Synopses & Reviews
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, divorcees, 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.
Review
"In this delicious history of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, former Entertainment Weekly writer Armstrong seems to have had the cooperation of just about everyone involved in the show's making, and the results are riveting." ---Kirkus Starred Review
Synopsis
The story of the making of a classic and groundbreaking TV show, as experienced by its producers, writers, and cast.
About the Author
Jennifer Keishin Armstrong is the author of Why? Because We Still Like You and coauthor, with Heather Wood Rudulph, of Sexy Feminism. Her essays have appeared in the anthologies Altared: Bridezillas, Bewilderment, Big Love, Breakups, and What Women Really Think About Contemporary Weddings and Coffee at Luke's: An Unauthorized Gilmore Girls Gabfest. A former senior writer at Entertainment Weekly, she now writes for several publications, including Women's Health, Writer's Digest, Fast Company, Runner's World, and Vulture. She is also cofounder of the alternative online women's magazine SirensMag.com. Amy Landon is a classically trained actress with numerous Off-Broadway, film, and television credits. Her voice can also be heard on many television and radio commercials. She has an easy facility with dialects, which she also coaches and teaches, and she is happy to find her lifelong obsession with books is matching up with her acting and vocal work.