Charm + Talent + Genius = Lightning in a Bottle

I can't believe how good this show is.

Sure, it has its 'typical sitcom moments' and tropes, the kid is mostly just annoying and loud, there are 'how we met' shows and some boring and unbelievable episodes.

Then you are suddenly hit with an episode like 'The Alan Brady Show Presents', where you are gobsmacked with just how much skill, talent, dedication, practice and genius this show and especially the two main stars ooze.

Their energy is so harmonious together, you would easily believe they are really married. Mary Tyler Moore has just the right mix of 'charm', 'cuteness', 'femininity', even 'beauty' and 'goofiness', 'humility', 'personality' and 'relatability' that you can't help but be immersed every time she is on screen, and her acting, singing, dancing and who knows what other talents just simply grab you and pull you into a fog of mesmerization until she is out of sight again.

I don't think Dick van Dyke's comedic, acting, 'becoming' (hard to explain) talent can be praised enough. If it hadn't been for some really ridiculously amazing talents like Robin Williams and Jim Carrey (and of course some others, like Jim Varney) later on, he would be the 'King of Comedy and Immersion' easily.

It's so interesting how 'immersive' these people's acting on this show is. You don't get this kind of believability in modern times, especially in sitcoms. You can actually feel their worry, when they feel worried, and their happiness, when they feel happy, plus their playfulness, of course.

The Christmas skits in that episode I mention are just 'TV show within a TV show', but would actually be good enough to be actual Christmas special skits that I would happily watch and applaud, their performances are that good! I especially like the cute little 'I am a rich man, but not actually'-number. I wonder how long they practiced to pull it off so flawlessly..

The rest of the cast, as good as they are, could be relatively easily replaced, or played by someone modern. But Laura and Rob are absolute shining stars of this show, and elevate it a thousandfold. Removing them would make this show lifeless, and replacing them is just an impossible thought.

It's sad, how easy it is to feel nostalgic for 'the good old times' watching this show, when you can look out the window and see all the monsters people have become instead of these very human characters - albeit fictional, they still reflected the norms and people of the day.

No tattoos or weird hair or nose rings, no odd, 'torn' or 'evil' clothes, no proudly proclaimed and screamed stupidity and ignorance - just very human behaviour with very relatable reactions to situations.

If women were actually like Laura, and men like Robert, more people would be happily married and divorces would not be as common. The world would also make way more sense, and modern life would not seem as shocking.

The contrast between how people looked, behaved, dressed and carried themselves is larger than between night and day, when you compare to the modern world with its fat, green and pink-haired monstrosities screaming about things they don't know anything about on the streets and thinking they are doing something good with their lives.

O tempora o mores has never been as applicable as this show proves it is today.