RIP Kaye Ballard. The chemistry between the two female leads was the best. I'm sure if NBC had moved it to one of its weekday primetime schedules it would have gotten better raitings and a longer run.
I just found this show and its hilarious Eve and Kay were a perfect team and have really helped me laugh after a heartbreaking week and I needed it. Love this show and may the all rest easy ❤
Can't help noticing, under the first title card "Desi Arnaz Presents" and the first few bars of the theme, it has the same bongo beat as "I Love Lucy." An inside joke between Desi and music director Wilbur Hatch?
I love how every few episodes they change the cast photos and clips in the opening credits, usually to something outrageous for each of the cast members
The show was directed by Elliott Lewis, one of the giants of the radio era, who started out when he was only 19. He was on thousands of radio shows, in leading and supporting roles in everything from heavy dramas to wild comedies, usually appearing on up to 5 live shows a day. Acting came so easily to him that he became bored with it, and got into directing, producing, and writing for several shows a week, including "Suspense", "Broadway's My Beat", and "On Stage". He even secretly directed and produced "The Phil Harris - Alice Faye Show", a wild sitcom on which he played his very favourite role: Phil's ne'er-do-well best friend, Remley. Elliott would be as revered as other radio legends, Orson Welles, Arch Oboler, and Norman Corwin, if he'd self-promoted as they did. But all he cared about was doing the best possible work.
I'd NEVER heard of this show untill last yr when ME tv showed, Now I'm a undying fan and personally I think it could have ran for a 3rd season bwt it IS availbe on DVD, I got a copy from ebay
The series lasted two seasons because the sponsor, Procter & Gamble, was impatient with its declining ratings during season two (it was seen opposite "THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW" on CBS and "THE FBI" on ABC)- and as Kaye has recalled, P&G wanted Bill Cosby to take over their Sunday night time period with a new sitcom for the fall of '69 [he, too, lasted just two seasons in "THE BILL COSBY SHOW"]. Jeff Alexander wrote the theme, but Wilbur Hatch provided the show's music scores (as he did for Lucy).
I read love tongue and cheek shows like mothers In law on cbs but Laverne And Shirley get the most high ratings for their first three seasons on Thursday night too and move to ABC In late '69 and had three more years. That's one of mom's favorite shows is mothers in law.
From what I understand about the shows run time it was cut short, too bad, they had the Lucy Legacy, and the same slapstick of other famous female comedy duos, Laverne and Shirley, Patsy and Edina
I own dvds of the show and it deserved to run at least twice as long as it did. Yes P&G killed the show by refusing to move it to another time slot. Also, if nothing else, this was a CBS kind of show and even ABC which was desperate for a comedy hit besides Bewitched, stupidly declined to pick it up after the first season on NBC. Bewitched never got a good show to follow it except maybe the anemic That Girl.This delightful show would have been just that but that was never to be.
This was what NBC was all about back in those days,,QUALITY!! "THE MOTHERS IN LAW" was really an impressive TV jewel,that almost went up to the level of " I LOVE LUCY",since was was done by the same people,as well as being among the last primetime TV series that United Artists did,before withdrawing from doing anymore TV, during their Transamerica years. this sitcom was just so witty and rich-and Eve Arden and Kaye Ballard RULED!! too bad about Roger C Carmel,who held-out in the contract renewals with Desi Arnaz,because he couldn't pass his monetary needs,instead of being part of the cast-but still,this was a damn good series,especially in the day,when NBC stood for quality TV,especially in the late 1960s,with "LAUGH-IN" giving the Peacock its daily feed! NBC today has a new tiltle today,,Nothing But Crap!!
i always wondered about UA's lack-of-involvement in TV once Transamerica ruled the roost....i'm thinking it was a "suit" decision to dial down the TV activity.....although i recalll UA/Transamerica did distribute the old Saturday morning gem "The Pink Panther" to NBC.....
HECK! WHEN ALL IN THE FAMILY FIRST AIRED ON TV ON THE CBS NETWORK IT WAS AIRED ON A TUESDAY NIGHT....SO CBS YANKED IT AND MOVED IT TO SATURDAY NIGHT WHERE IT WAS THE LEAD IN FOR MANY OTHER GREAT CBS SHOWS LIKE MARY TYLER MOORE AND RHODA
Those were the WORST photos of the cast during the opening titles that appeared with their name credit! Their mouths were all weirdly open and the expressions were just bizarre/odd/funny-looking (with the exception of Herb Rudley who was asleep). WHAT WERE THEY THINKING???
