''Maude'' is an American

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...

television series that was originally broadcast on the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

network from September 12, 1972, until April 22, 1978. ''Maude'' stars

Bea Arthur Beatrice Arthur (born Bernice Frankel; May 13, 1922 – April 25, 2009) was an American actress and comedian. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, Arthur began her career on stage in 1947, attracting critical acclaim before achieving ...

Maude Findlay Maude Findlay is a fictional character and protagonist on the controversial 1970s sitcom '' Maude''. She was portrayed by the Emmy-winning actress Bea Arthur. ''All in the Family'' Maude Findlay first appeared on ''All in the Family'' in Decembe ...

, an outspoken,

middle-aged In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

, politically

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

woman living in suburban Tuckahoe, New York with her fourth husband, household appliance store owner Walter Findlay (

Bill Macy Wolf Martin Garber (May 18, 1922 – October 17, 2019), known professionally as Bill Macy, was an American television, film and stage actor, best known for his role in the CBS television series '' Maude'' (1972–1978). Early life Bill ...

). Maude embraces the tenets of

women's liberation The women's liberation movement (WLM) was a political alignment of women and feminist intellectualism that emerged in the late 1960s and continued into the 1980s primarily in the industrialized nations of the Western world, which effected great ...

, always votes for

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

candidates, and advocates for

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

and

racial A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

and

gender equality Gender equality, also known as sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing d ...

. However, her overbearing and sometimes domineering personality often gets her into trouble when speaking about these issues. The show was the first spin-off of ''

All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS for nine seasons, from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. Afterwards, it was continued with the spin-off series '' Archie Bunker's Place'', which picked up where ''All in ...

'', on which Arthur had made two appearances as Maude,

Edith Bunker Edith Bunker is a fictional character on the 1970s sitcom ''All in the Family'' (and occasionally '' Archie Bunker's Place''), played by Jean Stapleton. She is the wife of Archie Bunker, mother of Gloria Stivic, mother-in-law of Michael "Meathe ...

's favorite cousin. Like ''All in the Family'', ''Maude'' was a sitcom with topical storylines created by producers

Norman Lear Norman Milton Lear (born July 27, 1922) is an American producer and screenwriter, who has produced, written, created, or developed over 100 shows. Lear is known for many popular 1970s sitcoms, including the multi-award winning ''All in the Famil ...

and

Bud Yorkin Alan David "Bud" Yorkin (February 22, 1926 – August 18, 2015) was an American film and television producer, director, screenwriter, and actor. Biography Yorkin was born in Washington, Pennsylvania, to Jewish parents. He earned a deg ...

. Unusual for an American sitcom, several episodes (such as "Maude's Night Out" and "The Convention") featured only the characters of Maude and her husband Walter, in what amounted to half-hour "

two-hander A two-hander is a term for a play, film, or television programme with only two main characters. The two characters in question often display differences in social standing or experiences, differences that are explored and possibly overcome as ...

" teleplays. In the season four episode "The Analyst" (sometimes referred to as "Maude Bares Her Soul"), Arthur as Maude, speaking to an unseen psychiatrist, was the sole actor on screen for the entire episode. The show's theme song, "And Then There's Maude", was written by

Alan and Marilyn Bergman Alan Bergman (born September 11, 1925) and Marilyn Keith Bergman (November 10, 1928 – January 8, 2022) were an American songwriting duo. Married from 1958 until Marilyn's death, together they wrote music and lyrics for numerous celebrated telev ...

and

Dave Grusin Robert David "Dave" Grusin (born June 26, 1934) is an American composer, arranger, producer, jazz pianist, and band leader. He has composed many scores for feature films and television, and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record w ...

, and performed by Donny Hathaway.

Characters

Maude first appears in two season-two episodes of ''

'': the first in December 1971 as a visitor to the Bunker home, and the second, a

backdoor pilot A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...

setting up the premise of the ''Maude'' series, in March 1972. She is Edith Bunker's (

Jean Stapleton Jean Stapleton (born Jeanne Murray; January 19, 1923 – May 31, 2013) was an American character actor, character actress of stage, television and film. Stapleton was best known for playing Edith Bunker, the perpetually optimistic and dev ...

