Mary Tyler Moore Revealed That It Was Her Ex That Convinced Her To End The Show! - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 07-27-2011, 10:15 PM

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...e+baxter&hl=en

Mary said in the article above she wanted to continue the series for 2 more years, but it was her ex husband Grant Tinker that talked her into ending it after 7 seasons. Was it a mistake on Mary's part to listen to him? Should she have continued for the next 2 seasons?

One thing Mary revealed you would not see in seasons 8 & 9, was Mary getting married or pregnant. She said a mother's place is at home with her kids and having Mary pregnant would complicate things. Do you agree? Disagree?

Retro4Life · 07-27-2011, 10:18 PM

I think the show ended pretty much when it should have, really.

As much as I would have loved to have seen more of the gang's stories, I think milking it for another couple years might have compromised the quality. They went out on top, and it was a good decision.

I am glad to hear that Mary would never have had a child on the show. That gives me hope that MAYBE the prospective final two years would not have been too bad but I'm not really sure what more they could have done with the show than what they had already done.

catlover79 · 07-27-2011, 10:28 PM

I agree. It was time for the show to end - and thank goodness it never strayed from its premise, a single girl making it on her own. Mary Richards was a single, childless woman from start to finish - thank goodness!!!!

MaryFan1 · 07-28-2011, 07:41 AM

Part of me wishes it had gone on for two more years and they probably could have come up with other stories. I find it interesting that she said in the article mothers should be at home with their children considering she worked all the time and admitted she had little time for her son.

Miss Lisa · 07-28-2011, 05:46 PM

I think it was goo dthat ended where it did. If she would have went on to get married and have a baby, it would have been a completely different show.

And to MaryFan1, I think she might have regretted on not spending as much time with her son. I'm not quite sure when, but I know that he did end up committing suicide, which would probably be the event that convinced her that mothers should stay home with their children.

MaryFan1 · 07-28-2011, 06:01 PM

I do think she regretted it. She talks at length in her autobiography about her son. Also, he didn't commit suicide. He was cleaning one of his guns and it went off accidentally. It was later recalled because it had a hair trigger. There is an interesting interview with her on youtube. It may not be there anymore but it was on Inside the Actors Studio. She talks very candidly about her relationship with her son.

Miss Lisa · 07-28-2011, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaryFan1

I do think she regretted it. She talks at length in her autobiography about her son. Also, he didn't commit suicide. He was cleaning one of his guns and it went off accidentally. It was later recalled because it had a hair trigger. There is an interesting interview with her on youtube. It may not be there anymore but it was on Inside the Actors Studio. She talks very candidly about her relationship with her son.

Oh, okay. I had heard he committed suicide. Thank you for the clear up. But yes, the gun story does sound familiar.

MaryFan1 · 07-28-2011, 06:12 PM

Yeah the suicide story got out there. The funny thing was that in her book she said that the friend her son was living with called Grant Tinker and he called her to tell her that it happened. I guess he thought it would be better for Grant to tell her instead of some friend of her son's she didn't really know.

MaryFan1 · 07-28-2011, 06:12 PM

Yeah the suicide story got out there. The funny thing was that in her book she said that the friend her son was living with called Grant Tinker and he called her to tell her that it happened. I guess he thought it would be better for Grant to tell her instead of some friend of her son's she didn't really know.

catlover79 · 07-28-2011, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaryFan1

I do think she regretted it. She talks at length in her autobiography about her son. Also, he didn't commit suicide. He was cleaning one of his guns and it went off accidentally. It was later recalled because it had a hair trigger. There is an interesting interview with her on youtube. It may not be there anymore but it was on Inside the Actors Studio. She talks very candidly about her relationship with her son.

To make things even sadder, Richie was her only child. He died right around the time Mary was filming Ordinary People - ironically, her character in that movie had a son who died in a tragic accident. Talk about eerie.

MaryFan1 · 07-28-2011, 09:28 PM

Yes, she finished filming Ordinary People in early 1980. In her book she talks about coming home from a break over Christmas and that was when she and Grant decided to split for good.

Miss Lisa · 07-29-2011, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

To make things even sadder, Richie was her only child. He died right around the time Mary was filming Ordinary People - ironically, her character in that movie had a son who died in a tragic accident. Talk about eerie.

That is creepy, but I think its more sad then anything. Jw, anyone know if she took a break from acting afterwards?

catlover79 · 07-29-2011, 12:53 AM

Well, she went on Broadway to star in "Whose Life is it, Anyway?" and according to the Internet Broadway Database, her run lasted from Feb. 24, 1980 - May 18, 1980.

http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=3686

Not to mention she had to be doing a bunch of press junkets for Ordinary People. MTM followed that up with the feature film Six Weeks, which co-starred Dudley Moore. That was in 1982.

biffbronson · 07-29-2011, 10:42 AM

Very sad when one loses their child through any means. Other celebrities who have lost one of theirs: Carol Burnett, Chuck Barris, Bill Bixby, Harriet Nelson, and Marie Osmond come to mind -- all of whom were very successful in some of the same years Mary was. If I'm not mistaken, didn't one of Carroll O'Connor's children also pass away while he was still with us?