NBC aired it Sundays at 8:30 ET between "Disney" and "Bonanza", but up against "Ed Sullivan" and"The FBI". Richard Deacon replaced Carmel as Kay's husband in season two. United Artists produced the show but I doubt that they(or more likely MGM) own it.
Mother in law jokes are no longer funny. Women are considered bread winners and equal to their husbands. The two ladies were top notch talent- hard to replace.
NBC should take its lumps for not having faith in this wonderful show, but the real culprits are Roger C. Carmel for quitting in an egotistical huff, and yes, Desi Arnaz for making the strange casting decision to replace Roger with Richard Deacon, who was as far away from the Roger Buell character as an actor could get. Zero chemistry with Kaye Ballard and the rest of the cast. What was Desi, the brains behind "I Love Lucy" thinking?
Wasn't Roger C. Carmel sacked by Desi Arnaz because he had the same 'problem' as Demond "Lamont" Wilson and Robin "Mork" Williams? Richard Deacon took over for the second season...
+MUSICOM PRODUCTIONS The show was only moderately successful during its first season. NBC agreed to renew it on the condition that costs be held to the 1967 level, effectively freezing the talents' salaries. Producer Desi Arnaz obtained agreements from everyone on the cast and crew with the sole exception of Roger C. Carmel who held fast to a contractual point providing him with a raise upon renewal. Arnaz pleaded with him, pointing out that the livelihood of dozens of people were essentially at stake but he wouldn't budge, despite his then-decent $2,000 per week salary and the promise of residuals and was released. Carmel was replaced (by Richard Deacon) and the show sank miserably in the 1968 Neilsen's and was canceled. As a result, Carmel was effectively blackballed from the TV industry for several years.
Carmel left because he demanded more money to renew his contract than the producers were willing to pay. It was the same reason why Suzanne Somers left "Three's Company".
All of the characters had the same names as those who played them, except for Deborah Walley, who played Suzie instead of Deborah. A year later, Roger C. Carmel had left, and was replaced by Richard Deacon.
But, this seems like it was better than L&S, on the whole. I can't stand Laverne and Shirley. I've just never liked it, other than the fact that it's a part of TV history. Maybe it's because it was too 1970s in look and feel. I prefer the 1950s and 1960s classics. I also adore THE BRADY BUNCH, but it was very 1950s/60s in sensibility. It wasn't really like 1970s shows. The only 1970s show that was perhaps as classy and cozy as those from the 50s and 60s was THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW .
@@dorothysmith3120 It's nice that you like it. I'm always to see mega fans of shows - even if I'm not a fan of it- because it gives me respect for the show anyway and even makes me interested sometimes. 🙂
RIP Kaye Ballard. The chemistry between the two female leads was the best. I'm sure if NBC had moved it to one of its weekday primetime schedules it would have gotten better raitings and a longer run.
A very underrated show. I remember this show when it was first run! Boy am I old!😂
RIP Kaye!!!! Great show!!! One of my favorites back in the day.
I was a kid when this show was on & I loved it!
I did too!!!
I remember it also as a young 7 and 8 year old.
Same!
yes. Great talents
I LOVED this show!!!!
Very underrated show!
Desi Arnaz totally underestimated as a director/producer/studio boss/entertainer. The real brains behind the scenes at Desilu....
Desi certainly was the brains behind that operation!
I just found this show and its hilarious Eve and Kay were a perfect team and have really helped me laugh after a heartbreaking week and I needed it. Love this show and may the all rest easy ❤
love this show!!!
This was an excellent TV show !
This was a great show...great theme song
Can't help noticing, under the first title card "Desi Arnaz Presents" and the first few bars of the theme, it has the same bongo beat as "I Love Lucy." An inside joke between Desi and music director Wilbur Hatch?
I love how every few episodes they change the cast photos and clips in the opening credits, usually to something outrageous for each of the cast members
@@jeffmissinne3866 babba looooooo think DESI did a cameo on one ep
I love both of these ladies!
