Customer Reviews

The Mary Tyler Moore Show: "Chuckles Bites The Dust" Plus Bonus Episode "Once I Had A Secret Love" [VHS]

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"The Mary Tyler Moore Show" entertained TV viewers for seven full seasons on the Columbia Broadcasting System television network, from 1970 through 1977 -- and the one single most talked-about episode during the program's 168-show duration would certainly have to be THIS side-splitting entry from the sixth season, "Chuckles Bites The Dust".

"Chuckles" was the seventh episode of Season #6, and the 127th MTM program overall since its 1970 debut. I, personally, must have been in a very good mood when this "Chuckles" show was initially broadcast on network TV, because the Cincinnati Reds' baseball club had just three days earlier won their first World Series championship in 35 years, defeating the Boston Red Sox. And, being an avid Reds' fan at the time, it was a very good feeling to have the World Series trophy back in Cincy. This baseball info, of course, isn't the slightest bit relevant to this review about a TV sitcom, but I thought I'd toss that data into the pot due to the calendar dates being so close together. :-)

The Reds beat the Red Sox on October 22, 1975, to capture the World Series crown -- while MTM and "Chuckles" aired on Saturday, October 25, 1975, and entered the history books as well. Not by winning the World Series -- but by capturing on film one of TV history's best and most beloved single episodes of any program ever made.

Written (expertly to say the least) by David Lloyd, "Chuckles Bites The Dust" tells the sad, yet hilarious, tale of a clown (known as "Chuckles") employed by Minneapolis station WJM-TV who is killed in a (very) freak accident while leading a parade -- he's trampled to death by an elephant while wearing a "peanut" costume! :-)

Lou Grant (played by Edward Asner) is at first stunned when he relays the news of Chuckles' untimely death to the rest of the newsroom staff. But soon the unorthodox circumstances by which Chuckles fell victim to the Grim Reaper become the source of uproarious amusement to certain members of the WJM team, particularly Lou and Murray Slaughter (Gavin MacLeod).

Mary, however, cannot find any humor whatsoever in the death of their WJM colleague, and berates the others who are finding Chuckles' demise so immensely entertaining. But Miss Richards, too, will find it impossible not to laugh later -- at Chuckles' funeral services -- when Reverend Burns (played by John Harkins) is delivering the eulogy for the dear departed seltzer-squirting kid-show host.

It's hard not to crack up into uncontrollable belly-laughs multiple times during "Chuckles Bites The Dust" --- There's, of course, the hysterical funeral scene, when Mary just cannot contain her laughter (and then her tears), in a truly classic piece of comedic acting by the then-38-year-old actress. She is absolutely letter-perfect in this scene, with impeccable comedy timing.

I often wonder, when re-watching that great scene, if Mary performed it in just one "take", or if the episode's director had to do multiple re-takes to get it just right. That information is probably available to the masses somewhere, in one of the various books written about the MTM Show -- but right now I cannot recall if it was a "one-take" shot or not. Anyway, truly a memorable moment in television history, to be certain.

But in addition to Mary's side-splitting funeral scene, there are a few other raucously-funny moments in this "Chuckles" episode as well. Murray, Lou, and Ted Baxter (Ted Knight) get in several good zingers too, including Murray's hilarious "peanut" comment (as noted in my title line of this review), which was spoken following Lou's set-up line -- "It's lucky more people weren't hurt". (LOL!)

Interestingly, the Director for the "Chuckles" episode was not one of the show's usual helmsmen (such as Jay Sandrich, Peter Baldwin, Jerry Paris, Alan Rafkin, or Jerry Belson). No, "Chuckles", instead, was directed by Joan Darling. It was, as a matter of fact, the *only* MTM episode Darling ever directed. And she was nominated for an Emmy Award for it! How 'bout that!

If you're ever in the mood to watch a knee-slapping, fall-down-funny half-hour episode of a TV sitcom that stars a lovely lady whose initials are "MTM", then having this VHS tape of "Chuckles Bites The Dust" on the video library shelf is more than simply a good idea -- it's mandatory!

For starters, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" is a classic, and this is THE episode that fans always remember. The magic of this episode is that it's so un-Mary. Dear, sweet, genuine Mary wouldn't be the person you'd expect to behave this way. The episode isn't really about death so much as it is about an embarassing moment, which we've all been through. When Mary Richards cries, you can't help but feel for her!

Of all the episodes of Mary Tyler Moore, this has to be the best! The way they deal with the death of their friend, Chuckles the Clown, is both touching and hilarious. The jokes cracked in the newsroom about the bizarre way Chuckles died horrified Mary, but the humor, and the sadness, get to her. As Murray said "It could have been worse. He could have gone as Billy Banana and had a gorilla peel him to death!" ROTF

I know that episode helped me through a very difficult time. When my mother died, it was devastating to me. For some reason, I put on a video of Chuckles Bites the Dust the morning of her funeral. Surprisingly, it helped me cope. Thanks, Chuckles. Thanks Mary.

This is an episode about (hee hee) a horrible tragedy. Chuckles the Clown is in a parade, dressed as a (titter) peanut. And then something dreadful (hah hah) happens. A rogue elephant (snort) tries to shell him.

The people of the newsroom try to deal with the death in predicted ways. (heh heh) Lou and Murray can't help laughing; Ted is (snicker) bewildered; and Mary is simply horrified.

Then, the funeral comes, and the famous line "A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants." And Mary ... just ... can't ... help herself.

What makes this episode so memorable? Because we all know what that's like. We've all had a hard time controlling laughter during serious and/or embarrassing situations.

One warning: Your memories of the funeral scene with (heh heh) sneak up at the most inopportune (chuckle) times.

Anne M. Marble Reviewer, All About Romance

"Dear sweet Mary"... of everyone in the WJM newsroom,(and for those of you who know and love her like i do) she is the most loving, caring, genuine person there is - so when she finds the humor in Chuckles' death at his funeral it is hilarious! you would expect this from any one else, NEVER Mary. But the total humor in it is when the Priest praises her for laughing "that's what Chuckles would have wanted"... then she begins to sob like crazy- total classic! 1 more thing: in Lou's office, for those of you who don't know, the pix of him on the wall in his football uniform is really him! What a hottie, eh? :)

Well I had been hearing about this episode for years. I was pretty young with this show was out so never really saw the series.

In this show, a TV clown, who is grandmarshal of a parade shows up dressed like one of his characters. "A Giant Peanut" a rogue elefant unfortunatly breaks loose and the clown is killed when the elefant successfully tries to shell him. EVerybody in MArys office is at first shocked but then cannot help but laugh at the incident. MAry is shocked at their insensitivity. However when Mary attends the clowns funeral.........
Taking into consideration that this show is nearly 30 years old I really enjoyed it. Some of the set-ups were a bit obvious now because they are typical sit-com set ups but remember that when this show first aired they were not, in fact this is one of the shows that created the road down with many of todays sitcoms go.
So for a dose of nostalga, or even if you never saw the show in it's heydey you need to get at least THIS episode.