by Moe Zilla

Created on: January 29, 2008

"The Mary Tyler Moore Show" re-invented the sitcom, almost by accident. With such high-quality acting, the comedy flowed from the characters as much as their situations. The show was blessed with likeable, charismatic stars, including Ed Asner and Ted Knight. But at the center of it all was Mary Tyler Moore.

She was smart, sensible, and occasionally sarcastic. But the show broke new ground from it's very first episode, pitting Mary's cheerful young expectations against her world-weary cynical boss at a TV news room. "You've got spunk!" Lou Grant tells her as she interviews for a position in his newsroom. But then he says immediately: "I hate spunk." Ultimately Mary would thrive in the working world, making friends and finding warmth. But the show never succumbed to stereotypes. Each character got a personality that was unique and real.

Ted Knight played the station's white-haired newscaster, who faked a pompous knowledgeability on the air while boyishly exasperating his co-workers behind the scenes. His trademark phrase was a cheerful "Hi guys!" inevitably followed by a laughably unenthusiastic "Hi, Ted" from the newsroom's group of writers. A quiet man named Murray also helped write Ted's news stories. In the middle of newsroom conflicts, he offered a refreshingly mild voice - which would also lend an extra surprise to the script's sharp sarcasm!

New characters were added during its seven-year run, including Georgette (Ted's doting wife) and Sue Ann Nivens, the star of a show titled "the Happy Homemaker" who is really a man-hungry predator. Mary's sardonic landlord Rhoda Morgenstern was replaced by the equally sardonic Phyllis Lindstrom. But the writers kept the show funny with lots of sharp jokes while letting audiences gradually get to know their characters. James L. Brooks, one of the show's creators, would later apply this endearing formula to the TV show Taxi, and finally "The Simpsons."

But the only way to appreciate the show is to remember it's wonderful moments. First Lady Betty Ford made an appearance when Lou and Mary pay a visit to Washington D.C. And in one famous episode, young Mary insists she'll finally throw a party that isn't boring, promising an appearance by Johnny Carson. But just seconds before Johnny arrives, the power goes out and the building goes dark. In the pitch black room, Johnny's familiar voice suddenly jokes
"Nice place you've got here."

In the series finale, Ted Baxter warns management that he'll resign if they fire his writing staff. But he knuckles when management seems to be accepting his offer, and Murray offers a philosophical response. "When a donkey flies, you don't blame it for not staying up too long." The news room staff huddles into a giant hug, as hard-boiled Lou Grant blurts out one last thought that was probably also true for America's TV viewers.

"I treasure you people."

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