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The Mothers-In-Law Complete Series DVD


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*executes obscene Italian gesture*

I just finished watching the set. And I looooved it! "The Charge of the Wife Brigade" was a riot. The last episode was missing something. It kinda just sat there.

 

But, I have to say I can't believe "The Carol Channing Show" didn't develop into a series. That was one of my favorite bonus features. I couldn't stop laughing. It was so much fun to watch. Also loved the sets. And seeing Jimmy Garrett (a little older) and Eddie Applegate (The Patty Duke Show --another fave of mine) was a real treat.

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I just finished watching the set. And I looooved it! "The Charge of the Wife Brigade" was a riot. The last episode was missing something. It kinda just sat there.

 

But, I have to say I can't believe "The Carol Channing Show" didn't develop into a series. That was one of my favorite bonus features. I couldn't stop laughing. It was so much fun to watch. Also loved the sets. And seeing Jimmy Garrett (a little older) and Eddie Applegate (The Patty Duke Show --another fave of mine) was a real treat.

I couldn't agree more -- what a treasure! Great find.

Of course, watching and enjoying it brought up many questions I'll probably never get answers to, but maybe some of our "gurus" here on the board may know: For example, did it ever air? I noticed it had a beyond 25 - 26 minutes running time -- I think it actually went over 30 minutes! -- so if it did, it would have to have been edited.

 

Did it "bother" (slightly) anyone else that she played directly to the studio audience a few times?? While it was kinda...cute, for lack of a better word, it did break the proverbial "4th wall" and wasn't really necessary -- you could tell the audience present LOVED her!

 

Jane Dulo should have been offered her own show after this! Hysterical. I don't know if it was her chemistry with Richard Deacon or her delivery but --and I'd have to go back to watch it again to quote it exactly --but she had a line that was just something "plain" like, "That's what you think" or something and got a HUGE laugh! Priceless.

 

Cool to see Desilu veterans, the slightly older Jimmy Garrett chief among them, included in the supporting cast. Anyone else notice the future "Waltons" Ike Godsey in the role of a sailor that got into a fight with another sailor (familiar, but I can't place him/remember his name) to dance with Carol? So cool.

 

Curiously, the end credits listed everyone in the show with lines EXCEPT for the sailors in the dance hall sequence -- wonder what that was about??

 

Overall, it was a very funny show with great potential, a stellar supporting cast and a wonderful lead in Miss Channing. Wonder what the "suits" reason(s) were for not giving it a green light? Ahh, show biz....

B)

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According to Bob and Madelyn's Archive of American Television Interview, the series was sold, but Carol opted to do "Thoroughly Modern Millie" instead. Carol's contract stated she did not have to do the show if it was picked up. Carol said the recently the writers tried to make her too much like Lucy and that's not what she wanted. General Foods was supposed to sponsor it. Carol ended up winning a Golden Globe and being nominated for an Academy Award for "Thoroughly Modern Millie."

 

I think the show ran something like 37 minutes. I think the scenes with Carol narrating could have been easily cut for broadcast. However, it would still be too long. To my knowledge, it never aired.

 

I think the show is a riot. Jane Dulo is always hilarious. I wish she had appeared in a Lucy episode.

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I couldn't agree more -- what a treasure! Great find.

Of course, watching and enjoying it brought up many questions I'll probably never get answers to, but maybe some of our "gurus" here on the board may know: For example, did it ever air? I noticed it had a beyond 25 - 26 minutes running time -- I think it actually went over 30 minutes! -- so if it did, it would have to have been edited.

 

Did it "bother" (slightly) anyone else that she played directly to the studio audience a few times?? While it was kinda...cute, for lack of a better word, it did break the proverbial "4th wall" and wasn't really necessary -- you could tell the audience present LOVED her!

 

Jane Dulo should have been offered her own show after this! Hysterical. I don't know if it was her chemistry with Richard Deacon or her delivery but --and I'd have to go back to watch it again to quote it exactly --but she had a line that was just something "plain" like, "That's what you think" or something and got a HUGE laugh! Priceless.

 

Cool to see Desilu veterans, the slightly older Jimmy Garrett chief among them, included in the supporting cast. Anyone else notice the future "Waltons" Ike Godsey in the role of a sailor that got into a fight with another sailor (familiar, but I can't place him/remember his name) to dance with Carol? So cool.

 

Curiously, the end credits listed everyone in the show with lines EXCEPT for the sailors in the dance hall sequence -- wonder what that was about??

 

Overall, it was a very funny show with great potential, a stellar supporting cast and a wonderful lead in Miss Channing. Wonder what the "suits" reason(s) were for not giving it a green light? Ahh, show biz....

B)

 

 

I think HC mentioned in the old thread that it was greenlit but CC declined. What say you, HC?

