The Mary Tyler Moore Show

1970 - 1977

This pioneering show follows the everyday life of single career girl, Mary Richards, including the goings-on in her apartment building and the wacky antics at the TV newsroom where she works as associate producer.

Stars: Mary Tyler Moore, Valerie Harper, Ed Asner, Ted Knight, Gavin MacLeod, Georgia Engel, Betty White, Cloris Leachman
Created by: James L. Brooks, Allan Burns
Tags: singles, workplace

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Episode Tropes

Season 1

Walt Disney: Episode 5, "Keep Your Guard Up" (1970). When a life insurance salesman visits Mary, Phyllis reveals that she and Lars are into "cryonetics" and plan to be frozen when they die, so they don't need life insurance.
Toupée or Not Toupée: Episode 7, "Toulouse-Lautrec is One of My Favorite Artists" (1970). Murray takes over hosting the news while Ted is out sick, and he wears a terrible toupée in a futile attempt to look better on television.
Awkward Awards: Episode 9, "Bob and Rhoda and Teddy and Mary" (1970). A Sunday news show Mary produces is nominated for a "Teddy" (Television Editors) Award.
Tax Audit: Episode 11, "1040 or Fight" (1970). A nice IRS agent audits Mary, and she ends up dating him.
Requited Love: Episode 13, "He's All Yours" (1970). A new, young cameraman at the newsroom is infatuated with Mary and won't leave her alone, so Phyllis gives her some advice from one of her self-help books: flirt back, and he'll go away. When Mary refuses, Phyllis decides to test her theory herself; it doesn't work.
We Said No Gifts: Episode 14, "Christmas and the Hard-Luck Kid II" (1970). When Mary finds a gift on her desk on Christmas Eve, she chides Murray because they agreed not to exchange gifts. Then she reveals that she got him one too.
We Were Robbed: Episode 18, "Second Story Story" (1971). Mary's apartment is robbed twice, and everything in it is gone. All her friends pitch in to help by lending her clothes and giving her some essentials like kitchenware and electronics.
Tonsillectomy: Episode 20, "Hi!" (1971). Mary is embarrassed that she has to go into the hospital to have her single tonsil removed.
Ugly Bridesmaid Dress: Episode 22, "A Friend in Deed" (1971). Mary's old camp buddy, Twinks, is getting married, and she asks Mary to be her maid of honor and Rhoda (whom she just met) to be a bridesmaid. Twinks orders specially-made dresses from Detroit that look like they came out of Little Bo Peep's closet.

Season 2

Hot for Student: Episode 4, "Room 223" (1971). Mary takes a TV news writing class, and the teacher asks her out, then gives her a disappointing grade.
Pretend We're a Couple: Episode 6, "Cover Boy" (1971). Ted and his brother, Hal, are super competitive, so when Hal comes to visit, Ted asks Mary to pretend she's his girlfriend to make him look good.
School Reunion: Episode 7, "Didn't You Used to Be... Wait... Don't Tell Me" (1971). Mary's high school is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a reunion of all its graduating classes, and Mary calls out sick from work to attend. Rhoda decides to go with her, even though she didn't go to Mary's high school, because she thinks it'll be a great place to meet men.
On Strike: Episode 8, "Thoroughly Unmilitant Mary" (1971). The TV news unions go on strike, leaving Mary and Lou to run the newsroom and fill in for other WJM shows.
Vacation All I Never Wanted: Episode 9, "And Now, Sitting in for Ted Baxter" (1971).Ted refuses to take a vacation because he's afraid his replacement will be better than him and get his job, but his union requires that he take one every year. When Mary makes him take two weeks off, his worst fears are almost confirmed.
Chain Letter: Episode 10, "Don't Break the Chain" (1971). Mr. Grant sends out chain letters to everyone in the office and insists that they don't break the chain, so Mary reluctantly sends it out to 20 other people, and she unwittingly re-opens communications with some people from her past whom she would rather not hear from again.
I Saw You: Episode 11, "The Six-and-a-Half-Year Itch" (1971). When Lou's wife is away, he goes to the movies with Mary and Rhoda and runs into his son-in-law, who's there on a date with an attractive woman who's not Lou's daughter.
Strange Bedfellows: Episode 15, "The Five-Minute Dress" (1972). Mary dates the assistant to the governor, but he's so busy working and travelling that he has no time to see her.
Worthless Worker: Episode 16, "F**b" (1972). Mary feels bad when her complaints at a restaurant get a waitress named Randy fired, so she hires Randy as a secretary in the newsroom. Randy is so incompetent that Mary has to do all the work for her, but Mary doesn't want to fire her.
Moonlighting: Episode 17, "The Slaughter Affair" (1972). Murray wants to buy his wife a car for their upcoming anniversary, so he takes a second job driving a cab, which leaves him so exhausted he starts screwing up at the newsroom, and Mary has to cover for him.
Fish and Visitors Stink in Three Days: Episode 21, "Where There's Smoke, There's Rhoda" (1972). Rhoda moves in with Mary after her apartment catches fire, and their personal habits get on each other's nerves.
Backdoor Pilot: Episode 24, "His Two Right Arms" (1973). Failed backdoor pilot for a show about a bumbling politician and his longsuffering staff.

