The Mary Tyler Moore Show - Season One
Finally! The Mary Tyler Moore Show for home viewing. This is where "it all began." Not—like Ted Baxter's career—on a 5,000 watt radio station in Fresno, CA, but on CBS, September 19, 1970.
This new 4-disc DVD set contains every show from the first year of what is arguably the best sitcom in television history. Although the early writing does not attain the brilliance it would reach starting in the third year, nor do the characters attain the maturity and subtle touches that made them icons, this DVD is a must for observing the fascinating growth and development of characterization over the seven years of the show. It is hoped that the succeeding years reach DVD soon.
Of particular interest is a full disc of special features, including clips from the Emmy Award presentations in the first year and a marvelous 90-minute documentary on the "making" of the show that alone is worth the price of the set. (Three episodes include a commentary track: "Love is All Around," "Support Your Local Mother," and "1040 or Flight," but were unavailable for review.)
Newcomers to "MTM" should be forewarned: this is not a "modern" sitcom, i.e., it has no foul language, no bathroom humor, no sexual jokes. On the contrary, the humor is literate (though not dry in the British sense) and is aimed at relatively intelligent adults, not junior high schoolers.
Guest Reviewer Michael S. Berliner is co-author of The Mary Tyler Moore Show Episode and Best Lines Guide, http://home.nyc.rr.com/hb/mtm.htm.
This new 4-disc DVD set contains every show from the first year of what is arguably the best sitcom in television history. Although the early writing does not attain the brilliance it would reach starting in the third year, nor do the characters attain the maturity and subtle touches that made them icons, this DVD is a must for observing the fascinating growth and development of characterization over the seven years of the show. It is hoped that the succeeding years reach DVD soon.
Of particular interest is a full disc of special features, including clips from the Emmy Award presentations in the first year and a marvelous 90-minute documentary on the "making" of the show that alone is worth the price of the set. (Three episodes include a commentary track: "Love is All Around," "Support Your Local Mother," and "1040 or Flight," but were unavailable for review.)
Newcomers to "MTM" should be forewarned: this is not a "modern" sitcom, i.e., it has no foul language, no bathroom humor, no sexual jokes. On the contrary, the humor is literate (though not dry in the British sense) and is aimed at relatively intelligent adults, not junior high schoolers.
Guest Reviewer Michael S. Berliner is co-author of The Mary Tyler Moore Show Episode and Best Lines Guide, http://home.nyc.rr.com/hb/mtm.htm.
