Has The Love Affair With Mary Tyler Moore Fizzled Out?

[Brian Damage]

Or can she still turn the world on with her smile?

Is there still room in Hollywood for a classy lady like Mary? Almost everything since TMTMS has failed. Her variety show, her other sitcom attempt. Movie roles aren't there, etc.

[Mr. Television]

Of all the MTM cast members, she's had the least success after the show ended. She did Ordinary People but nothing much since has been a success. I do think that her 1985 sitcom Mary could have been successful if CBS was patient with it. It's probably too late for her now.

[Brian Damage]

Originally Posted by Stuck In The '70's

Of all the MTM cast members, she's had the least success after the show ended. She did Ordinary People but nothing much since has been a success. I do think that her 1985 sitcom Mary could have been successful if CBS was patient with it. It's probably too late for her now.

Which I guess poses the question Sonny, was Mary typecast out of Hollywood?

[Mr. Television]

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

Which I guess poses the question Sonny, was Mary typecast out of Hollywood?

I don't know. She was given alot of opportunities by the networks . I think she had 5 failed series after her show left the air. Most of them weren't very good though. Maybe if she would have joined a cast as part of an ensemble instead of being the star, it might have been better. That worked very well for Betty White. Even if she doesn't do anything else, she should be very proud. She was the star of 2 classic sitcoms and that's pretty good.

[PGood97041]

To use a sports analogy, she's like the baseball player who has such a high average late in the season that he could go 0 for 30 and still be hitting above .300!

I know people consider The Dick Van Dyke Show as one role, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show as one role, but the first one was FIVE YEARS of about 30 brilliant performances a year, and the second one was SEVEN YEARS of a similar amount of fantastic comedic acting. I think people tend to forget that.

And then she did Ordinary People, a completely different role, and handled it in an Oscar-worthy fashion. Maybe there's been some typecasting since, and some of the reunion-type formats weren't the best, but they're always awkward.

Mary is still very well-regarded by all, and I personally still love her. I think she's way ahead of the game, and always will be! I don't think anybody has to worry about whether the good old US of A still has a love affair with that beautiful and talented brunette, Mary Tyler Moore! Maybe the roles aren't always a perfect match these days, but she's still adored by anybody who watched those two TV shows!

[Yong Fang]

MTM really never went on to anything successful after the MTM Show. She tried a variety show, at least two sitcoms, but never caught that wave again. Ordinary People was opposite of her usual persona, but I think then as well as now, it is hard for women over 40 to get the good parts. Also, MTM was more or less typecast as Mary Richards/Laura Petrie, and I think it was difficult for Hollywood to know what to do with her. Up until the 1980's (with vestiges of it still today) people are either TV actors or movie actors, and it is difficult to make the transition.

However MTM Productions made her the bucks and God bless her because her production company produced some of the most kick ass programming of the 70's-90's, with many of those shows rolling in syndicatation forever.

Hate me, but I never cared for Betty White in anything, her character in MTM was grating to say the least. She was my least favorite character in the Golden Girls and I find her annoying now. I'd like to see more of MTM on shows, if that is really what she wants to do. I'd like to see Valarie Harper in more stuff.

[LittleRickyII]

First, a correction to a comment above: The Dick Van Dyke Show ran five years, not six. But in terms of output, it had almost as many episodes in its five seasons as The Mary Tyler Moore Show had in seven: 158 versus 168.

As to the comment about hating Betty White, huh??? I'm perplexed. I've always thought she was brilliant in whatever role she's been in, whether on TV or in movies, and that opinion will never change. She's never failed to make me laugh. I'm not a big Golden Girls fan, but what I've seen of Betty in it is pretty solid.

Now about Mary, I've got to thrown in that I think she was terrific in Flirting with Disaster from 1996. I don't think that turned out to be a box office blockbuster, but critics loved it and so did I. Mary was hilarious in it. But even if you want to discount anything she did after Ordinary People, she still had a good 20-year run, which is rare for anyone in the entertainment business. The thing with Mary Tyler Moore is her huge success came very early on. The clock started running on those 20 years when she was only 24 years old. As for her TV failures post TMTMS, she deserves credit for being bold. Other than her 1985 sitcom, all those other attempts were far removed from what she did on TDVDS and TMTMS. Most performers keep sticking to similar formulas, so that's pretty courageous of her.

[OH Nuts!]

Well. the love affair with Mary Tyler Moore hasn't fizzled out with me. Not only have I loved her in everything she's done (from the Hotpoint Girl on) but even more so for the grace and strength with which she handles her disease. Type 1 Diabetes is A BIG HANDFUL - and not only has she handled this well (which she has) but my hat is off to her for all the work she does on behalf of the disease.

(I'm only borderline diabetic and even with that you look at food and the way you live differently. I really watch what I eat, and always make sure I have healthy stuff with me - so I don't reach for junk food.)

[PGood97041]

Aaaiiieee!!!! Thanks for pointing out that TDVDS was only five years, Little Ricky. I knew that, but it was late and I didn't check it...I WISH they had gone another year, but then again, only if it would have been of the same high quality. I knew the episode count was about the same. My point was that that's a long time of absolutely brilliant Mary performances.

Yeah, I was kind of surprised somebody actually didn't go for Betty White, but to each his or her own. I think she's great, too.

And, yes, Oh Nuts, the thread was talking more about Mary's professional work, but I can't even begin to think about what a daily battle diabetes is, and she's been handling that very well for years now!