Watched Love, American Style - Volume 1 (1 Viewer)

[Gary OS]

Me too. The Charles Fox Singers did a much better job with the theme song in my opinion. In fact it was jarring to pop this dvd in and hear that theme song. It just wasn't the same at all. Thankfully, the nice jazzy ending theme was the same as I remembered and a joy to listen to.

Gary "no doubt about it - the Cowsills version does nothing for me, nothing at all" O.

 

[TonyD]

put me down for the non cow version too.

 

[DeWilson]

Dated or not, it's great that these have come out as it's TV's last real comedy anthology series. Being presented in the original 1-hour format is a plus!

__________________________________________________ __________________________
A little bit of trivia - The "Love American Style" production office at Paramount was Gene Roddenberry's old "Star Trek" Production offices.

After "Love American Style" ended, Gene got the offices back when he
was set up to develop the return of "Star Trek" in some form (First as a TV
Movie that eventually became the theatrical movie never made,then as the tv series "Phase II" never made,and then finally as The Motion Picture.)

However, he had to have the offices redone as the "Love American Style"
people redid the office in 1969 with a red-white-and Blue motif!
__________________________________________________ _______________________

 

[Hank Dearborn]

I think you guys are just so used to the generic theme which is pretty much all that anyone has heard since 1970. But the Cowsills are a great group, much better than a bunch of studio singers. It's a similar case with Partridge Family where the better first season theme wasn't heard again until decades later. Even worse, the vocal theme from Here Come The Brides was removed in syndication and wasn't even put back on the first season DVD set. The only way to hear it is on the TV's Greatest Hits Volume (5 I think) that included it.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

I was unfamiliar with the "history" of the theme song. But when I put this DVD into my player, I could tell the song didn't sound as upbeat as it was in my memory. So in other words, I think I prefer the later, non-Cowsills verison myself. Believe it or not, since I didn't recall ANY of the episodes themselves, the catchy and happy theme song was the prime reason I wanted to revisit the show now as an adult. I don't mean to be pessimistic here but I really doubt the sales of this DVD are going to be very good, and I wonder if we'll ever get far enough into DVD releases for the "studio singers" intros...?

 

[Gary OS]

I may be mistaken, but I think the theme changed after the first season, so if we can just get this series to Season 2, I believe we will hear the one we prefer. But I might be wrong about that. Someone will have to check (I will later on if someone else doesn't in a reasonable amount of time). Perhaps Paramount would consider placing the well known "Love and the Happy Days" episode on the second half of Season 1 as a bonus. It's from the final season and it definitely has the later (and better, IMHO) theme song.

Gary "I'm sure Hank is right about a number of folks simply being used to the later theme, but I had heard both many times and still have both on my computer - I just greatly prefer the jazzier one" O.

 

[Radioman970]

I'll probably get a Flintstones season 1 feeling from it then. The "restored" opening titles never did feel right to me. Still, If I wasn't broke I would've bought this while in Walmart last week. I actually like The Cowsills. I can imagine them doing an okay job with the song. It won't have the nostalgia for me though. It shouldn't be as bad as something like Married with Children getting that awful replacement tune instead of Love & Marriage. That was just sad.

 

[Corey3rd]

It must have been odd timing to have the Cowsills singing a theme song on the same night and network as The Partridge Family - a rip off of their backstory (minus the abusive father).

The Charles Fox singers come off as a clone of The Ray Conniff singers. This works better for the show. Since the Ray Conniff singers come off as a futuristic harmonies act. You can imagine them performing in yellow turtlenecks. There's a sterile quality to their sound. This reassures you that this show might deal with sex, but its not going to get dirty. The Cowsills rockin' version almost promises more than the show can give under ABC's Standards and Practices dept.

 

[Brian Himes]

I tend to think of a 'period piece' as something that was purposely filmed to reflect a certain time period. Like a western. Love, American Style was not a period piece. It was a comtemporary program at the time it was made. It is now a period piece of sorts in that it reflects the period it was made.

I happen to like it for its dated quality.

