Rating: 
Summary: It stands up "After All"
Review: It "still makes it after all" I bought it thinking it was nostalgia. Well, it is not, it stands the test of time.
These characters still exist and that is what makes it funny. Mary as the Almost Independant woman, Rhoda as her best friend and student, Phylis as the too old to learn, but almost role model. If you already saw it, you'll love it again. If you never saw it, you'll understand and love where you came from. Five stars!!!
Rating: 
Summary: A pretty good first season, but MTM got way, way better
Review: The first season of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (1970-71) find Mary Richards settling into her Minneapolis apartment and the WJM newsroom. The balance between "home" and "work" is obviously reminiscent of "The Dick Van Dyke Show," which had made Mary Tyler Moore a household name as Laura Petrie. The identification was so great that CBS nixed plans to make Mary Richards a divorce because they were worried American would think she had divorced Dick Van Dyke. Instead it was decided Mary would break her engagement with her boyfriend and try to make it on her own.
Most of the scripts this first season are written by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns, Treva Silverman, David Davis and Lorenzo Music, and Steve Pritzker. The best episodes tend to focus on the trials and tribulations of Mary and neighbor Rhoda (Valerie Harper) as single women in their thirties, for which Silverman was usually the writer: Mary worries about being an old maid because a man in his twenties calls her "ma'am'; Rhonda and Mary pretend to be divorced singles to get a cut-rate trip to Europe; Rhonda's boyfriend likes Mary better; the IRS agent auditing Mary is attracted to her; a young cameraman makes up stories about being romantically involved with Mary; the charming newsman Mary becomes involved with is married; and Mary dates her former boyfriend's brother. This alone should convince you that the first season of "MTM" was atypical and not what you remember from its heyday. Of course, during the first season the show was still developing the supporting characters and their relationships to one another, which is why you will find very few classic episodes of a show that was selected in 1985 as "The Top TV Sitcom of All Time as Determined by the Nation's TV Critics."
The episodes from the first season of "MTM" are: (1) "Love Is All Around"; (2) "Today I Am a Ma'am"; (3) "Bess, You Is My Daughter Now"; (4) "Divorce Isn't Everything"; (5) "Keep Your Guard Up"; (6) "Support Your Local Mother"; (7) Toulouse-Laurtrec Is One of My Favorite Artists"; (8) "The Snow Must Go On"; (9) Bob and Rhoda and Ted and Mary"; (10) "Assistant, Wanted, Female"; (11) "1040 or Fight"; (12) "Anchorman Overboard"; (13) "He's All Yours"; (14) "Christmas and the Hard-Luck Kid"; (15) "Howard's Girl"; (16) "Party Is Such Sweet Sorrow"; (17) "Just a Lunch"; (18) "Second-Story Story"; (19) "We Closed in Minneapolis"; (20) "Hi!"; (21) "The Boss Isn't Coming to Dinner"; (22) "A Friend in Deed"; (23) "Smokey the Bear Wants You": (24) "The Forty-Five-Year-Old-Man". Brooks and Burns who won the Emmy for their script "Support Your Local Mother," in which Rhonda's mother (Nancy Walker) shows up and spends all her time with Mary when her daughter refuses to see her. "MTM" finished in 22nd place in the Nielsens with a 20.3 rating (which would be good enough for 1st place today). The first season is pretty good, by the standards of what was on at time in terms of situation comedies, which where mostly domestic comedies ("Here's Lucy," "My Three Sons," "The Doris Day Show," "The Partridge Family," etc.). But in the wake of "MTM" would come "All in the Family" and "M*A*S*H." So, this first season is good, but what is coming gets pretty great.
Rating:
Summary: MTM on DVD, at last!
Review: Finally, after years of waiting, the MTM Show, in broadcast order, with virtually no edits! The extras, like the commnetaries, the promo clips, Emmy awards, stills gallery, and the documentary are fabulous! Like others, I wish there were more episodes with commnentaries, though. Watching these classics becomes a whole new experience, when the actors, producers, directors and writers give their take on the proceedings. After viewing the whole set, the only flaw I found is a missing moment from "Christmas and the Hard Luck Kid II". The moment when Mary says she is going to cry, after singing "White Christmas", has been cut, oddly enough. Otherwise, the set is a gem. I am waiting patiently for Season Two, due in March. Thanks Fox Video, Matt and Ed Asner!
Rating:
Summary: A Commitment to Excellence
Review: Arguably the best television sit-com ever. The DVD's have been produced beautifully by Fox (too bad Fox didn't do the I Love Lucy DVD's). Although this show is dated in many ways, the cast and crew produced memorable episode after memorable episode and the comedy holds up and refreshes during these modern, cynical times. Almost no one writes this well for TV anymore. These characters are unforgettable. Everyone involved in this series showed a commitment to excellence. Why can't they make shows like this anymore? Having a bad day? Put on an episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and cheer up! I don't usually seek out DVD's of television programs to purchase. This is one of the exceptions (I think Malcolm in the Middle will be, too). And bravo to Fox for producing it so thoughtfully (one box, four discs). A treasured addition to a home DVD library. A program worthy of its icon status. I'm looking forward to Season 2's release in March 2003.
