Mary is an American comedy variety show hosted by and starring Mary Tyler Moore that aired Sundays at 8:00 pm (EST) on CBS from September 24 to October 8, 1978, with a total of three episodes aired over one season.

Mary
GenreVariety show
Directed byRobert Iscove
Presented byMary Tyler Moore
StarringMary Tyler Moore
Swoosie Kurtz
Dick Shawn
Michael Keaton
Judith Kahan
David Letterman
James Hampton
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes3
Production
ProducersTom Patchett
Jay Tarses
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time60 minutes
Production companyMTM Enterprises
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseSeptember 24 (1978-09-24) –
October 8, 1978 (1978-10-08)

Synopsis

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Mary was the attempt by Mary Tyler Moore to return to network television after the triumph of her sitcom (The Mary Tyler Moore Show) from 1970 to 1977. Her supporting cast included a repertory company of young actors and actresses, most notably Swoosie Kurtz, Dick Shawn, Michael Keaton, Judith Kahan, David Letterman[1] and James Hampton, an orchestra led by Alf Clausen, and the Tony Stevens dancers.[citation needed]

Reception

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Ratings were low and CBS cancelled Mary after only three episodes. It ranked 64th out of 114 shows that season with an average 16.1/25 rating/share.[2]

Despite the failure of Mary, Moore would make a second attempt at a TV show on CBS six months later, The Mary Tyler Moore Hour, described as a "sit-var" (part situation comedy/part variety series), about a TV star putting on a variety show. The second program lasted only 11 episodes.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Ess, Ramsey (9 August 2013). "America Meets David Letterman and Michael Keaton on a Failed Mary Tyler Moore Variety Show". Vulture. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  2. ^ "Ratings data" (PDF). www.americanradiohistory.com. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  3. ^ Heffernan, Virginia (January 26, 2017). "Mary Tyler Moore, Who Incarnated the Modern Woman on TV, Dies at 80". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2017.

Sources

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