"Laverne & Shirley": The Collector's Edition, Volume Ten

This volume is called "Getting Better" and the theme seems to be "self-improvement."  Here's the introduction:  "Laverne and Shirley, determined to make all their dreams come true, are always on a self-improvement kick in one way or another.  The Los Angeles Times put it this way: 'Shirley is something of a dreamer of better things in life, whose dreams are usually shot down by her practical roommate, Laverne.'  Yet, the best friends jump at any chance and break any rule to make their dreams come true in their own unique, hysterical way."  Was the blurber paid by the word?

First up is Season Three's "Driving Test," described like this: "When Squiggy is in danger of losing his job as a truck driver at the Shotz Brewery unless he passes a written exam, Laverne and Shirley help him cram--against all odds.  Notes: In this episode, Squiggy gives his classic answer to the question, 'You are following a school bus that stops to let off passengers.  What do you do?' "  Uh, yeah, "classic" is one word for it. 

The Stay Tuned is the boys' "Or else" exchange.  This episode technically isn't about the girls' self-improvement, but as it's the best episode on the cassette, I don't mind.

Then from Season Four, it's "Laverne and Shirley Go to Night School," which is pretty self-explanatory, but the blurber's gotta earn his or her keep, so: "When Laverne and Shirley enroll in a night school class in anatomy, they get all tangled up with a cantankerous old teacher and the classroom skeleton.  Notes: The incomparable Hans Conreid (Mr. Wilmer) starred as Uncle Tanoose on The Danny Thomas Show, the voice of Snidely Whiplash on Dudley Do Right, and Wrongway Feldman on Gilligan's Island."  Actually, it's "Wilner," with an N.

The Stay Tuned is "Hi, I'm Shirley.  Laverne and I will be right back."

Next we get Season Five's "Fat City Holiday," which is "When Laverne and Shirley try to wrangle a free vacation by becoming weight-loss counselors at a fat farm, they find so little food at the Pounds of Gold Health Spa that they sneak out to buy food from a mysterious pair of black market produce profiteers, who unbeknownst to them are Lenny and Squiggy.  Notes: Susan Kellerman (Bambi) played Latka Gravas's mother on Taxi.

The Stay Tuned is Laverne's "Stick around for more Laverne & Shirley."

And to finish out the collection, we have Season Eight's "Jinxed," because no one gave a $#!& about putting this assemblage together:  "When Laverne, having fallen prey to several odd accidents, convinces herself that she is jinxed, her friends, in an attempt to help her, send a gypsy woman, complete with a crystal ball, to help her get rid of her bad luck.  Note: Carol Kane (Madam Olga) starred as Simka Gravas on Taxi.  Charles Fleisher [again sic] (Chuck) provided the voice of Roger Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?"  Uh, Laverne doesn't think she's jinxed; her friends do, and then attempt to help her by helping her.

The Stay Tuned is that insecure "Don't go away, we'll be right back.  Really" that Laverne was stuck with in the final season.

Gotta admit it's getting better (can't get no worse)