) favorite cousin who has been married four times. Her first husband, Barney, died shortly after their marriage; she divorced the next two, Albert and Chester. Albert was never portrayed on screen, but the episode "Poor Albert" revolved around his death, while second former husband Chester would appear once on the show (played by

Martin Balsam Martin Henry Balsam (November 4, 1919 – February 13, 1996) was an American actor. He had a prolific career in character roles in film, in theatre, and on television. An early member of the Actors Studio, he began his career on the New ...

). Her fourth (and current) husband, Walter Findlay (played by

), owns an appliance store called Findlay's Friendly Appliances. Maude and Walter met just before the 1968 presidential election. Maude sometimes gets in the last word during their many arguments with her hallmark

catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...

, "God'll get you for that, Walter", which came directly from Bea Arthur. Maude's deep, raspy voice is also an occasional comic foil whenever she answers the phone and explaining in one episode, "No, this is not Mr. Findlay; this is Mrs. Findlay! Mr. Findlay has a much higher voice." Maude's daughter, Carol Traynor (played by

Adrienne Barbeau Adrienne Jo Barbeau (born June 11, 1945) is an American actress, singer and the author of three books. Barbeau came to prominence in the 1970s as Broadway's original Rizzo in the musical '' Grease'', and as Carol Traynor, the divorced daughter o ...

– in the ''

'' pilot episode the character was played by

Marcia Rodd Marcia Rodd is an American actress. She made her film debut playing a leading role in the 1971 film '' Little Murders'', and later had supporting roles in films and television series. In 1973, she acted on Broadway in ''Shelter''. Early years Th ...

), is also divorced and has one child, like Maude. Carol and her son, Phillip (played by Brian Morrison in seasons 1-5 and by

Kraig Metzinger Kraig Metzinger (born March 19, 1963) is an American former child actor, who played the role of Maude Findlay's grandson Phillip Traynor on the sitcom '' Maude'' for the show's final season in 1977–1978. He was born in Los Angeles, California. M ...

in the sixth), live with the Findlays. Though single, Carol maintains her reputation of dating many men. She dates various men throughout the early seasons, later forming a serious relationship with a man named Chris (played by

Fred Grandy Fredrick Lawrence Grandy (born June 29, 1948) is an American actor who played "Gopher" on the sitcom ''The Love Boat'' and who later became a member of the United States House of Representatives from the state of Iowa. Grandy was most recently th ...

); Grandy left at the end of the second season. Like her mother, Carol is an outspoken liberal feminist who is not afraid to speak her mind, though they often clash. There are conflicting accounts as to whether Carol's father was Maude's first or second husband. In the series' first episode, "Maude's Problem", Maude reveals to Carol's psychiatrist that Carol's father was her second husband. Conrad Bain Arthur Harmon Maude 1975

The Findlays' next-door neighbors are Dr. Arthur Harmon (

Conrad Bain Conrad Stafford Bain (February 4, 1923 – January 14, 2013) was a Canadian-American comedian and actor. His television credits include a leading role as Phillip Drummond in the sitcom ''Diff'rent Strokes'', as Dr. Arthur Harmon on '' Maude'', ...

), a stuffy, sardonic

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, and his sweet but scatterbrained second wife Vivian (

Rue McClanahan Eddi-Rue McClanahan (February 21, 1934 – June 3, 2010) was an American actress and comedian best known for her roles on television as Vivian Harmon on '' Maude'' (1972–78), Aunt Fran Crowley on ''Mama's Family'' (1983–84), and Blanche De ...

