| Mary | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Variety |
| Directed by | Robert Iscove |
| Presented by | Mary Tyler Moore |
| Starring | Mary Tyler Moore Swoosie Kurtz Dick Shawn Michael Keaton Merrill Markoe David Letterman |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 3 |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 48 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | CBS |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original run | September 24, 1978 – October 8, 1978 |
Mary is an American variety show that aired on CBS as part of its 1978-79 fall lineup. The series was hosted by and stars Mary Tyler Moore.
Contents |
Mary was the attempt by Mary Tyler Moore to return to network television after the triumph of her sitcom (The Mary Tyler Moore Show) from 1970 to 1977. Her sitcom having not been renewed at her producers' request (they didn't want it to get "stale"), she had taken a year off before returning to television to conquer the variety format.
Moore's supporting cast included a repertory company of young actors and actresses, most notably Swoosie Kurtz, Dick Shawn, Michael Keaton, Merrill Markoe, and David Letterman, an established orchestra led by Alf Clausen, and the well-regarded Tony Stevens dancers, and the program had a light, breezy feel.
Rating for the series were low, and CBS ultimately cancelled Mary after three episodes. However, Moore was to tweak the format and try it again with a similar program (The Mary Tyler Moore Hour) later in the same season.