Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted

And All the Brilliant Minds Who Made the Mary Tyler Moore Show a Classic

By: Jennifer Armstrong

Narrated by: Amy Landon

Mary Tyler Moore made her name as Dick Van Dyke's wife on the eponymous show; she was a cute, unassuming housewife that audiences loved. But when screenwriters James Brooks and Allan Burnes dreamed up an edgy show about a divorced woman with a career, network executives replied: "Americans won't watch television about New York City, divorcées, men with mustaches, or Jews." But Moore and her team were committed, and when the show finally aired, in spite of tepid reviews, fans loved it.

Jennifer Keishin Armstrong introduces listeners to the show's creators; its principled producer, Grant Tinker; and the writers and actors who attracted millions of viewers. As the first situation comedy to employ numerous women as writers and producers, The Mary Tyler Moore Show became a guiding light for women in the 1970s. The show also became the centerpiece of one of greatest evenings of comedy in television history, and Jennifer Keishin Armstrong describes how the television industry evolved during these golden years.

©2013 Jennifer Keishin Armstrong (P)2013 Tantor

Great story, horrible narrator

Would you consider the audio edition of Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted to be better than the print version?

NO, because the narrator was so bad I almost did not listen to the audiobook.

What did you like best about this story?

I grew up in high school and college with the MTM Show--I loved the backstory and learning about how many women were given opportunities to write shows because they were given a chance on this show.

How could the performance have been better?

This narrator was like a breathy actress and at times sings-songy. She got a bit better as the book progressed, but her performance definitely detracted from the content.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me laugh a lot and I also became wistful thinking about what the show meant to me as a young woman.

Any additional comments?

I think it might have been a bit better edited--there were some parts that seemed poorly written or put together.

The Genius Behind the Mary Tyler Moore Show~5 STAR

PLOT: THE GENIUS behind the Mary Tyler Moore Show ~ detailed and complete.

1970~ Grant Tinker and Mary Tyler Moore start their own production company MTM enterprises with the CAT ~ they pitch a "single woman" comedy to CBS~ who at best is luke warm in their reception of it. Collecting the best young writers and also a new medium FEMALE comedy writers including the Treva Silverman who writes a pilot that CBS goes for ~ Brooks and Burns kick in soon the Show is sold~t his book is BIO and history of the show complete with all the writers, producers, and STARS. Details bios of the stars and follow up history of the show and stars is included. This is excellent and rich in both story and history of many of the BEST episodes. The cutting edge of woman breaking into the medium in the 1970s complete with the "woman's movement" and equal rights. This starts a little slow but it picks up speed as we get into the show and the fun details of the success. How this show is listed on most lists as THE BEST comedy or one of the BEST of all time. Winner of many Emmys this show rolled along at the top for all 7 years it was on CBS and was a "reason to stay home" on Saturday night. NOT including the Guest STARS Walter Cronkite and Betty Ford. this also tells the "personal" struggles of the CAST and writers in their personal lives also. This is a first rate book and audiobook. It also tells how this show changed the face of comedy writing in tv history. VERY good.

Background Information

Lots of information about how the MTM show came together and the people that made it happen behind the scenes.

Difference of opinion

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes (especially if they are 40 yrs or older)

Any additional comments?

I actually thoroughly enjoyed this "biography" of a beloved show from my youth. I not only appreciated all that transpired to bring the "Mary Tyler Moore Show" to the small screen, but enjoyed the narration equally. Clearly many other listeners were disappointed by the reader's performance -- an opinion that I certainly respect (especially since I, too, have been put off by poor narration in the past) -- but I just wanted to register that the opinion was not unanimous.

Detailed telling of pivotal time in TV

The story of the Mary Tyler Moore Show coming together, telling great stories and it's impact on all involved was fascinating. The narration seems better suited for a children's or YA story. Good narrator, just the wrong tone for this book.

Nice tribute

This made for nice, light entertainment. I especially liked the stories about the women writers. I was baffled by the fact that the author reverted to referring to those writers and the the women in the cast as "girls". As someone who was already a feminist before that show aired, it was pretty demoralizing. The narrator loses points for butchering the line "shot down over Ecuador Junior". That was a clever little note in the show and her reading killed the humor. Other than that, a nice way to revisit an old classic.

pretty good

I don't mind the narration, as some do. It fits the overall l tone of a feminist book, I think. But it does go off on too many tangents, without enough attention to the MTM Show itself. Still, good for fans, until a better book comes along.

A Great Account of a Cultural Phenomenon

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of television writing or the Mary Tyler Moore show. It's also a great cultural account of feminism and the early 1970s.

Who was your favorite character and why?

James L. Brooks and Alan Burns. They seemed to be years ahead of their time in terms of their creative ambitions and work habits. Also Grant Tinker seemed to be a genuinely decent guy.

Any additional comments?

For those of us who grew up seeing the Mary Tyler Moore Show in reruns, this books does an excellent job of placing it in a cultural context. We understand how unique it was to have a show about a single woman in her 30s on television, and we get to see how the show opened up the world to women television writers. A really good book.

Good Book Lessened by Poor Narration

The engaging story and important message of this good book are made less weighty by the irritating sing-song saccharine style of the narrator.

Well put together

Despite not really having a lot of firsthand info (or interviews), this is a well-thought out book that’s worth a read from any fan of that show or that TV era. Yeah, the obsession with the loyal fan could’ve been shortened a bit; and yeah, the narrator sounds like an elementary school librarian (& was obviously not a Love Boat fan (“Stubbing?!”), but neither ruins the experience..