Phyllis

The "Mary Tyler Moore" spinoff, "Phyllis", is often hounded as a failure where spin-offs are concerned. Actually, it is a very funny show and, if it hadn't followed up such an astounding breakthrough show as its predecessor, it would have been quite successful. Though the character of Phyllis, by far the most interesting character on MTM, was changed somewhat in her switch to her own show, it was only to make her character more likable, which worked most of the time and was a very pleasant experience to finally see the softer side of that downstairs bubblehead. The ensemble cast of the first season was wonderful (and would have been even more so if Barbara Colby hadn't have been murdered after the third episode. She was terrific as Phyllis's boss Julie Erskine.) Henry Jones is especially good, as are Jane Ross and Richard Schaal. And, of course, Cloris Leachman is a treasure. The real problem was in the show's second season, when Phyllis changed workplaces to the downtown city building, where the characters were far less interesting and oft times depressing. The ratings show it, too, because in its first season, "Phyllis" was in the Top Ten, higher than "Rhoda" or "MTM". But in its move to the second season, it did very poorly, hence its cancellation. It's a show that tried hard, so give it a chance. You won't be too disappointed!

I always loved Chloris Leachman's portrayal of the overbearing know all Phyllis Linstrom on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show",who loved throwing up to Mary Richards and Rhoda Morgenstern,that she was married and they were single,although she always took such an interest in their lives,she clearly didn't have the great marriage she made out she had. After five seasons on TMTMS,Phyllis was spun off to her own show "Phyllis" with daughter,Bess,moving to San Francisco,to stay with her in-laws,the very funny and scatty Jonathan and Audrey(Henry Jones and Jane Rose) when the always unseen Lars(Phyllis' husband) dies and leaves Phyllis penniless. After a cracking pilot,where Phyllis mets Julie(Barbara Colby),owner of a photo studio(and ex girlfriend of Lars)and Leo,Julie's photographer(Richard Schaal)Phyllis starts working there as a general helper. Tragedy struck in real life,when after three episodes Miss Colby was shot dead and the part of Julie was given to Lis Torres,who made the part work under a very tragic recasting. Phyllis did seem to change in her own show,she became much more glamorous and lost her wiglet and the character seemed to be a lot less intelligent and less outrageous than on MTMS. Miss Leachman herself is a comedy genius and was giving 100 percent value in comedy and the casting of the elderly Judith Lowry as Mother Dexter,mother of Jonathan-outspoken and very much like the character of Sophia in "The Golden Girls" would later be,except Miss Lowry was really as elderly as she was meant to be-was a great idea. The wedding of Mother Dexter in the 2nd season was one of the highlights of the show but sadly Miss Lowry died a few months after filming it. In the 2nd season though Phyllis was put into an office,which seemed a bad idea,there was an overdose of characters and although the character of Phyllis seemed more like her old MTMS character in the 2nd season,the ratings went down and the last episode,ended with Bess pregnant and Phyllis getting her back with her new husband Mark. Very funny,I really do hope this show comes out on DVD at some point.

I'm very much working from memory but there was a time back in the70's when I was as happy viewing this MTM comedy as its more celebrated originator and first spin-off series, "The Mary Tyler-Moore Show" and my personal favourite "Rhoda". The few times I remember in "TMTMS", she was almost the anti-heroine, the snobbish, bitchy next door neighbour whom you wondered how even St Mary could befriend. Only occasionally did she show her human side which probably made it difficult for the show's writers to centre her as a watchable character in her Jen show.

For what it's worth, I certainly remember enjoying the show on the sporadic occasions it turned up on British television in the mid-70's. Clovis Leachman was great in the title part, her face capable of going from happy to sarcastic in the one line. I was never comfortable when her daughter got air-time with her own brand of spoilt second-hand sardonic-ism but her genial but occasionally caustic middle-aged parents and her acid-tongued grandmother Dexter made good foils for her, the latter perhaps prefiguring the similar character who stole the show years later in "The Golden Girls". It perhaps said something about the star- power of the show that the episode I remember best is the one where Tyler-Moore guest- starred, perhaps to try and boost the ratings.

