Pathetic Show


I can't believe I watched this as a child. I am catching some episodes on MeTV and have to say the show is beyond pitiful. Mainly talking about the color episodes. Haven't seen the early episodes with Bub in a long time. The acting is awful, the scripts are inane and everyone is so fake and stiff including Fred. Also how could two boys ages 10 and 14 or whatever their ages have bedrooms that are so pristine. I watch it just to see how bad an old show can be. It's as bad as Brady Bunch. Ernie was actually skateboarding in dress shoes. Chip was just saying lines and Robbie was so self conscious.

reply

[deleted]

Correction, ~not~ a pathetic show, far from it.

Grew up watching this show and what I always took from it were the scenes in the kitchen, this family ate breakfast together each day! And of course had dinner together each night too, unless Steve was traveling, which he did for business purposes but Charlie served daily meals in that kitchen and it looked to me growing up like such a safe haven. Even the family times watching a boxing match or just gathered in the living room, one reading, 2 playing checkers, another dozing on the couch and Charlie with his sewing box - were all so simple in concept but spoke volumes on how we should treat others.

All the life lessons and wisdom strewn about too - a true iconic representation of slower, kinder, more considerate times. And before you say it - conservatism - the Douglas family embraced diversity, respect and understanding about their fellow human beings. So please don't say this show represented the way things used to be in this country. I'm liberal and I think they represented how I'd like things to be now - people showing respect towards others, 24/7. That's what this show demonstrated so well.

So no, not pathetic - not by a longshot.

Mary/artichoke6

reply

You make some funny observations about the clean bedrooms and the boys skating in dress shoes, but I disagree overall about the show being pathetic. It was a stand-out show during a time when all family sitcoms were pretty much like this (the squeaky clean kids and wholesome storylines). There's a lot of thoughtfulness and quality that makes this show a lot more watchable than some of those other best-forgotten shows. Also, although I agree Robbie could seem pretty self-conscious, I think both the Livingston brothers did a great job playing Chip and Ernie. They were natural performers who always made the boys likeable.

reply

I agree that there were certain unrealistic aspects of this show. However, I don't think it was pathetic.

What's pathetic to me now (IMHO) are sitcoms today. Do we really need to see a woman cutting up with her doctor while receiving a gynelogical exam? Or watch people in bed (obviously naked under the sheets and having sex?) "Two Broke Girls." Really? Has television sunk so low that women are not respected anymore?

As a child, I could sit down and enjoy television with my family. Can't do that with my child.

reply

Don't know where you lived as a child, but when I was young, we didn't wear tennis shoes. All our shoes would be considered "dress shoes" today. And jeans were not ever present, I believe they started hitting the midwest in the late '60's to early 70's. Kids wore dress clothes to school, and often, boys didn't change their clothes before playing. I remember the two neighbor boys climbed a tree to retrieve a kitten after church and did so still wearing their church clothes! You can't compare today's standards with those of the early '60's! In fact, adults were different in those days, too! Many DID appear more "stuff shirt" and stiff. Kids also had to keep their rooms clean, pull weeds in the yard, clean out the garage, mow the lawn, wash and dry the dishes, and a lot of other "chores". Besides, kids didn't have the number of toys nor clothes that kids today have. There wasn't a lot to keep in its place!!!

Have no idea why your ctiricism of Chip and Robbie. I knew several boys who acted a lot like Chip and Robbie, and they weren't on screen. But that is why there are Fords and Chevys, as the saying goes.

reply

I agree...the show is far from pathetic. My first comment is in regard to the comment about the bedrooms being so pristine. If you compare the bedrooms of today to the bedrooms back then, todays bedrooms are filled with tv's, computers, iPods, games, overabundance of clothes and sneakers, etc. Back then, kids had what they needed, not necessarily what they wanted. So the bedrooms were much less cluttered.

Sure, parts of the show were a little unrealistic but that's entertainment. It's the bottom line that counts and that's the family values.

reply

OK so maybe I used the wrong word, pathetic. How about completely unrealistic. That episode when Steve befriends that girl at the bachelor party and brings her to the house and she decides to go back home, that episode when Robbie thinks he's all grown up and winds up with an older dancer who maybe wants to get cozy and he backs down or when Chip is thinking about getting married and they haven't even kissed. The dumb episode when Ernie befriends the Gypsies or discovers a flying saucer. How about the stupid episode when they have a father and son quiz show on local TV. See I watch the show.

