Mary Tyler Moore Show and Its Spin-Offs

[Crimson]

There’s still a sense that some material is being recycled.

This is where I think the loss of Rhoda and Phyllis is keenly felt. There are those who think the loss of those two characters wasn't too impactful to MTM because Georgette and Sue Ann were solid characters to fill the void. I only partially agree. One of the great things about S1-4 is that it followed a lesson learned by Mary's previous sitcom: it split the storylines between work and home life. S6 & 7 are almost entirely about Mary's work life; even her home life revolves around her co-workers or the WJM-adjacent Georgette. Attempts at introducing new friends or love interests for Mary sputtered out; presumably, heading to the end, the writers decided it wasn't worth further effort. So all that was left was the workplace interactions of 5 people leading to repetition.

Phylis S1 - Rhoda S3 - Phyllis S2 - Mary S7

If you're going to any degree of impact, I'd suggest watching all except RHODA S5 ahead of MTM S7. That's the closest alignment to air dates, without going episode-by-episode. I believe you'll find some emotional payoff by saving MTM's finale towards the end.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

There are those who think the loss of those two characters wasn't too impactful to MTM because Georgette and Sue Ann were solid characters to fill the void. I only partially agree. One of the great things about S1-4 is that it followed a lesson learned by Mary's previous sitcom: it split the storylines between work and home life. S6 & 7 are almost entirely about Mary's work life; even her home life revolves around her co-workers or the WJM-adjacent Georgette.

This is spot on. Even on the occasions where Mary has had a storyline that's technically a "home" one - such as dating two guys - the only prism through which it can be filtered is work, so the balance has changed in that regard.

Perhaps because this is my first time out with the series, I'm not finding this too bothersome at the moment, but I can certainly see it's true.

If you're going to any degree of impact, I'd suggest watching all except RHODA S5 ahead of MTM S7. That's the closest alignment to air dates, without going episode-by-episode. I believe you'll find some emotional payoff by saving MTM's finale towards the end.

Thanks. So just to clarify, are you suggesting watching Season Four of Rhoda before MTM S7?

I was going by the years in which the seasons aired, and I knew in the 1975-76 season I wanted to watch MTM last of the three. But I hadn't even considered watching Rhoda S4 because it aired in the1976-77 season (which was the year after MTM had ended).

 

[Crimson]

I'm not finding this too bothersome at the moment

I find it bothersome only in the narrower focus of the final seasons and that the producers didn't try harder to counterbalance the show morphing into a workplace comedy. The producers of MTM were not lacking in self-awareness. Many of the limitations and quibbles one could have about the series are directly addressed in the final season.

So just to clarify, are you suggesting watching Season Four of Rhoda before MTM S7?

Disregard what I said. I could have sworn RHODA only lasted a single season after the end of MTM, but I see it was actually two.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Phyllis
Season One
Pilot /Bess, Is You A Woman Now? / Up For Grabs / Leaving Home / The First Day / Phyllis Takes Piano Lessons / Phyllis’s Garage Sale / The First Date


Since I seem to be getting through these quickly - these eight episodes are two evenings’ worth - thought I should jump in with a first impression before I get too used to the series.

As mentioned in previous posts, there was a good degree of reservation about watching this series based not only on comments from others but also my personal view of the character of Phyllis who was never really a MTM favourite.

It’s the most pleasant of surprises to find the series is working for me so far. I like the tone. The premise is working well enough. The supporting players are all fine. If I look hard, I can see what @Crimson was saying about the series faults on these fronts, but going in with low expectations I don’t find them a bar to my enjoyment. Generic it may be, but so far it’s perfectly watchable. Now I’m thinking I must be very easy to please (which sounds rather unlike me).

I was really expecting the change from Barbara Colby to Liz Torres to jar but… nope. I really liked Barbara’s Julie, and I like Liz’s Julie. I’m sure it helped with the transition that the picture quality on some of these episodes is so poor one can barely make out faces (to quote Phyllis herself as she collapsed into hysterical laughter, beggars can’t be choosers).

The biggest surprise of all is that I’m finding Phyllis herself watchable and funny. Yes, it’s typically OTT at times, but I find her diva-dom far less off-putting here than I did in MTM. I can also see the similarities with Maude, so perhaps that’s helping. Just so long as Phyllis isn’t "explained" with a bipolar disorder diagnosis we may be fine.

