one the upcoming 'One Day At A Time' DVD release... (1 Viewer)

[Burn Rourk]

Last week, I mentioned at a dinner with some friends that 'One Day At A Time' was coming out on DVD next year. The friends closer to my age and I were reliving some 'One Day At A Time' childhood memories. My wife, who is a few years younger than me, had never even heard of the show. It occurred to me, despite how fresh these memories and mental pictures are, that I haven't actually seen this show since it's initial airing! I have personally never seen 'One Day At A Time' as a rerun, ever.

I wonder if the show's status as a rarity will help or hurt DVD sales in the long run. I expect many from my generation will buy it, but none of the generations after me will have any nostalgic feelings invested in the series. I'm curious to see how a lack of TV culture saturation effects sales. Thoughts?

 

[GeorgePaul]

Not to be a downer so soon, man, but I HAVE seen "One Day at a Time" in re-runs after a few childhood memories from its original run, and I don't think it's aged well at all. The characters all seem distant and off-putting now, with some shows seeming to 'push the envelope' of acceptable TV language for no real purpose.

Too many jokes are dated. To me, it just seems like a bad rip-off of "Maude" now. I don't have much confidence in its sales, sorry.

 

[Craig S]

??? I don't doubt that it's dated, but the ODaaT situation(single mom raising two adolescent daughters) doesn't seem very similar to "Maude" (annoying loudmouth woman bosses around meek husband and grown daughter).

I had no idea this was coming out. I have fond memories of this as well (at the time, most boys my age had a major crush on Valerie Bertinelli) and I'll probably pick up at least Season 1, even though I suspect it won't hold up well. And I agree with Burn, it's been a LONG time since I've seen reruns of ODaaT.

 

[GeorgePaul]

Sorry...I just meant it was a series that, like "Maude" sometimes, tried too hard to be 'relevant' and 'topical' from a female perspective, that's all. There's a place for that kind of series, but I don't think it will lend itself well to DVD consumers in search of a satisfying dose of nostalgia. Too many 'very special episodes' and not enough funny ones, you know?

 

[Craig S]

Ah, OK, I certainly see what you mean by that. I do remember "Maude" in that light - I never really warmed to it. But I just remember ODaaT as being funny - Schneider probably has a lot to do with that - and having the future Mrs. Van Halen as fuel for my adolescent fantasies. :b

Like I said, I'll pick up S1 but I'll lower my expectations.

 

[Paul McElligott]

Valerie...

 

[Rob P S]

And yet Julie was written as the hot one.

 

[Craig S]

Yeah, that was a head-scratcher for me as well.

 

[Claude North]

I was a faithful viewer of this show, but somehow, I missed the episode in which Barbara dressed up as Elton John. Even in reruns, I never saw it. I'd love it if the show sold at least enough to get that season released.

 

[Tory]

I have never seen this show within memory, perhaps when I was 1 or 2, but it escapes me if I did and I remember watching Battlestar Galactica before the age of 1 so I doubt I habe seen this. Still, I always wanted to see this and I will buy the first season.

 

[Craig Sherman]

Sing it with me!

"This is it. (This is it.)
This is life, the one you get so go and have a ball.
This is it. (This is it.)
Straight ahead and rest assured you can't be sure at all.

So while you're here enjoy the view.*
Keep on doing what you do
So hold on tight we’ll muddle through
One day at a time, (One day at a time.)

So up on your feet. (Up on your feet)
Somewhere there's music playing.
Don't you worry none we'll just take it like it comes.
One day at a time, (One day at a time.)"

Schneider's the man.

CDE,

CS

 

[David Lambert]

I dunno about the show's topics not being relevent any more these days. One of my fave eps of the show was the one where Ann's got a new secretary (a friend of Julie's) who is epilectic, and when she (the secretary) has a seizure Ann think's she's on drugs. The point of the story was that epilepsy was an "in the closet" disease...which it still largely is today, in fact. Not as much so as back then, but it certainly doesn't get a lot of attention comparitively speaking.

I recall some "political-leaning" episodes that would still be valid today: one of the girls helping an immigrant not lose his visa to be in the USA, because a deportation back to his home country would land him in prison there; Ann writing a letter to the President to complain about something and getting investigated by the Secret Service as a result; Ann taking on an Arab client (a shiek [sic?] if I recall) and one of the girls leading a protest against awful conditions in his country. What about these don't resonate today?

Still, it was funny enough a show. Not laugh-out-loud funny, like MASH often would be, but no worse about that than many other "sitcoms". Maude, Alice, even Happy Days to a large extent. Always threw in a bit of a "moral to the story". Star Trek (TOS...and TNG, for that matter) - not a comedy, but a "socially relevent show" - masked it in metaphor, as is appropriate for Sci-Fi. Sitcoms had no such guises, but many of there topics are timeless...like the one where Julie tries to get a better grade from her teacher via less-than-academic means (she comes on to him).


This will be mine!

 

[Mark To]

Not my type of show and as it aired after my peak era for TV watching (after HS), I really never watched it nor developed any attachment for it. Like Maude, which was mentioned above, I would not have any interest.

 

[John McM]

count me in on getting season 1 of ODAAT. Great show, and one I haven't seen in ages

 

[Rob P S]

The early shows are alright, I guess, but this really started to tank around the fifth season when Julie married Max and they started adding too many outside characters. Remember when Barbara and Mark lived in that house with those strange people? Ron Rifkin is a fine actor, but he was a washout as Ann's romantic interest, which may explain why he only lasted one season. And the less said about Glenn Scarpelli the better. Even Bonnie Franklin lost interest by the last season, and most of those shows went to the kids.

 

[Brent Bridgeman]

Thanks for posting those lyrics Craig. What's scary is that I haven't seen that show in years (probably 15 or 20), and I still remembered the tune as I was reading (singing in my head) the lyrics! I guess Mrs. Van Halen made an impression on me, too...

 

[Craig Sherman]

Yeah, I'm a TV Theme Song nut.

You DON'T want to get into an argument with me over which is the TRUE theme song of The Facts of Life!

And I'm just happy that TBS is showing Bosom Buddies with it's original network theme song, a cover of Billy Joel's "My Life!"

Alas, it would seem that the era of sitcom theme songs, like videotaped sitcoms, is over. The only exceptions I can even think of are the incredibly terse themes for Malcolm in the Middle and Scrubs.

CDE,

CS

 

[Burn Rourk]

Yes, I meant to thank you for posting those lyrics. That theme song happens to be one of my first brain creases. It was nice to hear the difference between the actual lyrics and what my toddler brain had remembered.

My wife, who is deeply disturbed by the concept of a classic TV series she's never heard of, made me sing the theme song to her. She liked the tune and thought the lyrics were clever in regards to a single mom thinking positive despite the rough road ahead. Sadly, to Katheryn's dismay, it still rang no bells whatsoever. It's pretty clear that I have no choice at all; I am required to buy this DVD set for the sake of her own peace of mind.