Why Did Mary Tyler Moore Fail After Her Sitcom Ended - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 04-20-2022, 01:56 AM

I don't know if "fail" is the right choice of words given that she was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for Ordinary People in 1980. But all of her subsequent television shows that had her in a leading role barely lasted a season:

Mary (1978) - This is probably most notable now for featuring a then unknown David Letterman and Michael Keaton.
The Mary Tyler Moore Hour - Michael Keaton was also on this show.
Mary (1985) - John Astin (AKA Gomez Addams) and a pre-Married...with Children Katey Sagel were among MTM's co-stars.
Annie McGuire
New York News

None of these shows lasted longer than 13 episodes let alone a single season. And New York News appeared to be the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

GentlemanJim · 04-20-2022, 11:06 AM

I was a huge fan of Laura Petrie, being so good looking yet meek and vulnerable....was a very appealing package.

And I watched the MTM show religiously when it was in first runs.

Something just changed about the dynamics. The political injection of stereotypes didn't weather well, and it made the lead actor somewhat of a poster girl for a revolution that I didn't find entertaining.

Once the cache that Laura Petrie had accumulated had become depleted....my interest waned, and I stopped following her..

Yong Fang · 07-30-2022, 09:40 AM

The MTM Show had a great supporting cast. It was so good that three of the characters spunoff to their own series. Her other shows just werent that good and had to rely more on Mary to make the show. I have seen the other shows and they just didnt stack up.

A good TV show has all good players. Its an ensamble in the end, it's like assmebling a championship sports team. If you have one strong player and a bunch of weak ones, the best player wont play as well and the failures will bring them down.

I forgot which show (Mary？） but John Astin was hilarious. But he couldnt save that show because a supporting player cannot do that.

CJMD03 · 09-09-2023, 01:10 AM

Because she couldn’t understand that the success for MTM was that it was because of the whole cast and not just her.

PaperClips · 09-09-2023, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJMD03

Because she couldn’t understand that the success for MTM was that it was because of the whole cast and not just her.

I don't think that's true. She demanded MTM be an ensemble show because she didn't think she could carry it by herself.

Ken Levine said she was extremely difficult to work with for what it's worth.

CJMD03 · 09-10-2023, 02:58 PM

Yes, so many people have said that, especially makeup and hair people. One ofnher ex husbands said she resembled her “Ordinary People” character in real/life more than any other.

04-20-2022, 01:56 AM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,797	Why Did Mary Tyler Moore Fail After Her Sitcom Ended I don't know if "fail" is the right choice of words given that she was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for Ordinary People in 1980. But all of her subsequent television shows that had her in a leading role barely lasted a season: Mary (1978) - This is probably most notable now for featuring a then unknown David Letterman and Michael Keaton. The Mary Tyler Moore Hour - Michael Keaton was also on this show. Mary (1985) - John Astin (AKA Gomez Addams) and a pre-Married...with Children Katey Sagel were among MTM's co-stars. Annie McGuire New York News None of these shows lasted longer than 13 episodes let alone a single season. And New York News appeared to be the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

04-20-2022, 11:06 AM	#2
GentlemanJim Concerns, Support, & Feedback Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 26, 2019 Location: The back country Posts: 5,443	I was a huge fan of Laura Petrie, being so good looking yet meek and vulnerable....was a very appealing package. And I watched the MTM show religiously when it was in first runs. Something just changed about the dynamics. The political injection of stereotypes didn't weather well, and it made the lead actor somewhat of a poster girl for a revolution that I didn't find entertaining. Once the cache that Laura Petrie had accumulated had become depleted....my interest waned, and I stopped following her..
	__________________ On my word as a gentleman!

07-30-2022, 09:40 AM	#3
Yong Fang Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 04, 2009 Location: Memphis Tennessee Posts: 3,072	The MTM Show had a great supporting cast. It was so good that three of the characters spunoff to their own series. Her other shows just werent that good and had to rely more on Mary to make the show. I have seen the other shows and they just didnt stack up. A good TV show has all good players. Its an ensamble in the end, it's like assmebling a championship sports team. If you have one strong player and a bunch of weak ones, the best player wont play as well and the failures will bring them down. I forgot which show (Mary？） but John Astin was hilarious. But he couldnt save that show because a supporting player cannot do that.

09-09-2023, 01:10 AM	#4
CJMD03 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 18, 2018 Posts: 417	Because she couldn’t understand that the success for MTM was that it was because of the whole cast and not just her.

09-10-2023, 02:58 PM	#6
CJMD03 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 18, 2018 Posts: 417	Yes, so many people have said that, especially makeup and hair people. One ofnher ex husbands said she resembled her “Ordinary People” character in real/life more than any other.