 

I too enjoyed the Carol Channing Show, but it is so... broad! The repeated shootings of Richard Deacon and the Italian restaurant scene didn't really seem to gel with the park and dance hall scenes. How hysterical was the dance scene? Hilarious stuff. I didn't mind the breaking the fourth wall ("MAMMA MIA!") but it would have been better if Carol wasn't on the verge of foaming at the mouth during her monologues. That was a bit distracting. :mellow:

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I've just ordered this as a "blind buy"... how is the set packaged?

It's actually nicely packaged and compact. It uses a larger style VIVA (or amaray) case and there are pictures on the inside of the case as well through the clear plastic. There is a pamphlet that comes with it listing the episodes on each disc along with original air dates. Overall, really nicely put together. Some of the best series don't get this treatment. So it's nice to see lesser-known gems like this get a nice release.

 

The discs themselves are on page-turners in the middle of the case. Very securely placed.

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I think HC mentioned in the old thread that it was greenlit but CC declined. What say you, HC?

 

I too enjoyed the Carol Channing Show, but it is so... broad! The repeated shootings of Richard Deacon and the Italian restaurant scene didn't really seem to gel with the park and dance hall scenes. How hysterical was the dance scene? Hilarious stuff. I didn't mind the breaking the fourth wall ("MAMMA MIA!") but it would have been better if Carol wasn't on the verge of foaming at the mouth during her monologues. That was a bit distracting. :mellow:

Ahh, so it would have been a "go" if Carol wanted it to be. I really liked it. The whole scene with Richard Deacon and the coffee was a riot to watch. Also agree with the Jane Dulo comments. I've seen her on "I Dream Of Jeannie", "Gimme a Break", "The Joey Bishop Show", and a few others I can't recall at the moment and she's always a scene stealer.

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It's actually nicely packaged and compact. It uses a larger style VIVA (or amaray) case and there are pictures on the inside of the case as well through the clear plastic. There is a pamphlet that comes with it listing the episodes on each disc along with original air dates. Overall, really nicely put together. Some of the best series don't get this treatment. So it's nice to see lesser-known gems like this get a nice release.

 

The discs themselves are on page-turners in the middle of the case. Very securely placed.

Thanks for the info! I'm excited to see the show.

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Well, it's a Desi show or movie so that counts. ;)

Not to mention it was filmed at Desilu, by Desilu with lots of Desilu veterans (e.g., aside from Desi, Maury Thompson directed at least one ep) behind the scenes and of course, most of the scripts were by B&M, so.... how much more "Lucy" (w/o LB, that is) could it be?? :blink:

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  • 3 weeks later...

I enjoyed the DVD set very much indeed. Though Eve Arden was almost a clone of Lucy in speech and mannerisms - not a bad thing, but was it a conscious thing, or was it meant to be a Lucyesque performance

 

Nice to see Mary Jane in one of the last shows, pity Lucy, Gale or Viv couldn't have done guest spots

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I totally disagree, I had a hard time watching the first 13 episodes. I think the acting was way over-the-top. Also, there was no chemistry between the actors. I think Kaye Ballard was the best thing about the show, however, I think both Kaye and Eve were a poor version of Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance. The plots were rehashes of old "I Love Lucy" scripts. Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance were funny, Eve and Kay weren't. It seemed to me that the situations and acting between Kaye and Eve were forced. The supporting cast were horrible especially the kids and Herb (Eve's husband). The show definitely could have been a wonderful vehicle for Lucy and Viv (after Lucy sold Desilu studios which forced Lucy to cancel "The Lucy Show" and start "Here's Lucy"). I could see why the show didn't do well in the Nielsen ratings when it ran during the 1967-68 and 1968-69 TV seasons. It wasn't because it was old fashion comedy, if that were the case Lucy wouldn't have been on the air in "The Lucy Show" winning Emmys and landing nearly almost atop of the Nielsen charts each week. I think the amateurish acting is why the show didn't work. I think the show is selling well on Amazon.com but you can't beat a price of $18.99 for 56 episodes. I bought the series because I had fond memories of the series when I was growing up but when I received the DVD package and started watching I realized that the show is not really funny after all these years and very painful to watch.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Anyone know where this set might be sold at a reasonable price? I stupidly waited to purchase it because I am not retired and on a tight budget and was going to order it this weekend from Amazon, where it was $18.00 and change, went up to $20.84 for weeks and just today jumped up to almost $30.00. Why does it keep increasing? So much for the low prices on Amazon LOL!

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I've been looking for this set in local stores & have tried 5 or 6 with no luck. I read such good reviews here when it came out & when I discovered that Bob & Madelyn wrote the episodes & Desi was in on it, too, I knew I would enjoy it. Bad news that the price has increased so much. It will be on my Christmas list this year.

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It's still a steal at $30 for what you get! This set bolsters my argument that all completed, classic series should be released not by single season sets but a single complete series box, replete with special "goodies" (bonuses). This set is worth the price of admission alone for Kaye Ballards wonderful interview, not to mention the inclusion of the rare Carol Channing pilot and getting every episode in pristine uncut glory. Wonderful!biggrin.gif

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