There are lots of professions in TV that are popular for writers and
creators. Teachers is a big one, not to mention doctors of all sorts.
Another has to be the waitress. Not sure why that is, but maybe it’s
because we’ve all had experiences with waitress’s. Whether they’re sassy
and smart, ditzy and dumb, or just really attractive we can all relate
to these professionals. So today, I wanted to list my ten favorite
waitress’s from TV shows over the last several years.
Couple rules, one is that this list is only women. Yes I know men can
be waiters and I’m sure they are fantastic but let’s be honest on TV
it’s the waitress’s that keep us interested. I want to limit this to
regular cast members but there is at least one who is more of recurring
character. So let’s say they have to appear more than a few times. Also,
the character has to be have been a waitress for more than a single
episode. Though not necessarily the run of the series. Many shows will
throw a character into a waiter role for a gag (they did it with Marion
on Happy Days when she worked at Arnold’s for instance, or the two
episodes Laverne and Shirley worked as waitresses at a diner and hi
jinks ensued. Whitley on A Different World was a waitress for a whole
day. Buffy was also. And yes Monica on Friends worked as a waitress at a
50’s dimer but only for a few episodes and it was dropped and forgotten
very quickly). Finally, the waitress has to work at an eating
establishment such a bar or restaurant, no housekeepers or the like who
work out of homes. That’s a whole other list.
#10.Max Black and Caroline Channing from 2 Broke Girls
This show has some good points and some very bad points. In fact I dare
say it has one of the worst supporting casts I’ve ever seen in a TV
show. They’re all unlikable stereotypes! So why is this show a hit
then? Because the chemistry between Max and Caroline is irresistible.
They just play so well of each other. They are total opposites but
somehow it works, they’re true friends. I also like how in this show
the girls have a dream and have actively been pursuing it. Some shows a
character will have a dream and do next to nothing to achieve it for the
bulk of the series, until one day when the writers remember to do
something with it. But while they work for that dream they work at
Williamsburg Diner in Brooklyn.
#9.Diane Chambers from Cheers
The funny thing about Diane is that she was clearly born to be a
waitress. She was really a natural at it. Unfortunately her lofty dreams
and high ideals kept her from accepting that. She took the job at
Cheers because she needed a job and finally left when her lofty dreams
had a chance of coming true.
#8.Daisy Duke from Dukes of Hazard
Daisy was awesome because while she was damn hot, she was damn tough to!
God help the poor customer who made a pass at her! I put this up high
because while she was a waitress at the Board Nest (one of those
country bars where fights seemed to break out every day) I think it’s
fair to say we didn’t see her do that very often. But I decided it sill
counted, and it has nothing to do with the fact Catherine Bach was damn
attractive. I still hear the phase “Daisy Duke Shorts”!
#7.Cassie Cranston from “It’s a Living”
Anyone remember this show? Or Ann Jillian? In the 80’s she was
everywhere, and was bonafide sex symbol. She was in TV movies, sitcoms,
and about a million specials including Bob Hope, Disney, and Circus Of
The Stars. But it was her role as waitress in It’s a Living which made
her a real household name. Set at posh restaurant Above the Top, located
at the top of the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angele, the series focused
on the waitresses, including Jillian. Imagine Suzanne Sugarbaker as a
waitress and you get the idea. This show never really took, getting
canceled pretty quick though it did get a second life in syndication.
And yes there were many actress’s playing waitress’s including Gail
Edwards, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Crystal Bernard but it was Jillian who
most everyone remembers.
#6.Roseanne Connor from Roseanne
I admit this comes close to being a cheat, but she was a waitress in the
restaurant at Rodbell’s Department Store (where are there restaurants
in department stores??) for a season or two not to mention the Lunch
Box. Though did we ever see her wait tables there? So I figured that it
counted. You’ll notice Roseanne has one big difference from most of the
other ladies on this list and it’s a difference which made Roseanne the
unique show it was. She was married! And not only that, she was married
and HAD to work. So often in sitcoms either the woman doesn’t work
unless she’s single or she does but doesn’t have to. This is one of the
things that made Roseanne so special. And the fact that she was rude to
the customers just added to her charm.
#5.Flo from Alice
Polly Holiday is a great actress and I love her. Though to be honest I
love her more from her appearances on Home Improvement. But before she
was Jill’s mom, she made a name for herself as the sassy waitress Flo in
Alice. Alice was set at a roadside diner in Phoenix and based on a hit
movie. This was one of those late 70’s shows that flew under my radar,
but her character was still pretty cool. Man hungry, very tough and
never afraid to speak her mind. Which isn’t easy when Vic Tayback is
your boss! Especially with her catchphrase “Kiss My Grits!”. The
character was so cool that she got a spin off. But like with most
spin-off’s when the supporting character becomes the focus, the
character got watered down and people lost interest quick. Yes I know
the main character, Alice, was good too but I Linda Lavin didn’t make
the same impression on me.
#4.Ursula in Mad About You
I think the thing that is so endearing about Ursula is just how clueless
she is about how clueless she is. She doesn’t seem to have any idea.
She messes up orders, can’t get people’s names right, and seems
oblivious to things happening right in front of her. And she happily
does it with a smile. Ursula worked at Riff’s which was a popular
restaurant right near where Paul and Jamie lived (it’s established as
being around the corner from their apartment at least once). She was as
such a popular character on the show, even after Lisa Kurdow left for
Friends she would return to MAY several times. She was always giving the
wrong food but everyone loved her anyway. Yes later Friends would take
this character and turn her into a super bitch, but on Mad About You she
was charming and adorable.
#3.Rachel from Friends
Speaking of bad waitresses. At least Rachel is trying, sort of. Rachel
took the job in the coffee house on the first episode because that was
all she could get. And she worked there for the better part of three
seasons. Yeah she messed up the drink orders but at least she had a nice
smile. You gotta figure the fact that Gunther had a crush on her may
have contributed to her continuing employment at Central Perk. I give
the show credit for realizing that she couldn’t do that job forever for
her character to grow, plus the jokes had kind of dried up, but the
years she did work at there were memorable.
#2.Penny from Big Bang Theory
I gave the creators of Friends credit for realizing Rachel couldn’t stay
a bad waitress forever and allowing her character to grow. Sadly the
creators of Big Bang took a tad longer to realize that. It go so forced I
swear she got worst as a waitress as the seasons rolled along, until
they finally gave up. Penny was a waitress at The Cheesecake Factory and
did a commendable job for the most part. She intended to only work
there for six months before becoming a huge movie star, but that didn’t
work out that way. I never did understand what Penny was thinking, how
did she expect to be a movie star with no education or experience?
Anyway she finally did quit and oddly we haven’t seen The Cheesecake
Factory on that show since.
#1.Carla from Cheers
Carla is mean, short tempered, and not very nice to customers at all.
And yet we love her! What makes her number 1? Most of the ladies on this
list were only waitresses (or only wanted to be waitresses) for a
short time. They had other goals and careers they were aiming for. For
Carla that wasn’t the case. She was waiting tables at Cheers in the
pilot and was still doing it in the very last episode. Oh sure her
personal life had evolved, but I get the feeling she had come to the
conclusion that being a waitress was simply what she was supposed to do.
Besides, she had to much fun picking on all of the customer including
Cliff. It was clear to me that Sam really respected something about her,
which is probably why he never reprimanded her for being so crass, and
we loved watching her every week.
There is a whole other genre for bartenders/head chef’s and maybe I will come back to try to tackle that area another time.
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