Definitely one of the lesser entries in the Norman Lear canon, One Day at a Time was overacted, overly broad and overly self-important from Day One. It's interesting to contrast this with Lear's flagship All in the Family, which has its dated aspects as well, but has stood the test of time much better not just because of writing and thematic emphases but because of the subtleties of characterization.
Unfortunately, Bonnie Franklin-despite whatever other credentials she may have had-proved herself to be a thespian of the shrieking, hair-ruffling and eye-rolling school, and God only knows what possessed anyone to try to turn Mackenzie Phillips into a star, especially an avatar of hip '70s youth. Valerie Bertinelli, who on the other hand had some talent, was mainly stuck with the role of wisecracking sibling. Taken together, the whole mess looks like a man's conception of what "women's liberation" meant at the time, even though Whitney Blake-previously of "Hazel" and Meredith Baxter's mom-played a major creative role.
It is somewhat interesting, from a perspective of nostalgia, to look at this show again. I was watching one ep with my 92-year mother recently, and she said, "This seems terribly naive now." Actually, it was naive then-shows with far greater sophistication, like "MASH" and "Taxi" and "Cheers," ran concurrently with it and still seem relevant today. This is just a missed opportunity from a time long gone.
Unfortunately, Bonnie Franklin-despite whatever other credentials she may have had-proved herself to be a thespian of the shrieking, hair-ruffling and eye-rolling school, and God only knows what possessed anyone to try to turn Mackenzie Phillips into a star, especially an avatar of hip '70s youth. Valerie Bertinelli, who on the other hand had some talent, was mainly stuck with the role of wisecracking sibling. Taken together, the whole mess looks like a man's conception of what "women's liberation" meant at the time, even though Whitney Blake-previously of "Hazel" and Meredith Baxter's mom-played a major creative role.
It is somewhat interesting, from a perspective of nostalgia, to look at this show again. I was watching one ep with my 92-year mother recently, and she said, "This seems terribly naive now." Actually, it was naive then-shows with far greater sophistication, like "MASH" and "Taxi" and "Cheers," ran concurrently with it and still seem relevant today. This is just a missed opportunity from a time long gone.