The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977) User Reviews

She Can Turn The World On With Her Smile

[DKosty123 · 8/10 · 15 April 2007]

Mary Tyler Moore - a great comedic actress & a great long running sitcom. This show was incredible. The writing always seemed to set up funny situations. The pace of the show was just perfect.

Where & how did they get so much talent in one cast? Besides Mary, there is Gavin McCloud who is brilliant as Murray Slaughter. Ed Asner is the same as Lou Grant, Mary's boss. Where did they find Ted Knight? Ted Baxter is one of the great send-up characters of all sit-Com's & Knight played him brilliantly. Knight made it big with this series, went on to his own series, Too Close For Comfort, & also scored big in the original CADDYSHACK.

Then, the is Rhoda & Phyllis who spun from here into their own series. While their series were not as good as this one, they definitely contributed to this one. Let's not forget Betty White as the indomitable Sue Ann Niven. This show was good enough to her, & she played her character brilliantly. This was her springboard for Golden Girls later. She is even better than this.

Not only did Mary turn the world on with her smile, she widened the world a lot by introducing a lot of great character actors in their best career roles. This show could be touching & sentimental at times as well. This show has it all.

Love is all around..oh yes

[gian-lazarou · 9/10 · 27 February 2011]

As i am writing this review (February of 2011), i have been watching all the episodes of the MTM show nonstop actually for some time now although i m just midway through season 5. I live in Greece and although we do love our US TV shows here too, Mary Tyler Moore was not exactly our icon through the 70's especially if you consider all the problems my country was going through at least up to 1974. I m 31 now (born in 79), and i ve known of MTM for quite some time and was always aware of the show and had heard from a lot of American friends and the web of course that the specific show was somewhat of a TV legend or a "sacred cow" especially for the people who watched it while it was on the air, and you know what?? I couldn't agree with them more! I LOVE THIS SHOW! i cannot find one thing that i don't like no matter how hard i try. i ve been laughing or at least smiling nonstop for 5 seasons now something that has happened (to me at least) only with a couple of shows p.e. Friends, Will and Grace. The feel of it, the look, the theme song, the opening credits, the characters, the actors (OMG!), and of course the writing. Quick, sharp, very very funny and with some subtext in a lot of cases considering the era! One thought that has occurred to me is that Mary Tyler Moore is the least egocentric actress in her or any other lifetime. I ve never seen an actress as famous as her, with her own show by the way, that didn't at some point sooner or later become obnoxious or cocky or have the writing serve her look or status. (God bless her but Lucille Ball take a bow!) Concluding i would like to say that it is incredible for a show to stand the merciless test of time (40 years!), and in 2011 i m proud to say that i d watch reruns of the MTM show any day than spend time watching some trash reality show about putting your hand in a box of cockroaches with order to win money. and you know what? i might just make it after all !

"You're gonna make it after all"

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 5 September 2019]

When television started usually modern day shows be they comedy or drama were set in four cities or the suburbs thereof, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles or San Francisco. The Mary Tyler Moore Show was one of the first not set in any of these, in fact it made sure to film even establishing shots in Minneapolis where the show was set.

I think it was great that the rest of the country got to see and identify with Mary Richards starting a career working for a local TV station. On the Dick Van Dyke Show. Moore was at first just a pretty face. Then it was discovered the woman actually had a gift for comedy. Which flourished on this show.

Three other characters started with Moore. Gruff Ed Asner was the boss, Gavin McLeod was the much put upon engineer and Ted Knight the self centered news anchor. All three starred in their own shows later and all three as well as Moore had episodes centering around their characters.

Some really wonderful characters were added on. Valerie Harper as Mary's friend Rhoda, Georgia Engel as Baxter's wife, another friend Cloris Leachman for Mary. My favorite was Betty White as Sue Ann Nivens the happy homemaker whose cooking show naive appearing character belied a devastating wit. And a lot of these went on to other shows.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show was fun and enjoyable and it spawned a lot of spinoffs. Catch this when its rerun.

She really DID make it after all.

[DragonMasterHiro · 24 June 2003]

The backstory: Mary Richards moves to Minneapolis, MN, specifically into an apartment with a sunken in living room. She applies for a job at a local television newsroom with high aspirations. The show not only deals with situation comedy, but with how a woman could "make it after all" in a male dominated workforce. Mary becomes close with her newsroom family, from tough-love boss Lou Grant to bumbling news anchorman Ted Baxter. She also deals with wacky neighbor Phyllis and of course, wise cracking Rhoda. The show is great because you care about all the characters and while funny, it can still deliver a strong message. Truly one of the best shows on television.

