The Mary Tyler Moore Show - The Complete Fourth Season Reviews

• Possibly Mary's Best Season

  
  By A349SDBAUDKWMS on 2006-03-15
  Mary's fourth season is the only one to feature Phyllis and Rhoda (the old guard)and Georgette and Sue Ann (the new guard) all together. The show is really clicking on all cylinders, with many classic episodes:
  
  THE LARS AFFAIR Phyllis discovers Lars is having an affair with WJM's "The Happy Homemaker."
  
  ANGELS IN THE SNOW Mary dates a younger man. She doesn't realize just HOW young until he takes her to a party...at a frat house.
  
  RHODA'S SISTER GETS MARRIED Rhoda and Mary fly to New York to attend the wedding of Rhoda's sister (no, it's not Brenda; it's "Debbie," who is never seen or heard from again). Brett Somers guest stars.
  
  THE LOU AND EDIE STORY When Edie moves out to "find herself," Lou is a lost soul.
  
  HI THERE, SPORTS FANS Mary is saddled with the job of hiring a new sportscaster. Dick Gautier and Gordon Jump guest star.
  
  FATHER'S DAY Ted meets the father who deserted the family when Ted was a baby.
  
  SON OF "BUT SERIOUSLY, FOLKS" Mary's old flame Wes comes back to work at WJM in this sequel to a third season episode in which Wes tried to become a stand-up comic. Jerry Van Dyke guest stars.
  
  LOU'S FIRST DATE Now that he's separated, Lou needs a date for an awards ceremony; Mary's the lucky matchmaker.
  
  LOVE BLOOMS AT HEMPLE'S Rhoda falls in love with her boss.
  
  THE DINNER PARTY One of Mary's typical dinner parties (this one for a congresswoman) wherein everything that can go wrong does.
  
  JUST FRIENDS Lou wants Edie to come back to him, and asks Mary to make it happen.
  
  WE WANT BAXTER Phyllis convinces Ted he has a future in politics, and he quits WJM in order to pursue a career in government.
  
  I GAVE AT THE OFFICE Murray persuades Mary to hire his daughter Bonnie, who is (of course) a complete washout. Bruce Boxleitner guest stars.
  
  ALMOST A NUN'S STORY Georgette decides to become a nun after discovering Ted fooling around with another woman.
  
  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LOU! Mary throws Lou a surprise party for his 50th birthday...but she's the one who winds up with a surprise.
  
  WJM TRIES HARDER Mary suffers from an inferiority complex when she dates a man who works on Minneapolis's top news show.
  
  COTTAGE FOR SALE Phyllis has become a realtor and tries to persuade Lou to sell his house.
  
  THE CO-PRODUCERS Mary and Rhoda are thrilled when they are given the opportunity to produce a TV show for WJM...until they find out the co-hosts are to be Ted and Sue Ann.
  
  BEST OF ENEMIES Mary and Rhoda are on the outs after Rhoda blabs a secret that Mary never wanted told.
  
  BETTER LATE...THAT'S A PUN...THAN NEVER Mary gets in a silly mood and writes a funny obituary for WJM's file. Nobody's laughing when that person dies the next day and the jocular obit is read on the air.
  
  TED BAXTER MEETS WALTER CRONKITE Ted's dreams come true when Walter Cronkite visits WJM.
  
  LOU'S SECOND DATE Lou and Rhoda go out a few times for fun, and everyone begins to suspect it's serious.
  
  TWO WRONGS DON'T MAKE A WRITER Mary and Ted both attend a night school creative writing course, and have a major falling out when Ted plagiarizes Mary's assignment.
  
  I WAS A SINGLE FOR WJM Mary does a news story about singles bars, but nobody is willing to be interviewed on camera.
  
  

• Beige Apartments and Beer Omelets

  
  By AIWDJ3S85O10Q on 2006-06-27
  Season 4 of MTM shows the 70's in full swing; Mary has bangs and a more natural hairstyle (no more falls like in Season 1) and no longer only wears skirts and dresses to work. Yes, for better or worse, this is the dawn of the wide-legged pantsuit. Can Mary pull it off? Of course she can!
  
  Mary has redecorated her apartment and everything is beige, beige, beige; this could just be the camera filter but what a relief when the action switches to Rhoda's colorful digs upstairs. Sadly, this is also Valerie Harper's last season on MTM as Rhoda will have her eponymously-titled show the following season.
  
  There are less establishing shots of the house Mary and Rhoda live in because it's obviously a different, and less charming, home. (The reason for this is explained on a documentary on the Season 2 set; the owner of the original home no longer wanted the house to be included on the show.) And the show now focuses most of its time on the workplace. As compared to earlier seasons, there are far fewer "Mary's romantic dilemma!" episodes and more time is given to Ted and Lou, while Murray still patiently sits at his desk delivering one-liners. And showing that things have come a long way, Mary spends less time at work making coffee for Lou and is a valuable asset to WJM and a competent careerwoman.
  
