Maude: The Complete Series

This first spin-off of Norman Lear's groundbreaking sitcom All in the Family went in an opposite direction from blue-collar bigot Archie Bunker, spotlighting Maude Findlay (Bea Arthur), Edith Bunker's outspoken, liberal-minded feminist cousin. Maude and her fourth husband, appliance store owner Walter (Bill Macy), live in a suburban home with her divorced daughter, Carol (Adrienne Barbeau), and grandson. Housekeeper Florida Evans (Esther Rolle), a character that would later spin-off into the series Good Times, is hired in the third episode, in which Maude also first delivers her signature line: “God'll get you for that, Walter.” Like All in the Family, the show took on issues including race, equal rights, the sexual revolution, drug laws, alcoholism, prescription drug addiction, therapy, and—in a landmark two-part episode—abortion, while satirizing liberal piety and double standards. But it also examined marriage, divorce, and adult relationships in modern culture, often in bantering arguments with conservative neighbor Art Harmon (Conrad Bain). A time capsule of sorts, Maude is well-written and driven by strong performances, especially Arthur's, whose spiky, sardonic delivery helped define the program. After Rolle left, British actress Hermione Baddeley joined the cast as the household's new maid, a vulgar, hard-drinking foil for Maude. In the final installments, Maude heads to Washington, D.C., to pursue a future in politics. Presenting all 141 episodes from the 1972–78 six-season run, extras include two unaired episodes, Maude's two appearances on All in the Family, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and a booklet. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)