In an article dated August 7th, 1975 in the Baltimore Sun, it stated this...

The original idea on The Mary Tyler Moore Show was for Ted Baxter to be an outstanding newsman. Everybody around the station would look up to him. And he'd be the No. 1 man in Mary's life.

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/1745909122.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Aug+07%2C+1975&author=&pub=The+Sun+%281837-1985%29&desc=Ted+Knight+is+smart+enough+to+act+dumb&pqatl=google

Was this true??? Anybody know?

http://blstb.msn.com/i/EA/DFEEAD828C83CC4DBB4F57C1E32AF3.jpg

The way Mary explained it in an interview was that Ted was originally supposed to be tall, dark and handsome, if not Walter Cronkite, a good newsman, and a love interest for Mary. Then Ted Knight auditioned and they jumped at the chance to go a completely different way. I don't know if the show would have been nearly as funny if Ted had not been the way he was. John Aniston, Jennifer Aniston's father was being considered for the role.

The way Mary explained it in an interview was that Ted was originally supposed to be tall, dark and handsome, if not Walter Cronkite, a good newsman, and a love interest for Mary. Then Ted Knight auditioned and they jumped at the chance to go a completely different way. I don't know if the show would have been nearly as funny if Ted had not been the way he was. John Aniston, Jennifer Aniston's father was being considered for the role.


Thanks for the update! :) Ted Knight was the shining star of the Mary Tyler Moore Show. IMO John Aniston is a good actor, but for a sitcom, I too am glad they went the route that they took.