Flo
| Flo | |
|---|---|
 Title screen | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| 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 |
| Composer(s) | Fred Werner |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 29 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Jim Mulligan |
| Producer(s) |
Tom Biener George Geiger Bob Illes James R. Stein |
| Location(s) |
CBS Television City, Hollywood California Warner Brothers Studios, Burbank California |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 24 min |
| Production company(s) | Warner Bros. Television |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | CBS |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original run | March 24, 1980 – June 30, 1981 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Alice |
Flo is an American sitcom which aired on CBS from 1980 to 1981. The series is a spin-off for Polly Holliday who portrayed the sassy and street-smart waitress Florence Jean "Flo" Castleberry on the sitcom Alice. Flo was cancelled at the end of its second season.
Synopsis
Flo is on her way to Houston, Texas for a new job as a restaurant hostess (as described in her last appearance in Alice) when she stops to visit her family in her hometown of Fort Worth, which she refers to as "Cowtown," as do many real-life locals. In a fit of nostalgia, she buys a rundown roadhouse she had enjoyed in her formative years, and names it "Flo's Yellow Rose". Coping with the business, as well as her mother and sister, caused most of the conflict in the series.
Vic Tayback made one appearance as Mel Sharples from Alice. Once Flo began, Polly Holliday never appeared again on Alice, except in flashback clips in the last episode.
Cast
- Polly Holliday — Florence Jean "Flo" Castleberry
- Jim B. Baker — Farley Waters
- Sudie Bond — Mama Velma Castleberry
- Joyce Bulifant — Miriam Willoughby
- Leo Burmester — Randy Stumphill
- Lucy Lee Flippin — Fran Castleberry
- George Flower — Roy
- Mickey Jones — Chester
- Stephen Keep — Les Kincaid
- Geoffrey Lewis — Earl Tucker
- Terry Willis — Wendell Tubbs (1980)
- Mary Wingler — Virginia Monarch
Reception and cancellation
The short first season (spring 1980) was a ratings success ranking at #7 and had 24.4 million viewer average.[1] The following season brought a sharp decline in numbers (due to a timeslot change[citation needed]), and thus ended Flo.
Theme song
The theme song, "Flo's Yellow Rose" was written and sung by Hoyt Axton, who would co-star with Holliday in the 1984 film Gremlins.
Ratings
Season 1- #7 (top ten)
Season 2- #20 (top twenty)
Episodes
Season 1
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | "Homecoming" | March 24, 1980 |
| 1-2 | "Showdown at the Yellow Rose" | March 31, 1980 |
| 1-3 | "Happy Birthday, Mama" | April 7, 1980 |
| 1-4 | "Take My Sister, Please" | April 14, 1980 |
| 1-5 | "The Hero of the Yellow Rose" | April 21, 1980 |
| 1-6 | "The Reunion" | April 28, 1980 |
Season 2
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 2-1 | "The Enemy Below" | October 27, 1980 |
| 2-2 | "Farley, the People's Choice" | November 3, 1980 |
| 2-3 | "Bull Is Back in Town" | November 17, 1980 |
| 2-4 | "A Castleberry Thanksgiving (Part 1)" | November 24, 1980 |
| 2-5 | "A Castleberry Thanksgiving (Part 2)" | November 24, 1980 |
| 2-6 | "Willoughby Versus Willoughby" | December 1, 1980 |
| 2-7 | "So Long, Shorty" | December 8, 1980 |
| 2-8 | "Deserted Islands" | December 15, 1980 |
| 2-9 | "The Miracle of Casa de Huevos" | December 22, 1980 |
| 2-10 | "Grey Escape" | January 5, 1981 |
| 2-11 | "Pretty Baby" | January 12, 1981 |
| 2-12 | "Not With My Sister, You Don't" | January 26, 1981 |
| 2-13 | "The Price of Avocados (Part 1)" | February 7, 1981 |
| 2-14 | "The Price of Avocados (Part 2)" | February 14, 1981 |
| 2-15 | "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother (a.k.a.) Welcome to the Club" | February 21, 1981 |
| 2-16 | "Gunsmoke at the Yellow Rose" | February 28, 1981 |
| 2-17 | "What Are Friends For?" | March 14, 1981 |
| 2-18 | "Just What the Doctor Ordered" | March 21, 1981 |
| 2-19 | "Footsie" | April 4, 1981 |
| 2-20 | "You Gotta Have Hoyt" | April 11, 1981 |
| 2-21 | "Flo's Encounter of the Third Kind" | April 18, 1981 |
| 2-22 | "No Men's Land" | June 23, 1981 |
| 2-23 | "The Daynce" | June 30, 1981 |
DVD release
On November 5, 2013 Warner Bros. released Flo: The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1 via their Warner Archive Collection. This is a Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) release, available via WBShop.com & Amazon.com.[2]
Notes
External links
- Flo at the Internet Movie Database
- Flo at TV.com
- Flo links, photo page