Maude: Season 1 [DVD]

I wanted my children to relive classic TV and Maude never disappoints. My kids love this show!

Norman Lear's seminal television series 'Maude' (1972-1978) harks back to a time when American adults were still adults, people freely and fearlessly spoke their minds, and the modern scourge of political correctness did not exist.Lear revolutionized American television with 'All In The Family' (1971-1979), which introduced audiences to bigoted conservative Queens resident Archie Bunker in an era when most viewers where still tuning in for pleasant rural fantasies like 'Mayberry R.F.D.' and established series with magical premises like 'Bewitched' (1964-1972).Where television comedies of the previous decade, from 'Mr. Ed' (1961-1966) to 'Hazel' (1961-1966), had emphasized genteel good manners and upper middle class respectability, All In The Family, with its coarse blue collar protagonist and his 'dingbat' wife, Edith, hit the ground running by boldly tackling themes of racism, anti-Semitism, rape, homosexuality, women's liberation, breast cancer, and impotence.Rumored to have been based on Lear's wife Frances, Maude Findlay originally debuted on All In The Family in a passing role as Edith Bunker's cousin. Maude was the diametric opposite of Archie Bunker: upper middle class, feminist, educated, intelligent, and, above all, liberal.Brilliantly portrayed by Beatrice Arthur, Lear wisely realized that he had television gold on his hands, and 'Maude' soared into primetime, as instant and controversial a success as All In The Family had been a year earlier. Arthur's commanding presence, impeccable comic timing, and blatant intellect cast an instant shadow across the entertainment landscape of the country, making 'Maude' one the decade's most recognizable icons.Dressed in her slightly eccentric trademark ensemble of a kneelength open vest over a blouse, a neckerchief, and a pair of loose trousers, the tall, confrontational, never less-than-assertive Maude, with her unruly steel-gray hair, hilariously roars through each episode, bellowing, hollering, and reducing her antagonists to rubble like a prototypical Japanese monster.Like All In The Family, 'Maude' would embrace mature themes like racism, abortion, spousal abuse, alcoholism, and mental illness (in a later season, Maude is revealed to suffer from manic-depression after becoming obsessed with the idea that screen legend Henry Fonda should become America's next president) head-on in a responsible but consistently entertaining manner. 'Maude' was a program created largely for adults and watched largely by adults; children and teenagers were unlikely to find it interesting.As the characters in Woody Allen's later films 'Annie Hall' (1977) and 'Manhattan' (1979) would, Maude, her husband Walter (Bill Macy), and other adult cast members blithely take subscription pills to stabilize their moods, while the ritual of evening cocktails is an essential component of the Findlay's daily lives. There are very few episodes in the first season in which Maude, Walter, or physician-neighbor Arthur (Conrad Bain) don't reach for a drink as soon as tempers begin to flare.Perhaps these habits explain the continually worn-out, beaten-down look of the cast, the repulsive clothing worn by everyone, the women's taste-free hairstyles, and the relatively tacky interior of the Findlay manse.Or perhaps Lear was partially attempting to underscore the 'realism' of his program: the grooming, dress, and decor found in 'Maude' are leagues away from the polished standard established by earlier Fifties and Sixties television series from 'Leave It To Beaver' (1957-1963) and 'My Favorite Martian' (1963-1966) to 'That Girl' and 'Family Affair' (both 1966-1971).This is particularly unlikely to be the case, however, since most of the show's production values are equally poor, a trend which would unfortunately sweep Seventies television and not be rectified until the late Eighties and early-to-mid Nineties with dramas like 'Thirtysomething' (1987-1991), 'Twin Peaks' (1990-1991), 'Northern Exposure' (1990-1195), and 'Picket Fences' (1992-1996).But 'Maude' was always about intellectual substance rather than visual style, and if he couldn't reflect both qualities equally, Lear certainly made the right choice, as 'Maude,' via the complexity of the writing, characterization, and superb acting by Arthur, remains the never-bettered situation comedy of its kind.

