Statue of Mary Tyler Moore in downtown Minneapolis, located on the corner of 7th and Nicollet.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show was a long-running sitcom that appeared on CBS from 1970-77, one of the most critically acclaimed shows—and one of the most beloved—in television history. Mary Tyler Moore starred as Mary Richards, a 30ish single woman who worked as an Associate Producer at WJM-TV in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her coworkers included the crusty News Director Lou Grant (Ed Asner), Newswriter Murray Slaughter (Gavin MacLeod) and the buffoonish anchor Ted Baxter (Ted Knight). Mary's neighbors were the self-deprecating Rhoda Morgenstern (Valerie Harper) and the insincere landlady Phyllis (Cloris Leachman). Later series regulars included Betty White, who played Sue Ann Nivens (the sardonic and lascivious host of a show called, rather ironically given Sue Ann's off-screen persona, The Happy Homemaker); and Georgia Engel, who played Georgette, the somewhat dim but remarkably good hearted love interest of Ted Baxter.
Unlike the characters in such earlier sitcoms as That Girl, the single Mary wasn't rushing into getting married or having kids. Significantly, her neighbors and coworkers served as a nuclear family for her. There were numerous classic episodes of the series, in particular “Chuckles Bites the Dust” in which the WJM staff mourns (and laughs at) the bizarre death of a kiddie show host.
The lampooned character of Ted Baxter is reported to be based on Los Angeles news anchors George Putnam and Jerry Dunphy.
The series ended in 1977. In the final episode, everyone at WJM-TV is fired—except for the supremely incompetent Ted. The cast tearfully said goodbye to one another.
The show had a number of spinoffs including
In 2004, the decidedly non-fictional Twin Cities television station KSTP began airing commercials featuring Ed Asner as a gruff newsman. Meant to evoke the persona of Lou Grant, the commercials feature Asner speaking to members of the station's staff. They are intended to promote the channel's news department, which has seen poor ratings in recent years. The character is never named in the ads for legal reasons.
Honoring the show
In 2002, cable TV network TV Land dedicated and erected a statue to the television character Mary Tyler Moore made famous near the corner of 7th Street and Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was supposedly placed on the site of the famous 'hat toss' Mary does in the opening credits. Although many in the press were skeptical of TV Land's offer at first— some claiming it was a marketing strategy by TV Land, one Macalester professor stating that it was "like honoring a unicorn" [1]— crowds of onlookers at the unveiling revealed hushed excitement rather than animosity. Most Minneapolis residents were apathetic, while others were glad that a television and cultural icon that helped make Minneapolis famous in the eyes of TV viewers was being honored. It has become something of a tourist attraction for fans of the show, who can sometimes be seen throwing hats in front of it to recreate the famous opening.
Miscellaneous
For the first few seasons in the series, Mary, Rhoda, and Phyllis lived in apartments at 119 N. Weatherly in Minneapolis. That address is entirely fictional, although the exterior of a real house in Minneapolis (in the Kenwood neighborhood) was filmed to provide a setting. Once fans of the series discovered the place, it became a popular tourist destination. However, the real owners at the time did not enjoy the attention. A sign saying "Impeach Nixon" was in a window for a time, discouraging many from taking more pictures. Other Minneapolis sites were also featured on the show (especially in the opening credits), but the show's cast very rarely spent time in the actual city.
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