I originally saw this series when it first aired back in the late 1960's, later on a local television channel about 14 years ago, and now on the recently released DVD of the complete series.
It really holds up well. Some of the TV series back then were too topical or quickly became dated, not so with "The Mothers In-Law"! It is timeless comedy that still brings big laughs.
Whoever did the casting was a genius. There's Eve Arden who's talent certainly shows why she stayed popular. Always known for a smart remark in the movies, she continues to entertain in this series. Then, there's Kaye Ballard who makes up the other half of the two main characters. Her character is so strong that after all the years since the show originally aired, you still remember her catch phrase, "Oh Really!" and her character bragging about singing with the Ossie Snick Orchestra. Next, there's Roger C. Carmel, probably best remembered as Harry Mudd from the original "Star Trek" series, a great character actor and highly underrated. He is the perfect casting as Roger Buell (later played by Richard Deacon in the second season). He just fits the outlandish hats and stunts the character uses as a writer. Roger's foil is Herbert Rudley, a veteran of many movies and TV shows. Another piece of perfect casting, he is great as the more strait laced lawyer, often at odds with Roger. Add to this Jerry Fogel and Deborah Walley who are very likable and entertaining as the long suffering newlyweds and you have a cast that never fails to entertain.
In addition to a great cast, writers from the original classic, "I Love Lucy" utilize their talents with very funny scripts.
Though the show never fails to provide laughs, there are some episodes that really stand out. A few of them are:
"A Night to Forget" where Eve and Kaye get locked in a department store. They try to call their husbands for help but get a wrong number in Barcelona, Spain!
In "Through the Lurking Glass", Roger is writing for a TV show about the Masked Martian. So, he dresses up in the costume and jumps out at people in the park in order to gauge their reactions for his script. Naturally, he gets arrested and has trouble trying to explain since he is dressed up as a martian. So, he calls for help only to get Eve and Kaye coming in dressed like grasshoppers followed by Herb in an "Arabian Nights" type costume, then Jerry and Suzy dressed as a kangaroo and rabbit!
Then, there's "You Challenge Me to What?" Roger challenges Herb to a duel after his writing is insulted. The girls try to stop it only to be caught by the police dueling with swords in their hands!
"How Not to Manage a Rock Group", this episode has a guest appearance by the rock group, The Seeds, in this instance, called The Warts. They perform their classic "Pushin' Too Hard".
The "Mothers In-Law" is a classic show with talented writers and cast, a show that deserved a longer run and a must see of television comedy.
It really holds up well. Some of the TV series back then were too topical or quickly became dated, not so with "The Mothers In-Law"! It is timeless comedy that still brings big laughs.
Whoever did the casting was a genius. There's Eve Arden who's talent certainly shows why she stayed popular. Always known for a smart remark in the movies, she continues to entertain in this series. Then, there's Kaye Ballard who makes up the other half of the two main characters. Her character is so strong that after all the years since the show originally aired, you still remember her catch phrase, "Oh Really!" and her character bragging about singing with the Ossie Snick Orchestra. Next, there's Roger C. Carmel, probably best remembered as Harry Mudd from the original "Star Trek" series, a great character actor and highly underrated. He is the perfect casting as Roger Buell (later played by Richard Deacon in the second season). He just fits the outlandish hats and stunts the character uses as a writer. Roger's foil is Herbert Rudley, a veteran of many movies and TV shows. Another piece of perfect casting, he is great as the more strait laced lawyer, often at odds with Roger. Add to this Jerry Fogel and Deborah Walley who are very likable and entertaining as the long suffering newlyweds and you have a cast that never fails to entertain.
In addition to a great cast, writers from the original classic, "I Love Lucy" utilize their talents with very funny scripts.
Though the show never fails to provide laughs, there are some episodes that really stand out. A few of them are:
"A Night to Forget" where Eve and Kaye get locked in a department store. They try to call their husbands for help but get a wrong number in Barcelona, Spain!
In "Through the Lurking Glass", Roger is writing for a TV show about the Masked Martian. So, he dresses up in the costume and jumps out at people in the park in order to gauge their reactions for his script. Naturally, he gets arrested and has trouble trying to explain since he is dressed up as a martian. So, he calls for help only to get Eve and Kaye coming in dressed like grasshoppers followed by Herb in an "Arabian Nights" type costume, then Jerry and Suzy dressed as a kangaroo and rabbit!
Then, there's "You Challenge Me to What?" Roger challenges Herb to a duel after his writing is insulted. The girls try to stop it only to be caught by the police dueling with swords in their hands!
"How Not to Manage a Rock Group", this episode has a guest appearance by the rock group, The Seeds, in this instance, called The Warts. They perform their classic "Pushin' Too Hard".
The "Mothers In-Law" is a classic show with talented writers and cast, a show that deserved a longer run and a must see of television comedy.