User reviews

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.

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 !

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

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 ...

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.

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.

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

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.

"You're going to make it on your own" was part of the theme song for this hit 1970s sit-com. Luckily, for Mary Tyler Moore, she made it because of an outstanding supporting cast. Moore's dead-pan humor could become dull many times. You would actually be anticipating something occurring. When would it finally come?

Miss Moore was extremely fortunate to have a superlative supporting cast. People such as Ed Asner, Gavin MacLeod, Valerie Harper, Nancy Walker, Georgia Engel and Ted Knight provided the necessary strength for this show to succeed.

Naturally, working in a newsroom with mostly all these characters didn't exactly hurt either.

It may have been cold in Minnesota but the characters on this show provided the necessary warmth.

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.