). McClanahan confirmed in an interview with the Archive of American Television that she was approached by

during the taping of the ''

'' episode "The Bunkers and the Swingers" (1972) to take on the role as a late replacement for

Doris Roberts Doris May Roberts ( Green; November 4, 1925 – April 17, 2016) was an American actress whose career spanned seven decades of television and film. She received five Emmy Awards and a Screen Actors Guild award during her acting career, which bega ...

, the original choice for the part. Arthur has been Walter's best friend since the two served together in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

; he was the one who brought Walter and Maude together in 1968 and "affectionately" calls Maude "Maudie." Vivian and Maude have been best friends since college. At the beginning of the series, Arthur is a

widow A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has Death, died. Terminology The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed ''widowhood''. An archaic term for a widow is "relict," literally "someone left over". This word ...

er. Vivian is introduced in a guest appearance that focused on her split with her first husband. She later got involved with Arthur as a divorcée.

The housekeepers

For the entire run of the show, Maude also has a housekeeper. At the beginning of the series, Maude hires

Florida Evans ''Good Times'' is an American television sitcom that aired for six seasons on CBS, from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was television's first African ...

(

Esther Rolle Esther Elizabeth Rolle (November 8, 1920 – November 17, 1998) was an American actress. She is best known for her role as Florida Evans, on the CBS television sitcom '' Maude,'' for two seasons (1972–1974), and its spin-off series ''Go ...

), a no-nonsense black woman who often has the last laugh at Maude's expense. Maude often makes a point of conspicuously and awkwardly demonstrating how open-minded and liberal she is (Florida almost quits because of this). Despite Florida's status as a maid, Maude emphasizes to Florida that they are "equals," and insists she enter and exit the house via the front door, even though the back door is more convenient for Florida. Maude mrs naugatuck 1974

Rolle's character was so popular that, in 1974, she became the star of her own series, ''

Good Times ''Good Times'' is an American television sitcom that aired for six seasons on CBS, from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was television's first African ...

''. In the second-season episode titled " Florida's Goodbye", Florida's husband Henry (

John Amos John Allen Amos Jr. (born December 27, 1939) is an American actor known for his role as James Evans Sr. on the CBS television series ''Good Times''. Amos's other television work includes ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'', a recurring role as Admi ...

) gets a promotion at his job, and Florida quits to become a full-time housewife. Whereas ''Maude'' took place in New York, ''

'' took place in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, with numerous other differences in Florida's situation, such as her husband being called James Evans – "Henry" being the name of James's long-lost father. After Florida's departure in 1974, Maude hires Mrs. Nell Naugatuck (

Hermione Baddeley Hermione Youlanda Ruby Clinton-Baddeley (13 November 1906 – 19 August 1986) was an English actress of theatre, film and television. She typically played brash, vulgar characters, often referred to as "brassy" or "blowsy".Folkart, Burt, "Noted ...

), an elderly (and vulgar) British widow who drinks excessively and lies compulsively, as her new housekeeper. Unlike Florida, who commuted to work, Mrs. Naugatuck lives with the Findlays. She meets and begins dating Bert Beasley ( J. Pat O'Malley), a graveyard security guard, in 1975. They get married in 1977 and move to Ireland to care for Bert's mother. Mrs. Naugatuck's frequent sparring with Maude is, arguably, just as comically popular as Florida's sparring. The difference, however, is that Mrs. Naugatuck often seems to despise Maude, whereas Florida is only periodically frustrated by Maude. Lear said the last name "Naugatuck" was taken directly from the town of

Naugatuck, Connecticut Naugatuck is a consolidated borough and town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town spans both sides of the Naugatuck River just south of Waterbury and includes the communities of Union City on the east side of the river, whi ...

, which he found amusing. Due to the popularity of ''Maude'', Baddeley visited the town in the late 1970s and was given a warm, official ceremony at the town green. Maude then hires Victoria Butterfield (

Marlene Warfield Marlene Warfield (born in Queens, New York (state), New York) is an American actress. Warfield has acted in films and American television. She portrayed the underground revolutionary Laureen Hobbs in the 1976 film ''Network (1976 film), Network' ...

