Wrong Actress Played Rhoda

[James28]

The creator of the show should have had Valerie Harper and Julie Kavner switch their on-screen roles as an April Fool's Joke.

[dorramide7]

Originally Posted by catlover79

To me, Valerie Harper was and is Rhoda. However, if she'd left TMTMS and never gone on to the spinoff, I think she would've been a great choice to play Ann Romano on One Day at a Time. Though it is hard to imagine anyone else other than Bonnie Franklin in that role as well.

I do see a lot of the early MTM Rhoda's insecurity in Brenda. As time went it, it really does seem like Rhoda became more confident, and that the kind of "woe is me/eternally suffering/bad luck" stuff was captured more by Brenda.

Then again, when Rhoda got married, it was hard to continue to characterize her as the "loser at love" we had seen for years. Her life got a lot better, so the character had to evolve.

Good points by everyone, though.

[Bonniegirl]

Originally Posted by Mikado

Well, you make an interesting point, but, Rhoda was cast long before the idea of the spinoff; ironically, originally, on MTM, Rhoda had a different sister who was actually nothing like Brenda!

Wasn't her name Debbie, and she was getting married? Mary went with Rhoda to the Bronx to go to the wedding if I remember correctly?

I think Debbie was thinner than Brenda and had curly hair if my memory serves me right?

[Bonniegirl]

Mary and Rhoda with Debbie Morgenstern