History Series / ItsALiving

* RetroactiveRecognition: Quite a few future celebrities, notably television stars, made early appearances on the show.
** The terrorist Hager in "Desperate Hours" is played by a pre-Seinfeld Michael "Kramer" Richards
** Recognize Vicki's voice, but can't place her face? That's because Wendy Schaal has been voicing Francine on American Dad for almost two decade now.
** A pre-Full House Bob Saget shows up as Nancy's doctor in "The Doctor Danny Show."
** "Dot's Hope" guest stars Lisa Wilcox before she gained fame headlining two of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies. Considering the episode aired the same year ''The Dream Master'' premiered, it and the movie almost served as retroactive recognition for each other.
** In "The Bar," a pre-Ghostbusters Ernie Hudson and pre-Star Trek Jonathan Frakes both turn up as men trying to get dates with the waitresses.
*** Speaking of Star Trek, John DeLancie shows up as the groom at the wedding being held in the restaurant in "The Wedding."
** "He Never Sang for his Father" features a pre-Frasier Jane Leeves as Sonny's love interest of the week.
** Yakov Smirnoff shows up as a KGB agent in "From Russia with Love". This was several years before his comedy career took off and TV appearances became ''de rigeur'' for him.

* RealityWritesThePlot: A few instances-

* {{Retool}}: After Creator/{{ABC}} renewed it for a second season, the show made major changes in the ensemble. Apparently deciding that two working moms (Jan and Lois) and two young, naïve women (Dot and Vicki) were redundant, Lois and Vicki were dropped, replaced with scatterbrained Maggie. CoolOldGuy chef Mario was replaced with grumpy Dennis. And Cassie's role was expanded.

* SocietyMarchesOn: In one episode, Nancy's cousin visits. The fact that she is covered by tattoos everywhere except her neck and face is the source of the plot's conflict. To modern audiences, this would be a non-issue in all but the most snobbish of groups.

** Yakov Smirnoff shows up as a KGB agent in "From Russia with Love". This was several years before his comedy career took off and TV appearances became de rigeur for him.

In contrast to that simple premise, the show went through an insane number of changes over the years. It started on Creator/{{ABC}} with a group of five waitresses at the fancy Above the Top restaurant: Jan (Barrie Youngfellow), Dot (Creator/GailEdwards), Cassie (Ann Jillian), Lois (Creator/SusanSullivan) and Vicki (Creator/WendySchaal). They were joined by house pianist Sonny (Paul Kreppel), maître d' Nancy (Marian Mercer) and chef Mario (Creator/BertRemsen). In its second season on ABC, Lois, Vicki, and Mario left, and the show was low-key retooled to become a new vehicle for Louise Lasser, playing newcomer waitress Maggie, along with replacement chef Dennis Hubner (Earl Boen). Due to poor ratings, ABC scrapped the show, but the first two seasons went into reruns, which beat the numbers they'd done in first run. In 1985, a staggering three years after its cancellation, Youngfellow, Edwards, Mercer, Kreppel, and Cranston returned for a revival of the series in first-run syndication, joined by Crystal Bernard as new waitress Amy and Richard Stahl as chef Howard. There were a few more cast shakeups over the next several years. By the time it was finally canceled after six seasons in and Jan, Dot, Nancy and Sonny were the only members of the original cast remaining, and Amy and Howard the only characters to make it through the entire syndicated run. It even briefly changed its title to ''Making a Living'' at one point, as the early seasons' skimpy uniforms led many viewers to believe the restaurant was meant to be the front for a high-class call girl ring operating out of the hotel below; the show reverted back to its original title following a costume change.

In contrast to that simple premise, the show went through an insane number of changes over the years. It started on Creator/{{ABC}} with a group of five waitresses at the fancy Above the Top restaurant: Jan (Barrie Youngfellow), Dot (Creator/GailEdwards), Cassie (Ann Jillian), Lois (Creator/SusanSullivan) and Vicki (Creator/WendySchaal). They were joined by house pianist Sonny (Paul Kreppel), maître d' Nancy (Marian Mercer) and chef Mario (Creator/BertRemsen). By its final season, it was airing in first-run syndication, and Jan, Dot, Nancy and Sonny were the only members of the original cast remaining. It even briefly changed its title to ''Making a Living'' at one point.

It had a unique niche as one of the few American shows of its era with a mostly-female cast.

* RetroactiveRecognition:
** In one episode, a pre-Ghostbusters Ernie Hudson and pre-Star Trek Jonathan Frakes both turn up as men trying to get dates with the waitresses.
** Yakov Smirnoff shows up as a KGB agent in one episode. This was several years before his comedy career took off and TV appearances became de rigeur for him.

* VitriolicBestBuds: The dynamic of Sonny coming on to Cassie, who'd then shut him down with a sarcastic burn. In the first season he was an AbhorrentAdmirer to her, but after that the banter seemed more playful and they fit more into this trope.

* LetsPutOnAShow: "Sweet Charity" has Dot direct a local school play based on LittleRedRidingHood. In the end, she and the other restaurant workers, including Nancy and Sonny, have to step in to play the parts.

* MagicalRealism: The penultimate episode features Jan dying and being visited by the Angel of Death (played by DannyThomas).