), a native of Saint Norman in the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

, whom Maude initially accuses of stealing her wallet on the subway. Victoria remains until the end of the series in 1978. However, Warfield's character was never as popular as her two predecessors, and she was not seen as often, nor given a credit as a series regular.

Series history, topicality, and controversy

The character of Maude Findlay was loosely based on creator Norman Lear's then-wife

Frances Frances is a French and English given name of Latin origin. In Latin the meaning of the name Frances is 'from France' or 'free one.' The male version of the name in English is Francis. The original Franciscus, meaning "Frenchman", comes from the F ...

. She first appeared on two episodes of ''All in the Family'' as Edith Bunker's cousin. A "Cousin Maud," with a similar role, had also appeared on an episode of ''

Till Death Us Do Part ''Till Death Us Do Part'' is a British television sitcom that aired on BBC1 from 1965 to 1975. The show was first broadcast in 1965 as a ''Comedy Playhouse'' pilot, then as seven series between 1966 and 1975. In 1981, ITV continued the sitcom ...

'', the British series on which ''All in the Family'' had been based. Maude represented everything

Archie Bunker Archie is a masculine given name, a diminutive of Archibald. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Archie Alexander (1888–1958), African-American mathematician, engineer and governor of the US Virgin Islands * Archie Blake (mathematici ...

did not: she was a liberal,

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

, upper-middle-class Democrat, whereas Archie was a conservative, prejudiced,

working-class The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...

Republican. Maude's political beliefs were closer to those of the series creators than Archie Bunker's, but the series often lampooned Maude as a naive "

limousine liberal Limousine liberal and latte liberal are pejorative U.S. political terms used to illustrate hypocritical behavior by political liberals of upper class or upper middle class status. The label stems primarily from unwillingness of ''limousine libera ...

". They did not show her beliefs and attitudes in an entirely complimentary light. Just before the show's premiere in September 1972, ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

'' described the character of Maude as "a caricature of the knee-jerk liberal." Maude Bea Arthur 1973

While the show was conceived as a comedy, scripts also incorporated much darker humor, drama and controversy. Maude took

Miltown Meprobamate—marketed as Miltown by Wallace Laboratories and Equanil by Wyeth, among others—is a carbamate derivative used as an anxiolytic drug. It was the best-selling minor tranquilizer for a time, but has largely been replaced by the benz ...

, a mild tranquilizer, and also

Valium Diazepam, first marketed as Valium, is a medicine of the benzodiazepine family that acts as an anxiolytic. It is commonly used to treat a range of conditions, including anxiety, seizures, alcohol withdrawal syndrome, muscle spasms, insomnia, a ...

; she and her husband Walter began drinking in the evening. Maude had an abortion in November

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...

, two months before the ''

Roe v. Wade ''Roe v. Wade'', 410 U.S. 113 (1973),. was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States conferred the right to have an abortion. The decision struck down many federal and s ...

'' decision made abortion legal throughout the U.S., and the episodes that dealt with the situation are probably the series' most famous and most controversial. Maude, at age 47, was dismayed to find herself unexpectedly pregnant. Her daughter Carol brought to her attention that abortion had become legal in the state of New York. After some soul-searching (and discussions with Walter, who agreed that raising a baby at their stage of life was not what they wanted to do), Maude decided at the end of the two-part episode that abortion was probably the best choice for their lives and their marriage. Noticing the controversy around the storyline, CBS decided to rerun the episodes in August 1973, and members of the country's clergy reacted strongly to the decision. Thirty-nine stations pre-empted the episode. The two-part episode was written by Susan Harris, who would work with Bea Arthur again later on ''

The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Bea Arthur, Betty White ...

''. The producers and the writers of the show tackled other controversies. In a story arc that opened the 1973–74 season, Walter came to grips with his

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol (drug), alcohol that results in significant Mental health, mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognize ...

and subsequently had a

nervous breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...

