"The Mothers-in-Law" (1967- 1969)

I remembered it from my early childhood -to the point where I preordered the box set when it was announced. I've watched it all the way through, several times. Eve and Kaye played off each other perfectly. Often the scripts were lame, but the four lead actors rose above them.

I rewatched this about ten years ago or so… I agree with what OP said — Ballard’s and Arden’s performances really sell. I always loved the episode where the engagement ring winds up in a meatball. 💍

I was going to mention the meatball episode, R2! A classic.

I love this show, too. Remembered it from when I was a kid (must have been reruns) and then watched it all the way through a couple of years ago.

I watched this about 12 years ago when it came out on DVD and echo the other sentiments- a show that should have been much worse than it turned out thanks to the cast, who moved heaven and earth. I've watched it a couple more times all through and wish they would have done a third season.

Could not stand this show…especially Kaye Ballard and the two actors who played the children.

What hurt this show is that Roger C. Carmel (who played Kaye Ballard's husband) quit after the first year because the cast was asked to take less money in order to keep the show on the air. He played his role in a blustery manner and did very well. During the second year they replaced him with Richard Deacon who acted whimpy and non-descript and the show just wasn't the same.

Never liked this show when I was a little kid. I remember my parents and grandparents enjoying it, though.

I like it, but 's basically I Love Lucy. The same writers and Desi wrote the show. I didn't like the show as much after the Roger C. Carmel left.

I liked all the hair sticking out of Roger Carmel's shirt collar.

Also the worst theme music of any sitcom…awful shit of a tune.

I know I was a dyke, but does that mean they had to stick me with TWO gay husbands?

Does anyone know if Ballard was wearing a wig and dentures in that sitcom?

I like the theme song and credit sequence!

This is pretty good. I find a lot of comedy from the 60s and earlier aged very well. This wasn't a hit?

I LOVED the show was I was like 5 or 6 circa 1975. I used to call it Mother Sin Law. I remember trying to talk to my mother and her friend Mrs. Denver about it, but they had no idea what it was. It was on channel 5, mid mornings, so I could only watch it on summer vacation.

That just triggered a memory. I was so into TV when I was a little kid. I remember the last day of kindergarten. The teacher, Mrs. Burge, said "This is our last day together. I'm sad..." and I piped up "I'm not! Now I get to see my shows!" And Mothers in Law was one of those shows.

I saw it in reruns.

Funny, I thought it ran longer.

I fast-forward to just Eve and Kaye's scenes. The others are just awful. Kaye Ballard explained that they had to overplay because it was a one-camera set-up, as if it was filmed theatre.

Another thing Kaye reported was that Eve favored being shot from the left side, which Kaye agreed to.

[quote] Kaye Ballard explained that they had to overplay because it was a one-camera set-up, as if it was filmed theatre.

R18 I just checked an episode, and it’s clearly 3-camera, which Desi Arnaz pioneered on “I Love Lucy.”

Kaye may have been looking for a polite way to say that the material was weak and Desi had them shout their lines to the rafters, like Lucy and Ricky shouting at each other.

For me the mark of a great comic actor is that they are funny when they cry. I just watched the episode where Eve thinks Herb is having an affair and both Eve and Kaye are hilarious when they cry about it.

I was 12 in 1967, watched one episode. Couldn’t stand it - then.

I had a crush on Herb. I was 9.

The episode with Scoey Mitchell touching on race was friggin hilarious.

It seemed lame when I was a kid. Overacting, predictable situations. Arden is a good reactor, but a little Kaye Ballard went a long way.

I like Kaye as much as Eve.

When I was 11 (mid 80s), we got a new channel...this was when we had ABC, CBS, NBC and one local channel that later became FOX a few years later. It was a weird off channel that only aired from like 7am-11pm but MIL came on at 11:30am and I was instantly hooked that summer.

Loved the way Kaye would shout, "Eeeeee-yeeeeee-yeeee-yeeeee-EVE!" and bite her hand.

Kaye is on the DVD special features talking behind the scenes stories. She came up with the plots for 3 episodes and said she never got paid. Then she bites her hand.

The Walley jump in figure skating is named after Deborah Walley’s father. Her parents were big stars with Ice Capades.

I actually like Richard Deacon. I hated Roger c carmel he was repulsive.

It was odd that when they recast Roger they hired prissy Richard Deacon. It changed the whole dynamic and not for the better.

As stated, Richard left because the cast couldn't get a raise however Desi was taking two or three salaries per episode as producer director and actor when he appeared.

These two were brilliant visual, physical comics with mediocre lines. I thought it was a scream when I was a kid and was sorry when the series just disappeared.

Jerry had childbearing hips.

I just watched the episode where Paul Lynde was the guest star. When he can't get a laugh you know the material is bad.

I blame this show for my gayness. You expose a 5 year old to Kaye Ballard and Eve Arden in reruns on a daily basis what you 'spect to happen?

Kaye's Oh really? make me laugh.

Both Roger C. Carmel and Richard Deacon were Gay. Was Ballard a beard for them?

i remember hating the fake Italian stuff.

And hating how the theme music did that little shift to guitars to signify the much less talented and poorly written married children.

It was for old people.

Could not stand this show.

Kaye was too loud and yelled too much. Her role could have been easily played by Gale Gordon.

Roger C Carmel is an OG Star Trek legend.

I just watched the original pilot. I liked Kay Cole as the first Suzie. She looked more like Eve Arden than Deborah Walley and was a better actor.

Though it ran for only two seasons, there are 56 episodes, so quite a sufficiency for those just discovering the series.

TV actors in the ‘60s really earned their salaries, seasons were long.

I just watched the episode with Marni Nixon as guest star. I never knew she looked so much like Charles Busch!

Richard Deacon was also in The Carol Channing Show that was not sold.