There’s also a physicality to Cloris's performance that I hadn’t really noticed in MTM. There’s been business with leaping into the air or picking up a desk to look at the writing on it or that scene in the opening titles where she jumps onto the cable car and leans backwards (a moment that always gives me sweaty palms given an injury I sustained from a backwards fall a while ago).

Incidentally, I’ve noticed a motif that’s recurred a couple of times where one or two characters lean in through a doorway to look into a room whilst lifting one leg. I was wondering what that was about, but it’s just occurred to me that it’s similar to Ted’s early trademark entrance on MTM… except we see it from the room they’re leaning away from rather has the room into which they are leaning (in other words, we see tails rather than heads). I wonder if this is deliberate.

The San Francisco setting is nice. Not that we see much of it beyond the opening titles, but still, it sets the scene. It’s a little curious that many of the moments used in the opening credits are lifted from MTM, and were all quite dated by the second episode when Phyllis shifted from longer hair to her shorter Jennifer Hart bouffant (based on this I’m guessing the Pilot was shot quite some time before the rest of the episodes).

Quite a few familiar faces so far. Dallas’s Mitch Cooper. Peyton Place’s Elliot Carson (naturally… it feels as though Tim O’Connor has guested in almost every American series I’ve ever watched). Loni Anderson. And one Mary Tyler Moore (seeing Mary Richards was a treat as I had no idea Phyllis featured any such crossovers at all. It also tied in nicely with a S6 MTM episode in which I remember Mary mentioning she’d received a letter from Phyllis). Oh, and I noticed James Burrows appeared as the telephone engineer.

 

[Jimmy Todd]

I've seen a few episodes of Phyllis, and I did enjoy them. Mother Dexter was quite humorous. Sort of a forerunnee of Sophia Petrillo.

 

[Seaviewer]

The premise is working well enough.

I remember how it struck me at the time how sad it seemed that Lars had died even though we had never actually seen him.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Mother Dexter was quite humorous. Sort of a forerunnee of Sophia Petrillo.

That crossed my mind when I saw her as well. And like Sophia I suspect less will be more, so I'm hoping we don't see too much of her.

I recognise Judith Lowry from her Maude episodes. She's one of those memorable character actresses who is once seen, never forgotten. I am also aware that she died while the series was still in production.

I remember how it struck me at the time how sad it seemed that Lars had died even though we had never actually seen him.

Something that's struck me as the episodes have gone on is how unaffected Bess seems by the death of her father. There's been a lot of focus on the impact Lars's death has had on Phyllis, but much less so on his own daughter and mother.

I know that Bess is consistently shown to be resilient and adaptable, but still... being too cool in this kind of situation would be a bit of a red flag. And now she's been hastily packed off to college, so I suspect we won't be seeing Bess very much from now on.

 

[Soaplover]

Bess had to be the grown up since Phyllis was anything, but that.

 

[Daniel Avery]

MTM's Betty White will have a USPS postage stamp printed in her honor next year.

A Betty White USPS Stamp Is Coming Out in 2025 — See the Stamp Design!

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Phyllis
Season One
All Together Now /Audrey Leaves Jonathan / Phyllis Opens Julie’s Heart / So Lonely I Could Cry / Phyllis And The Little People / There’s No Business Like No Business / Paging Dr. Lindstrom / The $17,623,419.53 Man / Honour Thy Mother Dexter / Phyllis In Love / Crazy Mama / A Man, A Woman and Another Woman / Leo’s Suicide / Sonny Boy / Widows, Merry And Otherwise / The Triangle


To give an idea of my current enjoyment levels: I’ve reached the end of Season One, and I’m finding the idea of switching back to Rhoda a bit of a wrench. In fact, my main motivations for returning to Rhoda are (a) so things are a little more evenly balanced and (b) so I can enjoy Phyllis for longer.

Given my low tolerance threshold for Phyllis in MTM, my enjoyment of this series is quite flabbergasting. As I’ve watched, I’ve tried to work out what it is that makes the character not just tolerable but enjoyable to watch here, and funny with it. And I’m still not sure whether it’s the writing, the changed premise/ensemble or Cloris Leachman playing the character differently (though the latter feels the least likely to me).

Something that’s occurred to me as I’ve continued watching is that Phyllis has the home/work life balance of earlier MTM seasons. No, the photography studio doesn’t have the same potential as the newsroom, nor does it have the same wealth of colourful characters, but it does go some way towards giving the series some kind of focus.

As for the stories themselves… by today’s standards they’re quite predictable (most punchlines can be seen coming) and sometimes even workaday, but that just adds to the comforting cosiness of the series for me.