. The beginning of the story arc had Maude, Walter, and Arthur enjoying a night of revelry. However, Maude panicked when she awoke the following morning to find Arthur in her bed. This alarmed her to the point that both of them swore off alcohol entirely. Walter could not do it ("

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

gets a million dollars for his buzz") and became so frustrated during his attempts to stop that he struck Maude. Afterward, he suffered a breakdown as a result of his alcoholism and guilt over the

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

incident. The arc, which played out in two parts, was typically controversial for the show but gained praise for highlighting how

social drinking Drinking culture is the set of traditions and social behaviors that surround the consumption of alcoholic beverages as a recreational drug and social lubricant. Although alcoholic beverages and social attitudes toward drinking vary around the ...

can lead to alcoholism. The first-season episode "The Grass Story" tackled the then-recent

Rockefeller Drug Laws The Rockefeller Drug Laws are the statutes dealing with the sale and possession of " narcotic" drugs in the New York State Penal Law. The laws are named after Nelson Rockefeller, who was the state's governor at the time the laws were adopted. Ro ...

, as Maude and her well-meaning housewife friends try to get arrested in protest over a grocery boy's tough conviction for

marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...

possession. The severity of the marijuana laws contrasted with the characters' lax attitudes toward drinking and prescription pill abuse. In season four, Maude had a session with an analyst, in which she revealed insecurities about her life and marriage and talked through memories from her childhood. The episode was a solo performance by Beatrice Arthur. During the fifth season, Walter suffered another

, this time even attempting

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

, when he saw his business go bankrupt. The

Nielsen ratings Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...

for ''Maude'' were high, in particular, during the first seasons of the program (during the heyday of topical sitcoms, which its presence helped to create), when it was regularly one of the top-ten highest-rated American television programs in any given week. In

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

, ''Maude'' was not shown nationally, although it was shown (beginning in 1975) in the

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

regions of Scottish, Westward,

Border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...

, Tyne Tees, Anglia,

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...

and

Channel Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to: Geography * Channel (geography), in physical geography, a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water. Australia * Channel Country, region of outback Austral ...

. Satellite station

Sky One Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non-terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...

ran the series in the early/mid-1990s.

Series ending

In the fifth season, ''Maude'' declined from No. 4 to No. 31 in the

as its lead-ins ''

Rhoda ''Rhoda'' is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns starring Valerie Harper that originally aired on CBS for five seasons from September 9, 1974, to December 9, 1978. It was the first spin-off of ''The Mary Tyle ...

'' and ''

Phyllis Phyllis is a feminine given name which may refer to: People * Phyllis Bartholomew (1914–2002), English long jumper * Phyllis Drummond Bethune (née Sharpe, 1899–1982), New Zealand artist * Phyllis Calvert (1915–2002), British actress * P ...

'' began to struggle. In 1978, late in the sixth season, CBS, in an attempt to save the series, revamped the format. In the last three episodes of that year, the fictional governor of New York appointed Maude as a congresswoman from Tuckahoe, as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

during the 1978 U.S. midterm elections (she helped campaign for a congresswoman who unexpectedly died in her home). With this change, Maude and husband Walter would move to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, and the rest of the regular cast would be written out of the series.Archived a
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine
However, with the show already having lost substantial viewership and faltering with low ratings, Bea Arthur felt that it didn't make sense to "start all over again" with a new group of supporting characters. As a result, Arthur made the decision to leave the series after season six, bringing ''Maude'' to an end. Lear still liked the idea of a member of a minority group in Congress, and it evolved into the pilot ''

Mr. Dugan ''Mr. Dugan'' is an American Situation comedy, sitcom about a Black people, black United States Congress, Congressman that was scheduled to air in March 1979 on CBS, but was pulled at the last minute and never shown. History In early 1978, produc ...

