Review One Day at a Time Season 1
One Solar day at a Fourth dimension - The Consummate First Season
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It's hard to believe that it'due south been over thirty years since producer Norman Lear broke new Tv set footing again with the smash striking sitcom One Day at a Time. Having disrepair downwards the doors of Telly censorship with shows similar All in the Family and Maude , Lear moved on to detailing a social miracle that had been going on for years prior to One Mean solar day at a Fourth dimension'south 1975 debut, only which had largely been kept off the national airways: liberated, unmarried moms bringing up their families without the an overriding, guiding male influence. Telling the story of newly divorced Ann Romano and her efforts to enhance her two teenaged daughters, while navigating the choppy waters of the work force and the dating scene, I Day at a Time really hit domicile with 1970s viewers who were newly receptive to TV series - even comedies - being socially relevant. Seen today, it may be hard for new viewers to realize that this lively, energetic sitcom, fifty-fifty with all the silliness of manlike man building superintendent Dwayne Schneider'due south ane-liners, was quite a divergence from the usual network Tv set comedy of motherhood and families, and went a long fashion towards changing the face of television for women. This first season sets the stage by introducing usa to Ann Romano (Bonnie Franklin), a slightly crazed, deeply passionate 34-year-old mother who'due south coming out of a 17 yr matrimony. As she states in the first episode, the first 17 years of her life, her father fabricated all her decisions, followed by her controlling husband for the next 17 years. Determined to grow equally a person, Ann packs upwards her two teenaged daughters and moves to an urban flat building in Indianapolis, Indiana (a smart choice by the producers -- if it'due south happening in Indiana, it's happening all over the country). Information technology's not going to exist easy for her. Her 16-yr-sometime girl Julie (Mackenzie Phillips) is an emotional, high-strung, caput-strong handful who constantly bickers and fights with Ann's xiii-yr-old daughter Barbara (Valerie Bertinelli), the "good" girl who plays basketball game and who ofttimes acts equally a buffer between Ann and Julie. Ann, who believes she must make it on her own in all ways, is in abiding flux with her on-again, off-once again boyfriend, David Kane (Richard Masur), her upstairs neighbor and the lawyer that handled her divorce. David, several years younger than Ann, deeply loves her, but his inability to empathize that his smothering, protective beloved is exactly what made Ann leave her husband, is driving Ann away, as well. Ann, who keeps David at artillery length for most of this season, finally admits that she loves David, but it's clear that the human relationship is on her terms, not his. His efforts to pay her bills, buy food for her (inflation was a nasty truth in 1975), and his constant marriage proposals, meet with Ann'southward rejection at every plough. Or at least, she believes that they should. Part of the smart writing in this first season of One Solar day at a Time is that Ann is far from an ideological shrew. When David offers help talking to the girls virtually their troubles, she takes it - if her efforts take failed. If she needs David's legal expertise, equally in the classic episode where Ann is accused of plotting confronting the President, she's non stupid; she asks for aid. And when David, after chasing Ann for months, finds sexual release with a glamorous neighbor, Ann is quite hypocritically jealous - and she realizes information technology. But equally Bonnie Franklin rightly observes in a fun bonus feature on this DVD box set, Norman Lear was wise to keep the serious ideas firmly rooted in entertaining, comedic situations (something 1 Mean solar day at a Fourth dimension wouldn't always do in later seasons during its long nine year run). And much of the one-act this get-go season would come from the show's breakout character, Dwayne F. Schneider (Pat Harrington, Jr.). Schneider, the lecherous, nosey edifice super, started off strictly equally a supporting grapheme who provided some big laughs brindled throughout each episode. Simply he quickly grew to a central, most paternal character in afterward seasons (a development that some felt compromised, to some extent, the original intent of the serial). The John Wayne-worshiping, tool belt and flared bell bottom-wearing super, with the pencil thin mustache and the pack of cigarettes rolled up in his t-shirt sleeve, became a dependable express mirth getter with his patented shtick of letting himself into Ann'due south flat with his pass key, unannounced, and diving right into the chat of the stunned occupants. And that's it for this first season of One Solar day at a Time. It's a make clean, neatly executed commencement to a series that over its long run, would go increasingly messy with myriad supporting players (a lot of boyfriends for Ann and the girls). I think virtually fans of the prove would agree that these first few seasons were the best, because the focus stayed firmly on this tight family unit. And it was a new type of family unit for the Nielsen ratings. Information technology may accept non been the first evidence to feature a divorced adult female, but it was definitely the most successful show to feature a divorced female parent raising