Rating:
Summary: More MOORE!
Review: Finally after 6 years of being a fan of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, I can watch them without worrying about my VHS tapes chewing in the machine! Having these episodes has certainly made it much more practical to watch them. Lets face it, The Mary Tyler Moore Show is a sitcom which is hard to pick episodes for a 'best of' series because they are all as good as each other, so it is only fitting to have every single episode back to back featured. Great news that Season Two will be released early 2003, hope this continues with the other five seasons. Adding to what others have already said about this fantastic DVD set, the sound and picture quality is probably the best possible. The only things missing: the edited scenes mentioned in other posts here and a "PLAY ALL EPISODES" button on the main menu. You can't just watch every episode back to back automatically, you have to select each one individually. I hope that future releases of this set will include this feature. Anyway, this is such a great box set. I've had it for about 5 days now and I've watched the Special Documentary about 13 times now - it is fantastic. Even the background music is fitting. Nice to be able to watch each episode without a huge TV network 'watermark' in the way. I was disappointed when I came to the end of the Special Features because they were so good I didn't want them to end. If only there could be more and more and MOORE!
Rating:
Summary: All TV DVD Box Sets Will Be Measured Against This Treasure!
Review: I absolutely *adore* THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW first season box set. WOW! The presentation and packaging is simply perfect. The episodes themselves look better than they have since they first aired on CBS. I makes me wish the rest of the seasons would be released quicker than every six months! (The second season is due in March 2003). Assuming they go this route in terms of design and extras with every season in the future, this undoubtedly will be the most supreme television series collection on DVD EVER! This release is aready one against which all other classic series' packages will and should be judged. The fact that other classic series haven't received the same kind of treatment is a testament to just how beloved "MTM" is not only by fans, but the people who were involved with the show all those years. My only quibble is they used way too much music in the documentary and it was a little distracting. But that is so minor compared to all the joy that is elsewhere in this set. By the way, listen to the French audio track for an instrumental version of "Love Is All Around!" This set makes me further proud to call THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW my favorite show of all time.
Rating:
Summary: Mary's All Around
Review: The Mary Tyler Moore Show was a groundbreaking television program as upon its debut in 1970, there were no shows on television that portrayed a strong minded single woman in her thirties. But being original in theme can only take you so far. What makes this show a classic is the great writing and the great acting from the entire cast. Everyone involved from Ms. Moore to Ed Asner, Valerie Harper, Gavin MacLeod, Ted Knight and Cloris Leachman give standout performances. The show is deserving of all it accolades and over thirty years later is still fresh, entertaining and hilarious.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT DVD! Thank You Fox for being FAN Friendly!
Review: I love the Mary Tyler Moore Show and I Love Fox Home Entertainment for being so FAN Friendly with their T.V. Series Box Sets. The whole 1st season on 3 DVD Disc's (8 Ep. Per DVD =all 24) with a 4th bonus Disc featuring an 87 minute new documentry on the making of this 70's Icon show.
I hope Paramount Home Entertainment follows with releasing the "I Love Lucy" show the way It should have been. Instead of Volumes of only 4 Episodes a disc .. there are 4 dvd's out allready for "Lucy" and it's still part of the first season! there was 33 to 35 episodes per season so in the end that would be 10 dvd's per season.. By the time all the disc's come out and collected thats a lot of extra $ and needed space ..
This "Mary Tyler Show" First Season set is a Dream to all fans!
Great compact packaging that looks very retro 70's.
One small wish is that there was a play all (Episode) feature was added to the menu.
I hope on the 2nd season Fox can include maybe some out-takes and bloopers from the show. Great Value Don't Pass this by and BUY IT!
Rating:
Summary: SUPERIOR. BEST DVD SET ON A TV SERIES TO DATE
Review: I've tried 3 or 4 times to put a review on here, but the computer kept jamming. I've come back after a few days and have read the other reviews here, and literally, "they took the words right out of my mouth". WOW! This set is great! I never have seen these episodes look so brilliant, even with whatever TVLand or Nick did to them when they added them to their line-up. I hadn't seen most of the first season (inclusive of the first episode, which I only saw for the first time two or three years ago), so this is a treat to get them all. It is also nice to have the French and Spanish versions of the soundtrack to see how they played in different countries. It is unusual to play the French track, and get the 2nd season version of the opening theme with no vocal. All others have the first season version. Sound quality is also marvelous. I wish they were doing I LOVE LUCY like this vs. one DVD a few shows at a time, but you can't have everything. Still, Lucy does appear in the Emmy sequences on the Bonus disc, with probably the best documentary on the series, superceding the recent anniversary specials on CBS and TVLand. I hope they continue it season by season, as it was mentioned inside the package, Season Two comes out in March 2003. Fabulous work and worth every penny.
Rating:
Summary: This DVD made it after all
Review: This excellent dvd does not dissapoint, presenting crystal clear quality picture and sound. All of the classic first season episodes are here, even though they are not as funny as some of the other seasons, they still hold up well. So, if you grew up watching this show or you have only recently been watching this on tv, I urge you to go out and buy this great set.
|