  Season Four has any number of classic episodes: "The Dinner Party" featuring a young and very funny Henry Winkler, "The Lars Affair" which has a classic confrontation between Phyllis and Sue Ann and my personal favorite of the entire series, "Two Wrongs Don't Make a Writer" when Ted and Mary take a writing class together only to have Ted steal Mary's assignment. To try and describe this episode any more wouldn't do it justice, but it's a comedic high point and is one of the only times Mary really loses her cool. Another notable episode, "Cottage for Sale", starts off slowly but ends up a very good episode that showcases Edward Asner's Lou Grant at his vulnerable best -- and as the creator of the beer omelet.
  
  The lack of extras is a bit disappointing, but otherwise this latest release of Mary and friends is just what we all need. Meow.
  
  

• Please release the remaining three seasons!

  
  By AZZ2DEE2NTIM7 on 2007-05-12
  It'sso frustrating. This is one of the great shows of all time and all we have are the first four seasons. This show ended 30 years ago! What is taking so long to get these released?..same with The Bob Newhart Show and Taxi..which ran five seasons and only three have been released.
  
  When the production studios start putting out complete seasons of their shows, shouldn't they follow through with ALL of them? There are a lot of fans of MTM who would dearly love to have the entire series on DVD,extras or not..and yet to come(if it ever does)is the classic "Chuckles Bites the Dust"
  
  Please...release the final three seasons!
  
  
  
  
  

• It's great that Season Four is finally coming, but...

  
  By A1YPVQWX27T93T on 2006-04-28
  ...are there NO extras whatsoever on the fourth season?!? No commentary by Cloris Leachman, Betty White or any of the show's writers or producers on "The Lars Affair," one of the best episodes in the show's history; the one that introduced Sue Ann Nivens and earned Leachman an Emmy? No more Emmy clips or TV spots?
  
  Don't get me wrong; like all MTM fans, I love it that Fox is finally getting on the ball and releasing more seasons, but I also wish that the company would take at least a little care in doing so. After all, this show still remains one of the most awarded and acclaimed in TV history.
  
  I give five stars to the set because MTM is a great show, even if all you get are the uncut episodes themselves. But as a fan, I'm still kinda bummed. I only hope that seasons 5 and 6 (which, respectively, feature "Will Mary Richards Go to Jail?" and "Chuckles Bites the Dust") contain at least a little something for those of us who, as Lou says in the last episode, treasure these people.
  
  
  

• Asking Oprah for help to release the remaining seasons

  
  By A2MK80I31FKB18 on 2007-05-11
  I know this may seem like a strange thing to do, but I contacted the Oprah Winfrey show by e-mail and told them that there are fans like us here on Amazon who are really upset that FOX has stalled release of the remaining seasons.
  
  Oprah is a HUGE fan of the Mary Tyler Show and has said on previous shows how much of an inspiration the show and Mary was to her when she started off in the News business in the seventies.
  
  I thought if we let Oprah know what was happening with FOX and this delay that maybe she could do something to help the frustrated fans out there. Perhaps have a "Mary Appreciation" show and fill the audience with fans of the show, maybe bring Mary and the rest of the cast on, have them reminisce about the show and use that show as an opportunity to implore FOX to stop being ridiculous and release the remaining episodes, maybe even sign a petition by audience members and send it to FOX.
  
  It might all sound crazy, but I love this show, and we the fans deserve to have the remaining seasons released!!!! I'm sure Mary Tyler Moore herself would be frustrated if she knew how much her fans were behind the show.
  
  I have a question for FOX. How does a show with 29 Emmy wins not get a full series release on DVD???!!!!!!!!
  
  
• Fox has pulled the plug on the remaining seasons
  By A3KTTDD2ILB2Y3 on 2007-02-28
  Fox has taken the Mary Tyler Moore Show and the Bob Newhart Show off their schedules. And King of the Hill. They say low sales-I say hogwash.
  Why would they quit when they are almost done with these shows now. Why not just finish them. Come on Fox! As far as I am concerned they are the lowest. All their other shows suck except for WKRP. I will be gagging when I pick that one up because I don't know if they will finish it and how much music will be changed or edited out and that the discs are flippers. Fox needs to get on the oldies bandwagon-all the other major studios have this year. Fox gets my raspberry of the year!! We all need to call and write Fox and let them know just how we feel about this very bad decision they have made. Someone needs to be fired at Fox and soon!!
  
  
• Do you have any idea what happens when you let Veal Prince Orloff sit too long?
  By A2YP2R1AULZU5T on 2006-03-15
  See this brilliant DVD to find out. :)
  
  And if there is a way for Sue Ann to get out chocolate stains.
  