She'll always turn the world on with her smile

[earlytalkie · 10/10 · 23 April 2011]

This was my favorite show of the 1970s. I loved this series from the first time I saw it in 1970. This was a show that had it all. Humor, pathos, great scripts and great direction. The initial cast was one of the best in television history. Along with incomparable Mary we had Valerie Harper, Gavin MacLeod, Ted Knight, Ed Asner and Cloris Leachman. Each one of these performers put a unique spin on characters which were allowed to be three-dimensional and grow. After a few seasons, when several of the main characters were spun-off into their own series, new characters, such as Georgette and Sue-Ann were introduced. Geogia Engel as Georgette was sweet and adorable, and Betty White, as memorable man-trap Sue-Ann were marvelous in their parts. A true classic that bears multiple viewings.

Absolutely, the Best Television Show Ever Written

[mmitsos-1 · 10/10 · 4 April 2006]

"The Mary Tyler Moore Show" is absolutely my FAVORITE television show of all time, with "The Dick Van Dyke Show" falling a hair behind. I love all the characters of the MTM show...they all had great lines, and those actors knew how to deliver. Mary Tyler Moore exemplified true sportsmanship in making this whole show a wonderful example of COMPLETE ensemble acting. Every character had his/her shining moments, time and time again. I was about nine when this show debuted, and truly grew up with it. I used to hate Ted, because he was so unbelievably stupid. However, now that I've spent twenty or so years in the work world, I have had the complete displeasure of working with Ted Baxters everywhere....so many who rise to their level of complete incompetence. And over the years, in watching reruns, I have come to fully appreciate Ted Knight's genius in his portrayal of Ted Baxter. The episode in which Mary is simply feeling completely down in the dumps...her motivation is gone for no apparent reason, other than the fact that she has hit a slump (a "new apartment" episode). Ted Knight's portrayal of Ted Baxter imitating her in her slumpy condition, and repeating the whole scene with identical dialog but with a completely different attitude, basically showing Mary that she has to appreciate what she has in life, and look at it all with a different, positive perspective, was sheer comedic genius at its finest.

The final episode of this series portrayed my comment about Corporate America very realistically, and the episode itself is one for a time capsule....just bottle it up. Ditto for the "Chuckles the Clown" episode...and for the "Veal Prince Orloff" episode. Actually, I'd love to put all of MTM's episodes, along with those from the Dick Van Dyke Show, in a time capsule and send them into space. Nick at Nite should run episodes only from MTM, the Dick Van Dyke Show, Bob Newhart, and The Wonder Years. That is all that that station needs, and I'm sure that the ratings would go through the roof. But back to Mary....her show was a brilliant gem that graced the world of American television, and no other show will ever hold a candle to it....EVER. Yes, Seinfeld was funny, and "breakthrough", in being a show about nothing, and it even offered phrases that entered our vernacular. But it missed the one key element that MTM had in spades...heart. The Seinfeld show, as funny as it always was, really never made you cry or pulled at your heart strings...ever (other than maybe making you cry from laughter). The MTM Show, on the other hand, combined humor, drama, reality, the absurd, the sublime, and a lot of warmth all rolled into one magnificent, shining, seven-year love-fest for our pop culture, and I thank Mary for giving us this bright light. In a comic strip that was published I believe just the Sunday after the last episode aired, a man was depicted throwing his television set out his window, crying. The cartoonist captured the national sentiment quite beautifully. I miss Mary and her gang to this day. Thank goodness for the complete DVD set.

It's effect cannot be underestimated

[just_dance71 · 10/10 · 13 September 2013]

"The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (or, TMTMS,) debuted in September 1970. Despite MTM as it's star and some very talented supporting characters, CBS did not like the idea of a young woman who was single-by-choice as a lead character. The show was given a poor time slot, and early reviews from test audiences and critics were less than favorable. So one may say it's odd how 7 years later (when the show aired it's final episode in March 1977,) it was one of the most awarded and critically acclaimed show not only of the 1970s, but of all time.

The first season is a shaky one for many (it happens to be my favorite.) Mary Richards, a 31 year old single woman working as associate producer for the fourth rate WJM news, is finding her footing in Minneapolis. What she lacks in confidence she makes up for in beauty --- never has MTM or the character of Mary Richards looked more beautiful with her long raven hair, mini skirts and dresses, and knee high boots. Many of the early episodes focus entirely on Mary, and while the scenes at her home were flourishing, the scenes featuring her at work were... well, a bit boring. This season can also be noted for showing Mary and the gang in the most settings (restaurants, dental offices, extracurricular clubs, outdoor shopping malls, house parties etc.)

