Warner Archive DVD Review: Alice Season 4

Reviewed by: Jason Lockard

Thanks to Warner Archive we have been reliving the classic TV show Alice The Flo Episodes. If you haven't already check out our reviews of Season 1, Season 2 and Season 3.

The story of this show follows Alice Hyatt is a widow and single mom, who moved to Arizona for a fresh start. Alice works at Mel's Diner while raising her son and dreaming of being a singer. She works for short tempered Mel Sharples and with fellow waitress the ditzy but lovable Vera and every man's desire Florence Jean "Flo" Castleberry. 

In season 4 the gang is all the gang is here, at least for the most time. But that is not all there are some special guest stars appear, including; Telly Savalas, Art Carney, Dinah Shore, Eve Arden and Martha Raye.

Let's take a look at what is included in this season.

Episode Rating:
****=Don’t Miss it!
***=Worth a look.
**=An Ok way to spend some time.
*=You haven’t missed anything.


Disc One:

1. Has Anyone here seen Telly: Everyone is tired of Vera "Crying Wolf" claiming that she has seen celebrities around. So when Telly Savalas stops by the diner while she's working there alone, no one believes her story. ****

2. Mona Lisa Alice: Mel wants the waitresses to smile in order for customers to pay, but Alice is feeling sour over Tommy's matchmaking. ***

3. Mel Loves Marie: Mel gets engaged to a woman named Marie, then insists that she sign a pre-nup. ***

4. Vera Robs the Cradle: Tommy falls for Vera as she teaches him how to dance. **

5. Flo's Chili Reception: Mel's rival courts Flo to get his chili recipe. ***

6. Little Alice Bluenose: Vera's boyfriend objects to her sketches of nude males in art class. ***

7. Carrie Sharples Strikes Again: Mel's domineering mother returns. ****

8. Mel's in the Kitchen with Dinah: Dinah Shore invites Mel to cook his chili on her show, but he can only bring one waitress with him. ****

9. Cabin Fever: Mel, his girlfriend and the waitresses spend the weekend stuck together in the same fishing cabin. ****

Disc Two:

10. My Cousin, Art Carney: Vera asks her distant relative Art Carney to endorse Mel's chili so it can be on the market as a frozen product called "Chili con Carney". ****

11. Mel, the Magi: The waitresses chip in their meager resources to celebrate Christmas at the diner. ***

12. Good Buddy Flo: Flo learns how to drive a truck when she learns her boyfriend has a female partner. ***

13. Alice in TV Land: Tommy causes trouble on TV when he gossips about the staff of Mel's Diner on a talk show. ***

14. Alice Beats the Clock: When Mel installs a new time clock, the waitresses demand overtime for the Sunday cleanup they used to do at no extra charge. ***

15. Carrie's Wedding: Mel is happy for his mother getting remarried until he sees the man who will be his stepfather. ***

16. My Funny Valentine Tux: Tommy needs a tuxedo for a Valentine's Day dance with his date, Wanda (Kelly Parsons). ***

17. Auld Acquaintances Should Be Forgot: Mel takes in a friend whose wife has just left him. ***

18. Flo's Farewell: Flo says goodbye to Mel's when she takes a job offer from a wealthy Houston restaurateur. This episode sets up the spin-off series Flo.  ****



Disc Three

19. For Whom the Belle Toils: Mel hires a new waitress from Mississippi named Belle (Diana Ladd), who has dreams of being a country-music writer. ***

20. One Too Many Girls: Although Belle is getting along fine with Mel, she's not doing so well with Alice and Vera. ***

21. Vera, the Vamp: Vera asks Belle to help make her be more attractive to men. ***

22. Profit Without Honor: Mel discovers how much he'll get for letting the city condemn his property when he signs an agreement to share his profits with the women. ***

23. Cook's Tour: A tour guide (Pamela Myers) steers business towards the diner out of love for Mel. ***

24. Here Comes Alice Cottontail: Alice bets that Mel will kick Tommy out, while Mel bets she will be snooping to check up on her son. ***

Season 4 is a bitter sweet one. I think this season was so well done, The episodes are hilarious and the guest stars were amazing. But what makes it bitter is that this is the season were Polly Holiday aka Flo leaves the show to star in her own short loved spin off entitled Flo. Which we reviewed here. 

When Flo left the show it didn't quite seem the same. Now in my opinion it was a great idea to get Diane Ladd to come on the series as she starred as Flo in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, the movie that  inspired the series, but it just quite didn't feel the same in my humble opinion.

This DVD set houses all 24 episodes on 3 DVDs. The episodes have been transferred in their original full screen format and in 1.37:1 aspect ratio. I ran a bitrate test as I have on previous sets, and just like previous sets on the high end these episodes run from between 7 and 8 Mbps. So these episode have a great bitrate. While there is some slight differences the video quality in these episodes, but the episodes in my opinion look and sound really good.

So if you enjoyed the show Alice, and are a fan of Flo as I am. You are going to want to own her final episodes on the show Alice! Head over to Amazon.com and get your copy today and don't forget to stop by WarnerArchive.com and see all the other great DVDs and Blu-rays they have to offer. You are bound to find something you will love.




Out of 4 TV Reels we would score Warner Archive's release of Alice Season 4

(It is a Must own for Flo Fans)