Mel’s Diner is central to both film and series, and Vic Tayback was the only cast member to re-create his character in the television series, as Brooklyn native Mel Sharples, the gruff, cheap diner owner. A former Navy cook, Mel is famous for both his chili and his stories. Boisterous and stingy, much of the humor of the series revolves around how little he pays his employees. They include the other waitresses who worked with Alice, Vera Louise Gorman (Beth Howland) and Florence Jean Castleberry—better known as Flo (Polly Holliday). Flo relishes being the resident flirt of the diner. This wily veteran has seen it all, and demonstrates an aggressive, often crude approach to life, which merely conceals a soft heart. Flo is famous for her catch phrases of “Kiss my grits!” and “When donkeys fly!” She and Mel’s Famous Chili are the diner’s main attractions. The character left the diner and the show in 1980, moving to Houston to manage her own restaurant in the short-lived spin-off series Flo.

In contrast to Flo, New England native Vera is young, impressionable, and shy. She is the scatterbrained character—“dingy,” in Mel’s vocabulary. Vera typically serves as foil and participant in the zany antics created by others. Belle Dupree (Diane Ladd), a character introduced as Mel’s “first” waitress when the diner opened, replaced Flo. (Ironically, Ladd had played Flo in the movie.) Belle and Flo share many similarities, and the diner’s regulars readily accept her. Even more brash and aggressive than Flo, she is a Mississippian who writes and sings country-and-western songs. After a year her dream of a music career was realized, and again she left Mel’s Diner.

Truck driver Jolene Hunnicutt (Celia Weston) was frustrated with her partner, Burt, and the two had a fight at the diner. After heaving numerous dinner plates at Burt, Jolene hid in the restroom. When the entire diner staff entered to console her, Burt barricaded them inside. After their release, Mel hired the sarcastic Jolene to work off the damage from the fight. Jolene’s “temporary” job lasts four and a half years.

Television icon Martha Raye joined the cast from 1982 to 1984 playing Mel’s mother, Carrie Sharples, the only character who could intimidate Mel. Most other characters were regular diner patrons. Among them are Henry Beesmyer (Marvin Kaplan), a phone company repairman, and Earl Hicks (Dave Madden), a high school basketball coach. An exception was Marie (Victoria Carroll), Mel’s off-and-on girlfriend from 1978 to 1980. Alice, and Mel’s Diner, were stops for an array of outstanding guest actors throughout the series. In addition to George Burns, such notables as Art Carney, Desi Arnaz, Telly Savalis, Joel Grey, Debbie Reynolds, Robert Goulet, Dinah Shore, Donald O’Conner, Forrest Tucker, Frank Nelson, Adam West, Eve Arden, Carl Ballantine, Jerry Reed, and numerous others appeared. Doris Roberts (since 1996, Everybody Loves Raymond’s Marie Barone) guest starred in 1981–82 as Alice’s mother, Mona Spivak.

CBS aired weekday reruns from June 1980 to September 1982 and Alice has sporadically appeared in syndication. Alice, cast members, and staff were nominated for numerous Golden Globes and Emmys, winning many. Despite its cast changes, Alice was consistently popular throughout its entire nine-year run. The series was in the top 25 of the Nielsen ratings from 1977 to 1982, peaking at number four during 1979–80.