We have waited a long time for this Norman Lear sitcom to appear on DVD. The character of "Maude Finlay" came from 2 episodes of "All in the Family" (1971-79) during the second season. Beatrice Arthur first appeared in the episode "Cousin Maude's Visit" (December 11, 1971). If you thought "Archie Bunker" was very vociferative on politics, union labor, black and polish people and God, then wait until you hear Edith's cousin, Maude. Maude and Archie could go around and around on a topic, including women's liberation. Maude would win. We saw "Maude Finley again when Edith & Archie Bunker went to New York to visit Maude for Carol's wedding (March 11, 1972). These two episodes are not on the "Maude" DVD, but can be seen on the  All in the Family - The Complete Second Season  DVD. Beatrice Arthur was so popular with the tv viewers, she was spun-off into her own CBS tv series, Maude (1972-78). The cast included Bill Macy as Maude's husband, "Walter", Adrienne Barbeau as daughter "Carol", Brian Morrison  / Airport '77  and The Concorde: Airport '79 in additional footage] as Carol's young son, "Phillip", Conrad Bain as the neighbor and Walter's best friend, "Arthur", Rue McClanahan as "Vivian", Esther Rolle as "Florida Evans"--Maude's new housekeeper. Bill Macy also appeared in 2 "All in the Family" episodes, "Archie sees a Mugging" (January 29, 1972) as a "uniformed policeman". Six weeks later, he returned in an episode as "Walter Finley". Maude had a beautiful home with her fourth husband, Walter. She convinced her adult daughter, Carol and her young son to live with them in the two-story house. Maude was an activist on politics and women's rights. Don't cross Maude on an issue because she is a woman who is liberal, headstrong and speaks her mind. When she was right, she knew it. When she was wrong, she would relent and say so. She was emotional too. Always worried about her daughter Carol and having the perfect marriage. Maude loved Walter. Some familar faces in this season: Ed Begley Jr, Helen Page Camp, William Redfield, Cesare Danova, Pasty Garrett, Paul Barswlou, Jon Korkes, Vincent Gardenia, Louis Guss, Frank Aletter, Van Johnson, Barbara Rush, Elizabeth Fraser, Frank Campanella, Tom Bosley, Rosemary Murphy. Funny Line: "God's gonna get you for that, Walter".Notes: Esther Rolle would later leave the show, but continued her "Florida" character in  Good Times - The Complete First Season  (1974-79). John Amos continued his character as her husband. In the 3 episodes John Amos appeared in on "Maude". His character name was "Henry Evans". In the spin-off "Good Times", the character name changed to "James Evans Sr.". They were going to revamp the "Maude" tv series. After 4 episodes, Bea Arthur decided she no longer wanted to play "Maude". The new tv series was remade as "Hangin' In" (August 1979) ended up with only Bill Macy. Beatrice Arthur and Rue McClanahan would reteam for  The Golden Girls - The Complete First Season  (1985-92). Update: Bea Arthur passed away peacefully April 25, 2009 in the early morning from cancer. She was 86.

Oh the seventys , parents use to watch weekly. Now as a parent myself,love the old sitcoms

gefällt mir gut, obwohl es nur im Original vertont wurde.dieses Programm war in Europa so gut wie unbekannt.toll !

Le DVD n'est pas zoné contrairement à ce qui est écrit dans le titre.Par de sous-titres français. Uniquement US.Une série ou vous pourrez découvrir Béa Arthur avant les Goldel Girls

Maude was a bitch and she knew it....and for once men had to accept it and deal with it. She taught women that it was okay to be strong and feminine...and if that made you a bitch ...then so be it....women were strong enough on their own without a mans opinion anyways.

Was a big fan of Bea Arthur. First saw her on All in the Family which lead to her role on Maude. Also loved her on the Golden Girls. This showwas a good display of her talent.