CHUCK T
07-27-2002, 11:05 AM
Now it is great that Dick and Mary are reuniting in "The Gin Game" on PBS to be aired next year, but I still wish they would do a DVD show reunion. If they did, how would you like it to look? what kind of story would you do? I know some beloved members of the cast are gone--Morey, Richard Deacon, Jerry Paris--and they are irreplaceable. Fortunatly, Dick and Mary are still in great health and top form. Carl Reiner could return as Alan Brady. Rose Marie (who I just heard has signed to appear in a new movie) could be Sally, Ann Guilbert could return as Millie, and Larry Matthews as Richie.
Now the story? Rob and Laura Petrie are enjoying retirement at there home in Connecticut. They travel, they spend summers on Cape Cod, they enjoy there grandchildren. It is a lovely retirement. Rob keeps busy writing an occassional book--the memoir he was writing thru out the DVD show was a best seller and as promised when the Alan Brady show left the air, Alan starred in a sitcom based on the book. Nevertheless, Rob began a second career as a novelist and became quite successful. Laura also got the writing bug and produces a mystery novel a year based on the exploits of a suburban housewife and mother who has a tv comedy writer as a husband and who somehow gets involved in murder investigations. So both Rob and Laura are in good health, happy, and prosperous.
Less prosperous (career wise) is Alan Brady. His variety show and sitcom are long gone. He is still quite rich, but feels forgotten in the industry. Yes, he will show up for an occassional benefit or to receive an industry award--but what he wants to really do is work!!
Laura's mysteries are quite popular and one of the networks has optioned her books for a series of mystery tv movies. Laura has been asked to write the script( but since she has not done tv writing before she asks Rob to help her--of course he will--and there visions of how the script should look differ) Alan desperately wants to play the husband--and is relentless in trying to turn the screws on Rob and Laura to get the job. Rob and Laura patiently try to convince Alan that the characters of the suburban housewife and husband are based on a "younger couple"...Alan replies, "I can play young...I have a toupee for every situation."
Not wanting to hurt Alan's feelings, but knowing he isn't right for the part in the tv movie--Rob convinces the network to do an Alan Brady reunion special. This does the trick, Alan is in his old glory but insists that his "old writing staff" return--unfortuanatly Buddy is gone, but Sally comes aboard (she is still single but enjoying her golden years as a lounge singer on a cruise line) and they hire a young writer to help appeal to the vital 18-34 year old crowd. Unfortunatly this young writer favors crude humor as opposed to the sophisticated and visual humor favored by Rob and Sally and used by Alan Brady. He tells Rob and Sally that they "got to get with the times"...Rob and Sally show him that comedy doesn't have to be blue or crude to be funny.
A tempered Alan wants his staff to share in the glory so on the special Sally gets to do a song and Rob and Laura perform a song and dance.
The show is a huge hit and the network wants to do a series of specials with Alan Brady. Rob tells Alan that he loved working with him again, but that his life has moved on, and he and Laura don't want to get stuck in the rat race again. The young writer who learned from Rob and Sally will continue with Sally as head writer for the upcoming specials. The tv movie ends with Rob and Laura walking on the beach, holding hands, talking about how lucky they have been.
Now the story? Rob and Laura Petrie are enjoying retirement at there home in Connecticut. They travel, they spend summers on Cape Cod, they enjoy there grandchildren. It is a lovely retirement. Rob keeps busy writing an occassional book--the memoir he was writing thru out the DVD show was a best seller and as promised when the Alan Brady show left the air, Alan starred in a sitcom based on the book. Nevertheless, Rob began a second career as a novelist and became quite successful. Laura also got the writing bug and produces a mystery novel a year based on the exploits of a suburban housewife and mother who has a tv comedy writer as a husband and who somehow gets involved in murder investigations. So both Rob and Laura are in good health, happy, and prosperous.
Less prosperous (career wise) is Alan Brady. His variety show and sitcom are long gone. He is still quite rich, but feels forgotten in the industry. Yes, he will show up for an occassional benefit or to receive an industry award--but what he wants to really do is work!!
Laura's mysteries are quite popular and one of the networks has optioned her books for a series of mystery tv movies. Laura has been asked to write the script( but since she has not done tv writing before she asks Rob to help her--of course he will--and there visions of how the script should look differ) Alan desperately wants to play the husband--and is relentless in trying to turn the screws on Rob and Laura to get the job. Rob and Laura patiently try to convince Alan that the characters of the suburban housewife and husband are based on a "younger couple"...Alan replies, "I can play young...I have a toupee for every situation."
Not wanting to hurt Alan's feelings, but knowing he isn't right for the part in the tv movie--Rob convinces the network to do an Alan Brady reunion special. This does the trick, Alan is in his old glory but insists that his "old writing staff" return--unfortuanatly Buddy is gone, but Sally comes aboard (she is still single but enjoying her golden years as a lounge singer on a cruise line) and they hire a young writer to help appeal to the vital 18-34 year old crowd. Unfortunatly this young writer favors crude humor as opposed to the sophisticated and visual humor favored by Rob and Sally and used by Alan Brady. He tells Rob and Sally that they "got to get with the times"...Rob and Sally show him that comedy doesn't have to be blue or crude to be funny.
A tempered Alan wants his staff to share in the glory so on the special Sally gets to do a song and Rob and Laura perform a song and dance.
The show is a huge hit and the network wants to do a series of specials with Alan Brady. Rob tells Alan that he loved working with him again, but that his life has moved on, and he and Laura don't want to get stuck in the rat race again. The young writer who learned from Rob and Sally will continue with Sally as head writer for the upcoming specials. The tv movie ends with Rob and Laura walking on the beach, holding hands, talking about how lucky they have been.