evening"	Marc Daniels	George Arthur Bloom	November 9, 1980 (1980-11-09)
99	3	"Hello Vegas, Goodbye Diner"	Marc Daniels	Mark Egan & Mark Solomon	November 16, 1980 (1980-11-16)
100	4	"Too Many Robert Goulets"	Marc Daniels	Linda Morris & Vic Rauseo	November 16, 1980 (1980-11-16)
101	5	"Vera's Aunt Agatha"	Marc Daniels	Bob Fisher & Arthur Marx	November 23, 1980 (1980-11-23)
102	6	"Tommy's TKO"	Marc Daniels	Linda Morris & Vic Rauseo	November 30, 1980 (1980-11-30)
103	7	"The New Improved Mel"	Marc Daniels	Mark Egan & Mark Solomon	December 7, 1980 (1980-12-07)
104	8	"Carrie Sings the Blues"	Christine Ballard & Linda Lavin	Mark Egan & Mark Solomon	December 21, 1980 (1980-12-21)
105	9	"Henry's Bitter Half"	Lee Lochhead	Mark Egan & Mark Solomon	January 4, 1981 (1981-01-04)
106	10	"Alice Locks Belle Out"	Nick Havinga	Bob Fisher & Arthur Marx	January 11, 1981 (1981-01-11)
107	11	"Vera Goes Out on a Limb"	Marc Daniels	Linda Morris & Vic Rauseo	January 18, 1981 (1981-01-18)
108	12	"The Jerry Reed Fish Story"	Marc Daniels	Bob Fisher & Arthur Marx	February 1, 1981 (1981-02-01)
109	13	"Bye Bye, Birdie"	Marc Daniels	George Arthur Bloom	February 8, 1981 (1981-02-08)
110	14	"Alice's Son, the Drop-Out"	Marc Daniels	Bob Fisher & Arthur Marx	February 15, 1981 (1981-02-15)
111	15	"Carrie Chickens Out"	Marc Daniels	Bob Fisher & Arthur Marx	February 22, 1981 (1981-02-22)
112	16	"Macho, Macho Mel"	Marc Daniels	Mark Egan & Mark Solomon	March 8, 1981 (1981-03-08)
113	17	"The Great Escape"	Marc Daniels	Mark Egan, Linda Morris, Vic Rauseo & Mark Solomon	March 15, 1981 (1981-03-15)
114	18	"Alice Strikes Up the Band"	Marc Daniels	Mark Egan & Mark Solomon	March 29, 1981 (1981-03-29)
115	19	"Who's Kissing the Great Chef of Phoenix?"	Marc Daniels	Bob Fisher & Arthur Marx	April 5, 1981 (1981-04-05)
116	20	"Baby Makes Five"	Christine Ballard & Linda Lavin	Charles Isaacs & Tom Whedon	May 3, 1981 (1981-05-03)