Perhaps I'm remembering thus show as better than it was but I'd sure like the opportunity to see it again although its short-lived TV shelf-life makes that only a remote possibility. One thing it did have was a great bitter-sweet theme tune which arguably captured the title character's personality in one pay-off finishing line better than two full series of half- hour shows!

Of all the characters on THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW the least likable was possibly Phyllis Lindstrom. Played by Cloris Leachman (brilliantly) she was a pretentious know-it-all, who patronized Mary Richards (Ms Moore), acted like Rhoda Morgenstern (Valerie Harper) was a weird social misfit, and managed to annoy or confuse the other regular in the cast. Only once, when she learned that her unseen husband Lars had an affair (or sorts) with Sue Anne Nivens (Betty White) did Phyllis become sympathetic. Suddenly we felt she was human after all. But the character constantly ended with mud in her face in most of her appearances, and so she was a welcome member of the cast.

After RHODA spun off THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW it was thought that shows about the other characters might work. Actually the hour series LOU GRANT turned out to be successful too. But PHYLLIS was a harder nut to sell to the public. Rhoda Morgenstern was sympathetic because she was trying to find a husband and trying to survive her mother (Nancy Walker). Lou Grant (Edward Asner) was an experienced newspaperman, whose marriage had fallen apart. But PHYLLIS had no likable characteristic. This, of course, made a spin-off with her as the central character seem a hard sell.

The plot took Phyllis to California. Lars has died, so Phyllis takes her daughter Beth (Lisa Gerritson) with her and settle with Lars mother (Jane Rose) and her second husband, a Judge (Henry Jones). Also in the household is the Judge's mother (Judith Lowry). The first episodes were about her setting up her new home and her new job. But the job was with a woman named Julie Erskine, played by Barbara Colby. Unfortunately the talented, subtle, likable Ms Colby was killed with a boyfriend in an unsolved murder just a week or so after Phyllis began. The role was re-casted by Liz Torres.

Colby's murder would have been a serious problem for any show to get out of. That the producers and writers tried to continue the role show a willingness to wait and see if the public would accept the change. Fortunately the show managed to pull in a regular audience each week, partly because of the character played by Judith Lowry. The 80+ actress played a caustic tongued lady who did for Phyllis in this show what Rhoda had done in THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW. The part was a bit role, but like Henry Winkler's Fonzie on HAPPY DAYS it gradually expanded. Even when Phyllis went out of her way to be nice to her, Ms Lowry cut her down to size. She even filled out background about her youth. In one episode she shocks Henry Jones by openly suggesting that the great romance of her early days was with President Warren Harding!

As a result the show went through it's first season, and seemed to be headed to success. However it decided to change the location of Phyllis's job, changing from the business that was run by Torres (formerly by Colby) to being an assistant to a city councilman. The episode where Phyllis landed this job was quite humorous in another way: the councilman whom Phyllis initially goes to see about the job is John Ritter, who is in the midst of a news conference denying allegations of improprieties. She tries to start her duties, only to find Ritter asking her to help shred some files. As he tries to do this the police arrive to drag him off. Fortunately another councilman turns up who needs an assistant.

The second season seemed destined for success, and the beginning of a long run. In December 1976 Lowry's character married her current boy-friend (not a relative of Harding, by the way), in an full episode. Within two months Lowry died (so did Burt Mustlin, the elderly actor who played her bridegroom). Unlike Colby's character, which had not fully developed when she died, Lowry's had been developed. There was a taped introduction to an episode by Leachman, in honor to Lowry. It was moving. Unfortunately there was little time to figure out how to fill Lowry's big shoes (or remove the growing taint of a "Phyllis" curse). The show was not renewed for another season. Well, two seasons for a weakened spin off is not bad...and it was a better show than AFTER M.A.S.H. was.

Sure, this series didn't showcase Cloris Leachman's talents to any great extent. Sure, the comedy was more than often silly. Sure, the cast changes at the start of season 2 LOOKED like the desperate attempt that it really was to keep fresh story ideas alive. Sure, Jane Rose's performance was the equivalent of finger-nails on a chalk board. Sure, the character of Phyllis was extremely watered down after the pilot.

But for Mother Dexter alone, I'd have to disagree with the opinion that it's "unwatchable." ...And whatever happened to Lisa Gerritsen anyhow??