  
  
• Highly disappointed with EDITED content!!!
  By A2IJKC3QH8XLSB on 2006-06-20
  Just as with the first season set, and the third season set, this new season four set of Mary Tyler Moore (perhaps the quintessential season of the series) has suffered from editing for the DVD release. Seeing this makes me ache even more that another studio, other then Fox, has not compiled this series for DVD. It was bad enough we had to wait three years for the second season to come out (after the first), but now we have the suffer the shows begin edited from their original form.
  
  The episode, "Angels in the Snow" (the second one on this set, and one of my personal favorites), has a classic scene at the apartment of the guy Mary is dating. When Mary and Rhoda walk in to the apartment, the song "Earth Angel" is playing in the background, to which Rhoda remarks how it's the same song that played at her High School prom. Well Folks, the geniuses at Fox (probably not wanting to pay for its use on the DVD) have removed that song and replaced it with, what sounds like, some generic 70s disco track. Now the joke makes absolutely no sense, as clearly Rhoda did not go to HS in the 70s! At the very least, the song could have been replaced by a generic 50s track, but 70s??!! Come on!!
  
  I've already been disappointed with how FOX has edited some of their other shows on DVD (such as "In Living Color"), and made NO mention of the fact on the DVD case. Seeing a classic like MTM tampered with, like this, sickens me. This show deserves a WHOLE lot more respect then this. Just wait till further seasons are released. I can only imagine how episodes like "Lou and That Woman", "I Love a Piano" and "Murray Can't Lose" are going to fare when they have prominent scenes with music in them. Other shows manage to come out on DVD with their musical bits intact. It is a shame that MTM has not.
  
  Add to this, there are no extras at all on this set. Sure it's great to have a full season of shows for $20, but who cares when they are edited and poorly packaged? I would rather spend a few dollars more to see ALL the shows uncut and with some quality extras.
  
  
• Mary, Walter Cronkite, Sue Ann's Debut, And Some Fast-Disappearing "Veal Prince Orloff"! It's A Downright Superb MTM Year!
  By A1FDW1SPYKB354 on 2006-06-23
  20th Century Fox really picked up the pace of releasing "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" in season-by-season sets on DVD, with Season #4 arriving in a great-looking 3-Disc boxed collection on June 20th, 2006 (only five months after the third-year set came out, which is also a first-rate aggregation of MTM programs).
  
  The fourth season (which was first telecast on CBS-TV in 1973-1974) contains such TMTMS gems as "The Lars Affair", "Lou's First Date", "Best Of Enemies", and "Rhoda's Sister Gets Married", plus two of my all-time faves -- "The Dinner Party" (the famous "Veal Prince Orloff" episode with Henry Winkler putting in a funny cameo -- "Could somebody pass the salt?") and "Ted Baxter Meets Walter Cronkite".
  
  This 4th year of the series is one of my very favorite seasons. In addition to the previously-mentioned episodes, there's also the very funny "Happy Birthday, Lou!", which showcases another of Mary Richards' not-too-successful parties. Mary arranges a surprise birthday party for Lou Grant, but Lou detests such things. And, naturally, some humorous scenes follow in wake of this development. "So what do you say, we bring Rhoda in....you like Rhodaaaaa." ~LOL~
  
  The "Happy Birthday" episode also features the absolutely-hilarious scene which has weatherman Gordy (John Amos) walking in unexpectedly while Lou and his wife are doing a little flirting ("kitchy-kitchy-koo!"). ~Huge LOL!~
  
  There's also "I Was A Single For WJM", another stellar Season-Four effort. The scene from the not-so-swinging singles bar is a howl, as Mary, Lou, and Murray are forced to face the camera and tell of their "singles" experiences at the bar. Their flustered "live" on-the-air reactions are always worth a replay.
  
  And I simply can't forget about another top-drawer episode from this fourth season -- "Better Late...That's A Pun...Than Never" -- which is the "funny obituary" episode with Mary getting suspended from her job at WJM. A classic TMTMS moment arrives when Ted reads one of Mary's "funny" obits on the air. .... "Wee Willie Williams is dead at 110. There were other citizens of Minneapolis who were older, however they happen to be dead." .... "What's Wee Willie's mom gonna say?!" :)
  
  ----------------------
  
  The video and audio quality for "The Mary Tyler Moore Show: The Complete Fourth Season" is just about on par with the three earlier DVD releases -- which means it's pretty doggone good (IMO). The video is a little "soft" in some scenes, and could probably be honed-in to more razor-sharp clarity at times. But, overall, I like what I see here (both Mary and the video quality). ~grin~
  
  The opening titles for TMTMS were changed again for Season 4. The terrific Sonny Curtis theme song is still intact, but the visuals are different from the previous seasons. For a behind-the-scenes look at how this season's main title sequence was put together and filmed, pick up the Season-Two DVD boxed set of MTM. In that set there's a 21-minute-long bonus documentary called "Moore On Sunday", which takes the viewer behind the cameras as Mary, Valerie Harper, and the MTM Show crew go about the task of filming the fourth-season opening titles on the streets of Minneapolis in May 1973.
  