Retro4Life · 07-29-2011, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by biffbronson

Very sad when one loses their child through any means. Other celebrities who have lost one of theirs: Carol Burnett, Chuck Barris, Bill Bixby, Harriet Nelson, and Marie Osmond come to mind -- all of whom were very successful in some of the same years Mary was. If I'm not mistaken, didn't one of Carroll O'Connor's children also pass away while he was still with us?

Yes, his son Hugh committed suicide.

07-27-2011, 10:15 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	Mary Tyler Moore Revealed That It Was Her Ex That Convinced Her To End The Show! http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...e+baxter&hl=en Mary said in the article above she wanted to continue the series for 2 more years, but it was her ex husband Grant Tinker that talked her into ending it after 7 seasons. Was it a mistake on Mary's part to listen to him? Should she have continued for the next 2 seasons? One thing Mary revealed you would not see in seasons 8 & 9, was Mary getting married or pregnant. She said a mother's place is at home with her kids and having Mary pregnant would complicate things. Do you agree? Disagree?
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07-27-2011, 10:18 PM	#2
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	I think the show ended pretty much when it should have, really. As much as I would have loved to have seen more of the gang's stories, I think milking it for another couple years might have compromised the quality. They went out on top, and it was a good decision. I am glad to hear that Mary would never have had a child on the show. That gives me hope that MAYBE the prospective final two years would not have been too bad but I'm not really sure what more they could have done with the show than what they had already done.
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07-27-2011, 10:28 PM	#3
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,382	I agree. It was time for the show to end - and thank goodness it never strayed from its premise, a single girl making it on her own. Mary Richards was a single, childless woman from start to finish - thank goodness!!!!
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07-28-2011, 05:46 PM	#5
Miss Lisa Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 08, 2005 Location: My very own Green Acres Posts: 1,113	I think it was goo dthat ended where it did. If she would have went on to get married and have a baby, it would have been a completely different show. And to MaryFan1, I think she might have regretted on not spending as much time with her son. I'm not quite sure when, but I know that he did end up committing suicide, which would probably be the event that convinced her that mothers should stay home with their children.
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07-29-2011, 10:42 AM	#14
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,508	Very sad when one loses their child through any means. Other celebrities who have lost one of theirs: Carol Burnett, Chuck Barris, Bill Bixby, Harriet Nelson, and Marie Osmond come to mind -- all of whom were very successful in some of the same years Mary was. If I'm not mistaken, didn't one of Carroll O'Connor's children also pass away while he was still with us?
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07-28-2011, 07:41 AM	#4
MaryFan1 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jun 20, 2011 Location: Kentucky Posts: 45	Part of me wishes it had gone on for two more years and they probably could have come up with other stories. I find it interesting that she said in the article mothers should be at home with their children considering she worked all the time and admitted she had little time for her son.

07-28-2011, 06:01 PM	#6
MaryFan1 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jun 20, 2011 Location: Kentucky Posts: 45	I do think she regretted it. She talks at length in her autobiography about her son. Also, he didn't commit suicide. He was cleaning one of his guns and it went off accidentally. It was later recalled because it had a hair trigger. There is an interesting interview with her on youtube. It may not be there anymore but it was on Inside the Actors Studio. She talks very candidly about her relationship with her son.

07-28-2011, 06:12 PM	#8
MaryFan1 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jun 20, 2011 Location: Kentucky Posts: 45	Yeah the suicide story got out there. The funny thing was that in her book she said that the friend her son was living with called Grant Tinker and he called her to tell her that it happened. I guess he thought it would be better for Grant to tell her instead of some friend of her son's she didn't really know.

07-28-2011, 09:28 PM	#11
MaryFan1 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jun 20, 2011 Location: Kentucky Posts: 45	Yes, she finished filming Ordinary People in early 1980. In her book she talks about coming home from a break over Christmas and that was when she and Grant decided to split for good.

07-29-2011, 12:53 AM	#13
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,382	Well, she went on Broadway to star in "Whose Life is it, Anyway?" and according to the Internet Broadway Database, her run lasted from Feb. 24, 1980 - May 18, 1980. http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=3686 Not to mention she had to be doing a bunch of press junkets for Ordinary People. MTM followed that up with the feature film Six Weeks, which co-starred Dudley Moore. That was in 1982.