Talking car instead of talking horse.
And does anybody think anyone else other than Jerry Van Dyke could have made it work?
Even if it had unlikely been Kaye Ballard or Ruth Buzzi (or even Buddy Hackett) driving the car with her mother in it?
It amazes me how I seem to think of the Mr. Ed show too, albeit it was on about the same time. I don't know why they canned it, it seems to make as much sense as Gilligan's Island, Mr, Ed, Munsters etc.
shareThis was clearly part of the gimmicky, sci-fi shows of this era.
The first was apparently My Favorite Martian: human with a martian.
Bewitched: with a witch.
I Dream of Jeannie: with a genie.
Mr. Ed: with a horse.
Nanny and Professor was obviously striving not for a witch or genie, but Mary Poppins-type. That was also one of the last of this era.
This Car was clearly the pinnacle of the whole thing. We've gotten too silly.
It's always been interesting to me Munsters and Addams family began at the same time and ended at the same time, as well as did My Mother The Car at that time.
I can't believe Ed ran as long as it did and was suddenly canceled when it was (tho five years, this has always been the time when contract negotiations are up, so it seems easier to just end the show, plus with the first actor neighbor passing away).
But I think Ed and Car are the only two shows in which this 'oddity' in the show speaks to the person.
Interestingly, My Mother the Car would be before Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (movie anyway) and Love Bug. Those two probably learned their lesson NOT to have the car talk as My Mother had done.
I thought of that too,the similarities between My mother the car and Mr. Ed. I'm assuming Jerry Van Dyke was the only one that she talked too, or knew the car was his reincarnated Mother? Even Wilbur and Jerry (I'm sorry ,I don't know his name in the show, I just saw it for the first time today) ! Anyway even Wilbur and Jerry have similar personalities, and the wives are very much the same too! I really enjoyed the show, I'm glad Antenna started showing it! And the shaggy dog is adorable!
shareWatched the first 4 episodes just now. I've always disliked Jerry Van Dyke! He is just awful and only gets awfully worse when he does that stupid ukulele stuttering act which he did on the Dick Van Dyke show and the Andy Griffith show. Duck Van Dyke is a comedic genius like Lucy was, but Jerry is just awful. At least in this show Jerry is just boring with his monotonous acting. Not much emotion in line delivery, but the writing doesn't have many jokes in it. It would have a better chance with someone else, yes.
Like one direction of the critical reviews said, 1 unbelievable thing, ok, 2 unbelievable things, too far out too silly. Talking horse, ok. Talking car, (Night Rider) ok. Talking car and mother who has reincarnated as a car, too far out.
All those other shows named in this thread had their genius combinations and great cast especially Gilligans Island, Munsters, I dream of Genie (Barbara Eden especially), Bewitched. This show doesn't have much standing out. The acting and writing is so bland, except for the car collector guy trying to buy the car. HE should have been the star!
One reason MR. Ed was successful over this one is Ed wasn't the guy's mother. I believe the idea of a talking car could have worked if it didn't have that 'ewww' factor with it. I don't think any other actor could have saved it.
shareI'd have to agree. I can't see any fathomable reason for one's mother to inhabit an old 1920s jalopy. Why the mother and why such an old car?
I'm surprised mother didn't just appear on a tv or something and talk to her kid.
Simple remedy. 😁
shareAbsolutely! And to add to the weirdness of it, she didn't even look like a 'real' car. It seemed more like something you'd see in the kiddie section at an amusement park :/
sharehyperjet: Absolutely! And to add to the weirdness of it, she didn't even look like a 'real' car. It seemed more like something you'd see in the kiddie section at an amusement park"
-------------------------------------------------------------
For that era, much like Music Man, perhaps even Mary Poppins, there was 'nostalgia' for that time period, which would then be my guess why they used such an absurd choice of car. Much the same way we go thru nostalgia today with baby boomer interests.
What we are nostalgic for today would be something relatively new for when this show came out.
Maybe that was someone's odd logic in 'imitating' Mr. Ed, thinking the horse-and-buggy was a nostalgic throwback of sorts, which obviously wasn't the case with Ed.
I guess the show's creators thought car enthusiasts would watch to see that model, much the same way people watched Dukes of Hazard, Knight Rider or even Starsky and Hutch for the automobiles.
I'd watch more of the Munsters if they showed that automobile more often.
Yeah I see what you are saying about nostalgia. But what the creators didn't realize is...well according to people on this message board....the show's audience ended up being six year old kids which is hardly what a prime time show is shooting for.
Like I was saying before, the talking car concept could have possibly worked. If they absolutely HAD to have a deceased female be the car, then why not have it a Hollywood starlet who the lead character never met and have it a late model car. Maybe she gets jealous of his dates and closes door on their dresses, maybe she has inside knowledge of people she knew in her past life and gets him out of trouble....Maybe he has a Major Healy-type friend who pops over ("aaaah changing her oil again? Huba Huba!")....Sheesh...ANYTHING but his Mom! loL
And BTW I agree about the Munstermobile!
Whether it was the plot or not, I think that was the impression I got from a Topper remake with Roddy McDowell, that the ghosts haunted the car they were killed in that he purchased, not necessarily Topper himself.
Yes, then a starlet would have been better in that regard, but the claim would probably be it was imitating Topper, and having it an average woman of sorts would look like Blithe Spirit.
The car was a mess, it was obviously built on a contemporary '60s car chassis, which made the proportions completely wrong, especially in front. It was a comedy and cheaply made, so nobody cared much. The Munsters Koach was a much better effort, it looked "right" from every angle.
shareExactly!! It reminds me of something you put a coin in that shakes up and down in front of a K-Mart loL. Make me think the entire show was a rush job with very little thought put into it.
shareStupid question.
shareJerry Van Dyke never made anything work. He was the fucking Zeppo Marx of the Van Dyke family.
This show was a disgrace to the human race.