I recently binge watched the entire series on DVD over my winter vacation and noticed that one of the husbands was switched out after the first season (salary dispute, drug use, who cares) and replaced with another actor. To me, the change was very noticeable because Deacon looked nothing like Carmel and was a lot more serious looking than him. I love Richard Deacon but I felt like that role did not match him. His serious appearance killed any of the silly antics that his character and Kaye did. I thought Carmel jelled better with Ballard and they both were the right amount of crazy to annoy the Hubbards out of their minds. All in all, Ballard and Arden are the ones who carried the show so the husbands were probably not the main concern for the writers.

What are your thoughts?

I also noticed that they also changed daughters from the original pilot to when it was picked up as a series. That change did not have much of an affect on the series so I don't have much of an opinion of that change.

I've seen a episode or two with Carmel, non with Deacon...I agree, Deacon doesn't fit the part. They probably needed a character actor very quickly and Deacon was available.

I'm trying to figure out who would have been a better choice...if they couldn't find someone with similar looks, maybe somebody like Jerry Van Dyke or Arte Johnson.

I've seen a episode or two with Carmel, non with Deacon...I agree, Deacon doesn't fit the part. They probably needed a character actor very quickly and Deacon was available.

I'm trying to figure out who would have been a better choice...if they couldn't find someone with similar looks, maybe somebody like Jerry Van Dyke or Arte Johnson.


It's hard to imagine two people more different than Jerry Van Dyke and Arte Johnson.

I haven't seen the show since its original run but Roger C . Carmel was infinitely superior to Richard Deacon. Carmel not only had personality and charisma, he had this devilish attitude that was very unpredictable. Richard Deacon was a foil that invited insults and nothing more.

Both were good actors but Carmel was better suited for the role. His Roger was funnier I think.

I agree that Carmel was better suited for the role. Richard Deacon was a good actor, but casting him for The Mothers In Law didn't work out too well. Deacon didn't have the same chemistry acting alongside Kaye Ballard like Carmel did.

I think Avery Schreiber would have made a better Roger than Richard Deacon. I liked him in My Mother The Car.

I think Avery Schreiber would have made a better Roger than Richard Deacon. I liked him in My Mother The Car.

Yes, Avery Schreiber would have been a better choice to replace Carmel. Schreiber sort of resembled Carmel and had a similar personality, he probably could have picked right up with the role where Carmel left off.

I think Roger Carmel is better on-screen hubby of Kaye Ballard on the show.

This board had a similar discussion some years back, and Avery Schreiber's name came up (from me) as another possible replacement for Roger C. Carmel as Roger Buell. Schreiber probably would've been better in the part than Richard Deacon was:

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=282827