This show went through several incarnations before they finally got a steady cast lineup in Season 4 that lasted for three years. But the writing was never as sharp as it was in Season 1, although this pilot episode does have some flaws and the show would improve quickly after this.
The script isn't the greatest and the characters just seem like mouthpieces for jokes and one-liners.
CASSIE: I dated a pilot once
LOIS: You've dated everything once, have you dated anyone twice?
CASSIE: Yeah, ONCE!
The main plot deals with Vicki's decision to spend the weekend with a guy and her revelation to the girls that she's a virgin. This leads to a lot of banter between the ladies about sex and men. It's kind of like a precursor to that Golden Girls type humor and their cheesecake scenes in the kitchen. Vicki's innocence has Cassie making references to Debby Boone, Heidi and the Osmonds which no one under 50 would likely get today. When Lois tells Vicki "There's more to a relationship than just sex" Cassie's double take is very funny. This was considered racy stuff for TV at the time.
It's already evident here that Lois is the mother hen of the group. The scene near the end where Lois consoles Vicki is very sweet, well-written and well-played. It's moments like this that will give the show its' heart. Too bad her character was written out because Susan Sullivan lends an air of class to the whole thing. I understand why they got rid of Lois, though. She's way too smart and sensible to be working nights at a restaurant when she's got a husband and kids at home and would be more suited to an office, bank, or real estate job.
This is the first of many times Dot will be seen bringing some kind of critter to the restaurant and hiding it from Nancy. Also, it establishes Dot's pattern of being late for work and having Nancy chew her out. In later seasons, the animosity between Dot and Nancy would reach a fevered pitch (and, with Ann Jillian gone, would be the most entertaining thing about the show) but in this season Nancy seems to have it in more for Jan.
Divorced mom and part time student Jan is seen studying and does not ever seem to be on Nancy's good side. This is the only episode where Nancy calls her "Janet". There is a subplot about Jan standing up to a customer for sexual harassment and Nancy firing her - but the resolution is written awkwardly. Lois makes a remark about the ladies covering for Jan just like they covered for Dot the previous night, establishing the caring friendship between the characters.
The episode is padded with a lot of random shots of the girls just sashaying around the dining room, serving customers, etc. This was labeled as another "Jiggle" show by the press, in the same way THREE'S COMPANY and CHARLIE'S ANGELS were at the time. They only wore the more revealing spaghetti strap uniforms this season before the network made them tone it down, I guess.
Some of the cast seem to go a little overboard here in their delivery, but we'll cut them some slack because it was their first episode. The vibe is your typical Witt-Thomas-Harris sitcom, and on that front it delivers. Keep watching - it only gets better as the season progresses and the actors inhabit their roles and get comfortable.
SONGS: Sonny performs "My Way" and "When Sunny Gets Blue"
The script isn't the greatest and the characters just seem like mouthpieces for jokes and one-liners.
CASSIE: I dated a pilot once
LOIS: You've dated everything once, have you dated anyone twice?
CASSIE: Yeah, ONCE!
The main plot deals with Vicki's decision to spend the weekend with a guy and her revelation to the girls that she's a virgin. This leads to a lot of banter between the ladies about sex and men. It's kind of like a precursor to that Golden Girls type humor and their cheesecake scenes in the kitchen. Vicki's innocence has Cassie making references to Debby Boone, Heidi and the Osmonds which no one under 50 would likely get today. When Lois tells Vicki "There's more to a relationship than just sex" Cassie's double take is very funny. This was considered racy stuff for TV at the time.
It's already evident here that Lois is the mother hen of the group. The scene near the end where Lois consoles Vicki is very sweet, well-written and well-played. It's moments like this that will give the show its' heart. Too bad her character was written out because Susan Sullivan lends an air of class to the whole thing. I understand why they got rid of Lois, though. She's way too smart and sensible to be working nights at a restaurant when she's got a husband and kids at home and would be more suited to an office, bank, or real estate job.
This is the first of many times Dot will be seen bringing some kind of critter to the restaurant and hiding it from Nancy. Also, it establishes Dot's pattern of being late for work and having Nancy chew her out. In later seasons, the animosity between Dot and Nancy would reach a fevered pitch (and, with Ann Jillian gone, would be the most entertaining thing about the show) but in this season Nancy seems to have it in more for Jan.
Divorced mom and part time student Jan is seen studying and does not ever seem to be on Nancy's good side. This is the only episode where Nancy calls her "Janet". There is a subplot about Jan standing up to a customer for sexual harassment and Nancy firing her - but the resolution is written awkwardly. Lois makes a remark about the ladies covering for Jan just like they covered for Dot the previous night, establishing the caring friendship between the characters.
The episode is padded with a lot of random shots of the girls just sashaying around the dining room, serving customers, etc. This was labeled as another "Jiggle" show by the press, in the same way THREE'S COMPANY and CHARLIE'S ANGELS were at the time. They only wore the more revealing spaghetti strap uniforms this season before the network made them tone it down, I guess.
Some of the cast seem to go a little overboard here in their delivery, but we'll cut them some slack because it was their first episode. The vibe is your typical Witt-Thomas-Harris sitcom, and on that front it delivers. Keep watching - it only gets better as the season progresses and the actors inhabit their roles and get comfortable.
SONGS: Sonny performs "My Way" and "When Sunny Gets Blue"