Season 3

Big Mouth: Episode 2, "What Is Mary Richards Really Like?" (1972). An infamously snarky newspaper columnist interviews Mary and misconstrues what she says about Lou and the newsroom.
Painful Promotion: Episode 3, "Who's in Charge Here?" (1972). Lou gets promoted to program manager and appoints Murray producer in his place, but neither is happy with his new position.
Will You Marry Me Again?: Episode 4, "Enter Rhoda's Parents" (1972). Rhoda's parents decide to renew their vows while they're in Minneapolis.
Weird Wedding Venue: Episode 4, "Enter Rhoda's Parents" (1972). Rhoda's parents have their vow renewal ceremony in Mary's apartment.
Poker Night: Episode 5, "It's Whether You Win or Lose" (1972). After Lou's trip to Vegas gets snowed out, the guys from the newsroom decide to have a poker game. The only trouble is that Murray is secretly a gambling addict.
Beauty Contest: Episode 6, "Rhoda the Beautiful" (1972). Rhoda is a finalist in a beauty contest at the department store where she works.
Swinging Singles: Episode 7, "Just Around the Corner" (1972). Mary's parents are moving to Minneapolis and looking for an apartment, so Ted suggests his building, adding that he lives in "one of those swinging singles apartments" with his mother.
No Joke: Episode 8, "But Seriously, Folks" (1972). Mary is dating Wes, a writer from the Chuckles the Clown show who wants to be a stand-up comedian. Mary wants to support him in his new career, so she and the gang from the station all go to see his act at a bowling alley, and it's so bad, Mary runs off to the ladies room to cry.
Inappropriate Violins: Episode 12, "It Was Fascination, I Know" (1972). Bess's dance date falls for Mary and asks her to lunch. As Mary is explaining to him why they can't see each other, the violinist he hired starts playing.
I Bought the Bar and the Bar Won: Episode 16, "Lou's Place" (1973). Lou learns that the owner of his favorite bar, McCluskey's, has passed away, and if no one buys the bar, it'll have to close down. Lou decides to buy the bar to save it, but he quickly finds out that McCluskey's is a lot less popular without McCluskey, and his efforts to be as pleasant and personable as McCluskey just seem to scare customers away.
Handcuffed Together: Episode 19, "Romeo and Mary" (1973). Mary goes on a blind date, and her date becomes so enamored with her that he won't leave her alone. He shows up at the newsroom and handcuffs himself to her, then tells her the maître d' at a fancy restaurant has the key.
Obsession: Episode 19, "Romeo and Mary" (1973). Mary's blind date starts harassing her with calls, visits, gifts, and even a giant billboard, making her afraid to leave her house or answer her phone.
Awkward Awards: Episode 23, "Put on a Happy Face" (1973). It's time for the annual Teddy awards, and Mary's falling apart: she's sick, she sprained her ankle, her dress is ruined, her date canceled, her hair dryer broke, and one of her false eyelashes fell off, and the worst part is she actually won an award.
Who Owes Who What?: Episode 24, "Mary Richards and the Incredible Plant Lady" (1973). Mary takes out a loan so she can lend Rhoda the money to open a plant boutique, and as Rhoda's business takes off, Rhoda takes her time paying Mary back.