 

[ToddR2]

Joe, thanks, but I already know who is putting out the shows I cited. Paramount HAS been more aggresive w/their catalog of vintage TV, we all know that. Jeff, where did I ever say in my post that I wished for only my favorite shows to come out on DVD? Or, for that matter, that there was some connection between Paramount's LAS release and Fox's abandonment of MTMS (among others)? Well? I'm sorry if I hurt any feelings, but I maintain that shows that appealed mainly/mostly to kids from this era are the ones that will sell the best and get released the fastest. A quick review of what's out there and what's on "most wanted" lists will confirm this. I have no issues with studios releasing whatever they think will sell, nor should I (or anyone else). It IS disappointing that a lot of what sells is rather silly, that is all.

 

[Radioman970]

Someone posted it on youtube. Good sound quality, although if the guy intro-ing it had been a radio DJ I would've tuned to Imus after 20 seconds of his 2:45 monologue. The song starts about 2:45 into the film.

Cowsills, Love American Style on Youtube

Hey, I like it!! The Cowsills did an excellent job. I can't wait to pick up that DVD.

I feel the creators of The Partridge Family were just "inspired" rather than ripping off.

 

[Corey3rd]

People who were kids back in the late 60s/early 70s are the perfect target market for TV shows on DVDs cause we're old enough to remember the shows, but young enough to shop on the internet so we know when they have come out on DVD. Old people don't want to get out of their chair, squat down and swap out DVDs. they want to just click away and find their shows on the Retro TV Network.

Comfort Food is the best way to look at TV on DVD. People want to buy shows that they enjoyed. They want the mac and cheese from their youth. I want the shows that ran on WLVI. But at the same time I'll pick up recent shows that get my attention. But odds are the underplayed shows of my youth get bought on the day of release (Ultraman & Hogan's Heroes). I'll get MTM & Bob Newhart, but only when Fox runs a 2 for 1 sale.

Love American Style is like a great grab bag of a show since you never what stars will pop up and in what roles.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

No need to apologize; I don't think of "dated" the way you do. When one watches a show filmed in 1969 or 1970 (for example) then of course the attitudes, clothes, music, furniture, colors, etc., are going to seem to be from another time and seem "passe". (shrug) .

 

[Corey3rd]

well after talking about getting Newhart and MTM at 2 for 1 sales, deepdiscount has the deal.

 

[Michael Rogers]

Was LAS always 1 hour on network? I was surprised by the 1 hour format and the differently styled theme song.

 

[Hank Dearborn]

It ran for 4 and a half seasons, only one of which was in a half hour format.

 

[Joe Kelly]

Two words why I am looking forward to the DVD release of Season 1 Part 2: KAREN VALENTINE.

 

[Corey3rd]

I'm looking forward to it for two other words: Julie Newmar

 

[Larry.P]

my two words:
VIVIAN VANCE!

 

[Paul_Scott]

Karen Valentine was a honey. I had a crush on her from The North Avenue Irregulars. Wasn't she the lead in Room 222? I always wanted to see that show, but never have.

I was on the fence back and forth with this set. I ordered it from the DD sale, but then had second thoughts and decided to Netflix it instead. I got to the first commercial break on the first episode and that was all I needed to see to know this was something I wanted to own and be able to peruse at leisure.
What I saw in that first 7 minutes or so- that I hope was indicitive of the overall style of the rest of the series- was a refreshing depature from the set up/punchline/ set up/punchline style that I've seen for the last 20 years on sitcoms. There was a bit of that, but it wasn't aggressive (nor was the laugh track thank God) and the writing just had more of a theatrical style feel to it. There seemed to be room left for nuance and subtlety.
Maybe I will find I made a mistake- but I'm looking forward to going thru this in the weeks ahead much more than I expected to.

The other thing that sold me was seeing Yvonne Craig in the 1st eps credits. I had seen some of the other guest stars listed on various sites, but never saw her mentioned. That tells me there are probably a TON of faces I grew up with that will show up unexpectedly in this and future sets. That will be worth something.

And put me down as one who prefers the Charles Fox singers rendition to the Cowsills. It would be nice if we got that version (or God forbid, the ability to select which intro we wanted) in a future set.