children that had no ascendant male influence in the family dynamic. Quite often, the producers and writers of this outset season of One Day at a Time cleverly play on the audience's expectations that Ann's troubles will exist solved by David, or Dwayne, or even her ex-husband, who shows upwardly in the flavor's final two episodes, only to take those audition expectations nicely tweaked by Ann reasserting her desire to run her own life, her manner. This kind of mother merely wasn't seen on Idiot box earlier (Maude was liberated to be certain, but she was married, and she saturday when Walter told her to - something Ann Romano would never have done for whatever man). Certainly, the success of this first flavour lies within the terrific chemistry between the cast members. Bertinelli, given a marginal presence this flavour, doesn't need to do much to be believable as a relatively normal young teenager. Her simply big plotline this season involves her getting boozer at a high schoolhouse political party, and she handles it well. Masur has a difficult role in David Kane. He has to exist charming and intelligent enough for yous to believe that Ann would exist interested in him, just not overwhelming so as intermission Ann'southward resolve immediately. Masur knows his way effectually a one-liner, and he's a good match for Franklin's peripatetic mannerisms. Phillips confirms the promise she showed in George Lucas' American Graffiti, making Julie more than just an emotionally hair-triggered teenager, but a real teenaged girl with confusing emotions that seem to tear her apart at every turn. She'due south an excellent comedienne, likewise; her stint as a waitress in a crummy greasy spoon shows off her virtually-ad-libs quite well. Harrington, of grade, is an onetime pro, and he effortlessly makes Schneider, who could have come off equally an obnoxious pervert (he even sneaks in one time to go through Ann's mail!), a sympathetic, personable comedic relief - while scoring the bear witness'due south biggest laughs. As for Franklin, a Tony Accolade-nominated stage extra, I think she'due south an acquired taste. At first, her exaggerated mannerisms and spunkiness-to-the-point-of-nausea tin can exist grating, with a self-satisfied intensity that can be a picayune much. But after the start couple of episodes, she grows on you lot, considering regardless of whether or not you peculiarly like the mode she approaches the grapheme, Franklin is 100% there in the moment. Often, a scene will play out, and the audience thinks information technology's ahead of the game, when suddenly, the camera cuts to Franklin who'due south really in tears, caught up in the scene. It can be a rather startling emotional moment - it can even brand you a petty uncomfortable - and that's when you lot realize that regardless of what silliness she may have just engaged in with Schneider, she'south totally immersed in the graphic symbol, and giving it 100%. She's non coasting; she'due south really living this part, playing information technology for smarts and for emotion. And for what many saw every bit just another TV comedy, that'southward quite an achievement for the enormously talented Franklin. You tin can sympathize why David and Schneider and all the other men she meets would be so besotted with her. In that location are problems with I Day at a Time, though. Chief among them is possibly the most annoying laugh track ever slapped on a TV sitcom. Equally I've written before, I'1000 not arbitrarily against a sitcom using a laugh track; used judiciously and wisely, I don't observe it offensive. But with I Twenty-four hour period at a Fourth dimension, and other shows similar it that were coming up during the mid-70s, the laugh rail became a bludgeon to slam every single rim-shot punchline domicile to the audience, overwhelming the experience with a painfully obvious, bogus device. Every line in One Day at a Time is treated as a raucous laugh-anarchism, with an array of "woooooos!" and "yeahs!" and validating applause breaking out at the drop of a chapeau. If Schneider says even the virtually remotely annoying line to Ann, out comes the "uh ohs!" from the laugh track. It's horrible, and it seriously detracts from the writing and interim of the show. This showtime 15 episode run, which premiered as a mid-season replacement in Dec 1975, proved so popular that it qualified One Day at a Fourth dimension for the Nielsen's 12th virtually popular series for the unabridged 1975-1976 season, a pretty amazing feat for a mid-season replacement sporting a premise that was essentially untried earlier on network Idiot box. It would stay within the Nielsen Peak Xx every single twelvemonth, except for its last flavor in 1983-1984, during its ix twelvemonth run - another outstanding accomplishment. That's viewer loyalty (especially when you consider information technology was moved ten times during its run), and a attestation to audiences who identified with this groundbreaking American television set family. DISC I: Ann'due south Decision Chicago Rendezvous Jealousy How to Succeed Without Trying David Loves Ann Julie's Best Friend Super Blues DISC TWO: All the Way Fighting City Hall David Plus Two Julie'south Chore The College Man Father David Dad Comes Back -- Part one Dad Comes Back -- Part 2 The DVD: The Video: The Audio: The Extras: Concluding Thoughts: 
Newly divorced Ann Romano has to make her first major determination as a single mom when Julie wants to go backpacking with friends, including teenage boys.
