Showing posts with label Mary Tyler Moore Show. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mary Tyler Moore Show. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Friday, September 11, 2020
Inside the Guide: They nailed the description of this MTMS rerun!
Some of the best writing in the world of television used to be in the weekly TV Guide. I really like how this 1980 edition summarizes one of the most famous sitcom episodes ever:
Clear and concise!
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Book review: Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong
I'll check out just about any book-length treatment of 1970s and 1980s TV, but when this book came out in 2013, some negative reviews (particularly a few on Amazon) scared me away. I revisited this after we covered The Mary Tyler Moore Show earlier this season, though, and I recommend it for any fan of the series. It has its flaws and quirks, but it also has tons of great info and is a fun read.
First, let me mention those quirks: The book starts off reading like an agenda-driven effort to focus on the female writers who worked on the show. Oddly, that emphasis fades once the book gets going, and while Armstrong does keep checking in on some of the women who helped craft the series, it's not like they overshadow co-creators James L. Brooks and Allen Burns. Feminism is absolutely a big part of the series' story and appeal, but it feels like there is an inconsistent approach to it in the book, and MTM is maybe inflated a bit to seem like more of a singular advancement for women that it was.
More importantly, there are some strong factual errors, especially early in the book (a misidentification of Room 222 jarred me), that make you wonder about the rest of it. Some of the choices are a little odd, like the decision to tell so much of the story of a dedicated fan who grew to knew the show's principals but comes off kind of like a stalker.
That said, the book is really easy reading with lots of cool details. We've alluded to some of them here on the site, like the complex relationship between Ted Knight and Ed Asner. The saga of how MTM was cast makes a fascinating story in itself. Gavin MacLeod read for Lou Grant before asking, almost as an afterthought, to read for Murray. Asner himself struggled to get the Lou character down. Producers were skeptical of Cloris Leachman but casting exec Ethel Winant pushed for her.
Armstrong does a great job of chronicling the establishment of the series and how it takes off. Her sections on iconic episodes like the finale and the Chuckles the Clown funeral make me wish she spent more time talking about specific installments. The decision to semi-focus on the lives of some of the key female scribes may mean less time for more of the actual goings-on of the series during its prime years.
Overall, though, the anecdotes and info in here make this a must-read for MTM fans and a recommended one for fans of era TV in general, with the caveat that there are some inaccuracies and misleading bits in the text (see those Amazon reviews for more). I personally think Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted improves as it gets going, and I will likely seek out Armstrong's recent book on Seinfeld.
First, let me mention those quirks: The book starts off reading like an agenda-driven effort to focus on the female writers who worked on the show. Oddly, that emphasis fades once the book gets going, and while Armstrong does keep checking in on some of the women who helped craft the series, it's not like they overshadow co-creators James L. Brooks and Allen Burns. Feminism is absolutely a big part of the series' story and appeal, but it feels like there is an inconsistent approach to it in the book, and MTM is maybe inflated a bit to seem like more of a singular advancement for women that it was.
More importantly, there are some strong factual errors, especially early in the book (a misidentification of Room 222 jarred me), that make you wonder about the rest of it. Some of the choices are a little odd, like the decision to tell so much of the story of a dedicated fan who grew to knew the show's principals but comes off kind of like a stalker.
That said, the book is really easy reading with lots of cool details. We've alluded to some of them here on the site, like the complex relationship between Ted Knight and Ed Asner. The saga of how MTM was cast makes a fascinating story in itself. Gavin MacLeod read for Lou Grant before asking, almost as an afterthought, to read for Murray. Asner himself struggled to get the Lou character down. Producers were skeptical of Cloris Leachman but casting exec Ethel Winant pushed for her.
Armstrong does a great job of chronicling the establishment of the series and how it takes off. Her sections on iconic episodes like the finale and the Chuckles the Clown funeral make me wish she spent more time talking about specific installments. The decision to semi-focus on the lives of some of the key female scribes may mean less time for more of the actual goings-on of the series during its prime years.
