The Mary Tyler Moore Show: Love Is All Around

The Mary Tyler Moore Show: Love Is All Around
CBS
September 19, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Regulars:

• Ed Asner as Lou Grant
• 12-year-old (but dressing like Cindy Brady) Lisa Gerritsen as Bess Lindstrom
• Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern
• Ted Knight as Ted Baxter
• Cloris Leachman as Phyllis Lindstrom
• Gavin MacLeod as Murray Slaughter
• and of course Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Richards

Creators James L. Brooks and Allan Burns wrote this pilot for the iconic show.  And it does a fine job of introducing those regulars and setting up some of the relationships, especially Mary & Lou.  I of course grew up with this show, mostly in syndication (I was two to nine when it was on), and it's difficult to be objective about, although more objective than I am about The Brady Bunch.  I will freely admit that after some of the crap I've watched for this project, especially recently, it was comforting to sing along with "How Will You Make It on Your Own?"  The episode isn't classic, but it's pretty good.  I might've gone with a B but I felt like Mary's "boyfriend" (her recent ex) is a cipher, just there to fill his role and make us, and her, happy that she's single.  I would've liked more of, for instance, the Ted & Murray dynamic, but there's time.  Unless there are some bombs in Season One I've forgotten, I expect to watch all of it, and hopefully more seasons if they're returned in time.  (I still wish I'd been able to catch Cheers for instance, but sometimes I just have to move on.)