By the second season, the writing had improved, although the first season *can* boast more memorable episodes. Nevertheless, the show strikes a finer balance between Mary at home with the wisecracking, pudgy Rhoda and the cultured, but snooty Phyllis, and her life at work with sarcastic Murray, dimwitted Ted, and the tough but lovable Lou. Was the second season better? From a critical point yes. But it's fresh appeal didn't match that of the first season.

It was the from the third season onward that things really were on a roll. The show was now a bona fide success (coming in at #10 in the Nielsen ratings for season 2,) thus giving the actors and writers a little leeway with the studio in terms of creative control. We see traces of "All in the Family" in this season as several TMTMS episodes deal with controversial issues like equal pay for woman, homosexuality, divorce and infidelity, birth control and premarital sex. But unlike "All in the Family," these episodes and points were deftly written and sensitively acted... it was a rare treat to see a point made without pushing it down the throats of viewers.

The fourth season was about the same as the third, although things got a bit steamier in the office with the addition of Sue Ann Nivens, the dimpled but slutty host of WJM's "The Happy Homemaker." Another character had been added as well - the soft-spoken but surprisingly intelligent Georgette, who becomes Ted's love interest. This was also the last season to feature Rhoda as a main character before she left to star in her own sitcom.

The fifth and sixth and seventh season were a change from the first four. With Rhoda gone, the writers had no choice but develop Mary into a more street smart, confident character. Her evolution can be seen throughout the first four seasons, but without Rhoda she had no best friend to ask advice from or talk about her dates with. She was now completely on her own and responsible for her own decisions. In the fifth season, she's promoted to the role of PRODUCER of the WJM news, a position few women held in the real world at the time. Another major development was the move she makes from her warm, stylish bachelor suite into a modern mid-1970s one bedroom high-rise. While her new home wasn't as 'cozy' or 'cute' as the first, it represented the financial and social gains she had made over the past six years.

The series would end in early 1977, just as television was pulling away from smart, adult- oriented comedy to a raunchier, sillier, more direct sense of comedy. The show essentially could have aired for another year, but the producers and MTM herself decided to go out while still on top. It's one of the few shows to air for such a long period of time and never experience any real decline in quality - a testament to the craft and talent of everyone involved in the show.

But TMTMS was more than just excellent comedy. It was a glowing testament that proved that a woman (or a man) could be in their 30s, could be single, and still live a productive and successful life. Somehow it disproved the fact that you were weird if you weren't married and didn't have a kid by the time you were 30. Whether MTM knows it or not, there's a whole generation of men and women who decided to go out and find themselves, get a career, and develop themselves as a human before rushing into a marriage and having kids. Taste is personal, but I feel safe in saying that no show has since done so much for it's viewers than TMTMS did. Some may be funny, some may be groundbreaking. But no show has ever made it's viewer feel less alone and more confident in themselves as working professionals and human beings than TMTMS did. And for that, I am grateful.

One of the most outstanding shows ever put on television.

[joe_lvn · 10/10 · 23 July 2007]

I saw the first episode when it first aired in prime time back in September of 1970 when I was nine years old. And I remember really enjoying it.

At the very end, I thought the MTM cat was the most amazingly clever thing I had ever seen (as a kid, knowing it was a take-off of the MGM lion). I kind of fell in love with Mary (of course we all did) especially as the series and episodes went on. Like I said, I truly believe that this was one of THE greatest shows ever on television (very likely the best). Everything clicked: the acting, the choice of actors for the show,the characters they were chosen to play, and most evidently and importantly, the incredible writing. And what wonderful, sophisticated writing it was. I really can't remember anything "dumb" or silly in this show. It never once insulted my intelligence (or attempted to insult anyone's).

The characters in the cast became very much like old friends to me, and I guess to most people. Almost like family. Why couldn't we know people or work with people like this?

An episode of special note regarding exceptional writing and direction: The one where Mary is so tired of trying to find a suitable man to date or have a relationship with, that on Georgette's advice, she asks Lou Grant out on a date. This was the next to the last episode of the series, by the way. I believe that most people who remember this episode will agree with me that it was one the best ones of the entire show.

Unfortunately, there aren't any more sitcoms on prime time T.V. today that can compare to this comedic gem.

And Mary, you'll always turn the world on with your smile!!

Catching Up With M.T.M. on ME-TV .

