The Mothers-in-Law

Premise

Eve and Herb Hubbard are the straitlaced neighbors of Kaye and Roger Buell, a more free-spirited couple. Herb works as a lawyer, while Roger is a television writer based at home. Despite their differences—including a fifteen-to-twenty-year age gap—the two couples are best friends, though they frequently bicker. Their children, Jerry Buell and Suzie Hubbard, meet in college, fall in love, and marry, moving into the Hubbard family’s garage apartment.

The parents clash over how the young couple should live, and the ongoing interference from the mothers-in-law drives the show. Kaye lets Suzie call her Mother Buell, but Eve forbids Jerry from calling her Mother Hubbard because it sounds like the nursery rhyme. In the second season, Jerry and Suzie have fraternal twins, a boy named Joey and a girl named Hildy, named after the grandmothers’ middle names.

Characters

Eve Arden portrays Eve Hildegarde Hubbard, a homemaker married to attorney Herb Hubbard and mother of Suzie Hubbard Buell. The show's central conflict stems from Eve and her counterpart Kaye's constant meddling in their children's marriage and lives. When annoyed with her husband or male in-laws, Eve utters the cold word "Beast!" and often mocks sarcastically in a high voice at something she finds unbelievable, especially from Herb or Kaye. Her granddaughter Hildy, whom she dotes on and spoils, is named after Eve's middle name.

Kaye Ballard plays Katherine "Kaye" Josephina Buell, wife of Roger Buell and overprotective mother of Jerry Buell. She dislikes homemaking, speaks Italian, and smacks her husband when annoyed, especially in bed. Kaye once sang with bands like Ozzie Snick and Charlie Banks and His Ten Tellers. Her catchphrases include "Oh, reeeeally?", "Good luck with your MOUTH!", "This, THIS, is the thanks I get!", "Rats!", and "Yes, YES, I am!"

She is nicknamed "Cookie," and her grandson Joey, whom she spoils like his father, is named after her middle name. Herbert Rudley plays Herb Hubbard, a successful attorney exasperated by the wives' interference. He is temperamental and, when arguing with Eve, they repeat each other's words. Roger C. Carmel (season one) and Richard Deacon (season two) play Roger C. Buell, a bombastic television scriptwriter who works from home.

He calls Kaye "Katherine" and announces "Now you hear this..." when annoyed. Nicknamed "Cutes," he is a miserly cheapskate and sometimes a target of Kaye's wrath.

Production

The majority of the episodes were written by series creators Madelyn Davis and Bob Carroll, Jr., who had worked with series producer Desi Arnaz on I Love Lucy. Unlike most sitcoms of the era, The Mothers-in-Law was filmed before a live audience; standard practice at the time was to film an episode on a closed set and add a laugh track during post-production. However, a laugh track was still used to "sweeten" audience reactions or fill in gaps of missed punchlines.

When choosing the two lead roles, executive producer Desi Arnaz approached two longtime friends Eve Arden and Ann Sothern. Both actresses had been friends of Arnaz and his former wife Lucille Ball since the 1930s while working at RKO Pictures and MGM. However, NBC found Sothern and Arden's comedic style too similar and passed on casting Sothern. Singer-comedienne Kaye Ballard, another old friend, auditioned for and got the part of the neighbor, Kaye Buell.

Actress Kay Cole portrayed the role of Suzie Hubbard in the unaired pilot; after the series was picked up, Cole was replaced by actress Deborah Walley.

Home video release

MPI Home Video released the complete series of The Mothers-in-Law on DVD in Region 1 on July 27, 2010. This release includes a new introduction from Desi Arnaz, Jr.; an interview with Kaye Ballard; the original unaired pilot episode; original sponsor tags; cast commercials; scripts for unproduced episodes; and two failed pilots from Desi Arnaz Productions: The Carol Channing Show and Land's End.

Did You Know?

• The show never garnered the ratings NBC had hoped for; the first season ranked 37th with an 18.8 rating and the second season ranked 40th with a 19.4 rating.
• Kaye Ballard remarked that the network and sponsor wanted The Bill Cosby Show to replace The Mothers-in-Law during the 1969–70 season.