Season 6 (1981–82)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
117	1	"Bet a Million, Mel"	N/A	N/A	October 4, 1981 (1981-10-04)
118	2	"Guinness on Tap"	N/A	N/A	October 11, 1981 (1981-10-11)
119	3	"Comrade Mel"	N/A	N/A	October 18, 1981 (1981-10-18)
120	4	"Alice's Halloween Surprise"	N/A	N/A	October 25, 1981 (1981-10-25)
121	5	"Alice's Big Four-Oh!"	N/A	N/A	November 8, 1981 (1981-11-08)
122	6	"Mel's Cousin, Wendell"	N/A	N/A	November 15, 1981 (1981-11-15)
123	7	"Vera's Bouncing Check"	N/A	N/A	November 29, 1981 (1981-11-29)
124	8	"After Mel's Gone"	N/A	N/A	December 6, 1981 (1981-12-06)
125	9	"Mel's Christmas Carol"	N/A	N/A	December 20, 1981 (1981-12-20)
126	10	"The Wild One"	N/A	N/A	December 27, 1981 (1981-12-27)
127	11	"Alice Calls the Shots"	N/A	N/A	January 3, 1982 (1982-01-03)
128	12	"Not with My Niece You Don't"	N/A	N/A	January 17, 1982 (1982-01-17)
129	13	"Vera, Queen of Soaps"	N/A	N/A	January 31, 1982 (1982-01-31)
130	14	"Sharples vs. Sharples"	N/A	N/A	February 7, 1982 (1982-02-07)
131	15	"The Valentine's Day Massacre"	N/A	N/A	February 14, 1982 (1982-02-14)
132	16	"The Best Little Waitress in the World"	N/A	N/A	February 21, 1982 (1982-02-21)
133	17	"Alice and the Acorns"	N/A	N/A	March 7, 1982 (1982-03-07)
134	18	"Jolene Hunnicutt, Dynamite Trucker"	N/A	N/A	March 14, 1982 (1982-03-14)
135	19	"Mel Wins By a Nose"	N/A	N/A	March 21, 1982 (1982-03-21)
136	20	"Give My Regrets to Broadway"	N/A	N/A	April 4, 1982 (1982-04-04)
137	21	"Vera's Reunion Romance"	N/A	N/A	April 11, 1982 (1982-04-11)
138	22	"Monty Falls for Alice"	N/A	N/A	April 18, 1982 (1982-04-18)
139	23	"Spell Mel's"	N/A	N/A	May 2, 1982 (1982-05-02)
140	24	"My Mother the Landlord"	N/A	N/A	May 16, 1982 (1982-05-16)

Season 7 (1982–83)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
141	1	"Sorry, Wrong Lips"	N/A	N/A	October 6, 1982 (1982-10-06)
142	2	"Do You Take...?"	N/A	N/A	October 13, 1982 (1982-10-13)
143	3	"The secret of Mel's Diner"	N/A	N/A	October 20, 1982 (1982-10-20)
144	4	"Alice at the Palace"	N/A	N/A	October 27, 1982 (1982-10-27)
145	5	"Joel Gray Saves the Day"	N/A	N/A	November 3, 1982 (1982-11-03)
146	6	"Alice's Turkey of a Thanksgiving"	N/A	N/A	November 10, 1982 (1982-11-10)
147	7	"Carrie of the Rebound"	N/A	N/A	January 9, 1983 (1983-01-09)
148	8	"Jolene's Brother Jonas"	N/A	N/A	January 16, 1983 (1983-01-16)
149	9	"Alice Sees the Light"	N/A	N/A	February 28, 1983 (1983-02-28)
150	10	"Vera the Virtuoso"	N/A	N/A	March 7, 1983 (1983-03-07)
151	11	"Alice Faces the Music"	N/A	N/A	March 14, 1983 (1983-03-14)
152	12	"Tommy, the Jailbird"	N/A	N/A	March 21, 1983 (1983-03-21)
153	13	"Jolene and the Night Watchman"	N/A	N/A	March 28, 1983 (1983-03-28)
154	14	"Mel's Dream Car"	N/A	N/A	April 11, 1983 (1983-04-11)
155	15	"Come Back Little Sharples"	N/A	N/A	April 17, 1983 (1983-04-17)
156	16	"Vera, The Torch"	N/A	N/A	April 24, 1983 (1983-04-24)
157	17	"The Grass is Always Greener"	N/A	N/A	May 1, 1983 (1983-05-01)
158	18	"Tommy Fouls Out"	N/A	N/A	May 15, 1983 (1983-05-15)
159	19	"Vera on the Lam"	N/A	N/A	May 22, 1983 (1983-05-22)
160	20	"Mel's Cousin Wendy?"	N/A	N/A	May 29, 1983 (1983-05-29)
161	21	"Sweet Erasable Mel"	N/A	N/A	June 5, 1983 (1983-06-05)
162	22	"Tommy Hyatt, Business Consultant"	N/A	N/A	June 12, 1983 (1983-06-12)
163	23	"Jolene Lets the Cat Out of the Bag"	N/A	N/A	September 18, 1983 (1983-09-18)