[happipuppi13 · 10/10 · 5 October 2011]

When I tell people ,what I'm about to tell you here,they look at me and go "You can't be serious!" "You're kidding right?" or "No way!" What it is,is that before this summer,when "Me-TV" came to channel 7.2 here in Phoenix,I had literally in my 43 years of living,had only seen "10" episodes of this series!

Why? Well,from 1970 to 1977 I was only age 2 to 9,so it was beyond me then (I did see the opening credits but that's all.) In 1980/1981,the show was rerun here in Phoenix & I saw only the pilot show,and about 4 others. The film then was scratchy with lines and age & the sound was terrible. It was then gone from local TV here for 20 years & I had no cable.

Fast forward to Aug. 2001,and I caught 5 shows on TV Land (at 6am!) on my apt. complex's clubhouse TV. Got to see Ted & Georgette get married,Lou's apt. get decorated badly by Rhoda,Murray shove Sue Ann into a big cake and Chuckles bite the dust and the finale.

Now,2011. Ten years later,thanks to ME-TV having the show on 5 nights a week (formerly 7),I'm finally getting to really appreciate what a fine work of sitcom art this show was and still is. Some humor might be a touch dated but it's still funny and in terms of Ted Baxter,just downright hilarious.

Mary Tyler Moore made the seamless transition from wife Laura Petrie to independent professional woman Mary Richards. (4 years between helped also.) Mary is not just this but also holds very natural human qualities and frailties as well. This makes her character 100% likable and relatable. Not just to women but anyone. I love her in the early 1970 Christmas show where she has to work alone at the station on Christmas Eve.

Rhoda is the perfect counterpart & friend to Mary. The two compliment each other greatly on screen. Behind the scenes and on the show,the chemistry of friendship is very real. Seems too bad in a way that they took her to her own show but people watched that too.

Murray is delightfully sarcastic to Ted and a great friend to Mary and Lou. Lou Grant is the epitome of the boss but with a heart (despite trying to hide it). From Show #1,Ed Asner made it apparent what his character is all about.

Ted Baxter (the brilliant,late Ted Knight)is a pompous,egotistical,self loving egomaniac with the maturity of a high school boy . He's also a blundering buffoon on the air. As only Ted Knight could have played it. Why Georgette loves him is mystery but as she said,"Someone has to" .

Georgia Engel is fantastic here too. I always did like that unique voice of hers.

You gotta love & hate Betty White as Sue Ann Nivens "The Happy Homemaker". Always pretty much on the make for Lou and always acting like a perfect 1950s TV housewife who escaped from a TV,only to land in 1974.

Part time character Phyllis (also got her own series) is one half snob and second half know it all. Before Sue Ann,she also had a tendency to needle Mary about her single status and sense of style.

Even though I've now only seen about 50 of these shows,I can honestly see why it won so many Emmys in the 1970s. Every actor is true to their character and every character has the "real" or "human" side to them,that makes them likable. Yes....even Ted Baxter.

Anyone who feels this is "not" a classic,does not know all that goes into making a sitcom. Not just making it funny but making it believable to the audience (and the critics). The actors have to believe themselves as these people as well and for what little I've seen,it's all A+ acting,writing and producing & great comic timing.

It may have started 41 years ago and ended in 1977 but quality (in any form of entertainment) never goes out of style. 10 stars for the whole cast and crew,bravo....and Meow. (END)

Edit : On July 2nd,2012,finished viewing all shows on DVD.

Incredible sitcom with a truly endearing career lady

[roghache · 10/10 · 24 April 2006]

This is a classic, one of my favourite television series of all time and surely one of the best sitcoms ever. Mary Tyler Moore is absolutely brilliant in her portrayal of the vulnerable and incredibly endearing Mary Richards, who embarks upon a career as an associate news producer in a small Minneapolis TV newsroom. Of course she was so compelling that it became difficult for her to shake the part and embark upon other roles. To most viewers, Ordinary People and other ventures notwithstanding, Mary Tyler Moore will always be Mary Richards.

Mary's relationships with the other employees in the newsroom and also her apartment neighbours make the series. The assorted newsroom characters include her gruff & cynical but lovable boss, Lou Grant, the friendly & witty news writer, Murray Slaughter (with whom Mary enjoys a genuine camaraderie), and the absurdly vain & egotistical news anchor Ted Baxter, who cannot pronounce anything properly and invariably makes a complete fool of himself both on TV and off. The banter between Mary and her boss, Mr. Grant, is especially hilarious and the mutual respect & affection touching.

