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Bonus video: Happy (My) Mother (the Car)'s Day!
🕑 Added 2023-05-14 16:00:04 +0000 UTCBackup link in case the video doesn't play:
https://youtu.be/QdnZEXEF1Ck
It's Mother's Day, and you know what that means: Time to celebrate the iconic 1965 sitcom My Mother the Car, widely considered the worst television show ever made. But I think it's the best! Not because it's good (it's not) but because it is SO WEIRD. In this week's bonus video, I'm diving into the story of how this incredibly bizarre TV artifact came to be. Plus: Sharing some interesting stuff I've found in my research into an upcoming video on Norman Lear, from the time he got slapped around by Jerry Lewis to his self-parodying appearance on Saturday Night Live to an absolutely WITHERING critique from Esther Rolle, who starred in one of Lear's shows.
Here's the latest lineup for my upcoming book readings: http://gaysitcoms.com
And the American Masters doc on Norman: https://www.pbs.org/video/american-masters-norman-lear-just-another-version-you/
Pick up your own My Mother the Car shirt here: https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/43968551-id-rather-be-watching-the-iconic-1965-sitcom-my-mo?ref_id=22205
Comments
Matt Baume
Yay thanks for getting a copy!!!
Matt Baume
Thank you, so glad you're enjoying it!
Nicole Brett
Loving your book
Rob Seguin
Your book was just delivered on Friday! :-O Excited to read it!
SG
'The Munsters' is, in fact, a parody of those 50s family sitcoms. Compare its opening to 'LITB' or 'The Donna Reed Show.' 'Batman' is also a parody of superhero tropes.
Trevor
A crazy show! Sherwood Schwartz wanted Jerry Van Dyke to play Gilligan but Jerry thought the show was awful so he did My Mother the Car instead. It seems like a bad choice but the Gilligan’s Island cast were all typecast by the series and struggled to find work afterward. My Mother the Car lasted a season and Jerry wasn’t typecast, made a lot of guest appearances, and was a series regular on Coach for 200 episodes. The Gilligan cast got paid for the initial run and a few rounds of reruns of Gilligan. Because of newer contracts, Jerry received residuals for Coach for the rest of his life and his heirs continue to get them. Timing is everything. On a related note, I live in LA and seeing the Car opening reminded me that I want to figure out where the opening was filmed. The shape of the mountains in the background is a good clue, I think. I look forward to attending your book signing when you’re here in LA. You’ll be about two miles from where Car was filmed, at 7200 Santa Monica Blvd.
Joshua Marchant
Haven't fact checked this but 'My Mother the Car' absolutely feels like the inspiration for 'The Love-Matic Grandpa' segment of the Simpsons Spinoff Showcase. Even down to the corny lyrics of the theme song: 'While shopping for some cans, an old man passed away, he floated up towards heaven but got lost along the way'