Considering the earlier discussion about death as a topic in Chuckles’ funeral on MTM, I wonder how Leo’s suicide attempt was received by audiences (both characters, ironically, being portrayed by the same actor). While I give the writers credit for getting a few small laughs, it mostly felt like a misfire for me, and I certainly found it less funny than other episodes. My discomfort came not from the story challenging my thinking towards a subject, but because it ultimately ended up trivialising its own theme. Over on MTM, the death of Chuckles remained a fact, while Leo’s poor mental health came from nowhere, wasn’t addressed and was forgotten as quickly as it came. Even though it wasn’t an overt attempt to “explain” the character, there are echoes of Maude’s bipolar diagnosis: it just doesn’t sit well to laugh at a character whose erratic behaviour possibly stems from a serious health condition.

And while I’m discussing that episode, the title is annoyingly misleading. Since Leo didn’t die there was no suicide. it would be like saying someone who survives a gunshot has been murdered.

The Little People episode was a more successful example of addressing a potentially thorny subject, firstly because it followed through by actually addressing the subject, but also because it had some genuinely funny moments. And now I see that Blanche Devereaux wasn’t the first person to offer her guest “shrimp”, only to instantly realise her faux pas. This was an example of Phyllis’s neurotic reactions being genuinely funny, such as after Bess took Phyllis aside to explain that they were no longer called midgets but little people. Cloris’s inflections during the choked-but-forceful response “And justifiably” made me laugh heartily (and it didn’t stop there, since the next line was about Bess one day being married and hearing “the pitter patter of little feet. I never realised… they would be your mother and father in law.”

It’s pleasing to see that Phyllis dealing with widowhood has been more than just a quickly-forgotten excuse to set up the premise. There has been a recurring underlying theme of Phyllis dating-but-not-being-ready or dating-and-feeling-guilty or seeing-another-new-widow-dating-and-finding-it-inappropriate. Yes, she has had men interested in her - or vice versa - and dated a little, but none of it feels malapropos.

Bess, on the other hand, still seems completely unfazed by her father’s death and has a different boyfriend in tow each time we see her. But then you’re only young once, I suppose.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Rhoda
Season Three
The Separation / Together Again For The First Time / No Big Deal / I Won’t Dance / H-e-e-e-r-e's Johnny / Two Little Words - Marriage Counsellor / An Elephant Never Forgets / Rhoda Questions Her Life And Flies To Paris


The changes this season feel wholesale and immediate. With the marriage on the rocks in the first episode, Joe is downgraded to a recurring character. Ida made a whistle-stop appearance to write out both she and Martin. We haven’t visited Rhoda’s place of business (does she even still have it?) so there’s no Myrna. There’s been only a fleeting glimpse of the construction office, so Joe’s colleagues, too, are gone. Even the familiarity of the apartment has been taken away, even though there’s a sound canonical reason for doing so, since Rhoda cannot afford the rent without Joe (even logical solutions such as Brenda moving into the apartment have been explored and decided against, which goes some way to make it all feel more considered and a little less like change for change’s sake).

It sounds like there really should be nothing left that’s worth watching. Happily, I’ve been surprised once again by the enjoyment factor so far this season.

As I’ve watched, I’ve been too relieved that I’m enjoying this season to consider the reasons for it. On reflection, Valerie Harper and Julie Kavner are going a long way towards carrying it. David Groh remaining a presence - albeit sidelined - is a huge relief for me since I’d envisaged him leaving the series completely by the third or fourth episode. I understand he’ll be gone by season’s end, so I’m just making the most of every scene in which he appears.

The separation is actually giving some really good material and exploring different facets of the characters. Rhoda has now acknowledged on-screen that she’s not the same outgoing, confident young woman she was back when she arrived in Minneapolis and is on a quest to access that part of herself again, so it feels things are connecting up. I also really enjoyed the marriage counselling session, and Joe’s admission that he feels Rhoda forced the marriage when they were supposed to be moving in together felt like a massive vindication of my experience as a viewer back when I watched those scenes and felt that was exactly the case.

Brenda, too, has had some nice scenes. One of the last episodes I watched was when she reached her target weight and was struggling to accept her new, slim self since being overweight was something she felt was a part of her identity. Of course, there are echoes of the Rhoda The Beautiful episode of MTM, which shows a nice kinship between sisters (sister characters and sister series both).

