Mary (1978 TV series)

For the 1985 sitcom, see Mary (1985 TV series).
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
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 3
Production
Camera setup Multi-camera
Running time 48 minutes
Production company(s) MTM Enterprises
Distributor 20th Television
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 starred Mary Tyler Moore.

Synopsis

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.

Reception

Ratings for the series were low, and CBS ultimately cancelled Mary after three episodes; at the time, variety shows in general were falling out of fashion. 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.

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