The show was directed by Elliott Lewis, one of the giants of the radio era, who started out when he was only 19. He was on thousands of radio shows, in leading and supporting roles in everything from heavy dramas to wild comedies, usually appearing on up to 5 live shows a day.
Acting came so easily to him that he became bored with it, and got into directing, producing, and writing for several shows a week, including "Suspense", "Broadway's My Beat", and "On Stage". He even secretly directed and produced "The Phil Harris - Alice Faye Show", a wild sitcom on which he played his very favourite role: Phil's ne'er-do-well best friend, Remley.
Elliott would be as revered as other radio legends, Orson Welles, Arch Oboler, and Norman Corwin, if he'd self-promoted as they did. But all he cared about was doing the best possible work.
R.I.P "KAY BALLARD" Jan 22nd, 2019
Frank M - She was a gem.
Thanks for channel UHF and growing up in America in the 1970s
I'd NEVER heard of this show untill last yr when ME tv showed, Now I'm a undying fan and personally I think it could have ran for a 3rd season bwt it IS availbe on DVD, I got a copy from ebay
The series lasted two seasons because the sponsor, Procter & Gamble, was impatient with its declining ratings during season two (it was seen opposite "THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW" on CBS and "THE FBI" on ABC)- and as Kaye has recalled, P&G wanted Bill Cosby to take over their Sunday night time period with a new sitcom for the fall of '69 [he, too, lasted just two seasons in "THE BILL COSBY SHOW"]. Jeff Alexander wrote the theme, but Wilbur Hatch provided the show's music scores (as he did for Lucy).
yeah, NBC didn't exactly give the show the royal treatment with its hell-hole time slot......
I read love tongue and cheek shows like mothers In law on cbs but Laverne And Shirley get the most high ratings for their first three seasons on Thursday night too and move to ABC In late '69 and had three more years. That's one of mom's favorite shows is mothers in law.
This was one hip show. Way under remembered
From what I understand about the shows run time it was cut short, too bad, they had the Lucy Legacy, and the same slapstick of other famous female comedy duos, Laverne and Shirley, Patsy and Edina
R.I.P Kaye Ballard
I own dvds of the show and it deserved to run at least twice as long as it did. Yes P&G killed the show by refusing to move it to another time slot. Also, if nothing else, this was a CBS kind of show and even ABC which was desperate for a comedy hit besides Bewitched, stupidly declined to pick it up after the first season on NBC. Bewitched never got a good show to follow it except maybe the anemic That Girl.This delightful show would have been just that but that was never to be.
love on a rooftop[
Kaye Ballard + Eve Arden = Lucille Ball.
love them
This was what NBC was all about back in those days,,QUALITY!! "THE MOTHERS IN LAW" was really an impressive TV jewel,that almost went up to the level of " I LOVE
LUCY",since was was done by the same people,as well as being among the last primetime TV series that United Artists did,before withdrawing from doing anymore TV,
during their Transamerica years. this sitcom was just so witty and rich-and Eve Arden
and Kaye Ballard RULED!! too bad about Roger C Carmel,who held-out in the contract
renewals with Desi Arnaz,because he couldn't pass his monetary needs,instead of
being part of the cast-but still,this was a damn good series,especially in the day,when NBC stood for quality TV,especially in the late 1960s,with "LAUGH-IN" giving the Peacock its daily feed! NBC today has a new tiltle today,,Nothing But Crap!!
i always wondered about UA's lack-of-involvement in TV once Transamerica ruled the roost....i'm thinking it was a "suit" decision to dial down the TV activity.....although i recalll UA/Transamerica did distribute the old Saturday morning gem "The Pink Panther" to NBC.....
Ditto for most of the other networks as well. Except for The Amazing Race, today's prime time TV is nothing but pure trash!
that kicked up a dusk kitty,,, i forgot all about this show
Lucy updated to the late 60s
It almost sounds like it could be the theme to "Lost in Space"
Same zany 60s era, sometimes same bands
Very funny tv show. I saw it in Ecuador in early 70.