Season 4

Teen Queen: Episode 2, "Angels in the Snow" (1973). Mary dates a 25-year-old man and feels self conscious about their age difference, so she shops for younger-looking clothes at a tragically hip store called "Shot Down Over Ecuador Junior."
Mi Casa Es Su Casa: Episode 3, "Rhoda's Sister Gets Married" (1973). When Rhoda and Mary go to New York for Rhoda's sister's wedding, Rhoda's parents refuse to let Mary stay in the hotel room she booked and insist she stay at their apartment and sleep on the couch.
Long Lost Parent: Episode 6, "The Family Tree" (1973). Ted's father, whom he never met because he left his family when Ted was a baby, comes by the newsroom to see Ted out of the blue. Ted refuses to see him, but his friends convince him give him a chance.
Monkeying Around: Episode 9, "Love Blooms at Hemple's" (1973). Mary produces promos for a documentary about chimps, and one of the chimps comes to the newsroom, leading to a practical joke on Ted.
Election: Episode 12, "We Want Baxter" (1973). Phyllis's Concerned Democrats of Minneapolis group nominates Ted to run for City Council (even though he's a Republican), which means he has to resign from his anchorman job.
Going My way: Episode 14, "Almost a Nun's Story" (1973). When Georgette catches Ted kissing another woman, she decides to become a nun.
Unwanted Surprise Party: Episode 15, "Happy Birthday, Lou!" (1973). Mary throws a surprise party for Lou, and when he finds out, he refuses to let it happen.
Awkward Awards: Episode 21, "Ted Baxter Meets Walter Cronkite" (1974). After running an expensive publicity campaign, Ted finally wins a Teddy award.
Little Black Book: Episode 22, "Lou's Second Date" (1974). The station manager invites Lou to a formal dinner and tells him he has to bring a date, but newly-separated Lou has no idea where to find one. Ted offers to help by leafing through his little black book, in which the women are rated with Christmas Seals because, as Murray says, "he's too cheap to buy gold stars."

Season 5

Contempt: Episode 1, "Will Mary Richards Go to Jail?" (1974). Mary refuses to reveal the source of a news story to the Justice Department and is arrested and sent to jail.
Remember Me?: Episode 7, "A New Sue Ann" (1974). A young woman shows up at Mary's house and says she's the sister of Carla Munson, who she claims went to high school with Mary, but Mary doesn't remember her or her sister.
The Ascent of Stan: Episode 19, "The Shame of the Cities" (1975). Lou is depressed because he's no longer the hard-hitting investigative reporter he was in his youth, and he feels he sold out when he became a producer.
Awkward Awards: Episode 22, "You Can't Lose 'Em All" (1975). Lou wins an award that's traditionally given to washed up old people at the ends of their careers, and he resents it.
The Bad Seed: Episode 24, "Anyone Who Hates Kids and Dogs" (1975). Mary dates a single dad who gushes over his son, Stevie, but when Mary finally meets Stevie, she's put off by his bratty attitude, and she makes the mistake of telling his dad.

Season 6

Going Your Way: Episode 3, "Mary's Father" (1975). Mary works with a priest on a documentary, but the priest backs out because he wants to leave the priesthood, and Mary thinks it's because he's in love with her.
Big Brothers Big Sisters: Episode 8, "Mary's Delinquent" (1975). Mary joins the Big Sisters program and mentors a troubled teenaged girl. When Sue Ann hears about it, she joins too to help boost her public image.
Weird Wedding Venue: Episode 9, "Ted's Wedding" (1975). Ted and Georgette get married in Mary's apartment with only a half hour's notice.
Tax Audit: Episode 12, "Ted's Tax Refund" (1975). After receiving a large tax refund, Ted is notified that he's getting audited, so he begs his friends to lie to the IRS about his deductions.
Painful Promotion: Episode 15, "What Do You Want to Do When You Produce?" (1975). Murray jumps at the chance to produce The Happy Homemaker, but working with Sue Ann turns out to be a nightmare.

Season 7

Surprise Delivery: Episode 1, "Mary Midwife" (1976). While at a dinner party at Mary's apartment, Georgette suddenly goes into labor and has to give birth in Mary's bedroom.
Near Death Experience: Episode 5, "Ted's Change of Heart" (1976). Ted has a mild heart attack, and the experience gives him an overly positive outlook on life that at first gets on everyone's nerves but then becomes contagious.
Insomnia: Episode 11, "Mary's Insomnia" (1976). Mary suffers from insomnia until a doctor prescribes her some sleeping pills, but Lou has a chip on his shoulder about the pills and insists on helping Mary fall asleep without them.
Milwaukee: Episode 12, "Ted's Temptation" (1976). Ted goes to a convention without Georgette, and an attractive journalist tries to seduce him.

Character Tropes

Slutty Spinster: Rhoda Morgenstern - Played by Valerie Harper.
Frenemy: Phyllis Lindstrom - Played by Cloris Leachman.
Extreme Cheapskate: Ted Baxter - Played by Ted Knight.
Whiz Kid: David Baxter - Played by Robbie Rist.
Hyper Honey: Twinks McFarland - Played by Pat Finley in season 1, episode 22, "A Friend in Deed" (1971).