I agree that most of the shows today like those reality shows are pathetic. I'm not saying I think the 60's shows were all lame. I love Leave it to Beaver, Andy Griffith, and even The Waltons (70's). My Three Sons was just unreal. I think Ernie was a good actor as a kid but when he got older he and Chip were just awful actors. The only character who saves the show is Uncle Charlie with his humor. Robbie and Katie were meant for each other. What's with her head constantly bobbing and why do Chip and Ernie do that bouncy walk. Fred rose to his own level of acting incompetence. Give me Andy Griffith, Barney Fife, Hugh Beaumont, Lucas McCain and even Jeff Stone (Donna Reed). See I love the 60's. I even liked Little Dodie.

reply

I totally agree that a lot of the storyline was unrealistic, such as the ones you mentioned above. But that's what the people wanted and watched back then. That was the mindset, simple-minded, no BS, laid back entertainment. Stupid? Yes, sometimes. But it caught the viewers attention and that made it a success. To me, no show was more ridiculous than The Monkees. I watched it, laughed a lot but it was not realistic at all, but it was entertaining.

And yes, todays reality shows are pathetic!

reply

At first I thought you just didn't like the sitcom from the 60's but then you mentioned you like Leave it to Beaver, that In my opinion is the worst show ever made in this genre.

You state as one of your reasons for not liking My Three Sons was how unrealistic it was. Most shows in the early
years of television weren't trying to depict life as reality. It was mostly depicted idealistically with few exceptions. For example June Cleaver wore her pearls to clean the house. Very unrealistic.

The children on Leave it to Beaver were very bad actors. They couldn't even say "Geez" without making it sound like they were reading. I'm not saying that the child actors on My three sons were great actors but they weren't any worse than the others.

I love watching my three sons and am very happy that Metv shows so many of the old tv shows.

reply

You"re out of your mind crazy to say "Leave it To Beaver" was the worst show. It's practically Shakespeare compared with the lame "My Three Sons." Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow were terrific, natural kid actors, as were the supporting kids. Maybe when Beaver got older, he got awkward, but early on, you will not find a better written, directed and cast show as "LITB."

"My Three Sons" is weak. They don't have half the wisdom of "LITB." Fred MacMurray was a lazy actor who filmed all his stuff in a couple weeks and usually without the kids. You can feel the disconnect.

reply

Let's not pit the two shows against each other.
They weren't direct competitors and featured two different situations.

I like both.
I love LTB, which is one of the greatest TV shows of all time, imho.
But LTB is no Andy Griffith just as Gilligan is no My Three Sons and neither are they in the same league as MASH, which is in a different arena (& different era).



reply

[deleted]

The best episodes of My Three Sons are the seasons 1-3 with William Frawley playing the part of Bub and Pre-Ernie!!!

reply

I agree. Bub was great. Uncle Charley got on my nerves.

reply

Ernie got on my nerves!!!

reply

at least with watching my three sons, you don't have to worry about sexual content. they need more shows where you don't have to worry about that today.

reply

Fred MacMurray tries my patience in pretty much everything I have seen him in, which I tend to avoid stuff with him, hence why I have never seen Double Indemnity.

Oddly enough, I like the Disney films, such as Shaggy Dog, Absent-Minded Professor, and he is not as unbearable in those.

MacMurray, by the way, was the source of much of Jack Benny's material of being a tightwad (choose your own word, frugal, then?)

He appeared on an episode of Jack Benny and when he didn't get to play his sax, he wanted to go home. The behavior seemed to suit him.

And I liked Caine Mutiny and how he was trashed by Ferrer in that one.

I think I've always hated the saxophone because of this show's theme. Couldn't stand to hear it when I was little.

I'm watching the show now and Chip and Ernie are playing monopoly.

I never saw older brother Mike until TVland showed a marathon about ten years ago and I saw the b&w eps with Frawley and I thought they were wonderful, especially with Don Grady as the middle son.

