10 Classic TV Series You Didn't Know Were Spinoffs
5. Laverne and Shirley (1976-1983)
Spun off from: Happy Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!
Laverne De Fazio (Penny Marshall, producer Garry Marshalls sister) and Shirley Feeney (Cindy Williams) were two single women who worked together at a brewery and shared a Milwaukee basement apartment. They dealt with life on its own terms, and they were forced to deal with two off-beat neighbors, Lenny and Squiggy. With Happy Days as a prime time lead-in, Laverne and Shirley saw enormous success for the majority of its six seasons on the air, even beating out its parent sitcom, Happy Days, in the ratings game. By its third season it was television's #1 show. Laverne and Shirley got its start on the hit series Happy Days, appearing in a November 1975 episode as two of Fonzies friends. Older women was how Richie Cunningham described them. As spinoffs go, Laverne and Shirley was one ABC's most successful.