Laverne & Shirley
Playing Betty Garrett’s daughter and its impact is one of the highlights of my life. Thanks to the talented and quick-witted ensemble plus the tight shooting schedule, working on this show was an exhilarating experience. This episode of Laverne & Shirley won both praise and high ratings for being groundbreaking on the subject of the emotional life of those living with Down’s Syndrome.
The network didn’t give the green light for Amy Babish ‘s return, since the characters on Laverne & Shirley were monetized. The thinking was that the general public wasn’t ready to buy a lunch box that has someone with Down’s Syndrome on it (they didn’t even use that word back then).
Wearing a long black wig I returned as Shirley’s tough talking rival for Carmine’s affections.
This is a full page ad taken out in both The Hollywood Reporter and Variety
Playing Betty Garrett’s daughter was heaven!
Directed by Jim Burrows, Rob Reiner and Carl Gottlieb wrote this TV movie. Initially called “Love Me and I’ll Be Your Best Friend”. The title was taken from Rob’s wedding vow to Penny. It was eventually shortened to “More Than Friends” (FYI Penny’s vow was “I’ll try not to make you nervous”.