Online Pick of the Week (9/4): Mary Tyler Moore

Been having a hard time this Labor Day weekend trying to find something for this week's choice, so I went onto Hulu, and after several hours of watching Mary Tyler Moore episodes, I finally decided on this.

Here we find a season 2 ditty, "Thoroughly Unmilitant Mary." Easily one of Edward Asner's best episodes. A news writers' strike leaves it all up to Mary and Lou to prepare their station's newscasts, and a clammy and nervous Lou Grant to do the night's newscasts. As we can see here, it ends up in a complete disaster.

This episode was written by Martin Cohan, future co-creator of Who's The Boss?.

Mary Tyler Moore, my online pick of the week!

Online Pick of the Week (7/16): Mary Tyler Moore

Another episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show is the pick for this week. This episode comes from the fifth season. In response to WJM newscasts becoming “static,” Lou decides to add a female perspective to the show. Lou has in mind a woman that is exactly like Mary, so much like her that Mary decides to audition for the job herself.

Look for Rosalind Cash in one of her earlier acting roles on this episode, as she plays one of the people auditioning, Enid Berringer. Also a rarity happens on this episode, Ted actually takes a good jab at Murray!

The Mary Tyler Moore episode "A Girl Like Mary," my online pick of the week!

DVD News: Mary Tyler Moore season 7 is coming!

From TVshowsonDVD: the seventh and final season of The Mary Tyler Moore Show will be released this October 5th! Being that this is my number one favorite show of all time I could not have been more happy to read this news.

What always stands out to me is that this is one of those series that was good in really all of its years on the air. There are a number of enjoyable episodes from the final season. Can’t wait to see them all in their glorious re-mastered form! Episodes such as “Mary’s Insomnia”, “Lou Dates Mary”, “Mary Midwife”, “Sue Ann’s Sister,” and of course, one can’t forget “The Last Show!”

Also finding out that the original final curtain call credit roll from the last episode will be included? The same credit call that has only aired once on television since March 19, 1977 that fans like myself have been hoping would see the light of day again on DVD if the show ever got this far in releases? Icing on the cake.

In other MTM-related news, season 4 of the spinoff Rhoda, will be released by Shout!, however, it will be a Shout! Select program, meaning that the set will sell exclusively on their website. Good thing this classic is in the hands of Shout!. It’ll get completed no matter what. Another reason why I favor them so much over many of the other DVD companies. Sure they’ve messed up a few times (unfortunately including season 1 of this particular show), but I love their commitment to finishing a show they start. There's no waiting for years like with other shows.

Ending this post with the Mary finale closing credits is only the best way to go:

Online Pick of the Week (5/28): The Mary Tyler Moore Show

The pick this week belongs to one of my favorite episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. It is “The Snow Must Go On”, which is from the first season.

In it, a barreling blizzard during election night helps put things on the map as a nervous Mary Richards must produce her very first news program. I like this episode because we get to see Mary really stand on her own two feet. It’s hard at first, but it becomes very easy for her to take authority when the time calls for it.

This episode was written by co-creator David Davis, and the late Lorenzo Music, who is perhaps best known for his role as the voice of Garfield; and Carlton the Doorman on the Mary Tyler Moore spin-off, Rhoda.

Mary Tyler Moore... my online pick of the week!

Online Pick of the Week (5/7): The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Naturally enough I thought this online pick of the week, in honor of this week’s Saturday Night Live, should involve none other than Betty White. Also, again this is going to be a thought on a specific episode of something rather than the show as a whole itself.

Betty’s done many roles in her long career of entertainment; but there are two characters that stand out the most with fans: Sue Ann Nivens and Rose Nylund. Two funny, intriguing, and very different characters. And what’s interesting in seeing these episodes now is knowing what happened years later when The Golden Girls started. Initially the idea was to have Betty play Blanche and Rue play Rose. Both actors definitely could have definitely done it well. But it was absolutely perfect the way it was.

Here she is, Betty White, in one of the best and most known roles of her acting career, her debut as Sue Ann Nivens. The Mary Tyler Moore Show season 4 episode called "The Lars Affair," my online pick of the week!