'', with

replacing Arthur as the lead character. Intended for a March 1979 premiere, a negative backlash from a screening for African-American members of Congress resulted in CBS pulling the plug and not airing any of the three episodes produced. Lear went back to work on the project and it was eventually reworked into ''

Hanging In ''Hanging In'' is an American sitcom television series that aired for four episodes on CBS on Wednesday nights from August 8, 1979, to August 29, 1979. Summary After his failed attempt to launch the sitcom ''Mr. Dugan'', Norman Lear reworked th ...

'', with

returning to play a former professional football player turned university president. Premiering in the summer of 1979, the show did not find an audience and ended shortly after it began.

Episodes

Home media

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the first season of ''Maude'' on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

in Region 1 on March 20, 2007. On August 27, 2013, Mill Creek Entertainment announced it had acquired the rights to various television series from the Sony Pictures library including ''Maude''. Mill Creek subsequently re-released the first season on DVD on February 3, 2015. On December 2, 2014,

Shout! Factory Shout! Factory is an American home video and music company founded in 2002 as Retropolis Entertainment. Its video releases include previously released feature films, classic and contemporary television series, animation, live music, and comedy ...

announced it had acquired the rights to the series; it subsequently released the complete series on DVD on March 17, 2015. Among the bonus features, the set includes the two Second season episodes of ''All in the Family'', which introduced Maude ("Cousin Maude's Visit" and "Maude"); two previously unaired episodes of ''Maude'' ("The Double Standard" and "Maude's New Friends"); the Syndicated Sales Presentation, hosted by Norman Lear; as well as three featurettes called "And Then There's Maude: Television's First Feminist"; "Everything but Hemorrhoids: Maude Speaks to America"; and "Memories of Maude" with interviews by Adrienne Barbeau and Bill Macy, along with newly discovered interviews with Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan and ''Maude'' director, Hal Cooper. In 2015, Shout! began releasing individual season sets; the second season was released on August 11, 2015, followed by the third season on November 10, 2015, the fourth season on March 22, 2016, the fifth season on June 14, 2016, and the sixth and final season on August 9, 2016.

Awards and nominations

Golden Globes

* 1973: Best TV Show - Musical/Comedy (Nominated) * 1973: Best TV Actress - Musical/Comedy: Bea Arthur (Nominated) * 1974: Best TV Actress - Musical/Comedy: Bea Arthur (Nominated) * 1975: Best TV Show - Musical/Comedy (Nominated) * 1976: Best TV Actress - Musical/Comedy: Bea Arthur (Nominated) * 1976: Best Supporting Actress - Television: Hermione Baddeley For playing "Mrs. Nell Naugatuck" (Won) * 1977: Best Supporting Actress - Television: Adrienne Barbeau (Nominated) * 1978: Best TV Actress - Musical/Comedy: Bea Arthur (Nominated)

Emmy Awards

* 1973: Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series - Bea Arthur For playing: "Maude Findlay" (Nominated) * 1973: Outstanding New Series - Norman Lear (executive producer) and Rod Parker (producer) (Nominated) * 1973: Outstanding Comedy Series - Norman Lear (executive producer) and Rod Parker (Nominated) * 1974: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Bea Arthur For playing: "Maude Findlay" (Nominated) * 1976: Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series - Jay Folb For episode "The Analyst" (Nominated) * 1976: Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Hal Cooper For episode "The Analyst" (Nominated) * 1976: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Bea Arthur For playing: "Maude Findlay" (Nominated) * 1977: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Bea Arthur For playing: "Maude Findlay" (Won) * 1977: Outstanding Art Direction or Scenic Design for a Comedy Series - Chuck Murawski (art director) For episode "Walter's Crisis" (Nominated) * 1978: Outstanding Art Direction for a Comedy Series - Chuck Murawski (art director) For episode "The Wake (Nominated) * 1978: Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Hal Cooper (director) For episode "Vivian's Decision" (Nominated) * 1978: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Bea Arthur For playing: "Maude Findlay" (Nominated)

Syndication and streaming

''Maude'' aired on

TV Land TV Land is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through its networks division. Originally a spinoff of Nick at Nite consisting exclusively of classic television shows, the channel now airs a combination of recent and cla ...

