florence jean castleberry's grits won't be kissed again

[samhexum]

she was 88

[+ jeezopete]

[mtaabq]

I used to drive my parents crazy telling them to “Kiss mah grits!” My mother told me that I didn’t know what that meant and to stop it. My father used to ask my mother, “Where did he pick THAT up?” I loved Flo! (Alice was too serious; Flo was more fun.) Polly was nominated for a Tony playing “Big Mama” in “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof” and while I didn’t get to see her in it I can totally envision her in the role. RIP, hon. 

[+ BOZO T CLOWN]

I used to be sad, I used to be shy
Funniest thing, the saddest part is I never knew why...
Kickin' myself for nothin' was my favorite sport
I had to take off, start enjoyin' 'cause life's too short
There's a new girl in town, 'cause I'm feelin good.
Got a smile, got a song, for the neighborhood.
Things are great when you stand on your own two feet
and this girl's here to say
with some luck and love life's gonna be
so sweeeeeeeeeet!

Polly Holliday, the last surviving waitress and the last surviving cast member from the classic TV sitcom Alice passed away two days ago. She was 88 years old. Holliday was an integral part of the success of Alice, which had a nine-year run from 1976 thru 1985. Holliday made the foolish decision to leave the series after four years to star in her own sitcom, Flo, which bombed, and was cancelled after one year. How many times in 30 minutes can she say, "Kiss My Grits", and still expect to get laughs? Her show should have more appropriately been called Flop instead of Flo.
Meanwhile, Alice continued to air for another 5 years.

Bozo will never understand why a cast member would leave a successful TV sitcom to star in their own series which was poorly cast, poorly written, and NOT funny. Didn't she read the playbook on that strategy? It was written by Jack Tripper, Joanie and Chachi, and the Ropers, amongst others.

Holliday went on to have bit parts in movies such as The Parent Trap and Mrs. Doubtfire. She was also in a classic episode of The Golden Girls where she portrayed the blind sister of Rose Nylund.

Holliday never married, had no children, and was never linked romantically with a man. Is it a big stretch to think that the sassy waitress from Mel's diner who wore way too much makeup and sported a red bouffant wig was a lesbian?

BTC
🤡

Edited Friday at 02:56 PM by BOZO T CLOWN

[samhexum]

 

[+ jeezopete]

29 minutes ago, BOZO T CLOWN said:

Bozo will never understand why a cast member would leave a successful TV sitcom to star in their own series which was poorly cast, poorly written, and NOT funny. Didn't she read the playbook on that strategy? It was written by Jack Tripper, Joanie and Chachi, and the Ropers, amongst others.

Maybe she thought the popularity of her character could follow in the spinoff footsteps of some like Rhoda, Maude, and The Jeffersons, amongst others? I'm sure sudden fame greatly influenced perspective. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.

[+ BOZO T CLOWN]

40 minutes ago, jeezopete said:

Maybe she thought the popularity of her character could follow in the spinoff footsteps of some like Rhoda, Maude, and The Jeffersons, amongst others? I'm sure sudden fame greatly influenced perspective. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.

That's true, although in the case of Maude, the Bea Arthur character wasn't a regular cast member of All in the Family. She was a one-and-done. There was no risk involved since she wasn't leaving a series. 
For whatever reason, the ABC sitcom spinoffs tended to be bombs.

BTC
🤡

[+ sync]

My favorite retort of Flo's came whenever she was frustrated by a request or directive..."when donkeys fly!"

[samhexum]

5 hours ago, BOZO T CLOWN said:

the Bea Arthur character wasn't a regular cast member of All in the Family. She was a one-and-done. 

🤡

I believe she was on twice, but I am too lazy to verify.

[+ BOZO T CLOWN]

5 minutes ago, samhexum said:

I believe she was on twice, but I am too lazy to verify.

Technically, you are correct. Her second appearance, the Bunkers visit Tuckahoe, was used to showcase the upcoming Maude series.

BTC
🤡

 

[BSR]

7 hours ago, BOZO T CLOWN said:

Bozo will never understand why a cast member would leave a successful TV sitcom to star in their own series which was poorly cast, poorly written, and NOT funny. Didn't she read the playbook on that strategy? It was written by Jack Tripper, Joanie and Chachi, and the Ropers, amongst others.

