I've such much worse TV shows than this, Such as "The Daily Show" and "The Simple Life", Both of which are much worse than "My Mother The Car".
I Love Gloria Gaynor!
The Simple Life, while no great shakes, is a 100 times better concept and entertaining show than MMTC.
sharePart of me thought it was spooky in a "Frankenstein" way, and part of me thought it was funny-- but I didn't quite understand the concept of reincarnation and I was just a kid at the time, so what did I know. I do remember the theme song:
Well, everybody knows in the second liife
We all come back sooner or later,
As anything from a pussycat
To a man-eating alligator!
(SFX: Antique car horn)
Well, you may think my story is more
Fiction than it's fact,
But believe it or not my mother dear
Decided she'd come back--
As a car--
She's my very own
Gui-ding star...
A 1928 Porter,
That's my mother dear,
She helps me through everything I do
and I'm so glad she's here!
(SFX: Antique car horn)
My Mother the Car!
(repeat ad nauseum)
God-- to think that I still have brain cells devoted to remembering that... On the other hand, it wasn't a terrible show. Somewhat creepy as far as its concept went, but good-hearted within that concept. I can imagine Tim Burton doing a version of this series.
Too bad there wasn't an episode of Jerry scoring in the backseat of the car and the mother keeps interrupting. lol
shareI was only 19 years old when I co-wrote an episode of this series with James L. Brooks.* Brooks went on to fame and fortune while I disappeared into Never-Never-Land.
Over the years MMTC has gotten the reputation for being the worst sitcom in the history of broadcasting. I now own the complete DVD set of all 39 episodes (those were the days when a "TV season" didn't consist of four new episodes and fifteen reruns.) In fairness to critics, some of the segments were dreadful (mine, of course, was not one of them.) But, as one poster mentioned, it was a high-spirited show which set its goals very high.
*Actually, I didn't meet Mr. Brooks until AFTER the episode was televised. He was called in to revise my script by the producer/director of MMTC, Rod Amateau. The first act was 85% my writing; the second half, about 25%. The second act, in my opinion was weaker and not nearly as funny as the first. I have screened my episode several times since it was first broadcast and my opinion, even after 44 years, has not changed. This is not ego talking.
Brooks made millions with "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (one of my all-time favorites,) and, of course, "The Simpsons (NOT one of my all-time favorites.) Brooks -- who is actually a pretty nice guy -- is the one who will be remembered in television history, not I.
"The best bones of all go to Symphony Hall."
Agree. There have been many shows that were worse. Why this show is held up as the #1 example of bad television is beyond me.
I think the people who make the 'best of' and 'worst of' lists are entitled to their opinion. But, it's just opinion. Nobody has to follow their opinion.
Nobody has to agree with them. I certainly don't. I liked MMTC as a child and am watching some of the series on websites where it's free.
Good point. Actually, TV by and large in the mid-sixties wasn't all that good anywhere on the dial. I remember ABC's " The Rat Patrol."
Woof.