HECK! WHEN ALL IN THE FAMILY FIRST AIRED ON TV ON THE CBS NETWORK IT WAS AIRED ON A TUESDAY NIGHT....SO CBS YANKED IT AND MOVED IT TO SATURDAY NIGHT WHERE IT WAS THE LEAD IN FOR MANY OTHER GREAT CBS SHOWS LIKE MARY TYLER MOORE AND RHODA
Those were the WORST photos of the cast during the opening titles that appeared with their name credit! Their mouths were all weirdly open and the expressions were just bizarre/odd/funny-looking (with the exception of Herb Rudley who was asleep). WHAT WERE THEY THINKING???
"It's a funny show, so we have to have funny opening titles."
Wonderful show. Almost as good as That Girl.
NBC aired it Sundays at 8:30 ET between "Disney" and "Bonanza", but up against "Ed Sullivan" and"The FBI". Richard Deacon replaced Carmel as Kay's husband in season two. United Artists produced the show but I doubt that they(or more likely MGM) own it.
United Artists was producer Desi Arnaz's distributor; all rights belong to Desi's estate.
Those of you who get ME-TV, it's supposed to be returning this summer...sometime.
I have never heard of this programme
They should reboot this. Chuck Lorre eould do a great job.
i'm wondering who could fill the shoes of Eve Arden/Kaye Ballard.......
Mother in law jokes are no longer funny. Women are considered bread winners and equal to their husbands. The two ladies were top notch talent- hard to replace.
how about a LBTGQ spin on show with the in laws getting meddled with their straight kids????
More recently the MeTV showings had Secret and Scope appearing in the credits.
when did you see my DVD collection lol :) as what you said describe mine to a tea and in fact I'm working only the 1960s
ive just speant 15 minutes trying to find stuff on MPI home videos and havent found anything... not even the mothers in law, like it says.
NBC should take its lumps for not having faith in this wonderful show, but the real culprits are Roger C. Carmel for quitting in an egotistical huff, and yes, Desi Arnaz for making the strange casting decision to replace Roger with Richard Deacon, who was as far away from the Roger Buell character as an actor could get. Zero chemistry with Kaye Ballard and the rest of the cast. What was Desi, the brains behind "I Love Lucy" thinking?
Try ebay, they had a copy which I bought just in the last month
Wasn't Roger C. Carmel sacked by Desi Arnaz because he had the same 'problem' as Demond "Lamont" Wilson and Robin "Mork" Williams? Richard Deacon took over for the second season...
+MUSICOM PRODUCTIONS The show was only moderately successful during its first season. NBC agreed to renew it on the condition that costs be held to the 1967 level, effectively freezing the talents' salaries. Producer Desi Arnaz obtained agreements from everyone on the cast and crew with the sole exception of Roger C. Carmel who held fast to a contractual point providing him with a raise upon renewal. Arnaz pleaded with him, pointing out that the livelihood of dozens of people were essentially at stake but he wouldn't budge, despite his then-decent $2,000 per week salary and the promise of residuals and was released. Carmel was replaced (by Richard Deacon) and the show sank miserably in the 1968 Neilsen's and was canceled. As a result, Carmel was effectively blackballed from the TV industry for several years.
What problem was that? The white stuff?
Carmel left because he demanded more money to renew his contract than the producers were willing to pay. It was the same reason why Suzanne Somers left "Three's Company".
complete series? all of 2 seasons. the show was taken off the air quicker than u can say ricky ricardo lol
All of the characters had the same names as those who played them, except for Deborah Walley, who played Suzie instead of Deborah. A year later, Roger C. Carmel had left, and was replaced by Richard Deacon.
@RubyJuly1958
What do you mean? I loved My Mother the Car! :-)
Z A N Y .
another one of those "coulda been/shoulda been" sitcoms.....should have been a huge hit, but wasn't.......
But, this seems like it was better than L&S, on the whole. I can't stand Laverne and Shirley. I've just never liked it, other than the fact that it's a part of TV history.
Maybe it's because it was too 1970s in look and feel. I prefer the 1950s and 1960s classics. I also adore THE BRADY BUNCH, but it was very 1950s/60s in sensibility. It wasn't really like 1970s shows. The only 1970s show that was perhaps as classy and cozy as those from the 50s and 60s was THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW .
It was better. The mid to late 70s shows were the beginning of unfunny
Aw Laverne and Shirley is my favorite show ever
@@dorothysmith3120 It's nice that you like it. I'm always to see mega fans of shows - even if I'm not a fan of it- because it gives me respect for the show anyway and even makes me interested sometimes. 🙂