Well, Kiss Our Grits! Here Are 10 Delicious Facts About TV Series ‘Alice’
Based on Martin Scorsese’s 1974 film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Alice the sitcom carved out a special place in the hearts of viewers and critics alike. Premiering in 1976 on CBS, the show followed Alice Hyatt (Linda Lavin), a widowed mother who, with her young son, Tommy (Philip McKeon), rolled into Phoenix with dreams of a new life. Taking a waitressing job at Mel’s Diner, she found herself surrounded by a cast of unforgettable characters — sharp-tongued but big-hearted Flo (Polly Holliday), sweetly scatterbrained Vera (Beth Howland) and the trio’s surly but secretly soft boss, Mel Sharples (Vic Tayback). Timely storylines and a savvy cast turned this workplace comedy into a cultural touchstone.
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Created by Robert Getchell, who also wrote the movie, Alice took the film’s dramatic premise and buffed it into comedy without losing its core themes of love, loss and resilience. Lavin — who had already guest-starred on the “strong single lady” sitcoms Phyllis and Rhoda — turned Alice into a subtly feminist role model, balancing single motherhood, a low-wage job and the dogged pursuit of her dreams. But she was often upstaged by Holliday’s sassy, catchphrase-spouting Flo — who turned “Kiss my grits!” into America’s favorite clapback, which cemented the show’s place in pop culture history.
Running for nine seasons, Alice tackled real-life issues like workplace struggles, female independence and changing social norms, and wrapped it snuggly in sitcom charm. Though it ended in 1985, Alice’s legacy lived on, influencing workplace comedies for decades to come. Though the show was considered groundbreaking, it was often a bridesmaid but never a bride when it came to the Emmy Awards. Alice earned eight nominations — three for its production, three for Polly Holliday, and one apiece for Lavin and Tayback — but never won.
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To celebrate 40 years since Alice Hyatt hit the road for Nashville, here are a few fun facts about this gritty, unforgettable sitcom.
1 TV’s Mel’s Diner was based on an actual greasy spoon of the same name
via Mels Diner Website
Located at 1747 NW Grand Avenue in Phoenix, the diner underwent a name change to Pat’s Family Restaurant when the series ended. But a quick check of Google Earth shows it’s back to Mel’s Diner again.
2 Vic Tayback (Mel) and Alfred Lutter III (Tommy) were the only series regulars to come from the film
Diane Ladd — the original Flo — joined the cast as aspiring singer Belle Dupree in Alice‘s fourth season. Lutter was quickly replaced by McKeon. Lavin took the lead role from Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn, and Howland became Vera, taking over for Valerie Curtain, who went on to the series version of Nine to Five.
3 Grits were originally honeydew
In Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Ladd’s Flo told Mel to “kiss her honeydew.” Depending on who you ask, “kiss my honeydew” became “kiss my grits” because the former was too racy for TV or because it wasn’t as funny as “kiss my grits!” Or maybe both.
Mel had a semi-famous catchphrase of his own, often telling the ladies to “Stow it!
4 Alice was America’s longest-running sitcom with a woman in the lead for more than a decade
Running 200 episodes and nine seasons, Alice held this record until it was barely bested by Roseanne in 1996.
5 Lavin was reportedly a diva
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In a 2012 interview with The New York Times theater critic Patrick Healy, Lavin admitted she had demons and could project her own high standards on her castmates — not only on Alice, but on other projects too. Being upstaged by Holliday and her other more naturally comedic costars didn’t help.
Lavin’s antics reportedly led to the departure of Holliday — who was given her own sitcom, Flo — in the show’s fourth season, and Ladd, whose Belle filled in for Flo in Season 6.
6 Goodbye, grits
When Flo went off the air after just two seasons, Holliday — who preferred serious roles and theater to comedy — refused to utter the line again.
7 Alice is one degree removed from the Marx Brothers
Arthur Marx — whose famous dad is comic legend Groucho Marx — wrote 40 episodes for the sitcom.
8 Mel’s chili was its most famous dish
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Though the food was generally the butt of the joke at Mel’s, his chili con carne was his most famous dish. Though it was falsely accused of killing a local food critic, the chili earned Mel a retail deal (with comic legend Art Carney as its spokesperson) and a spot on Dinah Shore‘s Dinah!
9 Polly Holliday is the last surviving member of the primary cast
Lavin died on Dec. 29, 2024, at age 87. Holliday, also 87, remained mum about her costar’s death.
10 The series finale was called “Th-th-th-that’s All Folks”
Airing on March 19, 1985, the series finale offered both fond flashbacks and future plans for its characters. Alice lands a recording contract and tour, and heads to Nashville with her would-be beau, country singer Travis Marsh — played by Lavin’s real-life husband, Kip Niven. Pregnant Vera chooses family life with her husband Elliott (Charles Nevin), who is newly promoted to detective. Celia Weston‘s Jolene — who stepped in when Belle left to become a songwriter — heads back to her hometown to open a beauty parlor with an inheritance from her grandma. And Mel sells the diner, offering his waitresses a fabulous $5,000 parting gift.
Though Flo is prominently featured in flashbacks, Diane Ladd’s Belle is conspicuously missing. The show’s final moments feature Alice cleaning out her locker and finding the “Waitress Wanted” sign that landed her the job, and Mel placing a “Closed” sign on the door before locking up for good.
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