‘The Mothers-in-Law’: Decades to air ’60s sitcom this weekend
Kaye Ballard and Eve Arden are "The Mothers-in-Law," airing on Decades this weekend. Credit: Everett Collection
The mother of all mother-in-law jokes is about to be heard again.
This weekend — for Mom’s special day — the Decades digital channel serves up a binge of “The Mothers-in-Law,” the 1967-69 NBC sitcom and cult fave starring Eve Arden and Kaye Ballard as frenemies, appropriately named Eve and Kaye, who become related by marriage after Eve’s daughter and Kaye’s son elope. Hilarity, naturally, ensues.
Comparisons with “I Love Lucy” are impossible to miss, no surprise considering the show was created by “Lucy” writers Bob Carroll Jr. and Madelyn Pugh Davis and it had Desi Arnaz as executive producer. Arnaz also appeared four times as a matador the ladies befriend, starting with episode 4 in which he helps them — via a long-distance call from Barcelona, Spain — after they get locked in a department store and accidentally phone him with their last dime.
He wasn’t the only member of the Arnaz family to drop by — Desi Jr. turned up in three episodes and played the drums. And look for guest turns by Jimmy Durante, Marni Nixon, a “pre-Meathead” Rob Reiner and Don Rickles. Oh, mama!
