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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 399479" data-attributes="member: 23">Five and a half decades later... I'm discovering MTM for the very first time. Beginning last night with the three opening episodes.Season OneLove Is All Around / Today I Am A Ma’am / Bess, You Is My Daughter NowIt's such a renowned series I’m aware it exists. I’ve heard and seen some pop culture references (Romy and Michele’s argument over which of them is the Mary and which the Rhoda; pastiches of the opening credits on Family Guy…). I know some of the characters’ names and faces, and I know about the three spinoffs (Lou Grant being the most familiar of all four series. I have a feeling it may have aired in the UK whereas I don’t recall ever being aware of the others transmitting here… including MTM itself). And I know Betty White plays Sue Ann Nivens who I believe is some kind of man-hungry nymph hiding behind a Betty Crocker image.Some of the cast are familiar from other things. I watched Valerie Harper’s eponymous Eighties sitcom. Cloris Leachman I only know from her turn as Hippolyta in The New, Original Wonder Woman, where she dialled up the ham (literally chewing on her own hand at one point). Probably best-known to me is Ed Asner, and the good news is I’ve yet to see a role of his in which I didn’t love him. I know him best from The Trials Of Rosie O’Neill and Spider-Man TAS, in both of which he played the same gruff, blustery boss role as he does in MTM. Of course he was also terrific in Up!, and I finally watched JFK a year or two ago and he was delightfully unlikeable in that.Beyond that, most of the cast are unknown to me. And that includes MTM herself who I know by sight, but don’t recall actually watching anything in which she starred. I have, of course, watched numerous productions from her company… including the aforementioned Rosie O’Neill.From what I’ve seen so far, everything works incredibly well in terms of on-screen chemistry. Even Bess is well-cast which is great news for someone who has a very low tolerance when it comes to cutesy kids in series. Everyone feels fully formed right from the start, and there are some winning deliveries of great lines.James L. Brooks is also a familiar name. Beyond The Simpsons I most strongly associate him with As Good As It Gets where he was responsible for some of its most memorable moments. I’m already seeing hints of this style in the lines here which are easy to identify with.The tone of the series has already won me over. Not only is the entire cast great, but it just feels so accessible. I already feel very much connected to this cosy little world and it’s a place I not only want to visit but need to continue visiting. Sixteen hours ago I’d never experienced it and already I’d miss it if it wasn’t around. I can’t even begin to say how unusual this is for someone with whom series often take a while to settle in.That apartment set with its painted wood panelling (every time I see that colour I think of Farrow & Ball’s Mizzle) is absolutely beautiful, and I could actually live in a place with this decor and change very little (apart from perhaps the shag carpet). I can’t think of another series of this era where I’ve said that before. I’ve just finished Maude and while I found the earth tones comforting I know if I moved into a house with that decor there would be a serious overhaul. Following on from a discussion in the Maude thread, by the way, I see Mary’s apartment has the obligatory swing door to the kitchen.As far as eras go, it feels like MTM has the best of several worlds. Some of the styling, as mentioned, feels contemporary, and it certainly has the Seventies sense of progressiveness despite its lack of garishness. At the same time, there’s also something of the Sixties Mod about Mary herself. I’m reminded of Barbara Feldon, Pat Morrow or Yvonne Craig.I’m a little unclear as to the title of the series. Onscreen it’s only Mary Tyler Moore, but it seems to be universally - and officially - known as The Mary Tyler Moore Show. I don’t suppose it matters hugely, since I’m going to end up just calling it MTM, but it’s still a matter of curiosity for me.As is probably clear, I’m already a little in love with this series. I don’t know where it goes or how it all ends, and I won't be reading through the rest of this thread yet just in case there are huge spoilers (even though I suspect it may not be that kind of series). At this point I’m just going to enjoy the journey. It’s great to finally be on board.</blockquote>

Verification: Who played JR Ewing?