The elements of low self-esteem and reliance upon the affirmation from diet clubs also reminded me greatly of Victoria Wood's character's arc in the TV play Nearly A Happy Ending:

It’s good news/bad news with the extended cast. One recurring returnee was Nick Lobo, which doesn’t generate too much goodwill within me. What’s more the new neighbour Gary feels very much along the same schlubby lines. He feels rather like a misguided attempt at the “wacky annoying neighbour” stereotype. He’s kind of what Fonzie might have been if Happy Days hadn’t been a period show. And he’s equally of his time, complete with waterbed, amber tinted aviators and the obligatory medallion. But he doesn’t do it for me at all. Sometimes annoying - even deliberately annoying - is simply… annoying. On the other hand, Ann Meara is a great addition as Sally Gallagher. It looks like she’s fairly short-lived which is a shame.

One of the men in the audience has the most annoyingly distracting laugh. A slow, loud, braying “HAR. HAR. HAAAR”. I’m sure he was also in the audience of earlier seasons so he seems to be a big fan… or someone who is involved with (or knows someone involved with) producing the series.

Wow - I’m over halfway through Rhoda’s series now.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Rhoda
Season Three
Meet The Levys / Man Of The Year / You Deserve A Break Today / A Touch Of Classy / Guess Who I Saw Today / What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve? / Love For Sale / A Night In The Emergency Room


Two thirds of the way through Season Three and I still feel I’m missing something… in the best kind of way. I’m thoroughly enjoying this season when all the signs suggested this wouldn’t be the case.

Firstly, there’s Joe. David Groh’s appearances are greatly reduced, but still he’s used extremely well. I find Rhoda and Joe as a couple much more interesting than they’ve been up to this point. Much like Gary/Val or Bobby/Pam, the star-crossed lovers element adds a pseudo-romantic element, with the New Year’s Eve episode being a particular standout in this department. Rhoda and Joe’s situation is touching because there’s no significant catalyst for the separation… they’re just two people who jumped in far too quickly and now realise it wasn’t for the best.

I remember reading something about David Groh receiving hate letters because of the separation and I have to assume that something happens later to warrant this because he’s done nothing to warrant this so far (I’m thinking the writers will write him off with another woman, leaving Rhoda as a wounded - or martyred - ex-wife). At the moment he’s done nothing that’s not reasonable. All he’s done is speak openly about his feelings and suggested a separation to which Rhoda agreed.

Incidentally, it occurs to me that Rhoda and Joe are really the most significant romantic pairing in the Maryverse. Mary herself hasn’t had a long-term partner. We never met Lars (did we? Or am I beginning to imagine we saw him in the infidelity episode with Sue Ann). Ted and Georgette are caricatures. And Murray isn’t exactly husband of the year to Marie. With Rhoda and Joe we’ve watched the entire course of their relationship and I feel a little invested in it. Perhaps that’s why David got his hate letters. Whatever the case, both David and Valerie are doing terrific work together and apart this season.

Brenda’s had more airtime this season, it feels. And this is certainly a good thing. Sally has been a bright spot (though, sadly, I believe I’ve now watched Anne Meara’s final appearance) Even Gary feels as though his douchebaggery has been toned right down to the point he’s practically likeable.

There’s still an awful lot to like… for this first-time viewer, anyway.

 

[Crimson]

Happily, I’ve been surprised once again by the enjoyment factor so far this season.

It's nice to see you enjoying the entirety of the MTM-verse. Being able to accept and enjoy a show for what it is, rather than being disappointed by what it's not, seems to be salvaging the experience for you.

My memories of RHODA after the first season are extremely dim and I stopped watching PHYLLIS after six or seven episodes; so I have nothing specific to add until you circle back to the final season of MTM. Happy viewing for the rest!

 

[Mel O'Drama]

It's nice to see you enjoying the entirety of the MTM-verse. Being able to accept and enjoy a show for what it is, rather than being disappointed by what it's not, seems to be salvaging the experience for you.

Phyllis has been the biggest surprise for me, and I suspect Season Two is going to be more of the same which will be fine.

I'm keeping expectations low for the final two seasons of Rhoda - especially since they'll follow MTM's acclaimed finale, but since the Joe-less episodes have been perfectly watchable I have hope it will remain enjoyable for me.

I have nothing specific to add until you circle back to the final season of MTM. Happy viewing for the rest!

