As we all know, Nancy left to star in two flops and eventually returned to 'Rhoda'. Do you think Nancy was selfish in doing so? Should they have killed off her character?

http://www.mtmshow.com/castnancy.jpg

As we all know, Nancy left to star in two flops and eventually returned to 'Rhoda'. Do you think Nancy was selfish in doing so? Should they have killed off her character?

http://www.mtmshow.com/castnancy.jpg
Understand, to get where Nancy Walker was you have to have a huge ego, goes with the territory. The chance to star in her own show is something that could not be passed up.

Understand, to get where Nancy Walker was you have to have a huge ego, goes with the territory. The chance to star in her own show is something that could not be passed up.


You certainly do make a point. I always thought that being in a cast was like a second family.

You have to remmeber Ida wasn't in every episode of Rhoda,so clearly being the star of her own show,made sure she appeared and was PAID for every episode.

I did notice when Nancy came back to Rhoda in season4,Ida was seen a lot more than she'd been seen in earlier seasons.

I think Nancy Walker's casting on Rhoda was kind of a unique circumstance. She was already established as Rhoda's mother on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and when Rhoda spun-off, can you imagine the character of Ida being replaced, or not even be cast? Also Walker was still playing Mildred in NBC's McMillan & Wife until 1976, during the run of Rhoda. (I never understood how she was able to appear on 2 networks at the same time).
It don't know that she was supposed to be a regular cast member, like Julie Kavner and David Groh. Maybe they planned for her to be semi-regular or re-occuring. It also seems the show would have not took off without Nancy there, at-least at the beginning.

She must not have been under any kind of contract with MTM, so had no obligation. Considering that, I can't see her as selfish to accept a starring role in her own show.

No, I do not think that it was selfish at all. I would think that most anyone who would be offered and interested in a staring role on a tv show would jump at the chance.

I cannot think of any reason why they would need to kill off the character of Ida, even if she never returned to the show.

I never thought of her actions as selfish at all. On RHODA she was only brought in on a recurring basis and wasn't under contract. When a rival network offered to give her a sitcom, she did what most of us in the situation would do and she took a chance.

Harold Gould did the same thing. Both of the show's tanked and they returned to RHODA for season 4.

As a matter of fact, Nancy Walker had TWO failed shows during the same season -- THE NANCY WALKER SHOW (NBC), which premiered in the Fall and only lasted a handful of episodes, and BLANSKY'S BEAUTIES (ABC), which was a mid-season replacement and only lasted a few episodes as well.

I never thought of her actions as selfish at all. On RHODA she was only brought in on a recurring basis and wasn't under contract. When a rival network offered to give her a sitcom, she did what most of us in the situation would do and she took a chance.

Harold Gould did the same thing. Both of the show's tanked and they returned to RHODA for season 4.

As a matter of fact, Nancy Walker had TWO failed shows during the same season -- THE NANCY WALKER SHOW (NBC), which premiered in the Fall and only lasted a handful of episodes, and BLANSKY'S BEAUTIES (ABC), which was a mid-season replacement and only lasted a few episodes as well.


Atleast she was allowed to return to the show when her sitcoms failed

Atleast she was allowed to return to the show when her sitcoms failed
The producers of Rhoda would have been dumb not to welcome her back.

I noticed when Ida returned in season4,she was used a lot more than in seaosns 1 and 2,same in the short season 5.