Rhoda

I haven't seen Rhoda again since I was devotedly watching it in our tiny black and white tv in post dictatorship Greece. Although I was barely out of childhood, I absolutely adored it. It was an oasis in a sad tv landscape offering a glimpse of another fascinating world with strong and funny women friends. I had to write something about this forgotten series when I heard that Valerie Harper died this year. Well, she' s still alive in our hearts.

This show is perfection. I feel that the writers and the actors never let anybody down and that Valerie Harper, Julie Kavner, and Nancy Walker represent the most underrated comedy team in TV history. All 110 episodes, all of which are on youtube, are perfection.

In 1974, Mary Tyler Moore was the working woman who called her boss "Mister" while he called her Mary. She looked like a beauty queen and had wonderful dates with handsome men.

Rhoda was her outspoken neighbor who addressed men by their first names, fought with her mother, and had a steady stream of terrible dates. She struggled with food and never let people put her down. She had nerve and demanded her fair share.

As a young working woman in 1974, I knew I would never be Mary Tyler Moore because I wouldn't work for a man who made me call him "Mister" while he addressed me by my first name. I was so grateful to Valerie Harper and Rhoda.

I recently watched all seven seasons of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and it is a timeless classic. The 1970s was the era of spin-offs and of the two sitcoms from The MTM Show, Rhoda fares much better than Phyllis. Rhoda was a character who was down-to-earth, self-deprecating and she was the perfect best friend for the so-good Mary Richards. The MTM Show always had a perfect ensemble cast but Rhoda had characters leave and, especially when Rhoda and Joe separate, we don't know what became of Barbara Sharma who was Rhoda's assistant in dressing windows. Anne Meara leaves without a trace after becoming a close friend to Rhoda and Brenda. In comes Ron Silver as Gary Leavy who becomes a good friend but Johnny Venture comes and goes and it is never clear why he is there. Rhoda gives up dressing windows and it looks hopeful when she becomes a costume designer. Julie Kavner was extremely important to Rhoda as her younger sister and her comic performances are superb. The relationship between Rhoda and Brenda was pivotal to this show's success. Nancy Walker, who was missing in season three but returned for season four & five, was always brilliant. Valerie Harper progressed as Rhoda became more confident and was always there for her insecure sister, Brenda. These are brilliant moments in the show. I do wish very much that the final season would be released. Season Five has not been put on DVD and there are some five episodes never shown except when the program was syndicated. Over all, the show is good and funny. Valerie Harper is a joy to watch. There are a few episodes that didn't fare well but they are in the minority. Valerie Harper is a great actress and she remains Rhoda who has embraced feminism. Over all, good acting, good writing, and excellent acting from Valerie Harper, Julie Kavner, Nancy Walker, Harold Gould, David Groh, Ron Silver, Barbara Sharma, Anne Meara, the guy who played Benny and the owner of the costume shop where Rhoda finds a new career. A Most Enjoyable Show over all. What destroyed it was that CBS moved it six times so it lost viewers. So, I hope Shout Factory, who released the full four seasons will release Season Five!

Of the three series to spin-off of THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, this one is the best and most memorable. Valerie Harper played the Rhoda character to perfection on TMTMS, and here, she expands on that well-loved character, with a degree of depth, rarely found on sitcoms today. Rhoda Morgenstern went through a variety of challenges on this series...she moved back to New York, met Joe Gerard, got married...separated...divorced, and then went back to being a swinging single. It's too bad this show was cancelled without a real final episode...I've always wondered how they would have ended this, had they the opportunity to do so gracefully.

Along with Harper, was Julie Kavner, brilliant, as Rhoda's little sister, Brenda. Nancy Walker was also priceless as Ida, the mom. The best episode of this series has got to be "Rhoda's Wedding", the one-hour saga of how Rhoda almost doesn't make it down the isle, because ditzy Phyllis forgets to pick her up. In fact, the whole wedding storyline; Rhoda meeting Joe, the proposal, the shower, wedding and honeymoon, are some of the best-written comedy episodes. It's too bad Joe was written off the show, but "The Separation", is one of the most poignant, thoughtful, and well-acted episodes I've seen in a sitcom. Proof once again, as to the degree of depth that the characters on this show had.

I don't think this show was quite the same once Rhoda's divorce was final. The later episodes just lacked the earlier vibrance and fun, and I didn't like the storyline about Rhoda's father, Martin, leaving Ida. Still, this is a fine series, great acting, writing, and production, and there's no doubt about it that scarves were never worn the same way again.