Happy Anniversary to THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW

 

As reader Matt in Westwoodpointed out, CBS missed a bet this past Saturday night.  50 years ago, to that day, THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW premiered.    It’s not like CBS has such a powerhouse Saturday night line up that they couldn’t put together some kind of salute.  Especially when their colorized episodes of THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW top the ratings the nights they’re aired. 

 

THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, created by Jim Brooks & Allan Burns was, for its time, a perfect sitcom.   Great characters, situations, and writing.  There was a smartness and depth of emotion to the scripts that, to this day, stands as the absolute gold standard in sitcom comedy writing. 

 

Oh, and it was very very very FUNNY. 

 

Fabulous jokes that all came out of character and attitudes.   Some of the greatest TV writers of all-time wrote for THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW including Treva Silverman, Ed. Weinberger & Stan Daniels, Bob Ellison, Earl Pomerantz, Glen & Les Charles, and David Lloyd.   Talk about the ’27 Yankees. 

 

You could say, “Yeah, well, 50 years ago is a long time,” but that’s when MASH was launched and that’s still revered (thank goodness for me).  And ALL IN THE FAMILY was in its heyday during that period.  ABC (not even the network that originally aired it) saluted ALL THE FAMILY with two primetime recreations. 

 

Happy anniversary to THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW on turning 50.  What’s weird is that that show had a huge impact on me and I got to work with her when she turned 50. 

from By Ken Levine