Top 10 Times The Mary Tyler Moore Show Tackled Serious Issues
#10: Sexual Freedom “You’ve Got a Friend”
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It doesn’t feel like hyperbole to say that “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” walked so today’s situation comedies following single women could run. The idea of an independent career woman living a sexual lifestyle, away from the defining status of marriage, was risqué business back in the early seventies. As a result, there were a number of episodes that broke new ground in how single women were portrayed during this time. For example, “Just Around the Corner” detailed the shock of Mary’s parents finding out that she stayed out with a date all night. Elsewhere, “You’ve Got a Friend” played up a sight gag about Mary taking birth control for laughs, but, at least at the time, this was some exciting new territory.
#9: Independence “Remembrance of Things Past”
The character of Mary Richards was portrayed, right from the jump as someone who felt in control of her emotions. So, when an old flame arrives in town and wants to rekindle a relationship with Mary, the audience is surprised to see Richards feeling weakened and emotionally vulnerable. This version of Richards feels perhaps more like the person she was prior to moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota; a woman still very much defined by her relationships with men. The notions of female independence presented here with “Remembrance of Things Past” touch upon the power dynamics within romantic relationships. But they also demonstrate how women were growing further and further apart from what was expected of them by an increasingly outdated sense of patriarchal morality.
#8: Love, Separation & Divorce “Edie Gets Married”
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The trial separation of Lou Grant and his wife Edie was one of the most emotionally complex and compelling storylines of the show’s entire run. “The Lou and Edie Story” from Season Four showcases Edie’s reasons for leaving Lou, specifically a desire to finally be on her own and have a life for herself. The road to her eventual remarriage in Season Six’s “Edie Gets Married” was marked by some of the series’ best writing. It showcases how Lou and Edie still possess a lot of love for one another in spite of everything. Ed Asner and Priscilla Morrill pull on some heavy heartstrings in both episodes. Asner in particular brings the waterworks as he watches his ex-wife walk down the aisle with someone else.
#7: Mortality “Ted’s Change of Heart”
Ted Knight’s portrayal of newsman Ted Baxter was largely played as a broad, comedic foil. This was readily apparent even when the episode “Ted’s Change of Heart” showcased Ted having a mild heart attack, live on the air. “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” was always able to balance out humor and drama with the deftest of hands. This episode is no exception. Ted’s newfound appreciation for life is, at first, played up as an annoyance for his workmates, but soon enough they, too, begin to focus on the everyday beauty of the world. “Ted’s Change of Heart” doesn’t bang us over the head with its message, but rather uses levity to show us that we should take time to appreciate the little things in life.
#6: Body Image “Rhoda the Beautiful”
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The character of Rhoda Morgenstern was a breakout hit for “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” so much so that she was spun-off for her own series, “Rhoda,” in 1974. Valerie Harper always shined in the role, but this third season episode showcased even more of the actress’ talents beyond her impeccable comic timing. “Rhoda the Beautiful” displays the character’s issues with societal ideas of beauty, while also struggling with her own self-image and weight. Rhoda was known for playing up her looks for laughs, so when she loses 20 pounds and wins a beauty contest, she’s not sure how to react. The episode is funny, sure, but it’s also surprisingly prescient about the struggles women still go through to this day.
#5: Infidelity “The Lars Affair”
The inimitable Cloris Leachman was another actress who was able to spin-off her character, Phyllis Lindstrom, into a new series. In “The Lars Affair,” however, a new character was introduced, played by another unforgettable television icon, Betty White. White’s Sue Ann Nivens is the furthest thing from her “Golden Girls” character of Rose Nylund. She’s a man-eating and passive-aggressive Martha Stewart prototype who debuts on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” by having an affair with Phyllis’ husband, Lars. Although we never see Lars on screen, the back-and-forth between White and Leachman was one for the sitcom history books.
#4: Freedom of the Press “Will Mary Richards Go to Jail?”
The Watergate Scandal was still on the minds of many American viewers back in 1974. As a result, this fifth-season episode ties into the importance of a free press when Mary refuses to give up one of her sources to a judge. The image of Mary Richards fighting for what she believed in was a powerful one, and also underlined her character’s importance as a television producer. Additionally, the episode features a memorable appearance from actress Barbara Colby as a sex worker Mary meets while in her jail cell. Richards’ down-to-earth treatment of the character and Colby’s human, less-exaggerated portrayal of the occupation was a breath of fresh air back in ’74.
#3: Prejudice “Some of My Best Friends Are Rhoda”
The Jewish heritage of our aforementioned Rhoda Morgenstern never really showed up as a primary focus for cheap laughs or parody on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” It was just part of Valerie Harper’s character, and its acceptance was just one of the reasons why this series has endured for so long. However, the episode “Some of My Best Friends Are Rhoda” uses Morgenstern’s background as a means for Mary to make a stand, when one of her new friends makes insensitive remarks about Rhoda. Mary’s defense of Rhoda, during a time when prejudicial stereotypes were still very much the norm on T.V., was brave and bold.
#2: Death & Remembrance “Chuckles Bites the Dust”
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Chuckles the Clown was a minor recurring character, a children’s show host who tragically passed away while serving as grand marshal for a parade. The manner of Chuckles’ death results in most of the cast spouting off jokes about the clown’s passing, apart from Mary, who can’t seem to understand why her co-workers are acting this way. It isn’t until the end of the episode, at Chuckles’ funeral, where we feel that, in some odd way, the clown would want people laughing at his last days. The scene itself is emotionally complex, a mixture of laughter and tears that’s as powerful as anything ever shown on T.V. in the seventies, or today.
#1: Equal Pay “The Good-Time News”
“The Mary Tyler Moore Show” didn’t wait to make its feminist mark upon the cultural landscape of television. The very first episode, “Love is All Around,” displayed perfectly how a nervous, yet cautiously optimistic Mary Richards is about starting a new life. We see here how she’s unafraid to leave behind the comforts of a known, but stalled relationship for the unknown, exciting life in a new job. Even bolder for the time was the third season premiere, “The Good Time News,” where Mary demands equal pay for the equal work she’s doing, compared to her male predecessor. That episode’s conclusion doesn’t work out 100% in Mary’s favor, but it was radical territory to cover at a very important time for women in the workplace.
