Thursday, Jul 2nd, 2009
09.00 Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
09.30 Night Court
11.00 Barney Miller
11.30 The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. Episode 1. The first of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman's 325 episodes is divided up into five long scenes that do a great job of telling us who the characters are, and what storylines will be in play in this quirky soap opera parody.
We open in the Hartman kitchen with Mary and her sister, Cathy, discussing the waxy yellow build-up on Mary's kitchen floors. We can see right away that Mary puts a lot of stock in what she sees on TV, both in daytime soaps and in commercials. The girls are talking when their friend Lorette joins them. And tells them that there has been a mass murder close-by. As the girls discuss the mass murder, and squabble over the correct name of the street that the murders took place on the show's quirky sense of humour starts to emerge.
The second scene switches the focus to Mary's husband, Tom, at his workplace. As well as discussing the news of the murder of family in town (as well as the killing of their goats and chickens!) the conversation is aimed at more sexual matters, hinting that all is no well in the Hartman bedroom.
The third scene is the episode's best. This scene isn't funny. Instead it's heartbreaking. Louise Lasser and Greg Mullavy are superb in a scene dealing with the lack of sex in the Hartman marriage. The scene starts off being playful and sweet, and the considerable chemistry of the two starts conveys the love between the two people on screen. But, as the Mary begins to ask why Tom won't have sex with her any more things take a grim, and genuinely sad, turn. Lasser, who is superb in every scene, is simply awe-inspiring here. I barely know the character and I almost cried my eyes out for her.
The fourth scene takes us to the bedroom of Mary's friend Loretta and we get an insight into her May-December marriage, a much happier marriage.
The fifth, and final, scene bring some simmering subplots to sudden prominence as Mary gets a phone call from the police and the episode comes to a thundering cliff-hanger.
Night Court. Episode 12. "Bull's Baby" Bull minds a baby, and the gang call round to his apartment.
So-so episode. The idea of huge gentle-giant Bull minding a baby is mildly amusing, I suppose. Most of the physical comedy with the baby (changing the nappy, for instance) actually falls to Harry because, let's face it, he's the actual star of the show.
Bull's apartment is funny: he's modified it in interesting ways to suit his large stature. That amused me more than anything to do with the baby.
Barney Miller. Episode 7. David Wayne guests as a drunken "Bureaucrat" who tries to bully his way out of an arrest, while Wojo causes the closing of a delicatessen for minor health-code infractions.
Back to the precinct, and back on form. Wayne is a great guest star. As a drunk he's funny, as a bully he's spiteful and self-important, and as a fallen man, he's sympathetic and likable. All in the space of 25 minutes. It's almost believable that Barney would let the charges slide. Almost.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Episode 20. "Hi!" Mary spends a few days in hospital and has a few conversations with a grumpy lady, who is sharing a room with her.
Given that the strength of The Mary Tyler Moore Show is the large regular cast, it's interesting that they spend so many episodes leaving them out. In this episode, the regulars barely appear (thought Ted Knight gets the episode's biggest laugh when he overhears the grumpy lady talking about him) and the entire episode is devoted Mary and the other woman.
Pat Carroll is very good as a guest star, and she raises a few chuckles, but the episode lacks a story and mostly fails to hold the interest.
Highlight? Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (heartbreaking)
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Mary Hartman Mary Hartman, Night Court, Barney Miller, Mary Tyler Moore
