Shout Factory Press Release: Maude: The Complete Series (1 Viewer)

[Hasslein]

So I take it Barbeau singing & dancing to "the Hustle" is there?

 

[FanCollector]

I haven't watched every episode, but have watched about half, and I haven't found a single missing moment. Brian is right about the frequency of songs being sung or quoted, and it's all there. Even notoriously difficult stuff like Irving Berlin and Rodgers and Hammerstein songs are included. It's great that Maude, like All in the Family and Sanford and Son (its music-heavy sister shows), made it out without music edits.

As far as the review goes, I don't think Maude is the finest sitcom of the '70s, but I think it's in the top 5 or 6, and must surely be the most underrated sitcom of the '70s.

 

[upperco]

It's a much funnier series than time has given it credit for being. I think it could be considered underrated by contemporary critics, especially when compared to the other hits of the era that have earned more of a comedic reputation through syndication.


I believe this DVD release is going to change a lot of opinions.

 

[FanCollector]

Right, I think it's underrated in retrospect. It got a lot of approbation at the time, but it wasn't a big hit in syndication and it has been unfairly forgotten or mislabeled in the years since.

 

[Brian Himes]

So I take it Barbeau singing & dancing to "the Hustle" is there?

Yes, The Hustle is there and accounted for.

 

[Mr. Handley]

Agree that this show is WAY funnier than it gets credit for, at least the first few episodes I've watched so far. Bea Arthur was a master of the "slow-burn" reaction.

 

[Kasey]

It's a much funnier series than time has given it credit for being. I think it could be considered underrated by contemporary critics, especially when compared to the other hits of the era that have earned more of a comedic reputation through syndication.


I believe this DVD release is going to change a lot of opinions.

The bad press through the decades about how MAUDE is terribly topical and dated comes from Conservative reviewers who can't separate the character's political beliefs from the series itself. I've read about a dozen reviews now from established writers who had nothing but praise for the show after watching the set. Only the first season and perhaps some of S2 had that topicality the naysayers use to denigrate the show. I just finished S4 and I could count the few references to Gerald Ford on one hand.

 

[Kasey]

Yes, Shout did an incredible job on the music. As a diehard MAUDE fan (it's my favorite show ever) even I had forgotten some of the little bits of music that were on some of my less-than-favorite episodes ("Tie a Yellow Ribbon" for example). It was well worth the wait, and to think that five years ago, Shout "wouldn't touch [it]" due to the music issues.

 

[Kasey]

I watched the Captain Hero episode last night and it's as bad as I remember. Though I get what the writers were trying to do with this story, it just did NOT translate well to the set/screen. I used to blame John Byner for this stinker of an episode, but he was only doing what he was hired to do, which is, try and bring a lousy, silly script to life. FAIL and this one gets my vote as Worst Episode of the series.

 

[FanCollector]

I don't dislike it as much as you do, probably in large part because John Byner can make me laugh by doing almost anything, but the episode isn't really in the series' comfort zone. The shows are typically grounded very much in reality, and the comedy is based in recognizable truth. This episode flirts with absurdity and it just doesn't fit the characters as well. There are other series that didn't traffic so much in realism and the contrast wouldn't have felt so sharp. But on Maude, the situation just feels unbelievable. (In fairness to Maude, a couple of decades after this story was done, reality caught up to them. There are real people who develop super hero personas and fight crime now. So perhaps it's unreasonable to tag this episode as hard to swallow, but I still feel it is.)

 

[Kasey]

I don't dislike it as much as you do, probably in large part because John Byner can make me laugh by doing almost anything, but the episode isn't really in the series' comfort zone. The shows are typically grounded very much in reality, and the comedy is based in recognizable truth. This episode flirts with absurdity and it just doesn't fit the characters as well. There are other series that didn't traffic so much in realism and the contrast wouldn't have felt so sharp. But on Maude, the situation just feels unbelievable.

For this reason, I also have a problem with the S3 episode "Walter's Pride". To put Bill Macy in a fat suit detracted from the show's realism.

