Streaks on the china,
never mattered before,
who cares.

When you dropped kicked your jacket
As you came through the door,
No one glared.

But sometimes things get turned around
And no one's spared.

All hands look out below T
here's a change in the status quo.
Gonna need all the help that we can get.

According to our new arrival
Life is more than mere survival
We just might live the good life yet.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FGrxKMwdUu8/ST7miwC9NcI/AAAAAAAAEvg/Z0vjtNV6vVs/s320/Mr+Belvedere.jpg

FUNKY!!! I love that song, and it fits the show so well. :D

Love the song too.

Monika, when are you gonna get season 4 on DVD? You said you would think of something to get it, but so far, you haven't. You don't know what you're missing, it's the best season so far!

Add my voice to the choir! I've always loved this theme song too! And like Monika said it fits the show perfectly!

Love the song too.

Monika, when are you gonna get season 4 on DVD? You said you would think of something to get it, but so far, you haven't. You don't know what you're missing, it's the best season so far!

I hope to see it soon. With my class, job hunting, and other things, I've just been pressed for time as of late.

I should also point out that there were two different versions of the theme song: The regular 55-second version that we all know and love, and a re-recorded 30-second version that was used in the off-network syndicated version, and on the final ABC episodes.

I'm not sure if Leon Redbone sang both versions, or if it was a sound-a-like singing the short version, but he probably did.

The syndicated opening (http://www.retrojunk.com/tv/videos/96-mr-belvedere/)

I absolutely LOVE this theme song. It's my favorite of all-time. :D

Love the song too.

Monika, when are you gonna get season 4 on DVD? You said you would think of something to get it, but so far, you haven't. You don't know what you're missing, it's the best season so far!

I am finally watching S4 (checked it out of the library - I had to wait awhile for it to come in). Fun episodes so far (I've only completed the first disc), but they don't seem to have quite the edge that the first three seasons had. Just my opinion, of course. As always, I'll let you know my opinion of the entire set once I'm finished!!

P.S. Loved the hideous tux Kevin had to wear as best man at Wendy's wedding. Did he borrow that red and black sports jacket from George Jefferson? :eek: :crazy: :rofl:

The best episode is the one titled "Fall Guy". I don't know if Shout Factory will ever get to seasons 5-6, especially considering that Cliff Mac of the company said that they won't be getting them in the forseeable future. I'm really disappointed in the legion of fans who made a promise to buy the sets when they became available, but never did.

RE: Seasons 5-6, I've been told that the series really started to get stale near the very end of the shows' run.

Wesley always seems to have the best episodes. My favorites so far are "Gotta Dance", "Requiem", "The Prize", "Wesley's Friend", "The Play", "Grandma", "Baby", "Halloween", "The Spelling Bee", "Triangle", "The Counselor", "Fall Guy", and "Graduation".

Season 5 has the episode where Mr. Belvedere was in a coma after a car crash, right?

Season 5 has the episode where Mr. Belvedere was in a coma after a car crash, right?

Yes, that's correct.

I must also mention that Noam Pitlik was gone by the 4th season, so the show alternated directors until they decided to settle on Don Corvan as the new permanent director.

In addition, the Mr. Sparks character is back in the 2-parter "The Trip", but because James Gregory retired from acting after the "Grandma" episode, Henry Jones replaced him.

Finally, skees53 didn't mention this in his review, but the 4th season actually had 22 episodes. The other two, "The Book" and "Black Widow" (production numbers 5M14 and 5M21 respectively), weren't shown until season 5. They aired on 3/31/89 and 12/9/88 respectively.

I finished watching S4, and I just didn't think it was nearly as funny as the previous three seasons. Maybe Noam Pitlik's absence had something to do with it, I don't know. But I just didn't think the show had that same spark in S4, even though it had its moments, like the guest appearance of Robert Goulet driving Mr. Belvedere and Kevin to Atlantic City. :lol:

I used to watch this show every week during the first 5 seasons and then the show moved to Saturday for season 6 and I lost track of it. I've still never seen the last episode. :ohno:

As for the theme song, I've always loved it.

I did see the last episode when it originally aired. I believe it was an hour-long special.

No, it was a 2-parter. Mr. Belvedere never had any hour-long episodes.

No, it was a 2-parter. Mr. Belvedere never had any hour-long episodes.

I thought they aired the two final episodes back to back that night, but I could be wrong. It WAS over 20 years ago, so I can't remember. :lol: :lol:

Probably the strangest thing about Mr. Belvedere, if you ask me at least, is that there were a TON of unaired episodes. 10 to be exact (2 from season 5, and 8 from season 6). Must be some kind of record for a primetime sitcom.

They did at least air in syndication, so at least we know that they aired in some other form.

Wow, I never knew all that. :eek:

Always loved the Mr. Belvedere theme song since Day One!

