It is hard to see why this didn't sell, while the Dick Van Dyke show did. It is basically the same well-written characters, plot and style of a typical Dick Van Dyke show.
It was very possibly the casting that made the difference. Barbara Britton and Carl Reiner were fine in the leads. They were perhaps a bit old. Both were around 40 years old. Dick Van Dyke was 35 and Mary Tyler Moore was 24, which gave the series a more youthful feel. Still, there isn't much difference in the acting, Britton and Reiner are quite professional. Sylvia Miles and Morty Gunty as Sally and Buddy were actually a marginal improvement over Rose Marie and Morey Amsterdam. They get laughs without being overly broad, as Marie and Amsterdam often were.
The real problem was Gary Morgan as 6 year old Ritchie. He tries hard,but overacts his part, he comes off as hyper-active and more obnoxious than charming. Larry Matthews who got the role in the series was much more natural.
This is fun to watch for anybody familiar with the Dick Van Dyke show. Anyone else will just find it mildly amusing.
It was very possibly the casting that made the difference. Barbara Britton and Carl Reiner were fine in the leads. They were perhaps a bit old. Both were around 40 years old. Dick Van Dyke was 35 and Mary Tyler Moore was 24, which gave the series a more youthful feel. Still, there isn't much difference in the acting, Britton and Reiner are quite professional. Sylvia Miles and Morty Gunty as Sally and Buddy were actually a marginal improvement over Rose Marie and Morey Amsterdam. They get laughs without being overly broad, as Marie and Amsterdam often were.
The real problem was Gary Morgan as 6 year old Ritchie. He tries hard,but overacts his part, he comes off as hyper-active and more obnoxious than charming. Larry Matthews who got the role in the series was much more natural.
This is fun to watch for anybody familiar with the Dick Van Dyke show. Anyone else will just find it mildly amusing.