<P> For the sixth season in 1980, Laverne and Shirley and their friends all moved from Milwaukee to Burbank, California . The ladies took jobs at a department store, Frank and Edna managed a Texas BBQ restaurant called Cowboy Bill's, Carmine delivered singing telegrams and sought work as an actor, and Lenny and Squiggy started a talent agency called Squignowski Talent Agency . From this point until the end of the series' run, Laverne & Shirley was set in the mid-1960s . In one of the shots in the show's new opening sequence, the ladies are seen kissing a 1964 poster of The Beatles . With each season, a new year passed in the timeline of the show, starting with 1965 in the 1980--81 season, and ending in 1967 with Carmine heading off for Broadway, to star in the musical Hair . When the series' setting changed to California, two new characters are added: Sonny St. Jacques, a stunt man, landlord of the Burbank apartment building and love interest for Laverne; as well as Rhonda Lee, the ladies' neighbor and an aspiring actress . </P> <P> In March 1982, Cindy Williams became pregnant with her first child . In May, Williams and her manager - husband Bill Hudson presented a list of demands to accommodate her pregnancy and pending child birth, which Paramount refused . In August, two episodes into production of the series' eighth season, Williams left the show and filed a $20 million lawsuit against Paramount . The case was later settled out of court and Williams was released from her contract . </P> <P> As for Shirley, she quickly falls in love in the two episodes produced before Williams' departure, and marries Army medic Walter Meany (making her Shirley Feeney Meany). In Williams' final scenes, Shirley discovers that she is pregnant . Shirley's absence is explained with a note left for Laverne saying that she had left town quickly to join her husband overseas . Despite the departure of Williams, ratings held steady and Laverne & Shirley ranked at #25 for the 1982--83 season . ABC asked Penny Marshall to return for a ninth year, but she insisted that the show move its production base from Los Angeles to New York . Eyeing the cost of such an endeavor, and given the age of the show, ABC quietly canceled Laverne & Shirley in May 1983 after 178 episodes . The final episode was produced like a backdoor pilot for a spin - off series for Carmine, which showed him moving to New York City to star in the Broadway show Hair . Laverne was seen only at the beginning and end of the episode . The spin - off never materialized . </P> <Ul> <Li> Laverne Marie DeFazio (Penny Marshall) is known for being a tough - talking tomboy . She grew up in Brooklyn, with her Italian immigrant parents . Laverne's parents moved to Milwaukee, where her mother died . Laverne works alongside best friend and roommate Shirley . Milk and Pepsi is Laverne's favorite drink . Her trademark is the script letter "L" monogrammed on her shirts and sweaters, an idea Marshall got from seeing a vintage sweater in the wardrobe department with an initial sewn in the upper left corner, something that would help the audience remember that she is Laverne . </Li> <Li> Shirley Wilhelmina Feeney (Cindy Williams, seasons 1--8) is the perky, positive one . She also tends to be meek, while Laverne is more outspoken . She later becomes a huge fan of teen - idol Fabian . Her overbearing mother Lily (Pat Carroll) expects more from Shirley than what she can give . Shirley is sensitive and tends to overreact . When she tries to hold back a laugh, she bites her knuckle on her index finger . Shirley works at Shotz brewery with Laverne . She has a special relationship with her stuffed cat Boo Boo Kitty, a name Williams gave the toy after forgetting a line in rehearsal, and was the name of her mother's cat . </Li> <Li> Leonard "Lenny" Kosnowski (Michael McKean) is a lovable goof who pesters Laverne and Shirley, along with his best friend and roommate Squiggy, both of whom live upstairs from Laverne and Shirley's lower - level apartment . Lenny works as a truck driver at the Shotz brewery . Lenny says that, while he is not completely sure, he thinks his last name (Kosnowski) is Polish for "Help, there's a hog in my kitchen". </Li> <Li> Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman (David Lander) works and lives with childhood friend Lenny . Squiggy makes nearly every entrance with his trademark "Hello" said in a comically dopey voice . In the final season, Squiggy's lookalike sister Squendoline is introduced . </Li> <Li> Frank DeFazio (Phil Foster) is Laverne's father who runs the Pizza Bowl, a local hang out . He later opens up Cowboy Bills in Burbank, California . Although he could be harsh and lose his temper, he did have a heart of gold . He loves Laverne very much, having been her only parent for years . His pet name for his daughter was "Muffin". Frank is also protective of Shirley, becoming somewhat of a surrogate father to her since her family was far away . </Li> <Li> Carmine Ragusa (Eddie Mekka) is Shirley's high - school sweetheart and on - again, off - again romance . "The Big Ragoo" is a part - time boxer and former Golden Gloves champion who owns a dance studio and is constantly working to make it big as a dancer and singer . In the final episode of the series, he auditions for the musical Hair, at last landing a major role on Broadway . </Li> <Li> Edna Babish DeFazio (Betty Garrett, seasons 2--7) is the five - time - divorced landlady who eventually marries Laverne's father . Edna also occasionally sings and dances in the local brewery talent shows . When the series was extended beyond the intended final season, actress Betty Garrett committed to another project and was written out as having left Frank . </Li> <Li> Rhonda Lee (Leslie Easterbrook, seasons 6--8) is a tall, voluptuous, somewhat ditzy blonde actress / singer / dancer / model trying to get discovered and make it big in Hollywood . She is Laverne and Shirley's neighbor and a regular character after they move to Burbank . Rhonda, who also comes off as rather narcissistic about her good looks and self - obsessed, usually (always?) refers to herself in the third person, by her first name . Rhonda often bursts into Laverne and Shirley's apartment (occasionally at inopportune times, much like Lenny and Squiggy often do) to borrow things without really asking and to brag about her social engagements or romantic dates with desirable men with the intention of making the girls envious . </Li> <Li> Sonny St. Jacques (Ed Marinaro, season 6) is a stuntman and Laverne and Shirley's landlord in Burbank . A tall, handsome, muscular man, Sonny is often seen with his shirt off or open . He was intended as a love interest for Laverne . After several episodes in Burbank, Sonny was written out of the show and rarely if ever mentioned again . (In reality, Marinaro left the series to star in Hill Street Blues .) </Li> </Ul>

What happened to shirley on laverne & shirley
find me the text answering this question