Maude

Maude is one of my favorite sitcoms off all time. Even though it's pretty dated stuff, it still is uproariously funny. I think the older comedies are funny because they mixed social content with humour better than today's sex-drenched drek.

I read somewhere that Maude Findlay was supposed to be Edith's sister in this spin-off. Although the two are as different as night and day, Maude does sound like Edith when she's irked. Beatrice Arthur plays Maude, a feminist who has been married 4 times and is looking to make her mark in the world. She lives with her 4th husband, Walter (Bill Macy), a man who can deal with her manic depression and mood swings, and her divorced daughter (played by the buxom Adrienne Barbeau) and her son. Also, there are the Harmons, played by Conrad Bain(Arthur) and Rue McClanahan(Vivian).

Maude was always funny because the cast worked brilliantly together, the script-writers had consultation from the great Bobs Weiskopf and Schiller(of I Love Lucy fame), and the shows of the 70's didn't have to worry about being PC, because at the time, people weren't so sensitive about their stereotypes then. It was truly zany, with too many great moments to mention; mine was when The Harmons were having trouble in their young marriage and were relying on sex games to liven it up. One night the Findlay's go out to visit the Harmons, and Vivian is naked, but wrapped up in Saran Wrap. She opened the door thinking it's Arthur, but when its Maude and Walter, she screams and slams the door, and The Findlay's are standing with their backs to the camera for 40 seconds. It was gut-bustingly funny, waiting for their take on what just happened. A true comedy hit of the past.

Of course, who can't forget Maude's trademark line: "God will get you for that!" when Walter or someone else took a good verbal shot at her.

I only got the chance to catch seldom episodes when it ran recently on Nick's TV Land,but I wanted to see more,but before I could seen them they took it right off the air. When CBS premiered this spin off from "All In The Family" in September of 1972,no one had the slightest idea that it would last until April of 1978 where it ran for an astounding six years.

"Maude" gave people a chance for the people of "All In The Family" to tackle the female side of issues..by creating a powerful,subtle and holds no punches as well as humorous and full of fight woman that had just as stronger views as Archie Bunker--who else couldn't keep her mouth shut! She spoke her mind on things and her her political views were extremely rare to boot! However,Maude's household was full of surprises cause you never know what can you expect especially the occurrences happening at the Findlay's. In other words,in Maude's house she didn't take no crap from any sucker cause she was the total boss of the dome! Tough-spirited yet gullible. Bill Macy was the perfect husband Walter who was an salesmen played it to the hilt! Also rounding out the cast were there next door neighbors--the nutty and slightly unpredictable Harmon's played by Rue McClanahan and Conrad Bain,and the Findley's daughter Carol played by Adrienne Barbeau and their housekeeper played by two different actresses(Seasons 1-2 played by Esther Rolle who played Florida who after this had a spin off from Maude as well called "Good Times")and Carol's son(from a previous marriage) and Maude's nephew Phillip(played by two different actors especially one of them who played the first Phillip went to star opposite Linda Lavin's son onanother CBS series "Alice").

One of the best three favorite episodes from the series was the one where Phillip was acting like a real brat. Carol and Walter were fed up with him,but Maude believed there was no such thing as a bad child. THEY WERE WRONG! She showed Phillip who was the boss around here especially when adults are in charge!

The other episode where Phillip had some friends over to the Findley's for a party complete with a live band. What made Maude so angry in that episode was that Phillip was with some friends in the back yard smoking pot while the rest of his friends really trashed the house! But anyway when Maude asked Phillip about the pot,he really gave his mom a hard time and his room and himself was smelling like pot as well and of course lied to her about it,but it was Maude that gave him a wicked back hand across his face for talking back to his mother and to her! In other words,Carol didn't know how to control Phillip when he got older,since she was a divorce parent who never took time out since Phillip's dad was never around,but it was Maude who really gave the kid a good advice and some common sense,and to Carol as well on how to raise her son!

The other episode was when The Harmon's had a special guest in the neighborhood and no one really knew it at first,but the beans leaked out and out of the blue comes the Duke himself---JOHN WAYNE! and also had a musical interlude by no other but Donny Hathaway in a rare TV appearance who also wrote and compose the show's theme song.

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN....MAUDE RULES!!!

The controversy of "All in the Family" continued with this original spin-off. The titled character (Beatrice Arthur), Archie Bunker's (Carroll O'Connor) cousin, was everything that the aforementioned was not. She was a wildly independent feminist who was on her fourth marriage (with appliance store owner Bill Macy) and cut others with a dry wit that was quietly malicious, but admittedly hilarious at the same time. Adrienne Barbeau was a dominant fixture as Arthur's daughter and neighbors Rue McClanahan and Conrad Bain just added to the overall adequacy the show had. "Maude" was in constant scrutiny. One episode dealt with the freedom of choice issue (a woman's right to have an abortion) and that definitely remains the most fiery and politically-incorrect (especially for the time period) episode of the series' seven-year run from 1972 to 1978. Never did reach as high as "All in the Family", but was a legitimate envelope-pusher that still strikes a nerve in many conservative circles. Good series overall. 4 stars out of 5.

"Maude" was a chance for the people of "All in the Family" to tackle the female side of the issues... by creating a powerful, subtle and humorous woman that had just as strong views as Archie Bunker.

Bea Arthur has since become well known for her humor and the looks at the camera... she was the perfect choice for Maude... noone else could have pulled it off.

Throughout the years "Maude" tackled many issues and caused controversial uproars, just as it's parent show "All in the Family" did.

When naming a list of the most memorable shows, "Maude" should be listed at the top... although it hasn't earned the respect as it should have now.

If you get a chance to watch this series... do it...

Lady Godiva was a freedom rider...

And when the country was falling apart, Betsy Ross had it all sewn up...and then there's Maude (repeat,) right on Maude.

That was part of the opening theme song of this very popular show of the 1970s brought about by Beatrice Arthur visiting Archie and Edith Bunker's home on "All in the Family." Go know that Edith and Maude were cousins. The hilarity broke loose when Maude's liberal views were tested with Archie's ultra-conservative leanings. Arthur was such a success on the show that she was given her own show "Maude."

While Maude is very liberal, the film showed that her home was anything but functional. I guess that the same can be said about any liberal or conservative.

The show was highlighted by another great supporting cast with Bill Macy and Adrienne Barbeau as husband and daughter to Maude, respectively.