Overall, though, the anecdotes and info in here make this a must-read for MTM fans and a recommended one for fans of era TV in general, with the caveat that there are some inaccuracies and misleading bits in the text (see those Amazon reviews for more). I personally think Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted improves as it gets going, and I will likely seek out Armstrong's recent book on Seinfeld.
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Ted Knight and that ethnic joke in "The Good-TIme News" on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"...
In our look at The Mary Tyler Moore Show earlier this season, we remarked on the fact that even in 1973, Polish jokes were a "thing." Not surprisingly, buffoonish news anchor Ted Baxter was the one making them.
Well, a passage in Jennifer Keishin Armstrong's Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted points out that star Ted Knight wasn't all that cool with the jokes. Knight was a sensitive type anyway, Armstrong writes, but this struck a nerve. It isn't all that surprising if you realize Knight was born Tadeusz Wladyslaw Knopka:
Knight got sensitive about slights to his polish heritage and chafed whenever anyone told a Polish joke at a table read--a common shtick in the 1970s, just a few decades after the wave of immigrants from Poland to America following World War II, Knight's own parents among them.
The author asserts that the sensitivity reflected his deeper ambivalence about his character. He worried about being confused with his less-than-intelligent alter ego, and he bristled that they shared the same first name. He would groan to his pal Gavin MacLeod, Why did they have to name him Ted? Why did it have to be my name?"
In fact, he eventually bugged producer Allen Burns for changes to his character--anything to make him less oblivious, more human. Burns called in writer Ed. Weinberger to help soothe the upset actor. Burns pointed out that no one thought Carroll O'Connor was really the bigoted Archie Bunker. "I just...everybody thinks I'm stupid," Knight insisted, though he was cheering up a bit.
Weinberger replied that he was an actor and talked about the long history of the clown in theater, dating back to Shakespeare. Knight bucked up a bit. Then, Armstrong writes,
Then (producer James L.) Brooks walked in. "Ted Knight!" he said, ignorant of the conversation's topic. "How does it feel to be one of the great schmucks of all time?" Knight collapsed all over again.
True or not, it's a funny story.
Knight also had a conflicted relationship with co-star Ed Asner--often buddies, often feuding (Asner believed it was jealousy) and had a big falling out over a perceived slight when Knight didn't defend Asner over the political controversy surrounding the end of Lou Grant. All in all, Knight was certainly a complex individual and one grappling with insecurity--a personality that certainly makes me look at that scene in The Good-Time News in a different light.
Well, a passage in Jennifer Keishin Armstrong's Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted points out that star Ted Knight wasn't all that cool with the jokes. Knight was a sensitive type anyway, Armstrong writes, but this struck a nerve. It isn't all that surprising if you realize Knight was born Tadeusz Wladyslaw Knopka:
Knight got sensitive about slights to his polish heritage and chafed whenever anyone told a Polish joke at a table read--a common shtick in the 1970s, just a few decades after the wave of immigrants from Poland to America following World War II, Knight's own parents among them.
The author asserts that the sensitivity reflected his deeper ambivalence about his character. He worried about being confused with his less-than-intelligent alter ego, and he bristled that they shared the same first name. He would groan to his pal Gavin MacLeod, Why did they have to name him Ted? Why did it have to be my name?"
In fact, he eventually bugged producer Allen Burns for changes to his character--anything to make him less oblivious, more human. Burns called in writer Ed. Weinberger to help soothe the upset actor. Burns pointed out that no one thought Carroll O'Connor was really the bigoted Archie Bunker. "I just...everybody thinks I'm stupid," Knight insisted, though he was cheering up a bit.
Weinberger replied that he was an actor and talked about the long history of the clown in theater, dating back to Shakespeare. Knight bucked up a bit. Then, Armstrong writes,
Then (producer James L.) Brooks walked in. "Ted Knight!" he said, ignorant of the conversation's topic. "How does it feel to be one of the great schmucks of all time?" Knight collapsed all over again.
True or not, it's a funny story.
Knight also had a conflicted relationship with co-star Ed Asner--often buddies, often feuding (Asner believed it was jealousy) and had a big falling out over a perceived slight when Knight didn't defend Asner over the political controversy surrounding the end of Lou Grant. All in all, Knight was certainly a complex individual and one grappling with insecurity--a personality that certainly makes me look at that scene in The Good-Time News in a different light.
