Flo | |
---|---|
Genre | Sitcom |
Based on | Character created by Robert Getchell |
Written by | Tom Biener John Boni David Brown Dick Clair George Geiger Robert Getchell Phillip Harrison Hahn Bob Illes Ron Landry Jenna McMahon Stephen A. Miller Richard Orloff James R. Stein |
Directed by |
Marc Daniels Bob LaHendro Dick Martin |
Starring |
Polly Holliday Geoffrey Lewis Jim B. Baker Stephen Keep Sudie Bond Lucy Lee Flippin |
Theme music composer | Susan Glicksman Fred Werner |
Opening theme | "Flo's Yellow Rose" performed by Hoyt Axton |
Ending theme | "Flo's Yellow Rose" (instrumental) |
Composer(s) | Fred Werner |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 29 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) | Jim Mulligan |
Producer(s) | Tom Biener George Geiger Bob Illes James R. Stein |
Location(s) |
The Burbank Studios Burbank, California |
Camera setup | Multi-camera |
Running time | 24 min |
Production company(s) | Warner Bros. Television |
Release | |
Original network | CBS |
Audio format | Monaural |
Original release | March 24, 1980 | – July 21, 1981
Chronology | |
Related shows | Alice |
Flo is an American sitcom and a spin-off of Alice that aired on CBS from March 24, 1980 to July 21, 1981. The series starred Polly Holliday as the title character of sassy and street-smart waitress Florence Jean "Flo" Castleberry who returns to her hometown of Cowtown, Texas and becomes the proprietor of a rundown old roadhouse that she renames "Flo's Yellow Rose". Although the series was successfully in the Top 20 throughout its run, it was cancelled at the end of its second season.
After four seasons as a waitress at Mel's Diner on Alice, Flo is on her way to a new restaurant hostess job in Houston, Texas as described in her final appearance, "Flo's Farewell" (season 4, episode 18). She stops to visit her family in her hometown of Cowtown, Texas and in a fit of nostalgia, Flo buys a rundown old roadhouse she had enjoyed in her formative years and renames it "Flo's Yellow Rose". Coping with the business (such as chauvinistic bartender Earl (Geoffrey Lewis) and the greedy and obnoxious banker Farley (Jim B. Baker) who holds the mortgage), as well as her mother Velma (Sudie Bond) and strait-laced sister Fran (Lucy Lee Flippin), cause most of the conflict in the series.
The rest of Flo's staff at the Yellow Rose includes her childhood best friend Miriam (Joyce Bulifant) as waitress/bookkeeper and chain-smoking piano player Les (Stephen Keep). Randy, the mechanic (Leo Burmester) who worked at the garage next door, and Chester (Mickey Jones), were regular customers. Vic Tayback made one guest appearance as Mel Sharples from Alice. Once Flo began, Polly Holliday never appeared again on Alice, except in flashback clips in the last episode.