Surprising Stories from the Set of the Sitcom Alice

Alice wasn’t just about coffee refills and clapbacks at Mel. Alongside its CBS sister series One Day at a Time (1975), it was widely praised by critics as an important reflection of Second Wave Feminism during the 1970s. These weren’t background themes — they were baked right into the premise.

Both shows centered on single, working mothers building independent lives on their own terms. Alice chasing stability in Phoenix and Ann Romano navigating divorce and parenting felt refreshingly real. For plenty of viewers, these weren’t just sitcoms — they were weekly proof that women’s stories could lead the hour.