Ed Asner masterfully portrays the news room boss, Lou Grant, with Gavin MacLeod playing the likable Murray Slaughter and Ted Knight the idiotic Ted Baxter. Later regulars include Georgette, Ted's friendly but naive blonde wife, and Sue Anne Nivens (Betty White), the annoying, man hunting domestic diva and star of the TV station's cooking program.

Mary longs for romance but meanwhile has close, dependable friendships not just at her job but also at home. She has an adorable bachelor apartment with a sunken living room. Upstairs in the attic apartment of this Victorian style house is the colourful, wise cracking Rhoda Morgenstern, played to perfection by Valerie Harper. The dialogue between the two is always priceless. Daring but cynical, Rhoda is the exact polar opposite to the more timid but always cheerfully optimistic Mary. Downstairs is the overbearing, irritating Phylis Lindstrom, played by Cloris Leachman.

Mary was something of a role model for the independent single career woman of that era. She had her trials and insecurities but invariably managed to cope on her own. Not only that, but she's always such a genuine lady. This series with its focus on friendship as opposed to romance is infinitely superior to the programming of today where the plot lines of the young career women tend to revolve around sex, often with a different man practically every night. These screenwriters could learn a little something from the Mary Tyler Moore Show writers about class, humour, character development, and relationship portrayal.

The first sitcom with a clearly feminine point of view

[policy134 · 6/10 · 6 December 2014]

It's not the greatest sitcom in the world but it did has it moments. It will forever be associated with having a female character that wasn't married and didn't really pursue marriage.

The main story lines in the first 3 or 4 seasons was on Mary's relationships with the other 2 female characters Rhoda and Phyllis. Ed Asner said in an interview that he was a little frustrated that the workplace wasn't really featured in those years and I agree with him. The later years were the best seasons.

Still, the stories all through the run were different and more fresh than most sitcoms pre 1970, and the interaction between the characters are better than most sitcoms up to that point.

The reason for the feminine point of view is obvious. There were a lot of female writers on this show, more than I have ever seen before. This doesn't affect the shows quality but it is still clear that the male characters are softer than they usually were up to that point.

You have to see this to appreicate it

[MHaines-1 · 10/10 · 25 October 2008]

Even if you weren't born when this series aired, you have to see it.

Watch is all. It's the gold standard...Period.

There is no equal when it come to sophistication, timeliness or relevance. Mary Yyler Moore is genius...just watch and you'll agree. It's not that she invented the genre, giving that credit to Lucille Ball, but she embodied it like no one did and no on one has ever since. The characters are so much more defined and dimensional than any that have been written since; not that there haven't been some able attempts (Murpy Brown and Designing Women come to mind).

Mary, Valerie Harper and Chloris Leachman top them all....week after week, consistently superlative (credit to the writing staff as well as the actors who embody the scrips.)

No one could replace Rhoda

[kellielulu · 7/10 · 20 May 2022]

Much like Lucy needed an Ethel or Viv Mary needed a Rhoda ( her character Laura on The Dick Van Dyke Show had Millie) . The show was still good after the departures of Rhoda ( and Phyllis) but no one could fill their void . Sue Ann was more of a frenimie . Georgette seemed like someone Mary tolerated ( although I think she genuinely liked her) . Murray and Lou were critical to the show's success but there was nothing like a best friend for Mary that wasn't connected to her job . The series still had some all time classic episodes ( Chuckles Bites the Dust and Mary's Insomnia) but it far too many episodes centered on Ted Baxter. I never realized how much until I recently watched the later seasons. Ted was good in a limited way but the focus on Ted's personal life became like an irritating rash. From Rhoda and Phyllis to Ted and Georgette wasn't a good trade off.

If You Steal, Steal from the Best I Say

[bturner008 · 1/10 · 15 November 2022]

One of the most overrated sitcoms ever ... The show is a complete rip-off of The Dick Van Dyke Show from format, story lines and character profiles ... Cases in point: 1) Equal time between work and home life, 2) Tyranical boss, 3) Quirky neighbor and best friend, 4) 2-person workmates - one married, one single, 5) Story lines centered around conflict with boss and whining of co-workers, 6) Business centered around entertainment business, and 7) Mary stutters during uncomfortable time (mimicking Dick) - just to name a few ... They even stole scenes including the final episode with the famous group hug - a complete rip-off of a scene in "A Ghost of A, Chantz" from the DVD Show episode ... Acting was very over the top and unrealistic in tone ... This was even worsened with the over inclusion of the unappealing Rhoda and Phyllis characters ... Lastly, unlike Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore was just not funny, not even in the slightest - and mostly not even in her own show.