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Great Moments in 70s and 80s TV History #4: Love Is All Around
Is there a more iconic opening sequence than the beginning of The Mary Tyler Moore Show?
OK, maybe there is, but is there one more flat-out adorable?
Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong details the creation of this classic show opener. Co-creators Jimmy Brooks (OK, that's James L. Brooks to me) and Allen Burns hired an Iranian director, Rexa Badiyi, to handle it. After directing documentary films in Iran, Badiyi emigrated to the USA and got into television. Other shows he directed opening credit sequences for: Hawaii Five-0 and Get Smart.
Does this guy know how to make a title segment or what?
Later, he directed episodes of BOTNS subjects like The Incredible Hulk and The Six Million Dollar Man, plus many other possible future podcast subjects.
Badiyi was responsible for the concept as well as the visuals, and it was he who thought of the climactic hat toss. Armstrong writes that the beret was meant to symbolize rebellion and "girlish dreams of European sophistication." It wasn't a contrived move, though; the beret was one Moore happened to bring with her.
The weather was freezing cold--hey, it was Minneapolis in February--when Badiyi told Moore to run out in traffic and toss her hat with glee. As Armstrong says, the raw footage didn't stand out to anyone, but edited together with the final freeze frame, it was gold. Burns told the director, "You son of a bitch. You made this work."
In season 2, the opening would change somewhat--the lyrics to Sonny Curtis' theme song were modified, and Mary Tyler Moore ditched the fur coat after getting involved in animal rights--but the essential spirit of the fantastic sequence remained throughout the series' run and is one of the reasons the show is still famous.
OK, maybe there is, but is there one more flat-out adorable?
Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong details the creation of this classic show opener. Co-creators Jimmy Brooks (OK, that's James L. Brooks to me) and Allen Burns hired an Iranian director, Rexa Badiyi, to handle it. After directing documentary films in Iran, Badiyi emigrated to the USA and got into television. Other shows he directed opening credit sequences for: Hawaii Five-0 and Get Smart.
Does this guy know how to make a title segment or what?
Later, he directed episodes of BOTNS subjects like The Incredible Hulk and The Six Million Dollar Man, plus many other possible future podcast subjects.
Badiyi was responsible for the concept as well as the visuals, and it was he who thought of the climactic hat toss. Armstrong writes that the beret was meant to symbolize rebellion and "girlish dreams of European sophistication." It wasn't a contrived move, though; the beret was one Moore happened to bring with her.
The weather was freezing cold--hey, it was Minneapolis in February--when Badiyi told Moore to run out in traffic and toss her hat with glee. As Armstrong says, the raw footage didn't stand out to anyone, but edited together with the final freeze frame, it was gold. Burns told the director, "You son of a bitch. You made this work."
In season 2, the opening would change somewhat--the lyrics to Sonny Curtis' theme song were modified, and Mary Tyler Moore ditched the fur coat after getting involved in animal rights--but the essential spirit of the fantastic sequence remained throughout the series' run and is one of the reasons the show is still famous.
Friday, June 8, 2018
The Mary Tyler Moore Show playlist is live!
After listening to this week's pod, click below to start our YouTube playlist for the episode! Included are vintage promos, commercials, Ted Knight teaming with Dino, and more!
Remember, our official YouTube Channel has episode-specific playlists for all of our past shows!
Remember, our official YouTube Channel has episode-specific playlists for all of our past shows!
Show Notes: Episode 4-5: The Mary Tyler Moore Show
*The Mary Tyler Moore Show aired on CBS for 7 seasons and 168 total episodes, winning 29 Emmys (3 as Outstanding Comedy Series).
*Third-season opener The Good-Time News premiered Saturday, September 16, 1972, at 9:30 P.M., airing against The Streets of San Francisco and a broadcast of 1967's In the Heat of the Night. The rest of CBS' lineup that night: All in the Family, Bridget Loves Bernie, The Bob Newhart Show, and Mission Impossible.
*Nancy Walker did Bounty ads from 1970-1990, according to Wikipedia.
