Surprising Stories from the Set of the Sitcom Alice

Alice centered on a widowed working mother supporting her son — a premise that aligned squarely with 1970s Second Wave Feminism. But pushing that theme too hard on a prime-time CBS sitcom required careful navigation with network standards and sponsors.

Producers had to balance independence and realism with broad audience appeal. Storylines about workplace equality or dating on Alice’s terms were often wrapped in humor to keep things palatable. The result was a show that felt progressive — but always within the boundaries of what network TV would comfortably serve.