Love is Indeed All Around

[sunhilllad · 30 October 2002]

For the longest period of time, I couldn't understand the appeal of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show". Having caught the occasional episode every now and then, the series struck me as being somewhat "ordinary" in nature. However, at the beginning of 2002, I began to watch the series on a regular basis, right from it's first season and found to my surprise, what a funny, insightful and entertaining sitcom it was.

Mary Tyler Moore deserves kudos for her portrayal of Mary Richards, a ground-breaking character who was allowed to be her own person (a rare thing for female characters on television in those days). An intelligent, independent young woman in her 30's, whose wasn't "hung up" on not being married, and enjoyed her life and her career. The rest of the cast also deserve mention for their memorable performances. Ed Asner as the gruff, yet lovable Lou Grant (Mary's boss at WJM-TV), Valerie Harper as the sharp and sassy Rhoda Morgenstern (Mary's best friend and next door neighbour), Gavin Macloud as the witty & thoughtful Murray Slaughter (Mary's fellow work mate at WJM), the late Ted Knight as the self absorbed and talentless Ted Baxter (who "anchored" the news in more ways than one at WJM-TV) and Cloris Leachman as the flighty and somewhat over-opininated Phyllis Lindstorm (Mary's other next door neighbour and friend).

The show was fortunate enough to benefit from first rate scripts from talented writers such as Jim Brooks & Allan Burns (both of whom created the series), Treva Silverman, David Lloyd, Bob Ellison and Ed Weinberger.

Along with solid direction from vetran TV sitcom director Jay Sandrich (of "I Love Lucy" fame), it comes as no surprise that the series was both a critical and commerical success during it's seven year run on US television from 1970 to 1977. The show also benefited from later additions to the cast such as Georgia Engel as the sweet natured, yet rather naive Georgette Franklin (who was introduced into the series as a love interest for the idiotic Ted Baxter) and Betty White as the conniving & man-hungry Sue Ann Nivens (host of "The Happy Homemaker" show at WJM-TV). On screen, she is the image of domestic knowledge and bliss, but once the camera's have stopped rolling, she is a woman on the prowl, striking at any man within distance (single or otherwise) who grabs her fancy!!. Earning a whole swag of Emmy Awards, the show was highly praised and rewarded for it's stellar efforts. I recommended those who are unfamiliar with the show to watch the series from the beginning, to appreciate and understand the nature of what it's all about. The humour is natural and witty (unlike many other sitcoms where the laughs are either forced or over-the-top). The characters grow and change over the years (once again unlike many other comedy shows), and the series itself contains it's own warmth and natural charm. Check it out and see why this lady can still turn the whole world on with that smile ...

I Was Never Disappointed

[phillipgowens1 · 10/10 · 21 May 2014]

Okay, I'm a guy and I was in the 9th grade in the fall of 1970 when this show came out. I wasn't interested in it because it was geared toward women ages, 30-45 (or so I thought). By the mid-1970s, when I was studying business in college, and bored to death with homework, I'd channel-surf looking for something to watch on TV. Occasionally, Ms. Moore's show would be on, and with nothing else on TV to watch, I'd tune in. And you know what? I was never disappointed. Not once. Later, when "Rhoda," and "Lou Grant," were spun off, I watched those shows, too. Again, I was never disappointed. These shows were great and I wish we had the same kind of shows now. I'm so sick with modern-day TV, I had my cable disconnected a few years back and I only watch these kinds of shows. Thank you Ms. Moore, Ms. Harper, Ms. White, Mr. Asner, Mr. McLeod, and the late, great, Mr. Knight for some of the greatest shows in the history of TV, and R.I.P. to Mr. Knight. You get 10/10 from me.

Any better?

[Flups21 · 10/10 · 18 October 2007]

Seriously! 30+ years later you still have to reference this show when discussing the Great American Sitcom. And, this is it. After all of these years, there is nothing quite Mary as Mary. No show has ever been better casted than this one. Each and every character was nailed to a tee by the actor/actress chosen for his/her role. Could Mary been played by anyone other than Mary Tyler Moore? Ted Baxter by anyone other than the late Ted Knight? Lou Grant! By anyone other than the oh-so-perfect Ed Asner? Murray? Gavin MacLeod pre-Love Boat! Rhoda!!!! Could anyone have nailed this better? Thank you Valerie Harper. No other faux-Jew could have matched you.

