Rhoda
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| Rhoda | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Running time | 30 minutes per episode |
| Starring | Valerie Harper David Groh Nancy Walker Harold Gould Julie Kavner Lorenzo Music Ron Silver |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| Original channel | CBS |
| Original run | September 9, 1974–December 9, 1978 |
| No. of episodes | 110 |
| IMDb profile | |
Rhoda was an American situation comedy and a television spin-off of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Valerie Harper played the lead role of Rhoda Morgenstern Gerard (best friend of Mary Richards). The show ran on CBS from 1974 to 1978.
Rhoda Morgenstern, recently departed from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, had moved back home to New York City from Minneapolis after meeting her soon-to-be husband, Joe Gerard. They married in an hour-long special, "Rhoda's Wedding" that was one of the highest rated television episodes of the 1974-75 season. In a classic sequence, Rhoda (who is not picked up for the wedding by forgetful Phyllis Lindstrom), takes the subway in full bridal gown to get to the ceremony at her parents' Bronx apartment.
The marriage did not last long, however. Realizing the Rhoda character's charm and humor came from her status as an insecure single woman, the producers had her and Joe separate toward the middle of the second season, with their divorce following by season's end. The show then centered on Rhoda's role as a 30-something divorcée and independent business owner ("Windows by Rhoda").
The final season found Rhoda employed at The Doyle Costume Company working for her own gruff Lou Grant-ish boss named Jack Doyle. Also in the final season, Rhoda's sister Brenda prepared for her wedding to boyfriend Benny Goodwin, while her parents Ida and Martin Morgenstern were dealing with a marital separation.
Rhoda also starred David Groh (as Joe), Nancy Walker (as Rhoda's mother), Harold Gould (as Rhoda's father) and Julie Kavner (as Rhoda's sister Brenda).
One of the recurring characters was Carlton, played by Lorenzo Music, who was the doorman in Rhoda's building. He was often heard on the intercom, but was never seen.
Recurring jokes on Rhoda include commentary on the crime and grime of 70s Manhattan, dieting woes, self-esteem issues, and aggravations from overbearing mother, Ida.
Rhoda is also the series responsible for launching the career of actor Ron Silver. Silver played Rhoda's neighbor Gary Levy (who owned a jeans store), with whom Rhoda swapped apartments following her split with Joe, and who dated Brenda for a time.
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[edit] Quotes
"My name is Rhoda Morgenstern. I was born in the Bronx, New York in December, 1941. I've always felt responsible for World War II. The first thing I remember liking that liked me back was food. I had a bad puberty; it lasted 17 years. I'm a high school graduate. I went to art school. My entrance exam was on a book of matches. I decided to move out of the house when I was 24; my mother still refers to this as the time I ran away from home. Eventually I ran to Minneapolis, where it's cold, and I figured I'd keep better. Now I'm back in Manhattan. New York, this is your last chance!"
-- From the program opener, during the first season. (MP3 file: [1])
"And the best part about being a bank teller is - your legs don't show!"
-- Brenda to Rhoda (episode one)
"I have never experienced Ma and jet lag at the same time."
-- Rhoda to Brenda (episode one)
[edit] Awards
Valerie Harper received 4 Emmys playing Rhoda Morgenstern, 3 from the "Mary Tyler Moore Show" and 1 from "Rhoda" in 1975. Julie Kavner also received an Emmy for her role as Brenda Morgenstern in 1978.
"Rhoda" also received two Golden Globe Awards (one for Valerie and the other for the show itself) in 1975. Collectively "Rhoda" received a total of 17 Emmy nominations and 7 Golden Globe nominations.
[edit] Trivia
- Rhoda had a sister named "Debbie" on a 1973 episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show entitled Rhoda's Sister Gets Married. Debbie was never mentioned on Rhoda however. She was played by actress Liberty Williams who starred as "Tabatha" in a 1976 pilot about the (now) adult witch daughter from the sitcom Bewitched, and was the voice of Wonder Twin Jayna on the Superfriends animated series.
- Joe Gerard's ex-wife is named Marian (Joan Van Ark) and their son is named Donny.
- Rhoda and Brenda both shared the middle name, Faye. Once Rhoda asked her mother Ida why she didn't just name one of them Faye? Her mother replied: "I didn't like (the name) that much."
- Ida Morgenstern's maiden name is Nessel.
- Nancy Walker was not seen during the 1976-1977 season as she was starring in her own series. After Walker's two sitcoms Blansky's Beauties and The Nancy Walker Show were cancelled, she returned as Ida with her character returning from an extended cruise vacation.
- Joe's friend Charlie Burke (whom Rhoda finds annoying) was played by Valerie Harper's then-husband, actor Richard Schaal.
- Rhoda's girlfriends over the years included: Alice Barth (Candice Azzara), Myrna Morgenstein (Barbara Sharma), Suzie Alborn (Beverly Sanders) and Sally Gallagher (Anne Meara).
- Brenda's on-again/off-again boyfriend in early episodes was accordionist Nick Lobo (Richard Masur).
- In episode #57 (Rhoda Questions Her Life and Flies to Paris) Brenda and Rhoda both do impulsive things they've always dreamt of doing. Rhoda travels to Paris for the weekend and Brenda calls her idol Woody Allen to say hello (after getting his phone number from her bank's files). Julie Kavner would later star in 4 Woody Allen films: Radio Days, Hannah and Her Sisters, Alice (1990 film) and Deconstructing Harry.
- Kavner also supplies the voice for Marge Simpson on the long-running animated series The Simpsons.
- During the first season, the closing credits showed Rhoda crossing Broadway and Seventh Avenue in Times Square and attempting to emulate her friend Mary Richards by tossing her hat in the air, only to drop it before it could become airborne. She then picks up the hat, pulls it down onto her head, and sort of slinks away dejectedly.
- The TV film Mary and Rhoda (2000) finds a recently-divorced Rhoda ( with her adult-daughter, Meredith) reunited with her old friend recently-widowed Mary Richards ( with her adult-daughter, Rose).
