Product Details

• Actors: Mary Tyler Moore, Edward Asner, Gavin MacLeod, Valerie Harper, Ted Knight
• Directors: Alan Rafkin, Bruce Bilson, Herbert Kenwith, Jay Sandrich, Peter Baldwin
• Writers: Allan Burns, Bob Rodgers, David Davis
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 4
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• DVD Release Date: September 24, 2002
• Run Time: 612 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (145 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005JLIC
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,104 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  Movies & TV > Comedy > Television > The Mary Tyler Moore Show

• For more information about "The Mary Tyler Moore Show - The Complete First Season" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

• This is item 1 in The Mary Tyler Moore Show Series.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
She finally made it after all... to DVD! Created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns, The Mary Tyler Moore Show is the very model of a tailor-made star vehicle. It transformed Moore from Dick Van Dyke's wacky housewife to empowered thirtysomething single woman determined to make it on her own. Moore was the anchor of a peerless ensemble who brought to life characters so indelible that three of them, Ed Asner's Lou Grant, Valerie Harper's Rhoda, and Cloris Leachman's Phyllis, would each get their own series. The 24 episodes that comprise the Emmy-winning first season (1970) hilariously set the stage for what would become one of television's most beloved sitcoms, ranked by TV Guide in 2002 as the 11th greatest of all time (it should have been higher!). The classic pilot episode is a master class of character-based comedy writing, as Mary meets her future "family" at the WJM newsroom, as well as upstairs neighbor Rhoda, with whom she would form perhaps TV's greatest female buddy team.

Among the most memorable episodes are "Support Your Local Mother," which won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing and introduced Nancy Walker as Rhoda's maddening mother, Ida. Another Emmy-winner is "Toulouse-Lautrec Is One of My Favorite Artists," in which Mary dates a height-challenged author. Lending able support in this inaugural season is a stellar guest star roster of comic actors who, like Harper and Asner, apprenticed with Chicago's legendary improvisational Second City troupe: Shelley Berman ("Divorce Isn't Everything"); Bob Dishy ("Second Story Story"); Richard Schaal ("Today I Am a Ma'am," "The Snow Must Go On," in which he plays the ill-fated Chuckles the Clown," and "Howard's Girl"); and Paul Sand ("1040 or Fight"). At this point, the characters are pretty much one-note. Mary is cute and perky, Lou Grant hard-boiled, Rhoda brash, Phyllis flighty, and Ted Knight's vainglorious anchorman Ted Baxter idiotic. But what beautiful music they all would make in seasons to come. --Donald Liebenson

Product Description
Welcome back to WJM-TV Minneapolis! Over its seven year run, The Mary Tyler Moore Show won twenty-nine Emmy Awards. Now get ready to turn back the dial to 1970 and rejoin the gang from WJM - the lowest-rated (but most hilarious) evening news show in Minneapolis. Relive all the laughter with Mary, Lou, Murray, Ted, Rhoda and Phyllis as the first season of this classic TV show arrives on DVD.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

135 of 145 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars She can turn the world on with her smile!, September 19, 2002

By	Deanna (Maryland) - See all my reviews

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ran from 1970-1977 and was an instant classic. Mary Tyler Moore was absolutely charming and hysterical in her role as Mary Richards. This DVD set of the first season is a fabulous treat for fans of show. Plus, there's lots of extra features, like commentary and a behind the scenes look at the making of season one.

In this collection you will get the following episodes:

1. "Love Is All Around"- Thirty year old Mary Richards moves to Minneapolis and gets a job at WJM-TV, a small local station.

2. "Today I Am a Ma'am"- Mary and Rhoda commiserate about being single. Letting depression cloud their judgment, they invite two men over for dinner without knowing that one of them is married.

3. "Bess, You Is My Daughter Now"- Mary baby-sits Phyllis's daughter, Bess and decides that she wants Mary to be her new mom.

4. "Divorce Isn't Everything"- Mary and Rhoda discover a club that offers a discount rate on a trip to Europe. But there's a catch. It's a club for divorced people.

5. "Keep Your Guard Up"- Mary meets an ex-football player at the station. She thinks that he'd be perfect for the sportscaster position that's open. Think again.

6. "Support Your Local Mother"- Rhoda's mom, Ida, comes to visit her estranged daughter, but Rhoda doesn't want to see her.

7. "Toulouse-Lautrec Is One of My Favorite Artists"- Mary is smitten with a man she meets at the office (who was sitting when she met him) and agrees to go out on a date with him. After he stands up, Mary realizes he is "height-challenged."

