I watched this show just like every other young teenager in the 70's because of Julie, Barbara and their cool clothes. But I had a real love-hate relationship with it - the character of Ann Romano got on my nerves and just didn't ring true for me. Mothers didn't drag their children away from home just because they felt stifled as homemakers. If they were that unhappy, they sucked it up until at least the children were through school. I thought she was a flake and a poor example and this was when I was 14! And then on a much later episode, after both girls were married, she whined to her boyfriend that he took care of his ex-wife but no one ever took care of her! I saw this one in reruns and remember thinking "be careful what you wish for. You made your bed, now like in it!" I'm not sure why a sitcom character elicited such a strong reaction from me but it did.

I thought Ann was good. Bonnie Franklin did an outstanding job as Ann. I thought she was a great actress.

I watched this show just like every other young teenager in the 70's because of Julie, Barbara and their cool clothes. But I had a real love-hate relationship with it - the character of Ann Romano got on my nerves and just didn't ring true for me. Mothers didn't drag their children away from home just because they felt stifled as homemakers. If they were that unhappy, they sucked it up until at least the children were through school. I thought she was a flake and a poor example and this was when I was 14! And then on a much later episode, after both girls were married, she whined to her boyfriend that he took care of his ex-wife but no one ever took care of her! I saw this one in reruns and remember thinking "be careful what you wish for. You made your bed, now like in it!" I'm not sure why a sitcom character elicited such a strong reaction from me but it did.


It's usually when people get divorced the wife and kids stay in the house and the father moves out to an apartment! Esp.if the kids were already that old. To uproot them as teenagers to start again in a new town and school was a little selfish on Ann's part! :(


LOL @ The original poster! :D Be careful what you wish for." You made your bed, now like in it!":lol: She meant to say You made your bed now lie in it!

I've been re-visiting a lot of shows from my youth and it's strange. I used to watch the show for the girls because they were my age, and now that I'm an adult, I'm watching it from an adult perspective. Same with Maude.

There's something about Ann that I haven't quite put my finger on yet. Do you think she might be a control freak? Does she get upset too much over things out of her control?

I've been re-visiting a lot of shows from my youth and it's strange. I used to watch the show for the girls because they were my age, and now that I'm an adult, I'm watching it from an adult perspective. Same with Maude.

There's something about Ann that I haven't quite put my finger on yet. Do you think she might be a control freak? Does she get upset too much over things out of her control?


Yes! She was a bit of a control freak! ;)

ODAAT is one of those shows that it's easy to believe that while big for its time, has aged horribly. It's often bogged down by hammy acting, preachy writing and cheap, horrific lighting and production values.