“Flo” did last for more than one season, a 6-episode 1st season and a full 23-episode 2nd season, before getting canceled.  I did some googling, and it looks like Polly Holliday might have had other motivations for leaving the series.  The premise of her departure from “Alice” was that Flo was moving to Texas, originally to hostess at a fancy restaurant, ended up buying a run-down roadhouse bar.  In other words, the door was open for a return to “Alice,” especially since her replacement Diane Ladd (who played Flo in the original movie) left after just 2 years (the series ran for 3 more after Ladd’s departure).  Rumor has it that both Holliday and Ladd left because they had problems with the show’s star Linda Lavin.

[+ purplekow]

9 hours ago, BSR said:

“Flo” did last for more than one season, a 6-episode 1st season and a full 23-episode 2nd season, before getting canceled.  I did some googling, and it looks like Polly Holliday might have had other motivations for leaving the series.  The premise of her departure from “Alice” was that Flo was moving to Texas, originally to hostess at a fancy restaurant, ended up buying a run-down roadhouse bar.  In other words, the door was open for a return to “Alice,” especially since her replacement Diane Ladd (who played Flo in the original movie) left after just 2 years (the series ran for 3 more after Ladd’s departure).  Rumor has it that both Holliday and Ladd left because they had problems with the show’s star Linda Lavin.

While i believe it was fairly common knowldege that Linda Lavin was a bitch, it astounds me that people would leave a good paying regular gig only because they could not get on with a co worker.  I have had a few co workers along the way that I said good morning to on the first day and good bye to on the last day and spoke only business otherwise.  One can be professional and continue to do good work while not seeing eye to eye with coworkers.  It is hard to envision a series with good enough casting and good enough writing to give a second dimension to a one note character such as Flo.  

[+ sync]

On 9/13/2025 at 3:59 AM, purplekow said:

While i believe it was fairly common knowldege that Linda Lavin was a bitch, it astounds me that people would leave a good paying regular gig only because they could not get on with a co worker.  I have had a few co workers along the way that I said good morning to on the first day and good bye to on the last day and spoke only business otherwise.  One can be professional and continue to do good work while not seeing eye to eye with coworkers.  It is hard to envision a series with good enough casting and good enough writing to give a second dimension to a one note character such as Flo.  

It really depends upon the degree of acrimony that is generated.  I left a job I once had because I honestly felt that if I didn't It would not end well.  I had startling recurring visions of my strangling that bitch of an SVP with her desk phone cord and dangling her body out the window. 

[+ purplekow]

Well that does sound like a situation in which changing your situation was important.  Of course it does sound as though that change should have included some heavy medication and anger management.  Baby steps.  

[BSR]

On 9/13/2025 at 9:59 AM, purplekow said:

While i believe it was fairly common knowldege that Linda Lavin was a bitch, it astounds me that people would leave a good paying regular gig only because they could not get on with a co worker.  I have had a few co workers along the way that I said good morning to on the first day and good bye to on the last day and spoke only business otherwise.  One can be professional and continue to do good work while not seeing eye to eye with coworkers.  It is hard to envision a series with good enough casting and good enough writing to give a second dimension to a one note character such as Flo.  

I have to think that shooting a series is more intense than most other workplace dynamics.  You’re on set together, forced to interact, and under enormous ratings pressure for 12-16 hours a day, 5 days a week.  That’s far more “togetherness” than other jobs.  Also, it’s hard to stick to just business when the star of the show constantly blames everybody except herself when things go wrong.  No evidence that’s what Linda Lavin did, but it’s typical difficult diva behavior.

On one hand, Vic Tayback and Beth Howland lasted all 9 seasons on the series.  On the other hand, I wonder if whoever played Flo (or her replacement character) got the brunt of Lavin’s nastiness because that character got the most laughs and fan mail.

[+ purplekow]

The replacement lasted parts of two years, Diane Ladd and then there was a replacement for the replacement in Celia Weston, who was not well known and she stayed until the end of the run.  She did not have the charisma of Flo and she did not have the name recognition of Diane Ladd, so likely she would put up with more. 

Edited yesterday at 01:34 AM by purplekow

[viewing ownly]

I just remember from way back when that whoever they cast as the bailiff on the original "Night Court" kept dying in real life until Marsha Warfield got the role. Just checked - she's still ticking. 

[+ sync]

14 hours ago, purplekow said:

Well that does sound like a situation in which changing your situation was important.  Of course it does sound as though that change should have included some heavy medication and anger management.  Baby steps.  

My emotions were mild compared to those of my co-workers, you had to be there.  When she went on a business trip, there was an office pool for the downing of the plane.

(I hope we don't get hit for a thread hijacking.)

Edited yesterday at 01:00 PM by sync