http://tommcmahon.typepad.com/.a/6a00d834515db069e201157218e480970b-800wi

Was his appearance on The Mary Tyler Moore Show "Jump The Shark" worthy? Or was it a perfectly timed guest spot?

No The Mary Tyler Moore Show was constamtly excellent,indeed it got better and better.

The Rhoda spinoff after two great seasons suffered from the downbeat storyline of Rhoda and Joe splitting up and never really recovered,Phyllis

had the real life tragic death of Barbara Colby and the death of Judith Lowry in season2,led to the demise of Phyllis.

Walter Cronkite's appearance on MTM was not sharkworthy. It was pure genius.

Just my opinion, but I think The Mary Tyler Moore Show jumped the shark the moment it went on the air. I've never liked the show, for a few reasons. First, I don't find the show funny at all. Second, I think Mary Tyler Moore was much better in The Dick Van Dyke Show. Third, the only really likeable character in the show is Ed Asner's Lou Grant. There are several other long running sitcoms that have never struck a chord with me. Again it's just a matter of opinion.

Just my opinion, but I think The Mary Tyler Moore Show jumped the shark the moment it went on the air. I've never liked the show, for a few reasons. First, I don't find the show funny at all. Second, I think Mary Tyler Moore was much better in The Dick Van Dyke Show. Third, the only really likeable character in the show is Ed Asner's Lou Grant. There are several other long running sitcoms that have never struck a chord with me. Again it's just a matter of opinion.

You are completely entitled to your opinion.

But...you didn't find Mary Richards likeable? I'm afraid I will need an explanation about that one, lol.

You are completely entitled to your opinion.

But...you didn't find Mary Richards likeable? I'm afraid I will need an explanation about that one, lol.

There isn't much to explain, I just think Mary Tyler Moore was much better in The Dick Van Dyke Show rather than in her own sitcom. Mary's show has never sold with me, just one of those things it's not my type of show I guess.

Rhoda was a fairly good show for it's first two seasons, until the writers had the "brilliant" idea to bust up her marriage to Joe. The show went downhill quickly after that.

Rhoda was a fairly good show for it's first two seasons, until the writers had the "brilliant" idea to bust up her marriage to Joe. The show went downhill quickly after that.

Well, keep in mind, the writers and producers of Rhoda did not actually want Rhoda to be married in the first place. The storyline was forced upon them by CBS president Robert Wood and his vice president of programming, Fred Silverman. Indeed, even though the viewers seemed to be satisfied with the direction the show was taking, the writers and producers found it difficult to write scripts featuring a happily married Rhoda, often finding themselves instead writing episodes showcasing Nancy Walker's comedic performance as neurotic, overbearing Ida, or focusing on Brenda's problems including her on-again, off-again relationship with accordion player Nick Lobo (Richard Masur). Eventually, they came to the conclusion that Rhoda's appeal came from her status as an insecure single woman. Even Wood and Silverman admitted that they made a mistake when they forced the storyline on the writers.

Well, keep in mind, the writers and producers of Rhoda did not actually want Rhoda to be married in the first place. The storyline was forced upon them by CBS president Robert Wood and his vice president of programming, Fred Silverman. Indeed, even though the viewers seemed to be satisfied with the direction the show was taking, the writers and producers found it difficult to write scripts featuring a happily married Rhoda, often finding themselves instead writing episodes showcasing Nancy Walker's comedic performance as neurotic, overbearing Ida, or focusing on Brenda's problems including her on-again, off-again relationship with accordion player Nick Lobo (Richard Masur). Eventually, they came to the conclusion that Rhoda's appeal came from her status as an insecure single woman. Even Wood and Silverman admitted that they made a mistake when they forced the storyline on the writers.

I'm familiar with the story, but since the decision was made for Rhoda to be married, I think they should have stayed with that format, the majority of viewers were pleased with it. If the writers working on the show were having difficulty coming up with stories about Rhoda's married life, if it were up to me I would have hired different writers who could have done the job. I do think that Rhoda's marriage happened too quickly, I think the timing would have been better had they done it at the beginning of season two. When Rhoda got her own show, I believe the idea of marrying her off was thought to be a necessary contrast to Mary Richards single woman status. They didn't want to have two sitcoms about two single women, so Rhoda became a married woman in order for that show to have it's own separate identity. When the divorce came, it didn't ring true, fouled up the chemistry of the show and it went down from there.

I'm familiar with the story, but since the decision was made for Rhoda to be married, I think they should have stayed with that format, the majority of viewers were pleased with it. If the writers working on the show were having difficulty coming up with stories about Rhoda's married life, if it were up to me I would have hired different writers who could have done the job. I do think that Rhoda's marriage happened too quickly, I think the timing would have been better had they done it at the beginning of season two. When Rhoda got her own show, I believe the idea of marrying her off was thought to be a necessary contrast to Mary Richards single woman status. They didn't want to have two sitcoms about two single women, so Rhoda became a married woman in order for that show to have it's own separate identity. When the divorce came, it didn't ring true, fouled up the chemistry of the show and it went down from there.

Well, why should the writers carry on a storyline that they didn't really want in the first place?

I do not see a JTS moment for TMTMS, honestly.