No Offense, But Were TV Audiences DUMB Back in the Early 70's?!? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 06-06-2012, 02:58 PM

When creators James L. Brooks and Alan Burns first conceived The Mary Tyler Moore Show, they intended Mary to be divorced — but soon ditched this plan, fearing audiences would think Mary had split from that nice Rob Petrie, Moore’s husband on the Dick Van Dyke Show. Mary also wore a wig during the 1st season as to not confuse audiences that Mary Richards was not Laura Petrie. HUH??? LOL

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...moments-333488

robyrob · 06-06-2012, 04:13 PM

yes, they were in fact DUMB.

- of course, to be completely fair, you'd have to admit that today's audiences are COMPLETELY MORONIC - (otherwise shows like Jersey Shore wouldn't exist.)

Retro4Life · 06-06-2012, 07:54 PM

Absolutely NOT.

I think if anyone was 'dumb' it was the network executives who assumed that the viewing public couldn't differentiate between Laura Petrie and Mary Richards.

Brian Damage · 06-06-2012, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robyrob

yes, they were in fact DUMB.

- of course, to be completely fair, you'd have to admit that today's audiences are COMPLETELY MORONIC - (otherwise shows like Jersey Shore wouldn't exist.)

touche

Brian Damage · 06-06-2012, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro4Life

Absolutely NOT.

I think if anyone was 'dumb' it was the network executives who assumed that the viewing public couldn't differentiate between Laura Petrie and Mary Richards.

Of course I hope you know I was being sarcastic.

I mean to treat a tv audience like they think MTM is actually Laura Petrie is ridiculous.

Retro4Life · 06-06-2012, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

Of course I hope you know I was being sarcastic.

I mean to treat a tv audience like they think MTM is actually Laura Petrie is ridiculous.

Yeah, I got it, lol. But your point was a good one, Brian. I can't imagine executives thinking viewers would be so naive these days...but as robyrob said, today they have other issues, lol.

Brian Damage · 06-06-2012, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro4Life

Yeah, I got it, lol. But your point was a good one, Brian. I can't imagine executives thinking viewers would be so naive these days...but as robyrob said, today they have other issues, lol.

Agreed well said

Yong Fang · 06-06-2012, 11:35 PM

Actually Mary Richards WAS Laura Petrie who killed her husband after she caught him doing Sally in the office and then running away to Minneapolis under an assumed name.

LUNCH · 06-08-2012, 02:53 PM

I think for some reason they just wanted to totally seperate the Mary tyler Moore show from the Dick Van Dyke Show.Why,I don't know, after all back then the audiences were a lot smarter than they are today.It's also probably the reason why not even one member of the "main" cast of the Dick Van Dyke show ever made a guest appearance. And by the way I did not know she wore a wig on the first season,she did some movies earlier with the same long hair style.

Leslie Eckhardt · 06-08-2012, 06:55 PM

I've read that the divorce angle was scuttled partly for that reason and partly because divorce was considered distasteful at the time. As to audience's intelligence, I once heard that the Coast Guard was deluged with letters inquiring as to why they couldn't get the castaways off of Gilligan's Island. (Agreed. Different shows have different audiences).

Blackout · 06-08-2012, 06:57 PM

they are more ******** now....look at reality TV + bobs burgers

Mr. Television · 06-08-2012, 07:03 PM

It's funny how CBS was worried about that. A year later Dick Van Dyke returned to tv sitcoms with a new wife played by Hope Lange. Wasn't CBS worried that people would think he divorced Mary Tyler Moore then?

duckie · 06-08-2012, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yong Fang

Actually Mary Richards WAS Laura Petrie who killed her husband after she caught him doing Sally in the office and then running away to Minneapolis under an assumed name.

06-06-2012, 02:58 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	No Offense, But Were TV Audiences DUMB Back in the Early 70's?!? When creators James L. Brooks and Alan Burns first conceived The Mary Tyler Moore Show, they intended Mary to be divorced — but soon ditched this plan, fearing audiences would think Mary had split from that nice Rob Petrie, Moore’s husband on the Dick Van Dyke Show. Mary also wore a wig during the 1st season as to not confuse audiences that Mary Richards was not Laura Petrie. HUH??? LOL http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...moments-333488
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06-06-2012, 04:13 PM	#2
robyrob certified wackball#3 Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Aug 03, 2003 Location: hiding under the third booth at Arnold's Posts: 58,194	yes, they were in fact DUMB. - of course, to be completely fair, you'd have to admit that today's audiences are COMPLETELY MORONIC - (otherwise shows like Jersey Shore wouldn't exist.)
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06-06-2012, 07:54 PM	#3
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	Absolutely NOT. I think if anyone was 'dumb' it was the network executives who assumed that the viewing public couldn't differentiate between Laura Petrie and Mary Richards.
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06-08-2012, 06:57 PM	#11
Blackout Sart Bimpson Senior Member Join Date: Jan 13, 2003 Location: where the sun rises Posts: 2,235	they are more ******** now....look at reality TV + bobs burgers
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06-08-2012, 07:03 PM	#12
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	It's funny how CBS was worried about that. A year later Dick Van Dyke returned to tv sitcoms with a new wife played by Hope Lange. Wasn't CBS worried that people would think he divorced Mary Tyler Moore then?
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06-06-2012, 11:35 PM	#8
Yong Fang Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 04, 2009 Location: Memphis Tennessee Posts: 3,073	Actually Mary Richards WAS Laura Petrie who killed her husband after she caught him doing Sally in the office and then running away to Minneapolis under an assumed name.

06-08-2012, 02:53 PM	#9
LUNCH Member Senior Member Join Date: Oct 23, 2010 Location: New York State Posts: 1,304	I think for some reason they just wanted to totally seperate the Mary tyler Moore show from the Dick Van Dyke Show.Why,I don't know, after all back then the audiences were a lot smarter than they are today.It's also probably the reason why not even one member of the "main" cast of the Dick Van Dyke show ever made a guest appearance. And by the way I did not know she wore a wig on the first season,she did some movies earlier with the same long hair style.

06-08-2012, 06:55 PM	#10
Leslie Eckhardt Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 24, 2011 Posts: 293	I've read that the divorce angle was scuttled partly for that reason and partly because divorce was considered distasteful at the time. As to audience's intelligence, I once heard that the Coast Guard was deluged with letters inquiring as to why they couldn't get the castaways off of Gilligan's Island. (Agreed. Different shows have different audiences).