Season 8 (1983–84)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
164	1	"Mel is Hogg-Tied"	N/A	N/A	October 2, 1983 (1983-10-02)
165	2	"Vera's Secret Lover"	N/A	N/A	October 9, 1983 (1983-10-09)
166	3	"Jolene Gets Her Wings"	N/A	N/A	October 16, 1983 (1983-10-16)
167	4	"Alice's Blind Date"	N/A	N/A	October 23, 1983 (1983-10-23)
168	5	"It Had to Be Mel"	N/A	N/A	October 30, 1983 (1983-10-30)
169	6	"The Over-the-Hill Girls"	N/A	N/A	November 6, 1983 (1983-11-06)
170	7	"Vera Gets Engaged"	N/A	N/A	November 20, 1983 (1983-11-20)
171	8	"Vera's Wedding"	N/A	N/A	November 20, 1983 (1983-11-20)
172	9	"The Robot Wore Pink"	N/A	N/A	December 18, 1983 (1983-12-18)
173	10	"'Tis the Season to Be Jealous"	N/A	N/A	December 25, 1983 (1983-12-25)
174	11	"Tommy Goes Overboard"	N/A	N/A	January 1, 1984 (1984-01-01)
175	12	"Vera, the Horse Thief"	N/A	N/A	January 8, 1984 (1984-01-08)
176	13	"Jolene Throws a Curve"	N/A	N/A	January 15, 1984 (1984-01-15)
177	14	"Lies My Mother Told Me"	N/A	N/A	January 29, 1984 (1984-01-29)
178	15	"Alice and the Devoted Dentist"	N/A	N/A	February 12, 1984 (1984-02-12)
179	16	"Alice's Hot Air Romance"	N/A	N/A	March 4, 1984 (1984-03-04)
180	17	"Dollars to Donuts"	N/A	N/A	March 11, 1984 (1984-03-11)
181	18	"My Dinner with Debbie"	N/A	N/A	March 18, 1984 (1984-03-18)
182	19	"Vera's Fine Feathered Friends"	N/A	N/A	March 25, 1984 (1984-03-25)
183	20	"Jolene is Stuck on Mel"	N/A	N/A	April 1, 1984 (1984-04-01)
184	21	"Don't Play it Again, Elliott"	N/A	N/A	April 15, 1984 (1984-04-15)
185	22	"Mel Spins His Wheels"	N/A	N/A	May 13, 1984 (1984-05-13)
186	23	"Be It Ever So Crowded"	N/A	N/A	May 20, 1984 (1984-05-20)

Season 9 (1984–85)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
187	1	"Romancing Mister Stone"	N/A	N/A	October 14, 1984 (1984-10-14)
188	2	"Space Sharples"	N/A	N/A	October 28, 1984 (1984-10-28)
189	3	"Big, Bad Mel"	N/A	N/A	November 4, 1984 (1984-11-04)
190	4	"Houseful of Hunnicutts"	N/A	N/A	November 18, 1984 (1984-11-18)
191	5	"Tommy's Lost Weekend"	N/A	N/A	November 25, 1984 (1984-11-25)
192	6	"Undercover Mel"	N/A	N/A	December 16, 1984 (1984-12-16)
193	7	"Footloose Mel"	N/A	N/A	December 23, 1984 (1984-12-23)
194	8	"Vera's Anniversary Blues"	N/A	N/A	January 8, 1985 (1985-01-08)
195	9	"Kiss the Grill Goodbye"	N/A	N/A	January 15, 1985 (1985-01-15)
196	10	"Vera, the Nightbird"	N/A	N/A	January 22, 1985 (1985-01-22)
197	11	"Alice Doesn't Work Here Anymore: Part 1"	N/A	N/A	January 29, 1985 (1985-01-29)
198	12	"Alice Doesn't Work Here Anymore: Part 2"	N/A	N/A	February 5, 1985 (1985-02-05)
199	13	"The Night They Raided Debbie's"	N/A	N/A	February 6, 1985 (1985-02-06)
200	14	"One on One"	N/A	N/A	March 5, 1985 (1985-03-05)
201	15	"Vera's Grounded Gumshoe"	N/A	N/A	March 12, 1985 (1985-03-12)
202	16	"Th-th-th-that's All, Folks"	N/A	N/A	March 19, 1985 (1985-03-19)

