THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW “The Last Show” (1977)

One of the greatest sitcoms of all time was one of the first to make its finale a true event, and its storyline proved to be prescient. In the episode, station WJM is sold to a new company that streamlines the news operation by firing solid workhorses Lou, Mary and Murray, while keeping the incompetent anchor, Ted. In the final scene, everyone gathers in the newsroom for a tearjerking group hug punctuated by a hilarious huddled shuffle to grab a box of Kleenex off of Mary’s desk. This is a prime example of a show going out on top (Mary killed the show, not CBS), and it set the precedent for all finales to follow.

http://www.starpulse.com/news/Karl_Heitmueller/2010/05/20/tvs_six_most_satisfying_finales

Better to go out on top then to fade away and become a parody of yourself.

Or, to use another analogy, better to leave a party early than to be the last one to leave.

If Mary were ending her show today after only seven years, the network would have offered her a king's ransom to extend the run.

I think it ended at just the right time, they left Mary single, and let Ted Baxter stay at WJM when he was the dud of the bunch. CLASSIC. :cool: :D

I thought it was brilliant irony that everyone at WJM got fired except the one person who was incompetent. And the way they all expressed their love and respect for each other ending with a group hug. What a perfect way to end a series!

I love Lou Grant's teary line at the end: "I cherish you people."

Like everything else with "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", I thought the final episode was extremely well done -- and those series-ending extravaganzas can be tricky, as several other classic shows have found out.

It was funny (the group shuffle to the desk was priceless), it was full of emotion (i liked how it let the characters note how much they loved and appreciated each other), and it had that delicious slice of irony -- that everybody else got fired but Ted stayed on!

It originally bothered me a little bit that, even though everybody will always fondly remember "the newsroom", Lou, Mary, Murray, Ted, etc., in the final episode the gang was broken up. I could've lived with always thinking that they were still at WJM.

But, as usual, the TMTMS writers kept it real...even great situations don't last forever, so enjoy them while you've got them. Brilliant idea, and something that has been reinforced to me as I go through life.

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As for whether the length of the show's run was the right one, I think Mary learned from her experience on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and bowed out at the perfect time.

Neither TDVDS or TMTMS ever reached the point at which they had characters doing things they wouldn't have done during the shows' most popular periods.

Now I will admit that both shows were RIGHT AT that point of "jumping the shark", as they say today, but neither did, and that's one of the many reasons I love both series so much!

I love Lou Grant's teary line at the end: "I cherish you people."
Me too!

I thought it was brilliant irony that everyone at WJM got fired except the one person who was incompetent.

That happens in real life more than you'd think.

Yes what I loved about MTM was the fact is was so real.

Rhoda had terrible dates,Mary had times when she thought will she ever meet the Right person,Lou's marriage broke up,Ted had a heart attack,real life events but always done with real feeling,great writing and acting.

It would have been very easy to marry Mary off at the end,so glad they didn't,so great having Rhoda and Phyllis back for the last episode,what other show,would have bothered to do that?

The only thing that does bug me about the last episode is Rhoda not knowing Lars was dead,no way,Mary would have rung Rhoda,when that happened.

Sadly Rhoda after some great seasons,just faded away,I believe the last

three episodes were pulled and only shown in syndication.

That happens in real life more than you'd think.
Sad but true!!!

The final insult to Mary Richards was learning that she was especially singled out for dismissal, contrary to her naive belief that she was spared the axe because the station owner told them, "I'm going to have to let the rest of you guys go." "Now I am not a guy, am I?" she said.

I don't know if seven seasons were just right. I suspect that MTM might have eked out one or two more. But then a lot of shows in the 1977-78 season tended to lack the kind of subtlety and wit MTM had, so maybe Mary Tyler Moore did get out at the right time.

I think 7 seasons was just right. Mary and the rest of the honchos at MTM were smart to leave while the going was still good.

and it's strange how Mary would never reach the heights on tv ever again. I know she was great in Ordinary People but no matter how hard she tried, she could never recapture her TV success again. On the other hand, all of her supporting cast continued to be seen on tv regularly through the years.

I remember watching the final MTM show. It was treated like an event and I loved it. It ended at the right time too.

I love Lou Grant's teary line at the end: "I cherish you people."
Another "not to be nit-picky" point, Lou said I treasure you people, not I cherish you people.

And I love what led up to that moment. He had turned away, after starting to get choked up, when Mary says, Mr. Grant, hey are you all right?

Lou: Its nothing, I was just thinking about that woman whose house was plowed into by a truck.

Mary: Mr.Grantttt (She embrases him), and thats when he looks over at the others and says that.

I remember watching the final MTM show. It was treated like an event and I loved it. It ended at the right time too.

I was eleven when the finale was aired. I remember the final curtain call, aired only that one time. Well, it would have looked silly in syndication.

CBS re-ran the last show on Labor Day weekend, 1977.

That happens in real life more than you'd think.
Yeah! The incompetent ones usually get promoted! :rolleyes:

Yeah! The incompetent ones usually get promoted! :rolleyes:

The big boss (played by Vincent Gardenia) decided that the problem was with the writers and producers, not the on-air staff. If Ted stayed, you'd have to assume that the rest of the on-air staff stayed too.

I was eleven when the finale was aired. I remember the final curtain call, aired only that one time. Well, it would have looked silly in syndication.

CBS re-ran the last show on Labor Day weekend, 1977.
I remember the final curtain did not appear in the CBS repeat episode.

I will be beyond angry if its not on the season 7 dvd release, though. By the way, when are they going to announce the release of season 7????????????

I remember the final curtain did not appear in the CBS repeat episode.


Sorry, I thought I made that clear. That is correct.

I think 7 seasons was just right. Mary and the rest of the honchos at MTM were smart to leave while the going was still good.

Better to leave the party early then to be the last one there, right?;)