February 7, 2000
Can she still turn the world on with her smile? - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER - Mary Tyler Moore, no matter what she does can, after all these years, turn the world on with her smile. If you’re some dim-bulb, who has no clue to the allusion in this column’s title and that last sentence, you wouldn’t know that Miss Moore is known through that phrase as it came from the theme song of her show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Moore started her career as Dick Van Dyke’s Laura Petrie on his own show. In the 70’s she started her own program and it became one of television’s endearing, charming and well-loved sitcoms in history. The Mary Tyler Moore Show, personified the classic ensemble cast. Even though it was her own name gracing the title, her money and stuff like that, her cast truly supported her. Featuring Ed Asner, Valerie Harper, Cloris Leachman, Gavin MacLeod, Betty White and the brilliant Ted Knight, MTM made it big and made television history.
Well, after the show went off the air in 1977, Rhoda (Harper’s character) got her own show, as did Phyllis (Leachman) and Lou Grant (Asner). We never really heard of Mary or Minneapolis again. Well, this Monday (February 7th) we are treated to a “reunion” movie, that really isn’t. Mary Richards is back, and Rhoda (Valerie Harper) is back too! It looks like a good idea, but deep down in my gut, as much as I love the old MTM show, I don’t think it’s really that good to have a reunion movie. Moore had originally wanted to do a series follow-up, but the years and years from the series finale prove too much of a gap for plot reasons.
I’ve wanted to see the old characters again, but then again, I have to adhere to that rule of letting sleeping dogs lie. (Not that Mare or Rho, are dogs, far from it.) I guess it was bound to happen. A reunion to satisfy the throngs of webbies clinging to message boards and website chat rooms devoted strictly to MTM stuff. Moore was damned if she did and damned if she didn’t. I’ll watch for sure, but I’m kinda disappointed that Lou, Phyllis, Georgette, Ted, Sue Ann and Murray won’t be back. I hear, they’re not even mentioned.
Finding life in old shows is sort of a phenomenon in show business today. The Charlie’s Angels movie is creating buzz, as are the other knock-off’s on film and stuff on TV. Somehow it’s good we’re reconnecting to the past, and somehow it sounds like it’s in pure taste.
Surprisingly enough, I was surprised and devastated that CBS, (MTM’s original network) passed on this movie. But in retrospect, they were right. CBS was doing what it should have done, uphold their legacy. I’ll watch Mary & Rhoda on Monday night, and eagerly await it in the meantime. It’s good to see Moore and Harper back on TV, and I hope the ratings are good. Since it’s on ABC, the ratings leader currently, this movie couldn’t hurt them the slightest.
I guess that waif who got to Minneapolis in the dead of winter some 30 years ago, finally made it after all. Throw that beret in the air again, kid.
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