8. "The Snow Must Go On"- Minneapolis is hit with a terrible snowstorm on the night that WJM is scheduled to provide election night coverage. The staff, with Rhoda volunteering on the toteboard, can't report the returns, so they have to fill airtime any way they can.

9. "Bob and Rhoda and Teddy and Mary"- It's the evening of the Teddy Awards and Mary is nominated for her first Teddy, but she's more concerned about Bob, an attractive guy who has eyes for her and who also happens to be Rhoda's date.

10. "Assistant Wanted, Female"- It's not enough that Phyllis bugs Mary at home. Now she gets hired as Mary's assistant at work. And for the gang at WJM, it's hate at first sight.

11. "1040 or Fight"- Mary goes out with an auditor from the IRS. His attraction to Mary complicates matters when he has to audit her taxes.

12. "Anchorman Overboard"- Phyllis wants Ted to speak at an organization where she's the program chairperson. But Ted's performance turns out to be a disaster.

13. "He's All Yours"- Lou asks Mary to look after Allen Stevens, a new WJM cameraman. Although Allen is younger than Mary, that doesn't stop him from flirting with her. Just when she's had enough, Mary discovers that Allen is Lou's nephew.

14. "Christmas and the Hard Luck Kid"- Mary tries to bring joy to her unhappy coworkers, who are stuck at the office on Christmas.

15. "Howard's Girl"- Mary begins dating her ex-boyfriend's brother, Paul, but she can't get away from his parents.

16. "Party Is Such Sweet Sorrow"- Mary accepts an offer she gets to work at another station, but has second thoughts after her farewell party, where she sees how much they care for her at WJM.

17. "Just a Lunch"- Mary's latest flame is a dashing foreign correspondent. He's handsome, charming and... married! But this doesn't keep Mary from seeing him.

18. "Second-Story Story"- Mary is burglarized two days in a row and she's so scared, that her friends take matters into their hands and try to capture the thief themselves.

19. "We Closed Minneapolis"- A play Murray's written is being produced and Ted is cast in the lead.

20. "Hi!"- Mary's in the hospital to have a tonsil removed, but she has to share a room with Mrs. Khune, a grumpy woman who's laid up with a broken leg and an ulcer.

21. "The Boss Isn't Coming for Dinner"- There's trouble in paradise, as Lou tells Mary that he's been having marital problems with his wife.

22. "A Friend in Deed"- Twinks, the new WJM receptionist, swears she met Mary at summer camp when they were kids, but Mary's too embarrassed to admit she doesn't remember her.

23. "Smokey the Bear Wants You"- Rhoda begins to think that the man she's been dating is Mr. Right. When she finds out the he's planning on becoming a park ranger, she passes on an opportunity to join him.

24. "The Forty-Five Year Old Man"- The newscast ratings are horrible, so Wild Jack Monroe, the station's owner, fires Lou. Guess who helps Mr. Grant get his job back?

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully Packaged and Presented, January 9, 2005

By	Bill "william5916" (Newport News, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This set is a beautiful time capsule of the entire first season of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," complete with several episode commentaries, an excellent documentary filled with interviews from both in front of and behind the camera participants, and on-air promos that I haven't seen since 1970...not to mention the marvelous first season rendition of the theme song, which to this day remains my favorite.

I wish that Fox would re-consider releasing subsequent volumes of the show, at a price close to what they've been asking for series such as "M*A*S*H." I can't help but feel that they would see a big increase in sales, and not simply because of a price reduction. "Mary Tyler Moore" is one of those rare series that actually improved in quality in later seasons...and now it looks as if we'll never be able to enjoy some of those wonderful later episodes on DVD, not to mention superb characters that were added during those later seasons, such as Sue Ann Nivens.

Fox, please reconsider and give it a try. The first season has some wonderfully memorable episodes and I'm grateful to have them on DVD--but the first season is not "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" at its peak.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally - hope for season 2, February 24, 2005

By	bonfamily "bonfamily2" (Parkesburg, PA United States) - See all my reviews

I deleted my original review of this dvd set because I want to share the news from tvshowsondvd.com that season 2 is coming this summer! If you get yourself on their e-mail list, they will let you know by e-mail any information that comes out on this series. No specifics on exact date, price, or artwork, but keep on checking tvshowsondvd.com for further info. This is the best news the fans of this series have heard in years!!