Flo starring Polly Holliday

This spinoff from the successful sitcom, Alice, only lasted one season. Florence Jean Castleberry was originally from Cowtown, Texas but had moved to Phoenix, Arizona years ago. The much married waitress worked at Mel’s diner with fellow waitresses Alice and Vera.

Flo was pretty much the most popular character on Alice, so she was given a spinoff after 4 seasons. The reason given for leaving Phoenix is that Flo was offered a job as restaurant hostess in Houston.

She passes through Cowtown on the way and ends up buying a run down old tavern and staying on. The show was actually funny and had good characters, but it was not a great success.

CAST

Polly Holliday as Flo

Geoffrey Lewis as Earl Tucker

Jim B. Baker as Farley Waters

Sudie Bond by Velma Castleberry

Lucy Lee Flippin as Fran Castleberry

Joyce Bulifant as Miriam Willoughby

Leo Burmester as Randy Stumphill

Stephen Keep as Les Kincaid



Velma was Flo’s feisty mama, Fran was Flo’s uptight sister, who had been engaged for years with no wedding in sight. Miriam was an old friend of Flo’s who helps Flo with the paperwork. Farley Waters is the cheap man who sold her the roadhouse, Flo still owes him money on the mortgage. Randy works at the local gas station and helps Flo with repairs, he had a crush on Flo.

Flo’s two other employees are Les Kincaid, he plays piano at Flo’s roadhouse, named Flo’s Yellow Rose. Earl Tucker is the bartender at the tavern, he has some problems working for a woman. Earl and Flo spend quite a lot of time fighting and flirting.

The show was divided between Flo’s home life, her trailer is parked in her mother’s backyard and Flo’s Yellow Rose, where she is trying to get the business off the ground.

I enjoyed the show when it originally aired, but it never really caught on. Sometimes spinning off a popular character to their own series just doesn't work and this is one example.