My Mother the Car

I was one of the writers for this series. I wrote one episode ("The Blabbermouth" was the title.) It is quite true that at the time the series was on the air, it was considered one of the worse sitcoms in the history of TV. However, over the years, MY MOTHER, THE CAR has achieved something of a cult status. It is broadcast every Mother's Day on TV Land.

I have always been proud of my contribution to this much-maligned and underrated series.

This hilarious, slapsticky show was probably expected to be a hit by the TV execs, based on the recent success of such movies as "The Great Race", "Those Magnificent Men And Their Flying Machines", and others. Somehow, viewers never caught on, and the show died quietly, becoming an instant industry joke. I'll never understand why, though. Everyone in it was funny, esp. Avery Schreiber as a Mack Sennett-like, mustache-twiddling, posing, crazy villain, always trying to steal the car, but never even getting close. This is one show I'd like to see in reruns.

VERY far from the worst TV show of all time. Granted that the ideas for stories probably would have grown thin had this series lasted any longer than three years or so. It did have it's moments of humor and it did last for 30 episodes which is a lot more than a lot of other real Turkeys!

I was about 10 when this show was on, and I watched as many episodes as I could.

That said, I ROTFL in a "Get Smart" rerun I saw a while back. The bad guy is dying and:

Max (reassuringly): "Help is on the way."

Bad guy (in great pain): "I'll never make it, but do one thing for me."

Max (compassionately): "What?"

Bad guy: "Tell me 'My Mother the Car' is coming back on TV."

Max (with a puzzled look): "Why?"

Bad guy: "Then I won't mind going so much."

That pretty much summed up the opinions from the rest of my family when I tried to watch this show.

There's been scores of bad TV sitcoms (due to bad writing, bad acting, bad production values), but this is not really one of them. The premise (a man's mother is rein-CAR-nated) can hardly be considered out of the norm in a world of Jeannie, Samantha, the Flying Nun, Herman Munster, Lost in Space's robot, and Gilligan. Jerry Van Dyke (who chose this role over the Gilligan role) does the same humor he always does and Ann Sothern's voice as "Mother" adds class and talent. Wacky premise, wacky character, wacky car...should have worked. Nick at Nite should put this on the air where it belongs.