I have been reading articles where the critics hated it, the studio audience barely laughed at the jokes and Mary actually cried after the tapings because she thought the show was going to get canned. Was this all true? In your own opinion, was the first episode really that much of a train wreck???

http://sharetv.org/images/guide/287080.jpg

I loved it as I do practically all of the eps. I can't even think of an ep I even remotely disliked. As far as I'm concerned it was wonderful right from the get go.

Sometimes artists are too close to their work to judge them objectively. Also, you just never know what's gonna take with the public. (I remember reading that Claudette Colbert thought "It Happened One Night" was the worst picture she ever made right after making it - and the movie went on to win a heap of awards and become a classic)

I thought it was just fine.

It was a new type of show, and critics probably didn't know how to react. A single woman on her own, no boyfriend, 30 years old with a cast of characters we didn't know yet and a setting that was unfamiliar. It may have taken them a while to understand and warm to it.

Not me, of course. :)

I have been reading articles where the critics hated it, the studio audience barely laughed at the jokes and Mary actually cried after the tapings because she thought the show was going to get canned. Was this all true? In your own opinion, was the first episode really that much of a train wreck???

http://sharetv.org/images/guide/287080.jpg

The first episode was filmed twice. It was the first version (which never aired) that bombed in front of the studio audience and had Mary Tyler Moore in tears. Grant Tinker sent the writers back to tweak the script, and a couple days later it was re-shot with those minor script changes incorporated, and it clicked with the second studio audience. Everyone (Mary included) considered this second attempt to have been a success. Here she is discussing it in this clip, starting at 13:10:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-vXOJYC40s&feature=player_embedded#at=497

What critics are you referring to that hated the first episode? I've never seen anything but positive reviews after the show premiered. Here are a few reviews of the first episode right after it aired in 1970. There seemed to be a consensus among the critics that it was one of the best new shows of the season:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=U-1OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xwEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6963,2391774&dq=mary+tyler+moore&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wxsaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iCQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4589,3661700&dq=mary+tyler+moore&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QiVSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sXUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6736,6568812&dq=mary+tyler+moore&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RNZNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vooDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4857,2443750&dq=mary+tyler+moore&hl=en

quite surprising to hear! but I loved the first ep, it's one of my favorites. i've probably seen it more than any other!