Like most shows, such as Gunsmoke and what is even happening with the Simpsons, shows grow stagnant, which I think is clearly what happened with the color eps that are unbearable.

But I thought those b&w eps were brilliant.

I do recall we like Ernie. He resembled my brother a bit and he was supposed to be a fresh addition to the show, tho I understand it was always known he would be written in later on.

reply

Since your dislike for MacMurray was why you liked The Caine Mutiny (where MacMurray's character gets his comeuppance), why do you avoid Double Indemnity? He portrays an even more reprehensible character in this, and the usually villainous Edward G. Robinson is the heroic insurance investigator who smells something rotten in Denmark with MacMurray's character's recently widowed client's (Barbara Stanwyck's) insurance claim.

If your antipathy for Fred MacMurray is THAT strong, then you are ready to see The Apartment, with MacMurray at his best (or should that be "worst?") as a reptile / S.O.B. boss; Jack Lemmon is his put-upon employee. Great movie! And MacMurray, love him or hate him, is terrific in this.

Okay folks, show's over, nothing to see here!

reply

vinidici: "Since your dislike for MacMurray was why you liked The Caine Mutiny (where MacMurray's character gets his comeuppance), why do you avoid Double Indemnity? He portrays an even more reprehensible character in this, and the usually villainous Edward G. Robinson is the heroic insurance investigator who smells something rotten in Denmark with MacMurray's character's recently widowed client's (Barbara Stanwyck's) insurance claim.

If your antipathy for Fred MacMurray is THAT strong, then you are ready to see The Apartment, with MacMurray at his best (or should that be "worst?") as a reptile / S.O.B. boss; Jack Lemmon is his put-upon employee. Great movie! And MacMurray, love him or hate him, is terrific in this."
______________________________________________________________________

Okay, great.

reply

Well, I'm simply suggesting that you not rule out for seeing either Double Indemnity, a lurid film noir masterpiece, or The Apartment, a magnificent comedy / drama, because you don't like MacMurray; since you may wind up liking both films for the same reason you liked The Caine Mutiny.

Okay, I'll let you be on this subject now. See you around the boards!

Okay folks, show's over, nothing to see here!

reply

You really should give Double Indemnity a try, it's a terrific movie ... a film noire classic!

Siri

Don't Make Me Have to Release the Flying Monkeys!


reply

Siriry: "You really should give Double Indemnity a try, it's a terrific movie ... a film noire classic!"
-----------------------------------------------------

It's just never come around and truthfully, I like this big goob in the Disney movies, all varieties, Shaggy Dog, Absent-Minded Professor and Son of Flubber.

I also like Barbara Stanwyck mainly because she is so annoying but she gets her comeuppance at the end of the majority of her movies, or she wracks herself with so much guilt.

I've just never had the chance to see DI. Will check it out one of these days.

reply

It was a great show. It was innocent, clean, family fun -- honest, true, and loving.

I loved it then as a youngster and I'm loving it again now, as an older fart.

reply

a Pathetic Show are you kidding me it was one my favorite show as a kid and if you want to watch the most Pathetic Show on tv watch Married with Children. I have to thank MeTV for airing My Three Sons.

reply

I don't think I'd call it "pathetic" but some of those later episodes, after the move to California and after the boys start to grow up, are kind of stiff and unfunny. It seems like an anachronism in the late 60s and early 70s.

The best shows are from the first five years in B&W, in the original format, with Steve, the boys, and the grandfather in Bryant Park. The next two years, in color and with Charley and Ernie rather than Bub and Mike, are a step down, but are still pretty good. But once everyone moves to California, starts getting married at 18, and still act like it's the late 50s, then it's tougher to take. Barbara, Dodie, and Polly are the final nails in the coffin.

reply

I think the show was far from pathetic, but I prefer the early, black and white years. Like most any long running series, the early shows were the best. The writing throughout, however, reflects the typical sitcom writing of the era. I'll take the worst episode of MY THREE SONS over a "modern" sitcom. Today, there is no attempt at a story, just loud actors screaming sexual or bathroom type humor as a series of supposedly witty one liners aimed at a dumbed down, young audience. Even something as inane as MY MOTHER THE CAR had a semblance of a story that had a beginning, a middle and an end.

reply