  That "Moore On Sunday" bonus would have been more appropriately placed in this Season-Four DVD set, but it was put on Season 2 instead. Unfortunately, there are no bonus interviews, documentaries, or commentary tracks to be found within this fourth-year set. But a very nice batch of DVD bonus supplements can be located on each of the first two MTM sets issued by Fox Home Entertainment.
  
  There's a "musical edit" or two sprinkled here and there within this Season-4 set, just like with earlier seasons of MTM on DVD, including a line that was spoken (not sung) by Murray Slaughter (Gavin MacLeod) which has been removed from the episode "The Co-Producers" on the DVD, due to it being a copyrighted line from a song in "The Sound Of Music".
  
  Such trimming and/or changing of music-related material within the MTM shows indicates, quite obviously, that 20th Century Fox either couldn't obtain the rights to the musical material involved, or that the Fox DVD people just flat-out refused to fork over the greenbacks to secure the copyrights for the music. The latter explanation is much more likely to be the case, IMO, given the number of times this has happened within just four individual seasons of TMTMS on DVD, starting with the "White Christmas" edit in Season One.
  
  It's fairly obvious to me that a huge studio like Fox COULD obtain the song rights, if they wanted to....they simply don't/didn't want to do so. So, I guess I'll just have to live with that decision. And I shall.
  
  But, to be perfectly fair regarding this music issue, I've been hearing of late that licensing fees for almost all musical material for home-video products have gone through the roof. Evidently it can cost a studio tens of thousands of dollars to garner all the legal rights to just a single piece of music. So, if this is the case, I guess I can't blame the Fox people too much for not wanting to pay ridiculously-inflated sums of cash for just a few seconds of material. (Are people in the music industry TRULY as greedy as this would seem to indicate? If so, it's kind of a sad thing, IMO.)
  
  However, I'm not about to let those very few minor edits/alterations to this great TV series completely dictate my purchasing decision re. these MTM sets. I'd much rather have the full, unaltered versions of every single episode (natch), but the occasional musical edits and dubs that must be endured are not nearly enough of a detriment to make me want to boycott these DVDs.
  
  ----------------------
  
  The Season-Four DVD packaging is, IMO, the best yet in the Fox series of MTM sets. The very flattering photo of Mary used on the front cover is just perfect.
  
  The physical structure of this 3-Disc set is identical to the Season-Two and Season-Three MTM releases, with three slim plastic cases resting inside a reasonably-thick outer cardboard carton. Each slim case holds one single-sided disc, with exactly eight episodes presented on each DVD.
  
  Program information is located on the back of each of the plastic cases. This info includes episode titles, brief show descriptions, writing and directing credits, and original airdates. Episode running times average about 25.5 minutes per show.
  
  The back of the outer slipcase contains three photos, including a great-looking group shot of the WJM-TV gang (plus Georgette too), although Rhoda has been left out of this cast grouping, which is too bad.
  
  The slipcase also contains the usual specifications grid and general notations about the series. But they've made an error in the specs grid with respect to the years Season 4 was first aired -- the box says "1972-73". That's incorrect. It should read 1973-74.
  
  The slim cases are black in color, instead of the transparent clear type. I, myself, have replaced the black ones with clear cases. I prefer the clear ones. Black just seems a little too depressing for a show all about perky MTM. :)
  
  ----------------------
  
  Other Assorted DVD Particulars:
  
  The audio sounds fine by way of the Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono soundtracks employed here (in English only). Video for these 24 color episodes is presented in its intended Full-Screen TV shape (1.33:1). Subtitles are available in both English and Spanish. And a "Play All" is accessible from the Main Menu on each disc.
  
  The DVD Menus for Season Four are quiet, non-animated, and user-friendly. But the cartoon-like photos used on a few of the Menu screens take a bit of getting used to. They're okay I guess, but a little strange-looking (featuring a combination of real-life photographs mixed with drawn-in animation).
  
  The Main Menu on each disc serves as the Episode Selection Menu as well. And, like all the earlier MTM seasons, each episode gets its own Sub-Menu, from where the viewer can select "Play Episode", "Scene Selection", or "Language Selection". The episodes are broken into a very generous total of 10 chapters each (which are divided up into three separate screens within the Scene Index Sub-Menu).
  
  ----------------------
  
  To Sum It Up:
  
  Season #4 of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" is without doubt a great year for this Emmy-winning TV program. The number of truly "Five Star" episodes located within this boxed set is quite impressive, in my own opinion.
  
