mrroland's Full Review: Mary Tyler Moore Show - Season 1
"We thought of the difficulty of being thirty, single, and female in the very tough world of the 1970's, and we wanted to find the comedy-but also the meaning-in that."
--TMTMS Creators and Executive Producers, James L. Brooks and Allan Burns
The Mary Tyler Moore Show premiered on September 19, 1970 on CBS. The show is set in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is about the life, private and professional, of a single, "early 30s" young woman, Mary Richards, who begins the show by being hired as the Associate Producer of the Six O'Clock News on fictional television station, WJM. The lowest-rated newscast, I might add.
TMTMS is considered a breakthrough show as the central character is not only a young woman, but a single and successful, self-supporting young woman. I have read (from several different sources) that the show's producers originally wanted Ms. Moore to play a divorcee, but feared viewers would still associate Ms. Moore with her character from The Dick Van Dyke Show, Laura Petrie, and sub-consciously think "Laura" had divorced "Rob," (Rob Petrie, portrayed by Dick Van Dyke).
TMTMS was a hit all seven seasons it was on the air. This is due, in large part, to Ms. Moore, and the rest of the show's ensemble cast:
Lou Grant, portrayed by Edward Asner. Or, as Mary always calls him, "Mr. Grant." Mr. Grant is the producer of the Six O'Clock News, and is a tough, "old-time" newsman, with a no-nonsense approach to life. Mr. Grant is married (to Edie: their marriage doesn't seem to be all that great, in fact they start having problems in the first season), and has three daughters and several grandchildren, though we seldom will see them on the show. Mr. Grant and Mary have a close, almost father/daughter-like, relationship and Mary often will seek him out for advice. Mr. Grant is in his late forties/early fifties...and he is my favorite character as I like his "man's man" persona.
Gavin MacLeod is Murray Slaughter, the Head Writer for the news. He is in his early forties, has a wife, Marie, and children (one of whom is portrayed by Helen Hunt). As with Lou Grant, we only see Murray's family occasionally, as he mostly is seen in the newsroom. Watching the show, it is obvious that Murray has a crush on Mary...something that will be dealt with in seasons to come. Murray also has quite a sharp wit, and reserves most of his barbs for WJM's news anchor...
...Ted Baxter, played by Ted Knight. Ted is the show's most hilarious character: he constantly makes mistakes on the air (misreading his copy, mis-pronouncing words, etc). Ted is also very egotistical, tight with his money, and a joy to watch. Ted is the highest-paid person at WJM, something that drives Murray insane, and he is always drawing the ire of Lou Grant (who Ted is very afraid of). The "battles" between Ted and Lou are always very funny to watch, I must add!
You could also say that the only "suspension of belief" factor with TMTMS is due to the fact that Ted Baxter never gets fired due to his outlandish behavior on and off the air. In real life, of course, antics such as his would have him replaced immediately, especially when you consider...
...Gordy, the weatherman, played by John Amos, who is everything Ted is not. That is to say: bright and articulate. Every now and then Gordy fills in for Ted as host of the news, and he is outstanding. If WJM were a "real-life" station, Gordy would definitely be the news anchor.
At home, Mary lives in the same apartment house as her two friends: Rhoda Morgenstern and Phyllis Lindstrom.
Rhoda, portrayed by Valerie Harper, is Mary's best friend, though at first Rhoda is a bit abrasive and resentful of Mary getting the apartment "she wanted." Rhoda is slightly older than Mary and much more worldly and cynical. She also is very eager to get married but hurts her cause by being too self-depreciating.
Academy Award winning actress Cloris Leachman plays Phyllis Lindstrom, Mary and Rhoda's landlady. Phyllis is a walking contradiction: For one thing, she claims to be a feminist, yet she doesn't work and his happy having her doctor husband (Lars, who we never see) support her. Phyllis is also very snooty and always "putting on," which inevitably leads to some great exchanges with Rhoda.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show Season One Collection contains all 24 episodes, a very well done documentary that looks at the making of TMTMS, a trivia challenge, photo gallery, Emmy Award clips, and the original CBS promos form 1970.
Some of my favorite episodes include:
Divorce Isn't Everything--Hoping to meet men, Mary and Rhoda pose as divorcees and join the Better Luck Next Time club.
The Snow Must Go On--It is election night, and a blizzard shuts down the teletype at WJM, so Ted has to stay on all night giving the same election updates!
Hi!--Mary spends a few days in the hospital (a tonsillectomy) and shares a room with an abrasive woman.
Smokey The Bear Wants You--Rhoda meets a great guy, who unfortunately decides to "give it all up" to be a forest ranger.
I enjoy watching and re-watching The Mary Tyler Moore Show and have purchased all of the (available) season dvds. This show is the definition of "quality television" and I recommend it to everyone!
Over its seven-year run, The Mary Tyler Moore Show won 29 Emmy Awards, more than any other comedy in television history. Now get ready to turn back th...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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