Where is Mary Tyler Moore Season 5? - Page 6

Marty M · 08-16-2008, 12:40 PM

Thanks for the reminder. I sent out an email today. Here's hoping we can do some good.

70sTVlover · 08-23-2008, 06:47 AM

Now there's a BOGOF sale at amazon, all the MTM DVD's are included and each one is currently in the top 100 amazon sales list...
I wonder after this and Oprah, sales must be pretty good at least on amazon.

Erik_H · 08-23-2008, 09:22 PM

"MTM" was far from a "bomb in syndication" --- it was one of the most successful syndicated series of its era, along with "MASH," "Happy Days" and a handful of others. Repeats of "MTM" were a staple on many broadcast stations from when the series entered syndication in the mid-70s until the late 80s/early 90s---otherwise, how would a series that ended production in 1977 be so well remembered by its fans?

I grew up in Boston, and recall that Channel 56 (one of the two major outlets for off-network syndication programming in that market in the 70s and 80s) aired "MTM" repeats on weekdays at 7:00 p.m. for many years, and if memory serves, in its first few years of airing "MTM," Channel 56 aired back-to-back episodes between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m on weekdays. A "bomb" doesn't air for years in such a desirable time slot.

While the series may not have as strong an appeal today, to rank "MTM" in the same group of series that did fail in syndication such as "Murphy Brown" ---which many stations exiled to obscure time slots within a few months of its syndication premiere due to poor ratings---is flat-out inaccurate.

MatthewA · 08-23-2008, 09:59 PM

There was a book in 1984 about sitcoms that were available in syndication at the time and it talked about how they did. It did not speak well of MTM's performance there (nor that of Happy Days). That is the only place I got it. Although I remember it airing on WFMY in Greensboro (back when cable systems gave you two network affiliates for each network, we had 2 ABC an 2 CBS stations but we only had 1 NBC) at about 8 in the morning circa 1988. I apologize if I have been spreading misleading information.

As for the other MTM Productions shows, I don't know how they did other than what the book said. As someone born in the 1980s, I don't remember seeing any of them on Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville stations, except for WKRP on channel 40 in the early 90s (they also aired the new WKRP as well), and Hill Street Blues on channel 17 in its pre-NBC days. Newhart (the 1980s one) aired on channel 2 out of Greensboro at 11:30 at night, but I do not remember a Raleigh affiliate airing it, and we got almost all the major 1980s sitcoms when they hit syndication. Old TV Guides I acquired suggest that MTM lasted a few years on channel 11 in Raleigh.

I do remember Murphy Brown landing with a thud in syndication. Topical shows generally don't do well in syndication although All in the Family seems to have done well on TV Land.

moogaboo · 08-24-2008, 11:58 AM

I know the Oprah giveaway didn't count as actual sales, but the exposure it got certainly drove up sales on Amazon.

Marty M · 09-01-2008, 01:02 PM

Maybe our email messages really paid off now that Fox has decided to bring us the final 3 seasons of MTM.

droach75 · 09-01-2008, 01:46 PM

That is amazin' news

All our emails to Mr Feldstein has paid off as

check out the NY Times website for the full story.

Alan_H · 09-01-2008, 11:17 PM

Link for the lazy.

Ric Easton · 09-01-2008, 11:54 PM

Wow. Can it be true?! I clicked on this thread, no longer thinking that good news would ever be announced and... Whoa! Can't wait to hear something a little more concrete but it seems as though the long wait may be coming to an end? Am I dreaming? I haven't seen the Chuckles episode or the finale since they originally aired.

Garysb · 09-02-2008, 12:29 AM

It would be nice after all this time if they just released a full series set with maybe the Mary and Rhoda TV movie and/or the pilots for Rhoda, Phyllis, and Lou Grant. Would actually like Rhoda's wedding included which featured most of the MTM cast, except Ted Knight, but I doubt they would include that before putting out a Rhoda set. Still it would be nice to include with season 5 which has an episode with Mary leaving for the wedding with everyone getting food poisoning including Sue Ann who sabotaged a girl trying to take her job as the Happy Homemaker.

Mary: How could she have forgotten to refrigerate the cream ?
Sue Ann: She didn't. She made the mistake of asking me to do it.

Classic

Garysb · 09-02-2008, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatthewA

There was a book in 1984 about sitcoms that were available in syndication at the time and it talked about how they did. It did not speak well of MTM's performance there (nor that of Happy Days). That is the only place I got it. Although I remember it airing on WFMY in Greensboro (back when cable systems gave you two network affiliates for each network, we had 2 ABC an 2 CBS stations but we only had 1 NBC) at about 8 in the morning circa 1988. I apologize if I have been spreading misleading information.

As for the other MTM Productions shows, I don't know how they did other than what the book said. As someone born in the 1980s, I don't remember seeing any of them on Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville stations, except for WKRP on channel 40 in the early 90s (they also aired the new WKRP as well), and Hill Street Blues on channel 17 in its pre-NBC days. Newhart (the 1980s one) aired on channel 2 out of Greensboro at 11:30 at night, but I do not remember a Raleigh affiliate airing it, and we got almost all the major 1980s sitcoms when they hit syndication. Old TV Guides I acquired suggest that MTM lasted a few years on channel 11 in Raleigh.

I do remember Murphy Brown landing with a thud in syndication. Topical shows generally don't do well in syndication although All in the Family seems to have done well on TV Land.

MTM was not successful in reruns in NY where it aired on WNBC in late afternoon. I don't think it was renewed after its initial deal expired. It finished its run airing overnight.