Brian Damage
07-03-2012, 09:58 PM
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977)/Lou Grant (1977-1982)—“Lou Grant”
AVC: Most lists cite “Chuckles Bites The Dust” as the definitive Mary Tyler Moore episode, but do you have a favorite Lou-centric installment from the show?
EA: Oh, I loved the one where Mary betrayed me and told Murray I’d slept with Sue Ann (“Once I Had A Secret Love”). I had a lot of fun on that show. But they were all memorable in some way or other. The funniest of all, though, is… We had a show where the station is owned by Slim Pickens (“The 45-Year-Old Man”). That was in the first year, I think. I think I even got fired in it, but Mary saves me by talking to Slim Pickens. George Kirgo wrote the show, and they were busy changing every goddamned thing, every line in it, to satisfy everybody. And in the end… I think he won an Emmy for that show, but hardly one of his original words was still in it. [Laughs.]
AVC: What did you think when they told you they were going to transition the character of Lou Grant from comedy to drama?
EA: Well, like a fool, I thought, “Well, they’re smart, they’re brilliant, they’ll know what to do.” Fortunately, there was no competition waiting in the wings, so we had a two-year shakedown cruise with Lou Grant, so we could find our ass with either hand.
AVC: The series is on Hulu, and it holds up very well.
EA: Yeah, well, that’s one thing you’ve got to come to expect from us: We do lasting work. [Laughs.] I think you’ll find Mary Tyler Moore holds up well, too. A lot of the problems we tackled then are still with us, unfortunately.
http://www.avclub.com/articles/ed-asner-on-crotchety-roles-from-lou-grant-to-up,82038/2/
AVC: Most lists cite “Chuckles Bites The Dust” as the definitive Mary Tyler Moore episode, but do you have a favorite Lou-centric installment from the show?
EA: Oh, I loved the one where Mary betrayed me and told Murray I’d slept with Sue Ann (“Once I Had A Secret Love”). I had a lot of fun on that show. But they were all memorable in some way or other. The funniest of all, though, is… We had a show where the station is owned by Slim Pickens (“The 45-Year-Old Man”). That was in the first year, I think. I think I even got fired in it, but Mary saves me by talking to Slim Pickens. George Kirgo wrote the show, and they were busy changing every goddamned thing, every line in it, to satisfy everybody. And in the end… I think he won an Emmy for that show, but hardly one of his original words was still in it. [Laughs.]
AVC: What did you think when they told you they were going to transition the character of Lou Grant from comedy to drama?
EA: Well, like a fool, I thought, “Well, they’re smart, they’re brilliant, they’ll know what to do.” Fortunately, there was no competition waiting in the wings, so we had a two-year shakedown cruise with Lou Grant, so we could find our ass with either hand.
AVC: The series is on Hulu, and it holds up very well.
EA: Yeah, well, that’s one thing you’ve got to come to expect from us: We do lasting work. [Laughs.] I think you’ll find Mary Tyler Moore holds up well, too. A lot of the problems we tackled then are still with us, unfortunately.
http://www.avclub.com/articles/ed-asner-on-crotchety-roles-from-lou-grant-to-up,82038/2/