The Good Guys

The plot outline pretty much sums it all up.

It was just some sort of a warm-down for Edelman (bit on "The Odd Couple") and Denver (Gilligan's Island), but a most enjoyable little show with a very pleasant, understated Joyce Van Patten.

The show was Seinfeld-esque, little happened in it, but was still very enjoyable. A fun show was when, in anger, they revealed each other's middle names Bertrand "Ranravenald" Gramus & Rufus "Fahquart" Buttterworth.

Silly and nice.

I started watching this show because I remembered and had enjoyed Bob Denver from his Gilligan days (and even as Maynard G. Krebs)

Unfortunately, I only remember a couple of gags from this show. One was when Rufus was trying to promote the diner as a truck stop. He told Bert that one of the truck drivers "pushes reefer" (a term meaning to sell marijuana). But before Burt could protest that he didn't want drug dealers frequenting his diner, Rufus explained that he drives a refrigerator truck.

In another episode, Rufus had taken a loaf of bread and sliced it the long way instead of across. When Bert asked him why he did it that way, Rufus explained that slicing it across cuts against the grain. Bert told him, "There is NO GRAIN in bread," realized what he had just said, and then gave up trying to argue.

I was pretty young in those days, but I definitely remember this series. It's a decent, mildly amusing, middle-of-the-road sitcom, about on the level of "I'm Dickens, He's Fenster" (which was made by the same producers and which bears more than a passing resemblance to this series). Bob Denver and Herb Edelman play (respetively) lifelong best friends Rufus and Bert. Bert and his level-headed wife (played by Joyce Van Patten) own a diner (the imaginatively named "Bert's Place") somewhere in downtown Los Angeles. Rufus runs a one-man taxi service (complete with a custom taxi designed by George "Batmobie" Barris), although it's hard to tell how he makes a living, since he seems to spend almost all of his time hanging out at Bert's Place. The two of them have typical 1960's sitcom misadventures, usually involving get rich quick schemes. Denver and Edelman have decent chemistry, and the stories, while repetitive, are OK, but the ratings must have been pretty soft right from the start, since halfway through the first season, since former "Gilligan's Island" co-stars Alan Hale and Jim Backus were added to the cast in recurring roles. The first season was shot on film in front of a studio audience.

The ratings ultimately justified renewal, but the second and final season brought wholesale changes to the show. Hale, Backus, the taxi and the studio audience disappeared as Bert and Rufus became business partners and moved the diner to a beach front location. The stories became much more silly and slapstick, and the series lost whatever charm it had. 17 episodes into the second season, it was canceled.

This is the final series in Bob Denver's CBS sitcom hat trick (the others being "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" and Gilligan's Island" ). Denver held an ownership interest in the show through his production company, and was an uncredited executive producer. The story is that Denver felt shafted by the producers of "Gilligan's Island" (imagine that), so he negotiated a very lucrative back-end deal for this series. He would have made a Thurston Howell-sized pile of money from the reruns, but, unfortunately for Denver, after the series was canceled, it was never syndicated. So much for the pile of money.

Denver, who had been a fixture on CBS prime time sitcoms for ten straight years, never had another prime time network series, although in 1975 he appeared on a CBS Saturday morning live action sitcom, "Far Out Space Nuts." A couple of things worth noting: Jerry Fielding's outstanding title tune, which is far more musically interesting than most TV theme tunes, and Reza Badiyi's charming opening credits sequence. Fielding also wrote the catch theme music for "Hogan's Heroes" and Badiyi will always be remembered for the title sequence for the original version of "Hawaii Five-O," the best title sequence in the history of American television, bar none.

I think anything with Bob Denver is great and when I had the opportunity to see this rare series I was very happy. I was not expecting much from it when I saw it, but it was very funny. I watched four episodes including one with Alan Hale Jr. I wish that this series would air on TV because it really could have the chance to catch one even if it has not been seen in 35 years and that many people have never heard of it. I like the connection between Bob Denver and Herb Edelman. The jokes were funny and original and they are still funny even if you were not around in the late 60's. I just wish more people could have the chance to see this because I know a lot of people would like this. Its funny show with family values and could fit in with any audience.

Essentially, this series centers around two soda jerks, Bod Denver & Herb Edelmen, who try to bumble their way through a lot of comic situations. Even though the idea of soda jerks is from the 1950's, this show manages to bring off the idea with comic results. Actually they own an ice cream shop. The chemistry between Edelmen & Denver is as good as Denver & Hale.

In fact, a couple of Gilligan's alumni appear on the series, Hale &Jim Backus. I was hoping that Mary Ann would appear, but if I remember correctly she didn't do any shots on this show. No matter, the show was funny & well done.

Jack Perkins does some excellent drunk sketch comedy on this show. While that type of humor has gone out of style now, his reoccurring guest shots on this show were all very funny.

This was yet another CBS series that did not last long enough in the late 1960's as it just barely got to the second season. Too bad as Denver was very good in this one too.