Re: R.I.P. Linda Lavin (US sitcom "Alice", stage show, etc.)

On 2025-01-18 14:50:52 +0000, Arthur Lipscomb said:

On 12/30/2024 12:46 PM, Your Name wrote:

On 2024-12-30 13:26:21 +0000, super70s said:

On 2024-12-30 06:54:35 +0000, Your Name said:
 

Lavin established herself as a beloved character actor with her
decade-long stint on "Alice," the CBS comedy series adapted from
Martin Scorsese's 1974 film "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore,"
with Ellen Burstyn in the title role.

 I was always curious why the series, unlike the movie, didn't get into Alice's personal and home life, it seemed to center exclusively on happenings at the diner. That must have tested better.

 A single set makes it much cheaper.
 I only saw a few episodes (the usual loud and unfunny American "comedy"), but I seem to recall occasional scenes at her home. They certainly spent almost the entire time at the diner discussing and dealing with their personal life rather than actually serving customers.

 I don't remember the show very well any more, but I know I loved watching it when I was a kid, and they definitely had scenes outside of the diner.  It never occurred to me until now that shows like this filmed on a single set to save money.  I guess that was true of most sitcoms, even if they did have the occasional away from office/house episode.
 If you ever get the chance take a studio tour.  Warners is probably the best.  You'll get to see some sitcom standing sets.

The British sitcom "Mrs Brown's Boys" is still filmed in front of a live audience using three side-by-side sets (the connected kitchen and living room, and the separate local pub room. They don't go anywhere else either.
At the end of each episode, the cast take a curtain call bows and you get to see the sets on the TV from further back. Occasionally an actor (usually the actor who plays Mrs Brown since he is the writer, etc. in charge of the show) will walk around from one set to the other to make an off-script comment.