*Rhoda spun off in 1974 and was a ratings smash for its first two years, even beating its parent show many times, but it tailed off after that. The ratings decline is generally attributed to the decision to split up Rhoda and her hubby, who married in season 1 to spectacular viewership.
*Phyllis lasted two seasons (75-76 and 77-78) and started very strong but declined in its second season. Cloris Leachman won a Prime Time Emmy (one of 8 in her career) for Lead Comedy Actress for this series.
*WJM-TV in Minneapolis is where Mary works as Associate Producer of the 6:00 news show, with Lou as Producer (at the time of this episode we cover) and Murray the writer. Wikipedia says he's the head writer, but I'm not sure how many other people are writing the copy that anchorman Ted Baxter reads.
*Lou dates Mary in season 7's Lou Dates Mary. Jack Cassidy's appearance as Ted Baxter's brother is in season 2's Cover Boy. Cassidy was the original choice for Ted, and the role was reportedly written with him in mind, but he turned it down. And while we're at it, Gavin MacLeod originally read for the part of Lou but asked for the chance to read for Murray before he left.
*Theme song writer/performer Sonny Curtis played with Buddy Holly, then became frontman for a version of The Crickets after Holly's death. He is a Rock Hall of Fame member via the sidemen category as a result of his affiliation with the band. His other most famous hit? He wrote I Fought the Law, recorded by the Bobby Fuller Four.
*The S.S. Minnow left Hawaii before the weather started getting rough.
*Although The Mary Tyler Moore Show did not do well in broadcast syndication, it did do well for Nick at Nite in the 1990s.
*Other TV shows set in Minnesota include Coach and Little House on the Prairie as well as Rocky and Bulliwinkle.
*Third-season opener The Good-Time News premiered Saturday, September 16, 1972, at 9:30 P.M., airing against The Streets of San Francisco and a broadcast of 1967's In the Heat of the Night. The rest of CBS' lineup that night: All in the Family, Bridget Loves Bernie, The Bob Newhart Show, and Mission Impossible.
*Nancy Walker did Bounty ads from 1970-1990, according to Wikipedia.
*Rhoda spun off in 1974 and was a ratings smash for its first two years, even beating its parent show many times, but it tailed off after that. The ratings decline is generally attributed to the decision to split up Rhoda and her hubby, who married in season 1 to spectacular viewership.
*Phyllis lasted two seasons (75-76 and 77-78) and started very strong but declined in its second season. Cloris Leachman won a Prime Time Emmy (one of 8 in her career) for Lead Comedy Actress for this series.
*WJM-TV in Minneapolis is where Mary works as Associate Producer of the 6:00 news show, with Lou as Producer (at the time of this episode we cover) and Murray the writer. Wikipedia says he's the head writer, but I'm not sure how many other people are writing the copy that anchorman Ted Baxter reads.
*Lou dates Mary in season 7's Lou Dates Mary. Jack Cassidy's appearance as Ted Baxter's brother is in season 2's Cover Boy. Cassidy was the original choice for Ted, and the role was reportedly written with him in mind, but he turned it down. And while we're at it, Gavin MacLeod originally read for the part of Lou but asked for the chance to read for Murray before he left.
*Theme song writer/performer Sonny Curtis played with Buddy Holly, then became frontman for a version of The Crickets after Holly's death. He is a Rock Hall of Fame member via the sidemen category as a result of his affiliation with the band. His other most famous hit? He wrote I Fought the Law, recorded by the Bobby Fuller Four.
*The S.S. Minnow left Hawaii before the weather started getting rough.
*Although The Mary Tyler Moore Show did not do well in broadcast syndication, it did do well for Nick at Nite in the 1990s.
*Other TV shows set in Minnesota include Coach and Little House on the Prairie as well as Rocky and Bulliwinkle.
Thursday, June 7, 2018
4-5: The Mary Tyler Moore Show "The Good Time News"
Love is all around as we discuss iconic sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Mary wants a raise. Instead, she has to mastermind WJM's new "fun" news format. Everything should run smoothly as long as no one tells Ted he's the straight man. Oops! Plus...Gilligan's Island?
Check out this episode!
Check out this episode!
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
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