Never found it funny; same with the Newhart show and Laverne & Shirley that used the same running gag.
I did like Valerie's nice hands and they clucthed the doorframe in the same way every time she rang him.
It might have been cute at first, but it did get tiresome as the seasons progressed, and it was a stretch to ask the audience to believe that someone who was perpetually drunk would be allowed to remain the doorman of a respectable apartment building in Manhattan for years on end.
shareIf I was writing a show, I'd ask myself:"now,will they find this funny"? And how will I know if they find it funny. I suppose by how many laughs it gets at every taping. Did it get a chuckle at every taping? I'm sure Carlton(who I think was one of the producers)thought it was hysterical
Notice this on ALICE with Linda Lavin(not known for sharing the spotlight)reacts to another one of Diane Ladd's "..My little voice calls me Isabelle",which I think was funny. One time Lavin subtly replies "I know". I might be reading into it,but I always wondered if Lavin said that as an ad-lib because she was perturbed.
I always thought he was supposed to be the 'Ted Baxter' of the 'Rhoda' clan. I think the creative team felt, "If this type of character worked on MTM so well, the Rhoda audience will love Carlton!"
He was the character who kept the motor running each day (he was the doorman, as Ted was the news anchor), so though the rest of the clan weren't particularly fond of him, he was an integral part of their daily lives.
Since Ted was already seen as 'not too smart', I guess they had to shake things up a bit and make Carlton the perpetual drunk...and everyone around the character(s) tolerated him.
"I prefer fantasy over reality TV - like Fox News" - B.Streisand
I didn't see him as that intregal, to be the Ted Baxter of the show; we never saw him,and he wasn't in all the shows.
RHODA didn't seem styled after the MTM show in terms oc character recreations
Lorenzo's delivery of his lines was funny,his
character being a drunk in this day and age is NOT funny.
Back then,alcohol,drugs,even sexual problems and viloence & other human weaknesses were easily made for humor,mainly because back then peole so easily labeled each other as "he/she" is this kind of person.
Mostly,people didn't deal with or talk about problems like these.
MAN! One dream's come true,ready for another.
(MR.) happipuppi13 *arf,man!*!
RHODA didn't seem styled after the MTM show in terms oc character recreations
[deleted]
'Rhoda became 'Mary' on the show since the beginning; attractive, single, and independent.'
'Brenda became 'Rhoda' just as quickly; the self-deprecating side-kick.'
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Yes, I see that part of it, but season 4 and 5 seem to be little,too late with the other characters.
I still do not see the Ted/Carlton thing: we have no idea of Carlton's personality, he was just a voice on the intercom for 15 seconds. For me,it was just a trivial gag like "I'm Daryl,this is my other brother Daryl", or Lenny and Squiggy; "Hello.."
MTM's new show MARY in the mid 80s really seemed like a recreation. And the fact that MTM said enough of the MTM show, but comes back with a very similar show less than a decade later is kind of dispiriting(like LIFE WITH LUCY)
Yes, I see that part of it, but season 4 and 5 seem to be little,too late with the other characters.
Talk about Sally as Murray! On MARY they had a "Murray" in the form Katy Segal sitting right next to Mary at her office desk smoking a cigerette with a tough attitude. and Farentino was 'Lou'
What's interesting about Johnny Ventura is that I picked up a vibe that Rhoda was attracted to him, but perhaps too proud to sleep with him? Why else hang around him. She was hoping he would just stop acting like a jerk and be himself.
I don't really remember the 'Mary' show. I remember a sitcom in which she starred in as a newspaper reporter, I think with Ted Danson? But I also recall it was not funny at all. I also remember when she tried her hand at a 'variety' hour (it was right after she left her MTMS), and that was just painful to endure.
"I prefer fantasy over reality TV - like Fox News" - B.Streisand
First to Simpleminded Society :
'Lorenzo's delivery of his lines was funny,his'
'character being a drunk in this day and age is NOT funny.'
