Ron Lee Green
Screenwriter
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2004
- Messages
- 1,209
Now that I've seen several episodes of "Our Miss Brooks" on MeTV, I'm reminded of the old saying, "Be careful what you ask for, because you might get it."
At best, I find it disappointing. Some episodes were terrible, as stupid as anything I've ever seen on television, and that's really saying something.
It's also surrealistic. The stories almost always involve just five people at a high school, Miss Brooks, Mr. Boynton, Mr. Conklin, Walter Denton and Harriet Boynton. These five people seldom interact with anyone else at school.
You never see Miss Brooks in the classroom. Most of the time she's hanging out with Walter Denton. Why? He's supposed to be dumb and weird, which he certainly is. Why is she so close to him? And what teenage boy talks like that, except the radio character Richard Crenna stole the voice from (I can't remember the character, now)?
Everyone speaks at the top of their voice (Desilu rules, I guess), and nothing ever seems natural or real.
The 1950s had some good things in it, but I have to face the fact that 90% of it was worthless junk, just as in the decades that followed.
I felt the same way at the beginning, but I stuck with and now I find it quite funny. I don't think the first few episodes of the first season were that good IMO, and I think Eve Arden's sarcastic style takes some time getting used to, but now I enjoy it. She reminds me sort of like Maude or Rhoda.
But you're right, some of the situations seem far-fetched, and it does seem like there are only 5 people in the whole school, and I never see Miss Brooks teaching in front of a classroom. Everything seems to occur between classes or at lunch.
And Crenna does tone down his voice a lot by season 2 thankfully.