A classic

[preppy-3 · 10/10 · 5 June 2008]

I never caught MTM when it was originally on. I didn't watch much television and the idea of a sitcom about a single woman had no interest to me. Then, after it was cancelled, a local TV station started showing two shows a night, back to back, and I started watching. At first I wasn't impressed. The early 70s fashions and hairstyles were horrific, the acting uneven, the topics dated and Moore occasionally overacted. But, as the series progressed, the writing got better, the cast got more comfortable with their roles and Moore toned it down a little. I still don't like the first season too much. It does introduce us to all the characters but it just seemed kind of forced. Also it was somewhat sexist. At one point Moore actually does Lou Grants' laundry! OK OK--his wife had left him but still... After the first season though the series picked up speed and just got better and better. It also showed a single woman living alone and liking it--a rarity for TV on those days. It even hinted that she had an off screen sex life. It also found humor in some taboo subjects. When Chuckles the Clown is inadvertently killed in one episode they actually made his death seem funny! Supposedly (according to Moores' autobiography)no one wanted to do it and some crew people were "sick" the week it was filmed. That episode went on the win a few Emmys and is considered a true classic. Also Moores' character got more liberated--especially during the last season. She got a steady boyfriend (Ted Bessell) and, at one point, gives him a long passionate kiss right in front of Lou Grant, Ted Baxter and Murray Slaughter. It all ends perfectly in the last episode. No one was killed but everybody (except for Ted Baxter) is fired and they all leave the office singing! A true classic of TV. Well worth seeing.

Gavin Mcleod

[dbrockskk1 · 10/10 · 29 May 2021]

I am so sorry. I always enjoyed all your performances. RIP. You were great.

The Mary TYler Moore Show: You Don't Get Better Than This

[gregoryshnly · 10/10 · 10 January 2007]

"The Mary Tyler Moore Show" was a classic sitcom about single 30s something Mary Richards,moving to new town Minneapolis,when her relationship breaks down,she gets an apartment through old friend Phyllis(Chloris Leachman)at the start,causing friction with Rhoda(Valerie Harper)from upstairs,the friendship of Mary and Rhoda becoming one of the backbones of the series until Valerie Harper spun off to her own spin off success "Rhoda",after four seasons. Mary gets a job at WJM-TV,the local news station with the lowest ratings but warmest people,she meets gruff but caring Lou Grant(Ed Asner)the classic moments in the series would be when Lou would say "come into my office Mary". Murray Slaughter(Gavin MacLeod)was the married man,who loved Mary without any sinister meaning,Ted Baxter(Ted Knight)was the stupid vain anchor man as the seasons went on,he got funnier and funnier and his character got some depth later with the introduction of a girlfriend,later wife,Georgette,played by the hilarious Georgia Engel. Betty White was a welcome addition in season 4 as man hungry "Happy Homemaker",Sue-Ann Nivens,the episode when she has an affair with Phyllis'unseen husband Lars in "The Lars Affair" was a classic,Sue Anne helping fill the void as "the blond darling" when Phyllis left after season 5 for her own spin off series "Phyllis". Amongst all the laughs there were touching,"real" moments of life like retirement or "The Lou and Edie Story" when Lou's wife Edie leaves him or "Chuckles Bites The Dust",the best known episode of TMTMS when the station's clown,Chuckles,dies in a bizarre elephant crushing,Mary is disgusted at the sick jokes until she gets the giggles at the funeral,then there is a debate about people's reactions to death,all very deep indeed. The show ended after a seven year run with the news gang all being sacked apart from Ted,ironically the one worst at the job,Rhoda and Phyllis returned to support Mary and Lou Grant was launched as a dramatic spin off and was another big success. A real joy of a series,the catchy theme "You're Gonna Make It After All" and Mary throwing her hat in the air,never fails to please!

A show for the feminists and the traditionalists

[jeremy3 · 9/10 · 7 September 2006]

Mary Tyler Moore was such a nice sweet woman. She was always thinking about others and trying to please others. She was naive, but she succeeded in a man's World. She started out as a secretary, but made it as a television producer. The pilot episode is a classic. She meets her new boss, Lou Grant, a complete grump from the traditional manly, man World. He is fierce, crude, and brutally honest. At first you are terrified of Lou Grant. Once you get to know him, he is really a nice guy. Don't say that to his face, though. Ted Knight makes the show. His character Ted Baxter is a lovable, pretentious, dolt, who thinks that he is actually competent. Then there is Rhoda. She is obviously from out East, and is more vocal than the average Midwesterner. I really think that this show was one that showed a woman making it in the man's World, but doing it with a lot of class. Perhaps the best episode was when Betty White's character was cheating with Cloris Leachman's character's husband. Betty White's character insists on continuing the affair, so Mary Tyler Mary says that she will let everybody know about what she is doing. That ended that.