  The cast, the writing, the style, the warmth, the friendships, Ted Baxter's hilarious ego, and Mary's great one-room apartment all play a part in making each episode of TMTMS what it was in the 1970s, and what it still is today (thanks to DVD collections like this one) -- 25 minutes of fun and laughter, spent with people who deserve to be cared about. And, by me, they are. :)
  
  
• A Timeless TV Classic
  By AAIL33CYCT47J on 2006-08-29
  Having been born in 1982, I came very close to missing out on the exquisite "Mary Tyler Moore Show". Luckily, my stepfather purchased the season one DVD and introduced me to the show. I instantly fell in love with it; the set-up is by now familiar thanks to all of the shows that have copied the format, but all imitators pale in comparison to the master. The writing is intelligent and genuinely funny, the characters are interesting and involving, and the cast is pitch-perfect. I immediately grabbed seasons two, three and four when they became available, and what really strikes me is that, rather than deteriorate with age, each season just gets better and better. The fourth season is the best yet with the introduction of Sue Ann Nivens -- the devilish Happy Homemaker who livens things up with her outwardly sweet, inwardly nasty demeanor (as played by the inimitable Betty White). More than thirty years later "Mary" is still the best television out there -- and is surprisingly fresh despite its age.
  
  
• Where's Season Five?!
  By A330OS9D137IBA on 2006-12-19
  This is by far the best ensemble cast ever on a television show. I can watch each episode again and again. But...I'm getting a little tired of that. With such a quality show and such and loyal fan base, WHY IS IT TAKING SO LONG TO RELEASE SEASON FIVE?!!
  
  
• We Are Waiting For Seasons 5, 6 & 7
  By A1VA0LVU4LX33B on 2007-01-14
  Ye, there are those of us Mary fans who would do anything to see her turn our world on with a smile....
  
  This Show was the best of the 1970's, and we are waiting for the remaining seasons to appear. So far, we have 1, 2, 3, and 4, so there's only 3 more to go.
  
  C'mon Fox......If you don't want to release the remaining Mary Tyler Shows, let someone else who will do it.
  
  
  matchbox
  
  
• PLEASE RELEASE SEASONS 5, 6, and 7!!!
  By A35U70K06D9M8S on 2007-04-08
  Just want to weigh in that this is the BEST sitcom ever made, and I can't wait for the remaining three seasons to be released on DVD -- please, oh please, release them soon!
  
  I was lucky enough to attend the taping of a show in season 7, and I particularly look forward to seeing that episode.
  
  
• WTF?
  By A29A632O1W7QXZ on 2007-04-10
  Where is Season 5? Man, they are so inconsistent with these releases.....
  
  Are you listening?.......
  
  
• WHERE ARE THE REST?!
  By A2APCW6WX7E854 on 2007-04-13
  I have all 5 series too and have waited and waited, only to read the disappointment. I've actually written NickatNite to see if THEY can buy the rights (they would probably do a better job) and release it themselves from FOX, but I know nothing about how those things work and never got an email back. Obviously, if MTM had 7 seasons, then there are still fans like us out there...maybe if they didn't wait so long to release the rest, then some ppl. wouldn't forget about ordering the other seasons. MTMshow also has a site if fans want to check it out.
  
  
• Another great season set!
  By A2DTU5I5G82Z5U on 2006-06-22
  Fox has done another great job on this MTM set. The restoration work is great. Since this is probably the finest sitcom in tv history, it's unfortunate that extras aren't included. However, if it keeps the price point down so that we can continue to get future releases of all 7 seasons, so be it. One request FOX, PLEASE include the final curtain call on on The Last Episode of Season 7. This one scene aired only on its original network run in 1977 on CBS and it's a lost treasure. The set would NOT be complete without its inclusion on Season 7. Please!
  
  
• A Real Gem
  By ATJ3S4GWR0RR6 on 2007-05-16
  My boyfriend introduced me to this show and I can't thank him enough. I never knew that sitcoms could be this good! Before I had only heard of Mary and Rhoda as a joke on Romy and Michelle. I've seen all four released seasons now and it has become my favorite sitcom of all time.
  
  Mary has to be one of the most endearing characters in television history. And the supporting cast is amazing. Valerie Harper, Cloris Leachman, and Betty White being my personal standout favorites. Not one episode of this series disappointed me. I only wish that more people would discover this treasure. Then perhaps the remaining seasons would be released.
  
  
• Season Five! Season Five! Season Five! Where are you??
  By A1PKVTIIRVJC6L on 2007-07-02
  It's ridiculous. It's been more than a year since this terrific season was released. There was once a L-O-N-G wait before the Season Two DVD set was issued, due to slow sales of the first MTM season. (and that was due to the hefty price and elaborate packaging) THEN, the powers that be at Fox realized they could slim down the packaging, not make it so fancy, and make more sales, and they did a fantastic job of issuing seasons 2-4 every 6 months! It was perfect.
  
  And now? Dead quiet. What gives?? This has happened to the Bob Newhart show as well. By posting here on Amazon, fans of MTM can cite our grievances. We want Season 5 and beyond!!! Even with slight sales, there MUST be some profit made. It doesn't cost THAT much to manufacture these DVDs. There are no music rights to clear. There are no promotional costs any longer. I'm certain there are no major residuals paid to the cast...so why not just finish up the seasons? Don't tease us with just 4 seasons. We want to complete our collections.
  