'Back then,alcohol,drugs,even sexual problems and viloence & other human weaknesses were easily made for humor,mainly because back then peole so easily labeled each other as "he/she" is this kind of person.'
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May I ask why things are interpreted that deep? Is it due to looking back on a time that seems like a long time ago because one was not there? When Lucy acts drunk, we still think it's funny today. For me, it's not the change of times, but the talent involved.
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Happipuppi :
First off,I've only just started watching Rhoda on ME-TV this year,it hasn't been seen on local TV here in Phoenix since 1982. Even then I somehow didn't catch it.
I can interpret it that deep bcause the kind of sitcom were talking about has storylines that are "fairly" deep in subject matter. Not to the level of All In The Family but serious enough. In my mind the 70s were not a long time ago,despite my being ages 2 to 11 in that decade.
Starting in 1970s,those things were "new" subjects on these shows and considerd shocking. In the real world,Carlton would be a tragic figure and certainly would not keep his job that long. "There's nothing funny about an Alcoholic",is probobly how I should have phrased it.
As for Lucy and the dunken TV commercial,well that's a very different era but to Lucille Ball's credit,her talent as a comedian makes her "accidental" drunk funny because she (her character) wasn't expecting it and she does her confused inebreation convincingly and it is funny when she mixes up her words.
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To Pvd295 :
Let's sum them all up.
After MTM,Mary starred in "MARY" (1978). A variety show pulled after
only one airing. (I did see this and it was deserved,it wasn't funny or fun.)
The Mary Tyler Moore Hour (1979),another varitey show attempt that failed.
She retuerned with and I saw,the "Mary" show,in the '85-'86 season. I liked it too.
She co-starred with little known Katey Segal (Danson was on Cheers of course.) It also starred James Farrentino and John Astin. It was good,but it just didn't catch on. it was only Segal's 7th Tv credit.
Then came "Annie McGuire" (1988-1989) which is more notable as being a young Adrian Brody's 1s acting job on TV or in movies. he played her son Lenny McGuire in "Annie and the Brooklyn Bridge" (Nov. 9th 1988)
. In this series,Mary worked in Politics (I forget exactly how),but again it too vanished.
lastly,"New York News" (1995) an attempt to take a turn at serious drama,playing Louise Felcott who worked (where else?) a newspaper. It certainly was no Lou Grant.
In my opinion,she got accolades for her work
in the movie Ordinary People,she should have stuck with movies.
MAN! One dream's come true,ready for another.
(MR.) happipuppi13 *arf,man!*!
Starting in 1970s,those things were "new" subjects on these shows and considerd shocking. In the real world,Carlton would be a tragic figure and certainly would not keep his job that long. "There's nothing funny about an Alcoholic",is probobly how I should have phrased it.
No Message
share'I don't really remember the 'Mary' show. I remember a sitcom in which she starred in as a newspaper reporter, I think with Ted Danson? But I also recall it was not funny at all. I also remember when she tried her hand at a 'variety' hour (it was right after she left her MTMS), and that was just painful to endure.'
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I recall Mary being interviewed after MARY, and saying "I don't need 25 yr olds teaching me about comedy".
A later interview had her saying that if the network is not going to give a show chance, there's no use.
'Lorenzo's delivery of his lines was funny,his'
'character being a drunk in this day and age is NOT funny.'
'Back then,alcohol,drugs,even sexual problems and viloence & other human weaknesses were easily made for humor,mainly because back then peole so easily labeled each other as "he/she" is this kind of person.'
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May I ask why things are interpreted that deep? Is it due to looking back on a time that seems like a long time ago because one was not there? When Lucy acts drunk, we still think it's funny today. For me, it's not the change of times, but the talent involved.
I was a young adult when RHODA aired, and I did not find Carlton funny then either. People today also easily label each other as "he/she" is this kind of person.
What has changed is the false political-correctness(like a band-aid) which is a paradox since society is no better than yesteryear, and probably worse.