 

[Brian Himes]

Well, I finished the series last night. There were a few things that I noticed this time around that I didn't seem to pay much attention to the first time. It seems very odd that Maude and Walter didn't have a goodbye scene with Carol and Phillip but they did with Arthur and Vivian. And Victoria just seemed to vanish into thin air. After the really big introduction of Victoria at the end of season 5, she really didn't get much screen time after that. Yes, there were the two episodes with her Father but aside from those Victoria just isn't around. At least not like Florida and Mrs. Naugatuck were.


I think that had Maude continued for another season, it would have been interesting to see how Maude would have adjusted to being in Congress. I think the premise was a sound one, and I would like to have seen it developed further. Too bad Bea Arthur didn't want to continue.


Overall, I think that Maude is a much better show then All In The Family. For myself, I feel that All In The Family is a bit overrated. While I do understand the historical and cultural significance of All In The Family, I just don't find it all that great. All In The Family could be very good at times (even brilliant at times). Most of the time it was a very solid show, but it just doesn't appeal to me I guess. I like it, but it's just not my favorite. I like Maude better.


Of all of Lear's 70s shows, I think Good Times is by far the worst. For me, the bad far outweighed the good on that show. Again, there were times when the show was down right brilliant, but those moments were few and far between.


I'm giving Lear a bit of a break before I tackle all 11 seasons of The Jeffersons. I like the Jeffersons, but after watching All In The Family and then Maude back to back, I need a bit of a break.


I will say that Shout did a great job with Maude. The bonus disc is one of their better offerings.

 

[bmasters9]

Of all of Lear's 70s shows, I think Good Times is by far the worst. For me, the bad far outweighed the good on that show. Again, there were times when the show was down right brilliant, but those moments were few and far between.

If the bad far outweighed the good, then why didn't they call the show Bad Times instead of Good Times? Just a thought. It seems, the way you see it, that Bad Times would have been a much better title.

 

[dressedtokill]

Yes, Shout did an incredible job on the music. As a diehard MAUDE fan (it's my favorite show ever) even I had forgotten some of the little bits of music that were on some of my less-than-favorite episodes ("Tie a Yellow Ribbon" for example). It was well worth the wait, and to think that five years ago, Shout "wouldn't touch [it]" due to the music issues.

This gives me hope that they might release someday Knots Landings, another show filled with music issues.

 

[Brian Himes]

If the bad far outweighed the good, then why didn't they call the show Bad Times instead of Good Times? Just a thought. It seems, the way you see it, that Bad Times would have been a much better title.

I think you misunderstood what I meant.


Good Times started off as a show about the struggles of an inner city black family and all too quickly it became all about the buffoonish behavior of J.J. and 'dyn-o-mite.' Yes, there were some very good and meaningful episodes throughout the entire run of the series but they were few and far between.

 

[bmasters9]

I think you misunderstood what I meant.


Good Times started off as a show about the struggles of an inner city black family and all too quickly it became all about the buffoonish behavior of J.J. and 'dyn-o-mite.' Yes, there were some very good and meaningful episodes throughout the entire run of the series but they were few and far between.

I did indeed misread what you wrote, and I stand corrected! Good catch. I just thought that you were talking about the title not matching the content.

 

[Hasslein]

Good Times is laugh out loud funny. I don't think I've laughed out loud once with Maude. I'm getting the shout set, but as I stated earlier, it is for Barbeau. I just watched my copy of season 2's musical... wow... they should post clips of Barbeau dancing on their website, they'd sell quite a few more copies...

 

[classicmovieguy]

The show gets "laugh out loud" funny when Hermione Baddeley joins the cast as Mrs Naugatuck, in my opinion.

 

[Joe Caps]

Does anyone know why they changed Maudes grandson, Phillip, in midstream.

I loved Phillip number one and hated Phillip number Two.

 

[MatthewA]

If the bad far outweighed the good, then why didn't they call the show Bad Times instead of Good Times? Just a thought. It seems, the way you see it, that Bad Times would have been a much better title.

Good Times were what the Evans family was trying to find in the first place. That was the whole point of the show. It was an ironic title considering their plight and the overall mood in the country in 1974.