Julie and Barbara lecture their female parent after she is "picked upwards" in a eatery by a handsome airline pilot who sends her a plane ticket to join him in Chicago.
Ann is jealous when her daughters are crazy about her ex-husband's gorgeous new model girlfriend. Information technology doesn't help that David and Schneider like her, too!
David gets Ann a job interview with an executive at a PR firm, but her prospective employer suggests they continue their interview at dark.
David is convinced he is in love with Ann and proposes marriage. He gives her a week to decide, and then she turns to Julie, Barbara and even Schneider for advice.
Ann thinks Julie simply wants to go to private schoolhouse in order to impress her new, rich friend. She too feels threatened when David offers to pay for it.
Schneider'southward feelings are hurt when he thinks he has been invited to Ann's party then realizes she asked him over to set the garbage disposal.
The moment Ann has been dreading has finally arrived. Julie tells her that her boyfriend Chuck wants to become "all the fashion."
When Ann writes a letter of complaint to the President about her problems with the phone company, she gets a response: a visit from two Surreptitious Service men!
Even though their human relationship is platonic, Ann has to re-examine her feelings when she catches David in a lie. Information technology turns out he has been seeing the sexy neighbor upstairs.
When Julie gets a job at a truck terminate diner in order to buy a car, Ann worries about the late hours and decides to check upward on her.
Julie has a bullheaded date with a handsome swain, only when he arrives at the apartment, he falls for Ann instead.
David volunteers to chaperone the party Barbara and Julie are throwing for the basketball team, but he before long regrets it when the party gets out of control.
Elated that a PR business firm has hired her, Ann's bubble bursts when her ex-husband Ed visits and announces he's getting married.
Barbara is convinced that her parents must exist reconciling since her father spent the night at their apartment. Meanwhile, lovesick David tin't control his jealousy.
I Day at a Time was always a fairly ugly show to look at, with that horrible Norman Lear cheap video await that spelled quick, fast, and spontaneous shooting. However, the full frame video epitome for 1 24-hour interval at a Time: The Consummate First Season looks better than yous've ever probably seen information technology. Also, the run fourth dimension of the episodes would seem to indicate that these shows are uncut (some ragged editing in the kickoff few shows is obviously vintage) and not fourth dimension compressed.
The Dolby Digital English mono soundtrack accurately reflects the original circulate presentation. Close-captioning is available.
Although strangely non advertised anywhere on the DVD box, there's a delightful bonus feature, the 1 Mean solar day at a Time Reunion special that aired on CBS in Feb 2005, included hither. Franklin, Phillips, Bertinelli, and Harrington, Jr. sit down for an extended chat about the prove, with some frank talk about Phillips' illness during the show'due south run. Other supporting actors, including Masur, provide brief filmed comments. It'due south groovy to see the cast together again.
Norman Lear hit ratings paydirt once more past mining the changing social cloth of the 1970s, and providing network TV with its showtime substantial hit show based on a liberated, divorced mother raising a family on her own. One 24-hour interval at a Fourth dimension: The Complete First Flavour is first and foremost an entertaining, fast-paced comedy (with special mention going out to Pat Harrington, Jr. as macho goofball Dwayne Schneider), that benefitted from amazing cast chemical science, and the dedication of its pb, Bonnie Franklin, in making Ann Romano a real graphic symbol, and not but a sitcom mother. This was groundbreaking stuff in 1975, and I highly recommend One Day at a Time: The Complete Outset Flavour.
Paul Mavis is an internationally published picture show and television historian, a member of the Online Flick Critics Society , and the author of The Espionage Filmography .
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