Executive Producer:
Norman Lear
Cast:
Bonnie Franklin….Ann Ramano
Mackenzie Phillips….Julie Cooper
Valerie Bertinelli….Barbara Cooper
Richard Masur….David Kane
Pat Harrington Jr….Dwayne F. Schneider
Sony Home Video presents One Day at a Time: The Complete First Season. Fifteen episodes on 2 DVDs. Episodes aired from Dec. 16, 1975 to Mar. 30 , 1975. DVD released April 24, 2007.
The Show
This is it. This is the DVD, the one you get so go and have a ball. This is it. Enough goofing on the theme lyrics. After years of folks pleading, the first season of the saga of Ann Romano and her daughters has finally arrived. Ann became a voice for divorced mothers that were becoming more common in the mid-70s. She split from her husband, took back her maiden name and started a new life in Indianapolis. She hustled Avon cosmetics. Her alimony and child support checks made ends meet. There was a touch of realism to Ann’s life in these early episodes. She was not living the good life by going it alone. We witness the stress of her being mom and dad to her girls.
Ann was an unexpected sex object. As a 34-year-old divorcee with two hot daughters, she became a target for every male character on the screen. They should have called this show Everybody Wants to Hump Ann Romano. The prime object for her affection is David Kane, her divorce lawyer. While he might have arranged for her freedom, he doesn’t want her to be a single woman. While Ann doesn’t mind spending quality time with him, she doesn’t see him as husband material. He’s quite a few years younger than her. She enjoys playing with him, but refuses to get serious. Kane might have been TV’s first boff buddy; he’s probably the role model for Howard K. Stern.
Her two daughters were a handful. Eldest daughter Julie is in high school. She’s eager to be an adult and rival her mother’s sex life. Julie was the loudest sibling on TV. Animals may flee the room when Ann doesn’t give in to Julie’s whims. She’s like a real teenager. Barbara, the younger daughter, is every mother’s dream. She’s a sweetheart that has no time for boys off the basketball court. She doesn’t shout as much as Julie. She’s a tomboy princess. The show dealt with Ann wanting to be a friend to the girls, but maintain her authority over their lives.
You might remember Schneider as the goofy, but insightful building superintendent with the denim vest and handy tool belt. But these early episodes show him as a sexual predator. In the first episode, “Ann’s Decision,” he uses his passkey to sneak into the apartment and attempt a face suck with an unsuspecting Ann. He later creeps into the place with the hopes of getting her liquored up. How exactly does he keep his job? Thirty years later, this series would involve Ann having Schneider arrested and suing the landlord for fat dollars. Schneider comes off as the super who installs the wireless spy cameras in tenants’ bathrooms and bedrooms. As the series progressed, they toned down this creepy angle so Schneider didn’t appear as a graduate of the Norman Bates Academy. The episodes didn’t get toned down as the season progressed.
“Chicago Rendezvous” has Ann debating whether to take a quick trip to the Windy City for a quickie with an airline pilot. While she could use a departure day, a mom has to be a bit of a role model for her girls. “Jealousy” deals with the real issue of what happens when the kids become way too friendly with the ex-husband’s new girlfriend. “All the Way” has Julie and her boyfriend deciding that it might be time to move beyond hugging and kissing until curfew. The episode doesn’t get preachy in its conclusion. It sticks being a comedy especially when Julie returns home having done a very adult deed. “Dad Comes Back” is a two-parter that wraps up the season. Ann’s ex-husband visits with the news that he will be remarrying. The girls are heartbroken that they will never be a family again. When dad stays later than expected, Ann lets him sleep on the couch instead of taking a long drive home. When the kids wake up and have breakfast with dad, they think he’ll be remarrying mom. Ann and her ex-husband do seem to be a happy couple. They want their parents back so they can be a proper family. David sees the ex-husband’s overnight stay as dooming his relationship with Ann.
The quality of the performances and the scripts are the reasons why this mid-season replacement lasted eight more seasons for 209 episodes. The series explored adult topics without turning into Family. But thirty years later, it’s easy to see an innocence to the cast. Mackenzie Phillips hadn’t plunged into the drug abuse that got her fired from the show. Valerie Bertinelli hadn’t met Eddie Van Halen. She had no need to call Jenny Craig as she dribbled around the apartment. Schneider’s vest looked fashionable in 1975. These were simple times for a complicated cast. This the perfect season set for fans of the show who want to enjoy the show without worrying about the tabloid headlines soon to be inspired by the stars. This is it.
The Episodes
“Ann’s Decision,” “Chicago Rendezvous,” “Jealousy,” “How to Succeed Without Trying,” “David Loves Ann,” “Julie’s Best Friend,” “Super Blues,” “All the Way,” “Fighting City Hall,” “David Plus Two,” “Julie’s Job,” “The College Man,” “Father David” and “Dad Comes Back” (two parter).
The DVD
VIDEO:
The picture is 1.33:1. The show was shot on video. The transfer looks sharp compared to a lot of mid-70s sitcoms.
AUDIO:
The soundtrack is Dolby Digital Mono. The show was filmed in front of a studio audience, but the sound mix has very little echo. The levels are good. Although you might want to keep the volume low or Julie will blow out your speakers. No subtitles, but it is closed captioned.
EXTRAS:
The One Day At A Time Reunion (38:43) is a TV special that aired Feb. 22, 2005 on CBS. The four main actors are reunited. Bonnie Franklin invites her TV daughters into what is supposed to be her house. The chat flows between the show, its impact and how the themes reflected in their personal lives. Pat Harrington picks a Schneider entrance to enter the coversation. There are tons of clips from the later seasons. Because of the running time, there might be a few minutes cut from the original version. But nothing seem too truncated.
The Inside Pulse
While this season is short with only 15 episodes, it establishes One Day at a Time as a fan favorite. It is amazing to think that something that wasn’t brain dead lasted nearly a decade on network TV.
