The Mothers-In-Law

Reading all the great comments from readers of this website made my Sunday morning! It is too bad, indeed, that "The Mothers-in-Law" is not in syndication and Lucie Arnaz and I have talked about this often. It has something to do with Desi's estate, I believe, and legal complications...

However, be that as it may, everything wonderful written about "my little Italian Mama", Kay Ballard is all true - she is, was and will always be the very best!!!! I can only say that those days, back in 1966-1968, were the best 56 weeks of my life! Thanks, all, for watching and enjoying the program! Jerry Fogel (Jerry Buell)

This has to be one of the most underrated shows in the history of television. I remember watching reruns of it when I was younger and I thought it was pretty funny. I especially loved the dynamic of Kaye Ballard's and Eve Arden's characters. They both would always give advice to their children and usually with hilarious results. Also, this was one of the few shows on television at the time in which the in-laws didn't have an antagonistic relationship with each other. I hope that one day they will bring back this funny show in reruns.

This is a show which had two of the greatest writers in TV history, Caroll & Pugh who co wrote I Love Lucy. The cast was great as the talented Eve Arden & Kay Ballard were very good comedians who played off each other very well. The legend Roger C. Carmell is great in this show too. Herb Ruddley, if I recall his name correctly, played off Carmell well too as the straight man to Rogers classic funny man.

For some obscure reason, NBC tried putting this on Sunday nights when Ed Sullivan was still big and put it in a killer time slot. That is the main reason this show only lasted 2 seasons. The shows were funny and the format of the main cast going after each other week after week was a fresh approach.

The show naturally had a lot of ties to Lucy as the writers and Desi Jr. were on the show sometimes too along with other well known guest stars. This series is on DVD now,folks who saw it then have fond memories and folks who see it for the first time will wonder how network Execs at NBC killed such a promising & well done show in two seasons. Of course it was consistent with NBC's track record then as they also killed the original STAR TREK too.

The opening credits sequence of THE MOTHERS-IN-LAW was one of the best ever. The theme song was quite manic, and was accompanied by clips of the actors getting hit with flying objects, splashed with water, and crashing into walls and through floors and ceilings. What's more, the appropriate sound effects for each mishap were dubbed in. The result was one of the most wild opening credits sequences I have ever seen, which emphasized the madcap events in the episodes themselves. All of this is made even more hilariously bizarre (or bizarrely hilarious) by the almost complete absence of memorable opening credits sequences, and memorable theme songs, on television today.

Mostly funny sitcom because of the comedic talents of Eve Arden and Kaye Ballard as the mothers-in-law. The show was produced and often directed by Desi Arnaz so if there's a "Lucy & Ethel" vibe, it's not a coincidence.

Basic plot revolves around neighbors, the Hubbards and the Buells, whose kids marry, making the neighbors in-laws. The mothers are clinging, nosy, and very funny. While Ballard does a lot of her explosive Italian schtick, Arden gets to cut loose from her famous "Our Miss Brooks" persona and display her talent for slapstick. For example: in one episode while the mothers are standing on the garage door handles and peering through the windows (it's been converted into the newlyweds' apartment), the door goes up with Arden and Ballard going up with it.

Being a late '60s show, the women wear wild colors and the houses are decorated with lots of bright orange and yellow. Set against this garish backdrop, the relatively normal husbands are played by Herbert Rudley and Roger C. Carmel (replaced in season 2 by Richard Deacon). The newlyweds are played by Deborah Walley and Jerry Fogel.

Desi Arnaz makes a few guest appearances and both Desi Arnaz, Jr. and Lucie Arnaz show up in a few episodes. Lots of familiar faces show up in guest spots. TV fans will easily spot Paul Lynde, Rob Reiner, Ozzie Nelson, Doris Packer, Beverly Garland, Percy Helton, Jeanette Nolan, Herb Edelman, Joi Lansing, Don Rickles, Alice Ghostley, Mary Jane Croft, Teri Garr, and even Jimmy Durante in various episodes.

But it's really all about Eve Arden and Kaye Ballard.