  We, the fans, WANT the remaining seasons! Let's hope they hear our pleas!
  
  
• Season Four Makes It After All
  By A3EE0H0NWQ9QVL on 2006-06-05
  "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" is one of the best television shows ever, and, unless memory serves me incorrectly, this was their best season. The characters have developed even better than before, and, unlike the third season, there aren't any subdued, but well acted episodes when we "meet the parents".
  
  "The Lars Affair," which features the debut of Sue Ann, is a classic. The same could be said for "The Dinner Party," which is so well assembled and has a fine appearance by Henry Winkler. (It shows Ted at his buffooning best and puts Mary in one of her most awkward positions.) "The Lou and Edie Story" demonstrates how well they were able to mix laughs and tenderness together. "Happy Birthday, Lou" is another shining moment for our most endearing comic ensemble, but "Two Wrongs Don't Make a Writer" is even more memorable. (Mary and Ted are enrolled in the same night writing class.) "Better Late Than Never" has a fine plot, one that defines the office situation better and challenges some of our comfortable notions about their relationships. One of the most celebrated episodes comes when Walter Cronkite appears at the studio and meets his unknown would-be understudy, Ted. Surveying, the rest of the season, there isn't an average one in the bunch. Significantly, we are sent to New York, where Rhoda's sister is getting married. The episode heralds a spin-off. As a watershed comes to the show, Rhoda leaves and Sue Ann appears, the best year (probably) is catalyzed.
  
  The show is vintage television, and the price for twenty-four episodes makes it a best bet. It is perhaps the best season from the best and most endearing characters we've come to know.
  
  
• More than Mary here...
  By A21VQDGHP3T7Y on 2007-03-13
  This well written and performed sitcom ran for seven great seasons but the dvd release stopped at season four. WHY??? I have 3 places reserved on my shelf for 5, 6, and 7 for over a year. The wonderful cast of characters often made me feel it was more than a 'Mary Tyler Moore Show' since each was equally important to its success. When Rhoda left, she was missed and Mary went on with Lou, Murray, Ted, Georgette, Sue Ann, and Phyllis. Does it get much better?
  
  
• Laughing on All Eight Characters
  By A2I6MHMAZZDCRX on 2006-08-03
  The set up is familiar by now. Mary Richards (Mary Tyler Moore) works at WJM news in Minneapolis. Despite the efforts of the crew, including news writer Murray (Gavin MacLeod) and producer Lou Grant (Ed Asner), the show is constantly last in the ratings, thanks in large part to bumbling anchor Ted Baxter (Ted Knight). On the home front, Mary lives in a building with her best friends Rhoda (Valerie Harper) and Phyllis (Cloris Leachman). Rounding out the cast are Ted's girlfriend Georgette (Georgia Engel) and WJM's answer to Martha Stewart (before she made any kind of name for herself), Sue Ann Nivens (Betty White).
  
  Season 4 of the Mary Tyler Moore Show is my favorite of the seven seasons. It's the last one before Rhoda leaves for her own series set in New York and the season that introduces us to Sue Ann. That means this is the only season to feature all eight of the series main characters. And it features some of the best laughs of the show.
  
  While Mary has given some bad parties before, this is the first season to really play up her ability to give a lousy party. It starts right out with the first episode, "The Lars Affair," when Phyllis' husband hooks up with Sue Ann. In my opinion, the best of these bad parties are on disc two. Mary must give "The Dinner Party" when a congresswoman accepts her invitation to dinner. She talks Sue Ann into cooking, only to have too many people show up for the actual event. Then, in "Happy Birthday, Lou!" she decides to give a surprise party for her boss, only to discover he hates birthdays and surprises.
  
  Another standout episode is "The Co-Producers." Mary and Rhoda are given the green light to work on a Sunday afternoon talk show. The catch is they must use egotistical Ted and Sue Ann as the co-hosts. Georgette's final line in this one is classic.
  
  Speaking of Georgette, she gets a chance to shine in "Almost a Nun's Story." After seeing Ted kissing another woman, she decides to join a convent. The final scene is hilarious and shows she is much smarter then she normally appears.
  
  "Better Late...That's a Pun...Than Never" is another classic. A tired Mary writes a flip obituary, only to have it read on the air the next night.
  
  And I can't forget "Ted Baxter Meets Walter Cronkite." After finally winning a local award, Ted thinks that his idol has come to offer him a network job.
  
  The show takes on some serious topics in this season as well. Most noticeably, Lou's wife leaves him and files for divorce. This is the first real story arc of the series, and plays out over several episodes, starting with "The Lou and Edie Story" in disc one. Some, like that one, are more somber. Some play up the comedy, such as Mary finding Lou a date old enough to be his mother in "Lou's First Date."
  