Always loved the Mr. Belvedere theme song since Day One!

^ You double-posted.

An interesting fact about the theme song is that it was originally written in 1984 for an unsold Michael Richards pilot called Help. You can find more information about it in page 16 of Gary Portnoy's bio on his official website, along with an original demo recording.

http://garyportnoy.com/

^ You double-posted.

An interesting fact about the theme song is that it was originally written in 1984 for an unsold Michael Richards pilot called Help. You can find more information about it in page 16 of Gary Portnoy's bio on his official website, along with an original demo recording.

http://garyportnoy.com/

Sorry about that. My internet was on the fritz that day.

I never knew that about the Mr. B. theme song, let alone the pilot Help!

Was that where a full-length version of the Mr. B. theme song is at.

If by full-length theme, you mean lyrics that weren't used in the finished product, probably.

A few years ago, Gary Portnoy released an album called Destiny. One of the tracks was a new version of the Mr. B theme, with never-before-heard lyrics. These were probably lyrics that he had in mind when he initially composed the theme song in 1984, but dropped them from the finished product.

And if you thought the lyrics to the song that we're used to hearing were fun to listen to, wait till you see these unused lyrics, that were featured on the Destiny version:

Verse 2
Chips and the soda
made a night in the den
So sweet...
And the leftover pizza
made your breakfast at 10
What a treat!
But now we're dining at 7 with the table set
And we just might live the good life yet

Middle Eight
Life has a way of taking you by surprise
A roll of the dice
And you're living it up!
Giving it up!

Verse 3
A fight to the finish
never ended with tea
No way...
And you shared all your troubles
with your friend the TV
Every day
But now it seems this new regime is here to stay
Get set for the last hurrah
Movin' on to the la de dah
We're gonna need all the help that we can get
According to our new arrival
life is more than mere survival
And we just might live the good life yet

Ending
We're on our way to realizing
We're headed for a new horizon
And we just might live the good life...yet!

If by full-length theme, you mean lyrics that weren't used in the finished product, probably.

A few years ago, Gary Portnoy released an album called Destiny. One of the tracks was a new version of the Mr. B theme, with never-before-heard lyrics. These were probably lyrics that he had in mind when he initially composed the theme song in 1984, but dropped them from the finished product.

And if you thought the lyrics to the song that we're used to hearing were fun to listen to, wait till you see these unused lyrics, that were featured on the Destiny version:

Verse 2
Chips and the soda
made a night in the den
So sweet...
And the leftover pizza
made your breakfast at 10
What a treat!
But now we're dining at 7 with the table set
And we just might live the good life yet

Middle Eight
Life has a way of taking you by surprise
A roll of the dice
And you're living it up!
Giving it up!

Verse 3
A fight to the finish
never ended with tea
No way...
And you shared all your troubles
with your friend the TV
Every day
But now it seems this new regime is here to stay
Get set for the last hurrah
Movin' on to the la de dah
We're gonna need all the help that we can get
According to our new arrival
life is more than mere survival
And we just might live the good life yet

Ending
We're on our way to realizing
We're headed for a new horizon
And we just might live the good life...yet!


I love that! Thanks for sharing!! :biglove:

Wow! Just saw that he wrote the theme song for Cheers, too! That guy is talented!!

Also.. I love that original demo for The Mr. Belvedere theme song on page 16 of his bio.. it's awesome! It has a Beatles feel to it.

On 12/23/2011, FamNet just showed the S6 Christmas episode where the entire Owens family auditions for a Christmas play after the director (whom earlier dropped by the Owens' house) found Mr. B. to be his perfect Mr. Scrooge after he snaps on Wes for making his mini-Fruit Cakes into pucks by saying:

Mr. B: "Wesley, you little snit. I was making mini Fruit Cakes that you turned into little pucks!"

Wes: "Oh lighten up."

Mr. B.: "There's no Christmas for nasty boys!"



This episode is also a must-watch if you're an Ilene Graf fan as she looks really sexy in her leotard outift she wears in this episode.

NOTES:
- Tony Sheehan, one of the long-time Mr. B executive producers is notably absent in this episode since his name is not listed in the closing credits. I'm not sure if he was still w/ the show and wasn't around in this episode or he left the series around the end of S4 or some point in S5 but his name is missing from the closing credits.
- This season a slightly longer and slightly different arrangement of the 1st-half of the closing credits transition music w/ a few additional instruments.
- The closing theme tune for S6 (at least for the Christmas 1989 episode as far as I know) has the piano melody replacing the brass horns and trumpets portions of the instruments usually used in the Jazzy Big Band closing theme (used since the last quarter of S3 and the duration of S4 and S5).
- Dennis Snee takes over as one of the primary writers and lead creative consultant of the series.

And it's funny to me that even my 4 yr. old niece who has never ever even seen the show before (until now) likes the theme song and music to this show.