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<blockquote data-quote="Crimson" data-source="post: 410537" data-attributes="member: 5079">I&#039;m glad you found yourself back to enjoying the series.&nbsp; I don&#039;t think the show was ever the same after the loss of Phyllis and Rhoda, but I think it remains enjoyable throughout with some great moments along the way.&nbsp; &quot;Ted Baxter’s Famous Broadcasters’ School&quot; is a strong contender for my favorite episode of the series.I do, however, start to develop more mixed feelings in the last two seasons; there are even a few episodes I skip during my re-watches.I don&#039;t think the writers ever quite figured out what to do with Murray.&nbsp; (The character was originally conceived as Mary&#039;s office nemesis, but Gavin MacLeod was too likeable in his audition so the character was changed.)&nbsp;&nbsp; Murray had two functions: to build up Mary and to undercut Ted&#039;s pomposities.&nbsp; As Mary became more assertive, Murry was needed less often in the former role which left only zinging Ted and later Sue Ann.The mid-70s was also the start of the Comedy of Cruelty era of American sitcoms, with humor mostly centered around characters insulting other characters.&nbsp; I wasn&#039;t a fan.&nbsp; MTM wasn&#039;t as excessive as other shows of the era, but is also a guide of both how and how not to do it.&nbsp; Murray&#039;s zingers aimed at Sue Ann were funny, because she was a malicious character who deserved to be zinged.&nbsp; Also, she could give as good as she got.&nbsp;&nbsp; Ted might have been pompous and dim-witted, but he was rarely mean-spirited.&nbsp; The way Murray, and especially Lou, treated Ted was sometimes too much.There are further developments -- good and bad -- in the next two seasons, which I will hold off on commenting about.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Crimson, post: 410537, member: 5079"] I'm glad you found yourself back to enjoying the series. I don't think the show was ever the same after the loss of Phyllis and Rhoda, but I think it remains enjoyable throughout with some great moments along the way. "Ted Baxter’s Famous Broadcasters’ School" is a strong contender for my favorite episode of the series. I do, however, start to develop more mixed feelings in the last two seasons; there are even a few episodes I skip during my re-watches. I don't think the writers ever quite figured out what to do with Murray. (The character was originally conceived as Mary's office [I]nemesis[/I], but Gavin MacLeod was too likeable in his audition so the character was changed.) Murray had two functions: to build up Mary and to undercut Ted's pomposities. As Mary became more assertive, Murry was needed less often in the former role which left only zinging Ted and later Sue Ann. The mid-70s was also the start of the Comedy of Cruelty era of American sitcoms, with humor mostly centered around characters insulting other characters. I wasn't a fan. MTM wasn't as excessive as other shows of the era, but is also a guide of both how and how not to do it. Murray's zingers aimed at Sue Ann were funny, because she was a malicious character who deserved to be zinged. Also, she could give as good as she got. Ted might have been pompous and dim-witted, but he was rarely mean-spirited. The way Murray, and especially Lou, treated Ted was sometimes too much. There are further developments -- good and bad -- in the next two seasons, which I will hold off on commenting about. [/QUOTE]

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