  The writing has really gelled here, and all the returning characters are at their best. Sue Ann, intended to be a one episode guest star, is still developing. She isn't quite as snide as she is in later seasons, but her basic overbearing personality is in place.
  
  The actors do a great job as well. They know their characters, take the great work by the writers, and make it shine. The result is a show that is hilarious and touching about a group of people we really come to care about. This season also features an impressive list of guest stars, including Brett Somers and a before they were famous Henry Winkler (Fonzie on "Happy Days") and Bruce Boxleitner of "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" and "Babylon 5."
  
  This set is just like the season three set. Unfortunately, that means no extras. Fortunately, that means the picture is sharp and the mono sound track is clear.
  
  While there are still classic episodes of this sit-com to come, I've always felt the show looses something once Rhoda leaves. Therefore, I treasure this season when any character can walk into an episode at any time. It's wonderfully funny. Any fan of the show will love this set.
  
  
• Classic comedy
  By A2F3M93RRLFQNJ on 2006-10-22
  Back in the late `70s and early `80s, an afternoon highlight was catching an hour of great shows that had just recently come into syndication: The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show. I may have been too young to really catch them in their first runs, but it was a delight to see them when I did. Unlike many hit comedies of yesteryear, these shows (outside of the clothes) do not show their age even now; they are still brilliantly funny in a way that many shows today can only aspire to.
  
  The Mary Tyler Moore Show dealt with the adventures of Mary Richards, a single, thirty-ish woman living in Minneapolis. At home, she spent a lot of time with her neighbor and best friend, Rhoda Morgenstern. She worked at WJM as associate producer of the news. In this office, the head writer was Murray Slaughter, the producer was Lou Grant and the anchorman was Ted Baxter. Baxter, played by Ted Knight, often steals the show: Vain, dumb and cheap, Ted nonetheless is endearing, especially when his façade cracks. But all the characters have their own, distinct personalities and they mix together almost perfectly.
  
  The fourth season really demonstrates how the show has gone well beyond Mary, who often isn't even the prinicipal character. The opening episode illustrates this: Mary's landlady Phyllis finds her husband having an affair with Sue Ann Nivens. (For those only familiar with Betty White as the blissful airhead in Golden Girls and later shows, this role shows a completely different side of her.) Mary is more of an observer than an actual participant.
  
  Throughout the season, other characters also take the spotlight: an ongoing story arc deals with Lou's separation from his wife, Edie. Ted pursues awards and meets his long lost father, Rhoda dates her boss (and Lou!); Phyllis becomes a real estate agent. In fact, of the 24 episodes in the set, just a little more than half have Mary as the central character. For that matter, little occurs on the romantic front for her; after one episode with a much younger man, she spends most of the rest of the season casually dating the station sportscaster (who is only briefly in a few episodes).
  
  In sum, this show is as good now as ever. What's really nice is each episode is only twenty-five minutes long, so you can squeeze them when you need a quick break from the rest of the world. If you want to see how good TV comedy can be, this is a show well worth watching.
  
  
  
• What about season 5 & 6 & 7?????
  By A1XQ9K62U9GN90 on 2007-07-07
  Ok, after 1 year waiting for season 2 fans finally got it. And now it seems again we have to fight against FOX to get the last 3 seasons. Season after season there were no extras, no spanish/french audio, etc. But real fans still bought the DVD sets. Why not release a limited edition DVD? (10.000 copies for instance) Or release all 7 seasons all together instead of teasing us FOX????
  Just e-mail FOX everyday. Mary would do it. And Lou too. :-)
  
  
• We're waiting...
  By A36NWYU7P3KZ3Y on 2007-07-20
  I find it completely baffling when I see notices on Amazon that the SEVENTH season of Full House (Full House!) is being released and the last three seasons of The MTM Show, the best sitcom ever, are languishing. How incredibly depressing. Let's hope Fox does the right thing and releases all of the MTM Show seasons. But, unfortunately, I'm not holding my breath.
  
  
• Who Could Ask For Anything Moore? Well, Here's Just a Few Suggestions
  By A3HLCUQEUZNQ2T on 2006-06-26
  Thank you Fox for releasing the remaining seasons of the MTM show in a relatively timely manner. This is a timeless TV classic that demands to be seen in its entirety. While it would be great to have some DVD extras featured on the diskettes, I'm just happy to have all of my TV friends - Mary, Rhoda, Lou, Murray, Ted, Phyllis, Sue Ann and Georgette --back in my living room for my family and I to enjoy time and time again. Mary and company can definitely turn the world on with a smile... I'm finding myself watching more and more Classic TV on DVD rather than viewing regular TV programming and look forward to the release of Seasons Five through Seven very shortly. If at all possible, Fox, please try and include some very special DVD extras on future releases, like MTM Emmy Award highlights, actor, writer, producer commentaries, and above all else the final curtain call which hasn't been seen since the final episode aired in March 1977.
  
