Did Anybody Besides Viewers Like 'WKRP in Cincinnati?' Even Mary Tyler Moore Hated It - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 07-12-2012, 08:48 AM

MTM Enterprises was never especially proud of the show, and Weinman even found a quote from Mary Tyler Moore herself saying, “Let me put it this way: I wouldn’t watch it.”

http://www.avclub.com/articles/wkrp-...-fright,82365/

Jamey Greek · 07-15-2012, 08:29 PM

Apparently someone at CBS didn't like it either. They kept moving it around until it got canned.

Miss Lisa · 07-16-2012, 01:47 AM

Most of the people in my family liked it, so I never really thought about it. I knew that CBS had moved it around a lot, which does make it fairly obvious that they didn't like it, I didn't know about MTM enterprises though.

gopyle · 07-12-2015, 09:50 AM

Well, I didn't like most of the last three seasons of MTM.

treky · 07-15-2015, 02:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamey Greek

Apparently someone at CBS didn't like it either. They kept moving it around until it got canned.

that was just the last 2 seasons.

caladon · 07-18-2015, 11:47 PM

I'm sure her feelings about the show didn't keep her from enjoying whatever financial benefits she received as the producer.

glickmam · 07-23-2017, 03:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treky

that was just the last 2 seasons.

Yup, that was when Bud Grant became president of CBS Entertainment. Amusingly, he also did the same thing to The Jeffersons and Archie Bunker's Place. In all likelihood, he was probably trying to deliberately screw them over and get them cancelled, so that he could make room for new shows for which he had green lit.

glickmam · 07-23-2017, 03:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miss Lisa

Most of the people in my family liked it, so I never really thought about it. I knew that CBS had moved it around a lot, which does make it fairly obvious that they didn't like it, I didn't know about MTM enterprises though.

I'm sure Grant Tinker liked it.

TV Guy · 07-23-2017, 09:47 AM

Archie Bunker's Place was played out creatively, and losing an increasingly large portion of its 60 Minutes lead-in (60 minutes was a top 10 show). Bud Grant was right to can it. Why waste that kind of lead-in on a dying show with an increasingly older audience?

Jamey Greek · 07-23-2017, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glickmam

I'm sure Grant Tinker liked it.

I'm surprised he didn't pick it up when he became head of NBC.

glickmam · 07-23-2017, 11:33 AM

Well, as mentioned elsewhere, Howard Hesseman, Loni Anderson, and Gary Sandy were all doing other projects at the time and they were thus unavailable.

glickmam · 07-23-2017, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TV Guy

Archie Bunker's Place was played out creatively, and losing an increasingly large portion of its 60 Minutes lead-in (60 minutes was a top 10 show). Bud Grant was right to can it. Why waste that kind of lead-in on a dying show with an increasingly older audience?

Well, at least he could have given them time to write a proper series finale.

TV Guy · 07-23-2017, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glickmam

Well, at least he could have given them time to write a proper series finale.

He did. O'Connor refused to end the show voluntarily, saying that it would be disloyal to the crew and to the viewers who had been faithful enough to keep ABP at 23rd place in the ratings. "The cancellation doesn't surprise me at all,'' O'Connor said at the time. ''I was expecting this months ago."

Chocolate Moose · 07-23-2017, 05:53 PM

Since when was Miss Richards a critic or an expert?

oldschool59 · 01-09-2019, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chocolate Moose

Since when was Miss Richards a critic or an expert?

Agreed!

My family always watched it. My grandparents who at that time were in their 60's thought it was a hoot.

I remember most of my friends at the time it didn't come back were PO'd and none of us could understand why. I remember petitions going around to try and get it back on the air all to no avail. That show could have easily ran 3-4 more years.
Darn Shame!

07-12-2012, 08:48 AM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,108	Did Anybody Besides Viewers Like 'WKRP in Cincinnati?' Even Mary Tyler Moore Hated It MTM Enterprises was never especially proud of the show, and Weinman even found a quote from Mary Tyler Moore herself saying, “Let me put it this way: I wouldn’t watch it.” http://www.avclub.com/articles/wkrp-...-fright,82365/
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07-15-2012, 08:29 PM	#2
Jamey Greek Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 28, 2001 Location: Elba Alabama USA Posts: 876	Apparently someone at CBS didn't like it either. They kept moving it around until it got canned.
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07-16-2012, 01:47 AM	#3
Miss Lisa Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 08, 2005 Location: My very own Green Acres Posts: 1,113	Most of the people in my family liked it, so I never really thought about it. I knew that CBS had moved it around a lot, which does make it fairly obvious that they didn't like it, I didn't know about MTM enterprises though.
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07-18-2015, 11:47 PM	#6
caladon Member Senior Member Join Date: Jun 30, 2001 Location: Massachusetts state home for the bewildered Posts: 1,151	I'm sure her feelings about the show didn't keep her from enjoying whatever financial benefits she received as the producer.
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07-23-2017, 05:53 PM	#14
Chocolate Moose Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 21, 2007 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 4,881	Since when was Miss Richards a critic or an expert?
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07-12-2015, 09:50 AM	#4
gopyle Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 22, 2011 Posts: 235	Well, I didn't like most of the last three seasons of MTM.

07-23-2017, 09:47 AM	#9
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,419	Archie Bunker's Place was played out creatively, and losing an increasingly large portion of its 60 Minutes lead-in (60 minutes was a top 10 show). Bud Grant was right to can it. Why waste that kind of lead-in on a dying show with an increasingly older audience?

07-23-2017, 11:33 AM	#11
glickmam Member Forum Regular Join Date: Mar 03, 2007 Posts: 661	Well, as mentioned elsewhere, Howard Hesseman, Loni Anderson, and Gary Sandy were all doing other projects at the time and they were thus unavailable.