Online Pick of the Week (10/9): Mary Tyler Moore Show Bloopers

In honor of the fifth season of The Mary Tyler Moore Show being released this week, my pick is related to this show.

It is a two part clip of bloopers and outtakes, which are actually from the final season but they're fun to watch anytime. It is always such fun seeing behind the scenes and extra stuff like this. I love seeing the cast having such a good time.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show is my favorite show of all time. I discovered it on Nick at Nite (back when it was good) and I’ve enjoyed it ever since. The chemistry between the actors, the writing, the acting… it was all there and I can never get tired of seeing it.

Finally nice that Fox got off its duff and is releasing the rest of this show! There were only three seasons left, and season 5 has "Chuckles Bites The Dust," the most popular episode of the whole series, so I don't know why they were so reluctant. Mary Tyler Moore bloopers, my online pick of the week!

DVD news: Mary Tyler Moore and Supernatural

Here’s news on the Mary Tyler Moore spring release. Now don’t get me wrong, Mary Tyler Moore is my favorite show ever and I am more than happy to see Fox be devoted to releasing the rest of the series and fulfilling the promise they made to us fans several months ago. But I REALLY hope they also release individual season sets as well as possibly releasing a complete series package. There are people who have already bought earlier seasons and shouldn’t have to re-buy seasons of the show they’ve already got in order to get the last three. Come on, Fox, please don’t piss off a bunch of people by not considering other ways to release the show besides one complete series set. And I hope the same doesn’t possibly happen with the final two seasons of The Bob Newhart Show and the rest of Newhart if they are ever released.

Meanwhile, I like the season 4 artwork for Supernatural, or what’s known as the possible artwork. If it is, I’m surprised it leaked so soon considering the latest season is not released until at least September. Castiel has been a big important part of this season so I’m not surprised to see Misha Collins on the cover. And Jensen and Jared are looking good, as usual.

MTM: Finally!

Special thanks to vnisanian2001 at the GSN boards for pointing this out to me Saturday afternoon.

Mary Tyler Moore fans rejoice because it’s about time! At long last, the last three seasons of the classic sitcom will be coming to DVD!

I don’t know why Fox was reluctant anyway with this show. There were only three seasons left. The remaining three seasons won Emmys for best writing and best series. Season 5 has what’s arguably known as the most popular episode of the entire series: “Chuckles Bites The Dust.” And season 7 has the final show which has made history as one of the best finales a show has ever done and was very well received by fans. It’s thanks to those fans that the rest of this show is coming. And speaking of things coming to an end, I hope this is the beginning of the end of shows on DVD being abandoned. If not everywhere else, at least with Fox.

Now bear in mind, I’m no expert on the subject by any means, but I’ve come to realize that there are certain things to understand with classic shows on DVD. And this goes for anything that’s not current. Anything not making fresh episodes as I’m writing this entry. Things like the price and popularity factors of certain seasons. I notice how the New York Times article mentions All in The Family, and they couldn’t be more correct when it comes to that show’s status on DVD and the company behind it. Come on Sony, where’s the rest of All in the Family, The Jeffersons, The Facts of Life, Who’s The Boss?, and Maude? I mean, it’s not like we’re talking about short-lived shows that had no audience. All of these shows at one time or another became major hits and had long, healthy runs originally and in syndication. If you ask me, they should be completed by now.

There have been reports in the past about season 1 of Mary Tyler Moore not selling well initially, which I am not surprised to hear in the least. Season 1 was a great release, and it had many extras, which probably led to it costing so much. Side note: I will never complain about extras being released with a DVD set, especially with companies like CBS/Paramount who hardly release any, and season 1’s release had some GREAT ones. But I’d bet money that the original price being $45-55 dollars had some fans, like myself, waiting for the price to come down. And this goes for any show on DVD as well in my opinion. I love Supernatural to death, but I am not paying $49.99 for any season of it when I can just wait for an eventual sale. If I EVER pay that much, the DVD’s better come with a date with Jared Padalecki or Jensen Ackles.

But all that aside, even though there are no release dates listed as of yet, I am so excited anyway! My favorite show ever is about to be completed on DVD! Yes!

Forgive me if I seem like I am squealing like a fanboi. Because I am a little inside.