A friend has told me that two endings were filmed for this episode. One is as we see it and the other shows Lou and Mary going off-stage to the bedroom. The lights go out and then you hear Mary say, "Oh, Mr. Grant!"
Anyone have more information about this? If it is true, I'm glad that is not the episode we saw!!

I think your friend is pulling your leg. I'm sure that producers and directors 'played around' with the shows all the time, but actually filming this? I doubt it.

I tend to agree with you. This friend has a tendency to "embellish" things, but I just wanted to see what others thought or if anyone knew the actual truth. I did read somewhere that the producers of the show were
toying with the idea of having Lou & Mary get married in the last episode and that Ed Asner
actually liked the idea. That's why I thought perhaps there might be a grain of truth to my friend's notion. Any other comments?

That actually would have been an amazing way for the last episode to turn out. But what they did instead ((pink slips)) is better and it is my favorite episode

Actually, I read an article that said they were gonna do that ending. I agree I like the pink slip ending better (probably because I thought of Lou more as a "father figure" for Mary).

I think I may be able to clear up the "Oh Mr. Grant!" episode ending. I can't recal with exact details, but some years ago, I read some article that I believe was having some fun with the idea of what it would be like if Mary and Lou ended up married. The tag line was the senario that would have Lou and Mary, on their honeymoon, retire to the bedroom. Of course, it would be off camera, but there'd be a moment of silence and then you'd hear Mary say: "OH MR.GRANT!" which was something Mary said often (like her trademark, "Oh Rooobbbbb" but of course this time, the words would carry a whole new context! It was all done tounge-in-cheek, and as far as I can recall, was never considered as an alternative ending to be shot. It was just some writer trying to be cute. I could be wrong, but I do seem to remember reading this and cringing.

I'm glad Mary and Lou didn't end up together. They were wonderful friends and that's a beautiful thing!

Originally posted by wondering:
A friend has told me that two endings were filmed for this episode. One is as we see it and the other shows Lou and Mary going off-stage to the bedroom. The lights go out and then you hear Mary say, "Oh, Mr. Grant!"
Anyone have more information about this? If it is true, I'm glad that is not the episode we saw!!

Didn't I read something similiar to that in 1977 TV Guide with Mary on the cover? I could've swore it was something like that b/c everyone said what they would've like to do, but couldn't.

Ha ha...I too am glad they did the Lou dates Mary episode the way they did, and the final episode (the writers always made the right choices).
But I will say I would pay big bucks to see that scene if they ever did film it! I wonder if anybody has a bootleg copy of it???? "Oh, Mr. Grant!"

I thought that I heard on a commentary once that Ed Asner wanted to do it that way, and have him and Mary married in the last episode. I could be wrong, but I know I've heard it SOMEWHERE before, and I thought it was on that.

I thought that I heard on a commentary once that Ed Asner wanted to do it that way, and have him and Mary married in the last episode. I could be wrong, but I know I've heard it SOMEWHERE before, and I thought it was on that.
I seem to remember hearing that, too.