If Mary Richards Had Gotten Pregnant, Would It Have Ruined The Show??? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 05-31-2011, 10:43 PM

We all can admit, there would be no Murphy Brown sitcom without the emergence of the Mary Tyler Moore Show. There are a lot of similarities in both shows. Murphy Brown eventually had a baby, what if Mary had one? Would it have ruined the show or added a certain depth to it?

McGillicuddy · 05-31-2011, 10:51 PM

Well, there is no way that would have happened in the '70's. I think with Mary, the question would be what if Mary got married (and got pregnant)?

Although there was that episode with dialog between Mary and her mother that alluded to the fact that Mary was on "the pill".

:

catlover79 · 06-01-2011, 02:33 AM

Would it have ruined the show? In a word - YES!!!

Kristen · 06-01-2011, 06:29 AM

I think there's a very good chance that a baby would've been a huge shark-jumping moment. B/c the premise would've changed. You would no longer have this independent woman making it on her own. There'd be a baby in the picture. And I don't see the single-mom thing happening here, either. Mary would probably have ended up marrying the guy if she was ever in that situation. There's actually a story about that very scenario on fanfiction.net. (I didn't write it, for the record, but it is very good!)

- Kristen

catlover79 · 06-01-2011, 12:40 PM

^ Yup, it would've ruined the whole dynamic and strayed from what the show had been all about.

LUNCH · 06-01-2011, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

Would it have ruined the show? In a word - YES!!!

I fully agree.

TV_on_the_Porch · 06-01-2011, 02:02 PM

I can't quite get into this hypothetical because any "resemblance" between the two shows is so utterly superficial. Mary Tyler Moore is to Murphy Brown what this

is to this

OH Nuts! · 06-02-2011, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kristen

I think there's a very good chance that a baby would've been a huge shark-jumping moment. B/c the premise would've changed. You would no longer have this independent woman making it on her own. There'd be a baby in the picture. And I don't see the single-mom thing happening here, either. Mary would probably have ended up marrying the guy if she was ever in that situation. There's actually a story about that very scenario on fanfiction.net. (I didn't write it, for the record, but it is very good!)

- Kristen

You said it so well! The idea of Mary getting pregnant like that would have been unthinkable -- so out of context -- the show surely would have taken a nosedive.

scotsguy · 06-02-2011, 05:48 PM

No I think it would have made the MTMS too issued based,like the Norman

Lear shows like "All In The Family" and "Maude".

The MTM company felt the episode when Mary's tennis "friend" was clearly

anti-Jewish,was a bit preachy so avoided similar "issue" storylines like that.

Retro4Life · 06-02-2011, 10:51 PM

Agree with what everyone said. MTM was about a single woman making it on her own in the big city for the first time. It was not about a single mother on her own. Whenever you have a baby on a show, what seems to happen is that the baby kind of sucks all the oxygen out of the room and takes too much focus away from the adult characters. I am VERY glad this never happened on MTM.

catlover79 · 06-03-2011, 01:11 AM

They didn't even want Mary Richards to be divorced, with the perception being the viewers would think she had divorced Dick Van Dyke!! So no way would they have let Mary be pregnant out of wedlock. Plus, Mary wasn't the type of woman who wanted to have kids at that point in her life. So it's good all the way around that the plot never happened.

Cloud9 Lorraine · 06-03-2011, 06:03 PM

Definitely! Along with the things others have already mentioned, it would have ruined the spontaneity of the show. Mary was able to work, have dates, throw parties, go places and do things with friends, often at a moments notice. All that would be lost if she had the resposibility of a child. Every young girl wanted to emulate Mary Richards, her lifestyle and her freedom. There was no place in her life to be a single mother.

Kristen · 06-03-2011, 11:16 PM

Thanks! I do think there's a slight possibility a baby could have worked, if handled well. But I can't really imagine it ever happening. Although it worked out pretty well for Murphy Brown!

catlover79 · 06-04-2011, 02:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cloud9 Lorraine

Definitely! Along with the things others have already mentioned, it would have ruined the spontaneity of the show. Mary was able to work, have dates, throw parties, go places and do things with friends, often at a moments notice. All that would be lost if she had the resposibility of a child. Every young girl wanted to emulate Mary Richards, her lifestyle and her freedom. There was no place in her life to be a single mother.