Thanks. I have a feeling I'll be beginning that final season in a month or so.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Rhoda
Season Three
Somebody Has To Say They’re Sorry / The Ultimatum / Rhoda’s Mystery Man / Nick Lobo, Superstar / Nose Job / The Second Time Around / Pyjama Party Bingo / To Vegas With Love


At this point I’ve seen the last of both Joe and (in this series) Mary. Neither felt as though it was intended to be a final appearance, but it’s natural that this would be the last of Mary since her own series would wrap up before the next season of Rhoda. Still, I’ll miss these little crossovers, which were notable for me for lacking a sense of event. I liked feeling that Mary is still part of Rhoda’s world (and Phyllis’s, come to that) and could just appear at the end of a phone line as long-distance friends do. Invariably I was never quite aware of the exact episode in which Mary appeared, so I experienced that little surprise upon seeing her casually appear.

The lack of finality with Joe’s final episode is more disappointing for me. Yes, couples drift apart, but it isn’t very telegenic. Which is why fictional couples tend to have more dramatic endings. I can make peace with it, but it feels very much as though the story will be wrapped up without Joe present and entirely from Rhoda’s point of view. But then, it is her series.

It was a treat to see Beverly Sanders return as perpetually-pregnant Susan Alborn, who seems to have been forgotten this season, but IMDb tells me this was her series swan song, too, which is a shame. Rhoda has all these gems in small or recurring roles and casts them aside, mostly unused and unappreciated. There’s an awful lot of talent squandered.

Incidentally, when I looked at Beverly’s IMDb page to see if she’d appear in the last two seasons, I glanced at a couple of images and thought for a second I was looking at Olive from On The Buses. Then it quickly dawned on me she must have played the analogous character in the American adaption of that series (which turned out to be the case).

Nick Lobo is a recurring irritant. The fact that he irritates everyone on-screen helps a little, but his are not the most entertaining episodes. Johnny Venture is cast in the same mould and I wouldn’t be upset if he stays in Vegas, never to be seen again.

Still, the news is mostly good. Even the Lobo-Venture episodes are watchable (admittedly, though, once was enough for these), and the series remains very easy to digest, with some nice lines and stories.

I'm happy to report that Gary has become a character I now enjoy. His initial sleaziness - the Beatnik haircut, tinted aviators, plunging neckline and medallion - was clearly an anomaly that was, mercifully, quickly corrected (or perhaps redirected towards Johnny Venture). It would have just been too much for this series. The less confident Gary is a much better fit.

With Ida away, I’ve realised that Rhoda has taken on some of her traits when it comes to Brenda. This was particularly evident in the scene where Brenda begs Rhoda not to get angry at the news she’s about to undergo rhinoplasty (leading to Rhoda losing her rag when Brenda helps herself to a salad leaf), and again in the arc with Rhoda putting down Brenda’s new blonde bubble perm. It’s hard to argue with Rhoda riding on either of these hobby horses, since Brenda’s features are lovely and that perm was godawful, but still interesting to see this dynamic play out. If Ida had been around, no doubt she’d have done all the heavy lifting, leaving Rhoda to mediate, and it’s probably natural that Rhoda feels a more urgent sense of responsibility without their parents around.

During her salad leaf explosion, Valerie Harper did what appeared to be a nice, naturalistic little ad lib about getting dressing on herself. There have been a few of these ad libbed moments in recent episodes - another one saw Valerie bump into a door frame on her way from bedroom to living room, then draw attention to it by dusting herself off - and they bring a refreshing sense of immediacy and give it more of a “live” feel.

 

[Seaviewer]

it’s natural that this would be the last of Mary since her own series would wrap up before the next season of Rhoda. Still, I’ll miss these little crossovers, which were notable for me for lacking a sense of event. I liked feeling that Mary is still part of Rhoda’s world

I remember seeing Valerie Harper on Dinah Shore's talk show after MTM had finished. An audience member (I think) asked if Mary might appear again, and she replied that Mary was still a person in Rhoda's life so it was possible. But sadly it didn't happen.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

For me, none of the spinoffs were that good.
"Lou Grant" was the best - a better than average show, but not top-notch

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I remember seeing Valerie Harper on Dinah Shore's talk show after MTM had finished. An audience member (I think) asked if Mary might appear again, and she replied that Mary was still a person in Rhoda's life so it was possible. But sadly it didn't happen.

And it couldn't have happened, as they'd have to reveal what happened to Mary after they were all fired from WJM... And do we really want to know that she was parking cars in St. Paul??

 

[Seaviewer]

And it couldn't have happened, as they'd have to reveal what happened to Mary after they were all fired from WJM... And do we really want to know that she was parking cars in St. Paul??