The MTM Show-a solid comedy, but hardly a classic

[jbsalmonnc · 7/10 · 19 July 2006]

The MTM Show was a damn good comedy, but some of the comments here comparing it with the superior Dick Van Dyke Show are a little silly.

First of all, on the Van Dyke show Moore actually had a larger role, and got to do more comedy, than on the MTM show. On MTM she mostly played straight woman, and while the show more or less revolved around her, Valerie Harper or Ed Asner or another actor were the larger sources of humor. On DVD, while Rose Marie was originally planned to be the comedic center of the show, Moore took over more and more of that focus as the show developed. She wasn't just saying "Oh Rob!" and playing the dutiful wife, as someone (who never saw the DVD show?) has said.

Also, on the DVD Show Moore got to sing, dance, and use far more of her considerable talents.

Now, in comparing the shows-someone here wrote that MTM was the first great ensemble comedy. Really? In no way is the MTM ensemble superior to the DVD ensemble. It's a smaller cast, no doubt, but the characters are much more human. There are no cardboard people like the Ted Baxter character on Van Dyke.

Again, I like the MTM show. It was a well-written and well-acted program. But it's hardly the equal of several comedies from the 70's, especially the early years of MASH, or Bob Newhart, let alone classic earlier shows like Van Dyke or Andy Griffith.

Show About the Career Woman

[shelbythuylinh · 9/10 · 18 November 2021]

Mary moves from Dick Van Dyke shadows to playing a single woman that after a bad relationship that ended to moving to Minneapolis. She meets gruff but lovable boss Lou Grant the late Ed Asner.

And that she meets a variety of characters there as the late Gavin Macleoud as the humor writer, happy homemaker and home wrecker Sue Nivens played by the irrepressible Betty White, and the late Ted Knight as pompous anchor Ted Baxter.

She is the perfect straight man or woman in her case as associate producer to others antics on it there. RIP MTM!

Liked the show, felt sorry for the character

[miaalike · 7/10 · 22 March 2021]

First of, since the show is older, the meaning of my rating - 7 - also relates to the older scale, so to say, when an over 7 (and 7) rated show really meant it stands out, it brings something new, it is valuable to watch due to a meaningful reason. In the past decade, seems to me like this indicator severely faded, since people throw around over sevens like there is no tomorrow, because they liked it and nothing else in terms of objective value. Ok. This aside, the MTM show is the story of a young woman working in a tv news department of a local studio, in times when women were seen as secretaries regardless of their actual job, or as partners to support their male counterparts in what they did. Mary lives in a rented room, congregates with her libertine upstairs neighbour Rhonda, has a few unsatisfactory relationships over the years with the available man types of her times. She literally grows old on the job, while still single and still working under her potential, makes a lot of personal sacritices, including taking care of various colleagues in moments of need. An existence that is but a step in the ladder other women hopefully used later on, to get more meaningful working roles. What we see with Mary is her hanging inbetween the world of a stay at home housewife (which she would not fit in) and the world of being an empowered woman having a say at her job. All her work actions are sanctioned beforehand by her male boss, and even when she does make decisions, the feel of him allowing her benevolently to do so, because she proved herself a "good girl" still lingers in the air. Luckily her boss is married and decent, so no inappropriate tension there, just a slight daddy issue thing from her part at some moment. Also, being times when people managed to survive with less money, the fact that they are all underpaid, or paid late sometimes, and working more out of willingness than material motivation, gets out with being funny, and the work frictions do the same. Episodes are funny, Mary is truly special, but the overall image is somehow tiresome, from the reasons I exposed above.

Not the Moore expected to see.

[angelicseven · 1/10 · 30 October 2022]

I wouldn't recommend this TV sitcom to be entertaining enough to watch. While it was going, I found it to be quite boring and not even funny. I wished Ed Asner's dull presence would leave. Ted Knight's goofiness didn't help make it any better. Like others, I couldn't help but wonder why Dick Van Dyke wasn't in it until I realized it wasn't about the Petrie's anymore. The theme seem to clone That Girl. I just didn't feel the zest of interest there to keep watching. Character Murray had untapped potential, which I was glad to see the actor later on as Love Boat's captain. Georgia's naive innocence and Valerie Harper wasn't enough. I believe the show had all the wrong mixture and not the winning chemistry. Mary's character seem more like the boss than Asner who was like a grumpy heckler on the side. This was not what fans expected to see of Moore.