....instead of a totally new character? Do you think it would've been more successful?

....instead of a totally new character? Do you think it would've been more successful?

Thats a good question,I've seen Betty White interviewed years ago,she said as MTM was finishing,thought was given to doing a spinoff with Sue Ann.

At the time Rhoda was doing well in the ratings,Phyllis on its second and final season,wasn't doing well in the ratings.

Betty said (which I agree with)that Phyllis was toned down a lot for the spinoff and if they did a spinoff with Sue Ann,the same thing would happen so "The Betty White Show" came about,Betty herself,didn't like that show.

Interesting info, thank you for that. There was no need to tone down Sue Ann though, because didn't they already soften her up on MTM?

Interesting info, thank you for that. There was no need to tone down Sue Ann though, because didn't they already soften her up on MTM?

No Sue Ann was the "smiling cobra",she could be very bitchy to Mary but Mary in later seasons was tougher and gave her it back.

Having Sue Ann vists Mary apartment on her own probably streched credibility as they didn't really like each other but I love Betty/Sue Ann so I couldn't get enough of Sue Ann.

I thought Betty and John Hillerman were very good togethor on "The Betty White Show" but the scripts weren't too hot apart from the pilot,Georgia Engel was a bit wasted in the role of Mitzi.

Going back to your question about Sue Ann being softened up,Betty said Phyllis on MTM was a total oddball but didn't appear in every episode of MTM like Sue Ann but in order to make Phyllis a leading character in a weekly sitcom,Phyllis,the character was changed,less intelligent,less overbearing and Betty felt Sue Ann would follow the same fate as a weekly leading sitcom character.

I don't know but I think a spinoff with Sue Ann would have been good. In my opinion Sue Ann was a popular character and if they did spinoff the character it would've been a hit. But that's just me talking cause I love Sue Ann and I love Betty in this role so much.

The problem with spinning off a character into their own show is that, pretty much my default, they become more of a "straight man" character. And in a sense, they have to be, because they are now the central character and the show's anchor.

And it's the supporting players who, nine times out of then, get the best lines and usually steal the show.