mhubbard-54657 MTM was a great program that reflected the changing lifestyles and social mores of the 70's. Mary Richards, indeed, was a spunky young woman, learning how to make it on her own, with optimism, humor, an adorable apartment, and the help of some friends and co-workers.How well I remember the Saturday night TV line-up. MTM was the highlight of my week as a young teenager. Each week we got to see the opening scenes of Mary driving into the city, and walking in the beautiful city parks in her gorgeous coats. Each week we shared Mary's excitement in starting a new life for herself, even though there was the inevitable humorous glitch.Time moves along and so do people. Five years later, Mary was clearly middle-aged and no longer believable as the slightly naive young lady. Several of the original characters had left to pursue their own thing. They were replaced by characters not as good, in my opinion. In particular, I did not care for Betty White as the horny homemaker, I just didn't find her funny at all. Mary Richards was intriguing because her sexuality was subtle. The homemaker was just disgusting.At any rate, the first several seasons were excellent. Towards the end, the writers were starting to run out of good ideas, so the show was wisely canceled.

phillipgowens1 Okay, I'm a guy and I was in the 9th grade in the fall of 1970 when this show came out. I wasn't interested in it because it was geared toward women ages, 30-45 (or so I thought). By the mid-1970s, when I was studying business in college, and bored to death with homework, I'd channel-surf looking for something to watch on TV. Occasionally, Ms. Moore's show would be on, and with nothing else on TV to watch, I'd tune in. And you know what? I was never disappointed. Not once. Later, when "Rhoda," and "Lou Grant," were spun off, I watched those shows, too. Again, I was never disappointed. These shows were great and I wish we had the same kind of shows now. I'm so sick with modern-day TV, I had my cable disconnected a few years back and I only watch these kinds of shows. Thank you Ms. Moore, Ms. Harper, Ms. White, Mr. Asner, Mr. McLeod, and the late, great, Mr. Knight for some of the greatest shows in the history of TV, and R.I.P. to Mr. Knight. You get 10/10 from me.

Flups21 Seriously! 30+ years later you still have to reference this show when discussing the Great American Sitcom. And, this is it. After all of these years, there is nothing quite Mary as Mary. No show has ever been better casted than this one. Each and every character was nailed to a tee by the actor/actress chosen for his/her role. Could Mary been played by anyone other than Mary Tyler Moore? Ted Baxter by anyone other than the late Ted Knight? Lou Grant! By anyone other than the oh-so-perfect Ed Asner? Murray? Gavin MacLeod pre-Love Boat! Rhoda!!!! Could anyone have nailed this better? Thank you Valerie Harper. No other faux-Jew could have matched you.

jbsalmonnc The MTM Show was a damn good comedy, but some of the comments here comparing it with the superior Dick Van Dyke Show are a little silly.First of all, on the Van Dyke show Moore actually had a larger role, and got to do more comedy, than on the MTM show. On MTM she mostly played straight woman, and while the show more or less revolved around her, Valerie Harper or Ed Asner or another actor were the larger sources of humor. On DVD, while Rose Marie was originally planned to be the comedic center of the show, Moore took over more and more of that focus as the show developed. She wasn't just saying "Oh Rob!" and playing the dutiful wife, as someone (who never saw the DVD show?) has said.Also, on the DVD Show Moore got to sing, dance, and use far more of her considerable talents.Now, in comparing the shows-someone here wrote that MTM was the first great ensemble comedy. Really? In no way is the MTM ensemble superior to the DVD ensemble. It's a smaller cast, no doubt, but the characters are much more human. There are no cardboard people like the Ted Baxter character on Van Dyke.Again, I like the MTM show. It was a well-written and well-acted program. But it's hardly the equal of several comedies from the 70's, especially the early years of MASH, or Bob Newhart, let alone classic earlier shows like Van Dyke or Andy Griffith.