MaryFan1 · 06-21-2011, 08:17 PM

I don't think it would have worked for all the reasons mentioned. Mary was an independent single woman who in the beginning wanted to eventually get married and have a family but as the show went on that changed. Her career became her focus. I, like many young women, wanted to be Mary Richards. Even if she had gotten married and had a family the show would have been ruined. Although those of us who write fanfic certainly find it fun to play around with these scenarios

05-31-2011, 10:43 PM	#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: 63,107	If Mary Richards Had Gotten Pregnant, Would It Have Ruined The Show??? We all can admit, there would be no Murphy Brown sitcom without the emergence of the Mary Tyler Moore Show. There are a lot of similarities in both shows. Murphy Brown eventually had a baby, what if Mary had one? Would it have ruined the show or added a certain depth to it?
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06-01-2011, 02:33 AM	#3
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	Would it have ruined the show? In a word - YES!!!
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06-01-2011, 06:29 AM	#4
Kristen Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 17, 2000 Location: New York, USA Posts: 4,042	I think there's a very good chance that a baby would've been a huge shark-jumping moment. B/c the premise would've changed. You would no longer have this independent woman making it on her own. There'd be a baby in the picture. And I don't see the single-mom thing happening here, either. Mary would probably have ended up marrying the guy if she was ever in that situation. There's actually a story about that very scenario on fanfiction.net. (I didn't write it, for the record, but it is very good!) - Kristen
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06-02-2011, 10:51 PM	#10
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	Agree with what everyone said. MTM was about a single woman making it on her own in the big city for the first time. It was not about a single mother on her own. Whenever you have a baby on a show, what seems to happen is that the baby kind of sucks all the oxygen out of the room and takes too much focus away from the adult characters. I am VERY glad this never happened on MTM.
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05-31-2011, 10:51 PM	#2
McGillicuddy Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 28, 2002 Posts: 5,179	Well, there is no way that would have happened in the '70's. I think with Mary, the question would be what if Mary got married (and got pregnant)? Although there was that episode with dialog between Mary and her mother that alluded to the fact that Mary was on "the pill". :

06-01-2011, 12:40 PM	#5
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	^ Yup, it would've ruined the whole dynamic and strayed from what the show had been all about.

06-01-2011, 02:02 PM	#7
TV_on_the_Porch anything good on? Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 18, 2005 Posts: 879	I can't quite get into this hypothetical because any "resemblance" between the two shows is so utterly superficial. Mary Tyler Moore is to Murphy Brown what this is to this

06-02-2011, 05:48 PM	#9
scotsguy Member Forum Regular Join Date: Nov 25, 2002 Location: Edinburgh,Scotland Posts: 696	No I think it would have made the MTMS too issued based,like the Norman Lear shows like "All In The Family" and "Maude". The MTM company felt the episode when Mary's tennis "friend" was clearly anti-Jewish,was a bit preachy so avoided similar "issue" storylines like that.

06-03-2011, 01:11 AM	#11
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	They didn't even want Mary Richards to be divorced, with the perception being the viewers would think she had divorced Dick Van Dyke!! So no way would they have let Mary be pregnant out of wedlock. Plus, Mary wasn't the type of woman who wanted to have kids at that point in her life. So it's good all the way around that the plot never happened.

06-03-2011, 06:03 PM	#12
Cloud9 Lorraine Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Feb 10, 2007 Location: NY Posts: 342	Definitely! Along with the things others have already mentioned, it would have ruined the spontaneity of the show. Mary was able to work, have dates, throw parties, go places and do things with friends, often at a moments notice. All that would be lost if she had the resposibility of a child. Every young girl wanted to emulate Mary Richards, her lifestyle and her freedom. There was no place in her life to be a single mother.

06-03-2011, 11:16 PM	#13
Kristen Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 17, 2000 Location: New York, USA Posts: 4,042	Thanks! I do think there's a slight possibility a baby could have worked, if handled well. But I can't really imagine it ever happening. Although it worked out pretty well for Murphy Brown!

06-21-2011, 08:17 PM	#15
MaryFan1 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jun 20, 2011 Location: Kentucky Posts: 45	I don't think it would have worked for all the reasons mentioned. Mary was an independent single woman who in the beginning wanted to eventually get married and have a family but as the show went on that changed. Her career became her focus. I, like many young women, wanted to be Mary Richards. Even if she had gotten married and had a family the show would have been ruined. Although those of us who write fanfic certainly find it fun to play around with these scenarios