Syndication and international broadcasts

Alice was seen in reruns:

• from June 2, 1980, to September 17, 1982, on CBS daytime at 10:30 a.m. (EST), replacing Whew! (before it was itself replaced with Child's Play);
• via syndication on many local broadcast stations beginning in the fall of 1982.
• in the late 1980s on superstation TBS (WTBS) from Atlanta;
• sporadically from the mid-1990s until early 1998 on E!;
• on TNN from late June 1999 to January 2001.
• The show returned to television on April 2, 2007, airing on the Ion Television network weekdays at 7:30 P.M. until June 22, 2007. The show was heavily edited to make time for additional commercials, with several minutes of important plot often haphazardly cut, in order to comply with the 22-minute limit. The show returned to ION on November 24, 2007, with two back-to-back episodes at 7:00pm EST Monday through Thursday, and continued until the entire series' episodes had been aired. It was replaced by Family Feud on April 7, 2008.
• Logo TV started airing episodes in April 2017.
• Antenna TV starting airing episodes in January 2018.

International

Alice was shown on the Ten Network in Australia from 1977. It was mostly aired on a sporadic basis, with broadcast schedules and timeslots varying between each city, and by the 1980s was more commonly scheduled to air during summer ratings hiatus.

Alice was shown on Canale 5 in Italy from April 1982.

Alice was shown in the UK by Channel 4, starting on 27 August 1984. At first, the series was shown each weekday at 5.00pm, before moving to a twice-weekly slot later. No breaks between seasons were made and the final episode was shown in October 1986.

Home media

On June 27, 2006, six episodes of Alice were released on DVD by Warner Bros. Home Video as part of the Warner Bros.' Television Favorites compilation series. The episodes were hand-picked by fans at SitcomsOnline.com, as follows:

• "Alice Gets a Pass", September 29, 1976 – First non-pilot episode.
• "The Odd Couple", February 26, 1977 – When Flo's trailer is stolen, Alice allows Flo to move in with her and finds Flo's habits difficult to handle.
• "Close Encounters of the Worst Kind", January 22, 1978 – Alice's use of psychology causes tension among her coworkers.
• "Block Those Kicks", October 22, 1978 – The waitresses decide to give up their bad habits in order to encourage Mel to give up his gambling habit.
• "Cabin Fever", December 2, 1979 – The waitresses, Mel and his girlfriend unknowingly book the same cabin during the same weekend.
• "Flo's Farewell", February 24, 1980 – Flo leaves Mel's Diner for a hosting job at a restaurant in Texas.

Warner Home Video has released all nine seasons on DVD in Region 1 via their Warner Archive Collection. These manufacture-on-demand (MOD) releases, available through Warner's online store Warner Archives Collection, are sold only in the US. The complete ninth and final season was released on 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

Streaming availability

The entire series is available from Apple iTunes Store and Amazon Video for downloading. In addition, a holiday episode from Season 3 is available from Amazon.

Book

A book chronicling the development of the TV series, entitled Alice: Life Behind the Counter in Mel's Greasy Spoon (A Guide to the Feature Film, the TV Series, and More), was published by BearManor Media in September 2019.

Awards

The "Tommy's Lost Weekend" episode, written by Bob Bendetson, Howard Bendetson, and Robert Getchell, based on a story by Arnold Anthony Schmidt, received an Emmy nomination in 1984.

External links

• Alice at IMDb
• Alice at TV Guide

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