Synopsis
Set in the same 1950s never-land as Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley starsPenny Marshall and Cindy Williams as its eponymous heroines, two bottle-cappers at the ShotzBrewery in Milwaukee. Laverne is the cynical, semi-bad girl, while Shirley is the wide-eyedPollyanna and conscience of the pair. Both hope for more in life, and inevitably wind up inawkward situations.
The first few episodes assured ratings success by working Henry Winkler’s Fonzie into the…lots. Thereafter, the show was strong enough to stand on its own merits. The comedy has agedsomewhat, but the Marshall and Williams play off each other extremely well, and Laverne’sharder edge helps keep some of the humour fresh today.
Audio
The sound is not quite the original — a note on the cases informs us that some of the musichas been changed for this release. Setting that aside, the sound is acceptable, but showing its agesomewhat in the form of some distortion on the dialogue. The result isn’t too harsh, though, andmiracles shouldn’t be expected.
Video
The transfer is very good, especially by TV standards. The picture here looks much betterthan that of many far more recent releases. There is no grain (which is the big plus). The imageis sharp, the colours and contrasts are good, and there is no visible edge enhancement.
Special Features
None.
Closing Thoughts
The picture is surprisingly (and refreshingly) good, but the total lack of extras will no doubtdisappoint fans of the series.
