What if the show had started with Jolene?

I like all three of them.

Just speculating, but if Alice had started with Jolene (not likely, since it was based on the movie which featured Flo), there probably would have been no spinoff. Celia Weston seems more of a supporting actress and not someone who would have headlined her own show. So Jolene probably would have been on for the entire run and there would have been no need for Belle.

A little side note-- in 2004 I attended a live taping of Frasier. It was one of the series' very last episodes. Celia was a guest star, and she was excellent. Everyone was good but during the breaks in filming, she seemed to stay in character more than the others, a focused actress, always ready for the next scene. I could tell she was very stage-trained, not the typical sitcom actress at all. I had grown up watching Alice in the 80s when she played Jolene. I had no idea who the guest stars for Frasier would be when I was in line and went inside to join the rest of the studio audience. It was fun to see her on stage. She was older and heavier but she was unmistakable. I knew it would be a good episode with her in it.

Because we heard enough about "Granny Gums"

It wouldn't have been as popular if Flo wasn't there at the start. Jolene was a poorly written character. Plus Celia was only added because she posed no threat to Linda as an attractive actress. Both Polly and Diane did. That's why Linda never mentions them when looking back on the series. She says we had two actresses and then the great Celia as Jolene came along. Alice wouldn't have lasted as long or even be popular if Polly as Flo hadn't been there to jump start the series.

The original cast made the show and helped define it. Flo was more distinctively drawn and hilarious. As a replacement, Jolene blended reasonably well with the ensemble and at least was not annoying with her Southernisms.