Surprising Stories from the Set of the Sitcom Alice

By season four, Polly Holliday’s Flo had become a breakout star. “Kiss my grits!” was everywhere, audiences adored her, and CBS saw spin-off potential written all over that waitress uniform. So in 1980, Holliday exited Alice to headline her own series, Flo, set in her hometown of Cowtown, Texas.

The move made sense on paper — give the fan favorite her own spotlight. But it left a noticeable gap at Mel’s Diner. Flo only lasted two seasons before cancellation, and while Holliday later made guest appearances back on Alice, the original diner dynamic was never quite the same again.