I think a way could have been found to make it work. We can assume that Mary and Rhoda talk to each other more often than we see onscreen. We don't really need to see the moment that Mary tells her what her new job is.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Phyllis
Season Two
The New Job / You’re Not Getting Better, Just Older / Speech 1A / Off The Bench / Boss Or Buddy Or Both Or Neither / Phyllis Cries Wolf / Out Of The Closet / The Wrong Box / Phyllis And The Jumper / Bess Airs Her Views / Mother Dexter Cohabitates / Mother Dexter’s Wedding / The Christmas Party / Phyllis Runs The Office / The Threat / Taking A Chance On Chance / Leonard And The Bribe / Broken-Hearted Bess / I Am Beautiful / Dan’s Ex / Audrey’s New Life / The Elopement / The Apartment / And Baby Makes Six


I was a little surprised to find that with the first episode this season, Phyllis’s work life was given an immediate and wholesale overhaul. Not only has this has addressed the lack of storyline potential with which the photography studio was burdened, it’s given the series a stronger ensemble.

And so it’s out with the studio and Leo and Julie along with it. None of which has been a problem for me. I haven’t missed Julie as much as I’d have expected, and I’m delighted there isn’t any more Leo as I was weary of Richard Schaal’s overexposure in the Maryverse.

And it’s in with the City Supervisor’s office, Dan, Harriet and Leonard. Thinking about it, Harriet and Leonard are similar character archetypes to Julie and Leo, but the dynamics feel different partly because of the performances, but also because the environment gives them far more scope. And with some more thought, this (slightly) broader variety of characters also gives Phyllis more in common with MTM. Now Phyllis has her own gruff boss-stroke-ally in Dan (Carmine Caridi - despite his Godfather credentials - is fondly remembered by me as Bruno’s Dad, Angelo Martelli in the TV version of Fame), while vain-but-dim Leonard is analogous with Ted Baxter.

Even though the change of situation is said to come from Julie selling up the studio, it simply feels very Phyllis to change things up every year anyway, so it feels quite right for this series.

Phyllis’s home life has been more consistent, with all the old familiar faces returning. As the season has gone along, there were some additions to the cast with Mother Dexter shacking up with - and quickly marrying - Arthur Lanson. I know that both actors died within a short time of the wedding episode, so was happy to see Judith Lowry was in the series for a number of episodes afterwards. I find myself wondering if episodes were shown in a different order to that originally planned in order to keep Mother Dexter present for as long as possible.

Bess has felt like more of a presence in Season Two, and was certainly given the most character development of anyone, with trouble at college, a relationship breakup followed by becoming involved with Dan’s nephew with whom she quickly eloped. I had been spoilt about Bess’s pregnancy announcement in the final episode, but perhaps this helped ready me for it as it’s a little strange to think of young Bess being a married mother. Lisa Gerritsen would be nineteen here, but a very young looking nineteen, and Bess has been so consistently “old head on young shoulders” that it’s easy to forget that the shoulders are catching up with the head.

The Dexters have been as consistently enjoyable as in Season One. Audrey’s absent-minded put-downs (usually of Phyllis) are even more enjoyable - and funny - than Mother Dexter’s because of how they’re delivered in a singsong trill and with a kind smile.

Phyllis herself has been great fun to watch, for me at least. I spent much of Season One marvelling that suddenly I enjoyed this character whom I only tolerated over on MTM. With Season Two, it hasn’t even been a thought. She’s just another enjoyable character, and I’ve had little sense of Cloris upstaging or overpowering others. There have been some episodes that have shown a degree of growth for her (the “gay boyfriend” episode springs to mind, since her reaction is rather more worldly than when she found out her own brother was gay). And yet there are still many others where she’s so very Phyllis (trying to “fix” Dan and his wife’s marriage, days before their divorce is finalised).

I’d love some insight into how the reworking came about and if it had any impact on cast dynamics. Wikipedia mentions the ratings continued to drop, and suggests Phyllis’s overhaul might have failed in part because Rhoda was also being reworked during the same season.

Incidentally, as I re-read this, I now see Bess’s role was only increased in the latter part of Season Two because of changes necessitated by Jane Rose’s cancer which meant a reduced workload and less screen-time for Audrey. It was very well done, as I can’t say I noticed there was less of Audrey. In fact, the episode in which she got the job at the antique shop where her boss made a pass at her, to Jonathan’s fury, was a standout for me.