The Mary Tyler Moore Show - The Complete Fourth Season

Genre : DVD ( DVD )
Release : 2006/06/20
Price : $23.99

Buy

The multi-Emmy-winning fourth season of The Mary Tyler Moore Show showed us the sassy side of Betty White and the softer side of Ed Asner's Lou Grant. Cast against type, White makes a memorable first impression in the season-opener as steely "Happy Homemaker" Sue Ann Nivens, who makes Martha Stewart look like June Cleaver. The episode "The Lars Affair" earned an Emmy for Cloris Leachman, and it is arguably her finest half-hour, as the ill-equipped Phyllis tries to domesticate herself after her husband has an affair with Sue Ann. Consider the bee, a dejected Phyllis tells Mary and Rhoda (Valerie Harper). "Once the male bee has... serviced the queen, the male dies. All in all, not a bad system." Sue Ann's debut is but one of this superb season's historic moments. The other is when "Ted Baxter Meets Walter Cronkite." "The big question," Murray (Gavin McLeod) asks, "is where do I sit to get the best view?" The event even exceeds the anticipation. "Let's talk shop," Ted (Ted Knight) tells the speechless Cronkite. "What words do you have trouble pronouncing?" The character who goes through the biggest changes this season is Lou. In the Emmy-winning episode, "The Lou and Edie Story," Lou is heartbroken when his wife moves out, leading to one of the season's funniest episodes, "Lou's First Date," in which an unwitting Mary sets Lou up with an 80-year-old woman to bring to an awards ceremony. Lou's difficulty handling displays of affection is put to the supreme test in "Happy Birthday, Lou!" in which Mary ill advisedly decides to throw him a surprise party. Speaking of disastrous parties, the classic episode, "The Dinner Party" (the one with the Veal Prince Orloff) firmly establishes one of the series' best running jokes: Mary's disastrous track record as a hostess. That's Henry Winkler as an extra, unexpected guest forced to sit at his own table. Moore was honored this season with an Emmy for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy. No doubt her Emmy reel included "Best of Enemies" (co-written by Albert Brooks collaborator Monica Johnson), in which Rhoda's tactless revelation of one of Mary's secrets threatens their friendship, and "Two Wrongs Don't Make a Writer," in which Mary and Ted take the same creative writing class and Ted plagiarizes her story. Mary may be a bust as a hostess, but season 4, this classic series' best to date, is a real party. --Donald Liebenson

Beyond The Mary Tyler Moore Show on DVD

Full selection of The Bob Newhart Show DVDs

Check out M*A*S*H on DVD

Watch the classic Lost in Space>

Stills from The Mary Tyler Moore Show (Click for larger image)

Brings back alot of wonderful memories, of my youth.Still puts a warm feeling in my heart and laughter to the point of tears.

The Sept 1 review by James (Minnesota) refers to a New York Times article reporting that the remaining three seasons will soon be scheduled for release. The article's very encouraging. It identifies the source of the good news as 20th Century Fox Entertainment's Sidney Feldstein, Senior Vice-President, Corporate & Marketing Communications.

The article by Mark Harris appeared in the Times' Aug 2 issue. It can be accessed in its entirety at nytimes.com by entering Mary Tyler Moore Show in that website's search box.

Season One Excellent Season Two Excellent Season Three Excellent Season Four Excellent...The series ran for seven seasons and I want to know when in the living hell are they ever going to release the other three seasons!!! Is it going to be in our lifetimes? Seasons Five Six and Seven were excellent too.... (Let's face the facts, MTM was and EXCELLENT show) SO why hold off releasing them? It's been several YEARS since the last one was released. IT'S TIME ALREADY!!!! RELEASE SEASONS 5,6 & 7 already!!!! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!

Each season does, indeed, get better (the three unreleased seasons are the ones that won best comedy Emmys). And, according to yesterday's New York Times, Fox is caving to demand from fans (including Oprah) and making plans to put the last three seasons on DVD.

This is truly a great season. No longer a bit self conscious about their roles, the actors are doing very well. The writing and directing are amazing. All the cast is in this season as Betty White joins the show and Valerie Harper and Cloris Leachman are still on board. This season is just about perfect, what a wonderful show!