  Here's hoping Rhoda, Phyllis and Lou Grant make their DVD debuts shortly as well. I guarantee millions of fans will be extremely appreciate and grateful and will make those releases huge hits as well. Until then, keep those MTM award winning seasons coming! The situation comedy has never looked better.
  
  
• still a great show
  By A2MO6L3ZVFI2R2 on 2006-12-20
  The Mary Tyler Moore Show started out great and got better as the series progressed. Season four was excellent and intoduced Betty White as Sue Ann Nivens. The show is still a classic. The cast interacts well with eachother and the characters seem like real people-not actors. Mary is awesome and her character (Mary Richards) got more interesting as she got older. This was a great series that has held up well over the years. Seasons 5,6 and 7 were even better than the first four. When will they be released on DVD? It seems like every crappy TV show that ever existed has come out on DVD, why not the rest of this great one?
  
  
• DVD companies please take notice!
  By AU76BD2Y9UO46 on 2007-07-27
  The Mary Tyler Moore Show is great. I was sad when they stopped showing it on TV and was happy to discover that the episodes were put onto DVD. I bought the four seasons that were available just about all at the same time. Once I got to the final episode of the fourth season I was left wanting more. I have been reading about the 5, 6 and 7th seasons just about non stop and can't wait for them to come out.
  
  I have been trying to find out if the last three seasons will be compiled and sold soon, with no success. I know that the DVD company that puts the seasons on the market look for successful sales. I don't know how many have been sold and if they are thinking about continuing but I agree with several others who have posted their desire for the last three seasons to come out soon. So if anyone out there from DVD companies reads these, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE act now! I think that I am with many people out there in our desire for the magic of Mary to continue!
  
  For those who haven't gotten to know Mary, Lou, Rhoda, Phyllis, Murray, Ted and the rest buy season 1-4 today as that will make the popularity of this series known!
  
  
• ONE OF THE FAMOUS
  By A1OEJBL0TAJPLQ on 2007-09-09
  It ist really not understandable, that all major companies are going to stop their seasons. For example "PARTRIDGE FAMILY", "LEAVE IT TO BEAVER" "MARY TYLER MOORE" "BOB NEWHART SHOW", "HAZEL", "SILVER SPOONS" Others didn't see the light of today "77 SUNSET STRIP", " MY THREE SONS", "FATHER KNOWS BEST", "SUMMERLAND". It is really a strange business policy. I think a TV SHOW collector should get a chance to complete his shelfs. The sale's couldn't be so bad if you take a look at all the reviews. And MARY TYLER MOORE is one of the famous shows of american TV history after "I LOVE LUCY". Last one, fortunatly is now completed. Let's go and do the rest, my dear companies.
  
  
• Still waiting for Seasons 5, 6 and 7!
  By A23VTKDUGG424V on 2007-10-10
  Last year was such bliss-- two seasons of MTM released within 6 months of each other. Did it lull you into thinking the final seasons would be released in 2007-2008, too? Now it's been over a year with no sign whatsoever of Season 5. There is a petition to release the last seasons of both the MTM show and the Bob Newhart show now on the Care2 Petition Site. I'm not sure if Amazon allows links to other sites in the review comments, but the petition site is easily found by searching "Mary Tyler Moore Show" +petition on your favorite search engine. There are only 128 signatures as I write this, and the "goal" (whatever that means) is set at 2,000.
  
  BTW, this show doesn't just appeal to those of us who grew up with it. My 13-old son loves it as much as I do.
  
  
• Season 5 Will Come
  By A3CWRKJTB2SEQS on 2007-11-10
  Where is season 5? It's waiting for Fox to sense money in it. No studio is going to release anything just to be nice to its customers. They don't think the same way that other consumer-oriented companies do.
  
  Be patient: most TV shows will eventually be released on DVD. Right now, the studios (like Fox, Universal, etc.) are caught up in the Blue-Ray / HD format wars. They are desperately trying to feed their bottom lines with new movie releases of previous DVD releases, but in these new formats. Neither format is likely to survive. Further, in a very short time period, all movies will be readily and cheaply available for download on the Internet. The destruction that the CD music industry saw is within years of happening to the DVD, or any movie-on-disk, industry.
  
  TV shows are different, especially older shows. People want to own the physical copy. A season of shows is too cumbersome to deal with unless it is organized as a complete unit and the ability to select a particular episode at whim is highly valued. In fact, TV shows are becoming a more important part of the DVD production agenda. You can see the stream of new releases every month. The studios will reach deeper and deeper into their vaults of TV shows, particularly as movie demand begins to dwindle.
  
  
  

• The Mary Tyler Moore Show - The Complete Third Season (1972)
• The Mary Tyler Moore Show - The Complete Second Season (1971)
• The Mary Tyler Moore Show - The Complete First Season
• The Bob Newhart Show - The Complete Fourth Season
• The Bob Newhart Show - The Complete Third Season