The Mary Tyler Moore Show is a television series that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. It starred Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Richards, a woman who leaves her home town at the age of 30 and becomes a television producer in Minneapolis.
The series launched three spin-offs for key supporting characters: Rhoda, Phyllis, and Lou Grant.
References[]
- Mary Tyler Moore is one of the shows Telly Monster is watching in Sesame Street Episode 1257.
- In the Dinosaurs episode "Network Genius," the Antediluvian Broadcasting Company's line up, following the ratings hike from simply running a test pattern, includes "Mary Tyler Test Pattern."
- The pilot episode of Muppets Tonight featured a spoof on their fake KMUP evening broadcast line-up titled "Mary Tyler Boar."
- Brian Williams, delivering "The Word of the Day" in Sesame Street Episode 4135, closes with "This is Brian Williams saying good day and good squid." Ted Baxter's sign-off on The Mary Tyler Moore Show was "This is Ted Baxter saying goodnight and good news."
Muppet Mentions[]
- In the first season episode "Second Story Story", Ted Baxter excuses himself from a conversation, "Well, I've got to go watch a show on educational television." After he leaves, Lou Grant explains, "Sesame Street."
- In the second season episode "The Birds...and...um...Bess," Mary is fretting about a favor she's promised her neighbor Phyllis; she's going to explain sex to Phyllis' daughter Bess. Mary's co-worker, weatherman Gordy Howard, advises her: "You could always not tell her.... You gotta figure, if they haven't shown it on Sesame Street, it may not be worth knowing."
- In the third season episode "What Is Mary Richards Really Like?" Rhoda reads a column by TV critic Mark Williams, "Though this series continues in its enormous popularity, it is inconceivable to me that it would hold the interest of anyone over the age of nine." (The series is Sesame Street.)
- In the fourth season episode "WJM Tries Harder," Mary relates how rival anchorman Ross Nelson, after hearing about the use of college students as stringers, told her "How are things on Sesame Street?"
Connections[]
- Edward Asner played Lou Grant
- Bruce Bilson directed several episodes of the series.
- Rosalind Cash played Enid Berringer in "A Girl Like Mary"
- Dabney Coleman played Phil Wright in "The Seminar"
- Harold Gould played Martin Morgenstern in "Rhoda's Sister Gets Married" and "Enter Rhoda's Parents"
- Valerie Harper played Rhoda Morgenstern
- Helen Hunt played Laurie Slaughter in "Murray Ghosts for Ted"
- David Ketchum played Hal in "Divorce Isn't Everything" (1970)
- Ted Knight played Ted Baxter
- Cloris Leachman played Phyllis Lindstrom
- Penny Marshall played Toni in "I Was a Single for WJM" and Paula in "Murray in Love" and "Menage-a-Lou"
- Mary Tyler Moore played Mary Richards
- Robbie Rist played David Baxter in three episodes
- John Ritter played Reverend Chatfield in "Ted's Wedding"
- Doris Roberts played Helen Farrell in "Phyllis Whips Inflation"
- Richard Schaal played Howard Arnell in "Today I Am a Ma'am" and "Didn't You Used to Be... Wait... Don't Tell Me," Howard's twin brother Paul in "Howard's Girl," Chuckles the Clown in "The Snow Must Go On," and Dino in "I Was a Single for WJM"
- Nancy Walker played Ida Morgenstern in four episodes
- Betty White played Sue Ann Nivens
- Henry Winkler played Steve Waldman in "The Dinner Party"
- William Woodson played Big Voice Man in "And Now, Sitting in for Ted Baxter"