Oprah Hosts Cast of Mary Tyler Moore Show
Characters of Groundbreaking 1970's Sitcom Appear for Reunion
Dec 8, 2008
Mary Tyler Moore and the cast of the Mary Tyler Moore Show appeared on Oprah Winfrey on ABC in a reunion show that brought back memories of a show that made it okay to be a single career woman. Appearing on the Oprah Show were cast members: Mary Tyler Moore, Ad Asner, Gavin MacLeod, Betty White, Valerie Harper, Cloris Leachman and Georgia Engle.
Fans of the 1970’s sitcom can remember the strains of the opening song Who Can Turn the World on With Her Smile. Career woman Mary Richards walked gaily through the streets of Minneapolis and tossed her hat in the air. At the time the show was groundbreaking as a show about a single woman navigating her career in a news room, dating and relationships.
The series ran for seven years, from 1970 until 1977 and showed life in the Minneapolis newsroom and adorable Mary’s trials in dating, friendships and unsuccessful dinner parties.
Oprah’s staff recreated a stage of retro 70’s furnishings and accessories into a stage that looked just like Mary Richard’s apartment. The actors were cheerful and showed the same great camaraderie that had made the series so popular during its original run and for many years of reruns.
The main cast was on Oprah for the reunion of the groundbreaking 1970’s sitcom, with the exception of Ted Knight, who passed away in 1986. The cast did a toast to the beloved actor at the end of the show.
Cast of Mary Tyler Moore Show
- Mary Tyler Moore called her seven years as Mary Richards on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Camelot. Moore has been the chairman of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation for 23 years. The 70 year old actress was diagnosed with the disease when she was in her 30’s. As a result of her diabetes her eyesight is poor and she can no longer drive or ride horse back. She mentioned that people with diabetes are prone to other disease, such as arthritis.
- Ed Asner portrayed Mr. Grant who was politically incorrect before people knew what that meant. Mary’s curmudgeonly boss who always making her cry. Asner went on to his own series, Lou Grant.
- Gavin MacLeod was Murray, who sat next to Mary in the office while making wisecracks. MacLead went on to portray the captain on Love Boat.
- Ted Knight, who played Ted Baxter the clueless anchorman, passed away in 1986 from cancer.
- Betty White portrayed Sue Ann NIvens was the oversexed, sticky sweet but slightly vinegary host of the network’s cooking show. Betty White went on to the long running series Golden Girls.
- Valerie Harper was Mary’s best friend, Rhoda Morganstern. Harper’s character was spun off into her own series, Rhoda.
- Cloris Leachman was Phyllis Lindstrom the neighbor who drove Mary and Rhoda crazy. Leachman, 82, has most recently been seen a dancing contestant in the popular reality show Dancing With the Stars.
- Georgia Engle portrayed Georgette Franklin Baxter, who was Ted’s naïve girlfriend and eventually the newscaster’s wife.
Oprah expressed her love and admiration for the series, saying that in many ways she had emulated the Mary Richards character throughout her career.
At the end of the Oprah Show, Oprah announced the launch of the new Mary Tyler Moore Show DVDs. Audience members received DVDs of the classic series as a gift.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show was a role model to views during a time of changes of the woman’s role in the world, making this series worth a look for the sake of nostalgia and as a window into a different era.
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