in 1999 for a brief time, including an introductory "Maude-a-thon" marathon. ''Maude'' was later seen on

Nick at Nite Nick at Nite (stylized as nick@nite) is an American nighttime basic cable television channel that broadcasts over the channel space of Nickelodeon. It typically broadcasts Mondays to Thursday nights from 9 p.m. - 6:30 a.m. Eastern Time Zone, ET/Pac ...

in the United States in 2001. Reruns of ''Maude'' are occasionally shown on Canwest's digital specialty channel,

DejaView DejaView is a Canadian English language specialty television channel owned by Corus Entertainment. It primarily airs television shows from the 1970s to 2010s. History In November 2000, Global Television Network Inc. (then owned by Canwest) was g ...

in Canada. In 2010, ''Maude'' began reruns in Chicago, on WWME-CA's

Me-TV MeTV, an acronym for Memorable Entertainment Television, is an American broadcast television network owned by Weigel Broadcasting. Marketed as "The Definitive Destination for Classic TV", the network airs a variety of classic television program ...

. In 2011, ''Maude'' began airing on

Antenna TV Antenna TV is an American digital television network owned by Nexstar Media Group. The network's programming consists of classic television series, primarily sitcoms, from the 1950s to the 1990s. Antenna TV's programming and advertising operati ...

, a digital broadcast network, which has since run the entire six season cycle of the show. In 2015, reruns of ''Maude'' began airing on

Logo TV Logo TV (often shortened to Logo, and stylized as Logo.) is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Media Networks, a division of Paramount Global. Launched in 2005, Logo was originally dedicated to lifestyle and entertainment progra ...

during late night/early morning. It also airs weeknights on

FETV FETV (abbreviation for Family Entertainment Television) is an American cable and satellite television network owned by the Family Broadcasting Corporation Family Broadcasting Corporation, formerly known as LeSEA Broadcasting, is an American ...

(Family Entertainment Television). As of April 2021, Maude is on CHCH TV in the Toronto (Hamilton) Ontario area as part of their afternoon retro sitcom lineup. It is also available on the CTV app for free (with ads) as part of its “Throwback” library. As of July 2021, Maude is available for streaming on IMDb TV, now Amazon Freevee.

Adaptations

'' Maude'' was adapted in Italy airing on Canale 5 in 1982. ''Maude'' was adapted in France as '. ''Maguy'' aired on Sundays at 19.30 from September 1985 to December 1994 on

France 2 France 2 () is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4 and France 5. France Télévisions also participates in Arte and Euronews. Since 3:20 CET on 7 ...

for 333 episodes. ''Maude'' had previously been adapted in 1980 by

in the United Kingdom as '' Nobody's Perfect''. Starring

Elaine Stritch Elaine Stritch (February 2, 1925 – July 17, 2014) was an American actress, best known for her work on Broadway and later, television. She made her professional stage debut in 1944 and appeared in numerous stage plays, musicals, feature films a ...

and

Richard Griffiths Richard Thomas Griffiths (31 July 1947 – 28 March 2013) was an English actor of film, television, and stage. For his performance in the stage play ''The History Boys'', Griffiths won a Tony Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, the Drama Desk Aw ...

, the show ran for two series with a total of 14 episodes. Of the 14 episodes, Stritch herself adapted 13 original ''Maude'' scripts and Griffiths adapted one. The original series was screened by certain ITV companies.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Yk5BAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iqcMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2415%2C5274821 P16 Glasgow Evening times for 2nd Jan 1980 Lisings

References

External links

*
Information about ''Maude'' from the Museum of Broadcast Communications

Information of Season 1's release on DVD
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Maude (Tv Series) All in the Family 1972 American television series debuts 1978 American television series endings 1970s American sitcoms CBS original programming American television spin-offs English-language television shows Television series by Sony Pictures Television Television shows filmed in Los Angeles Television shows set in New York (state) Television series created by Norman Lear Television controversies in the United States