A hats-off salute to a classic, and classy, comedy

“The Mary Tyler Moore Show -- The Complete Second Season”

Fox, $30

With sitcoms seemingly a dying breed on television these days, the studios have made a wise move mining their vaults for DVD revivals of TV comedy series like “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” which ran on CBS from 1970 to ’77. Except for some of the wardrobe choices -- especially Phyllis’ multicolored granny dresses and Murray’s baggy polyester slacks -- and the fact that there isn’t a computer in sight in the WJM newsroom -- “MTM” is as fresh and funny today as it was more than 30 years ago.

Created by executive producers James L. Brooks and Allan Burns, the series was smart and sophisticated, and it never talked down to the audience. There were no cheap or smarmy laughs -- the humor came out of the humanity of the characters. And like “I Love Lucy,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “The Andy Griffith Show,” “MTM” enjoyed a well-oiled ensemble cast. Directors Jay Sandrich, Peter Baldwin and Joan Darling were at the top of their games, with Burns, Brooks, David Lloyd, Bob Ellison, Treva Silverman and other wits penning the memorable teleplays.

The second-season collection of “MTM” features such series high points as “The Birds ... and ... Um Bees,” in which Phyllis enlists Mary’s help to teach her daughter, Bess, about sex; “The Six-and-a-Half-Year Itch,” which has Lou discovering his son-in-law’s affair; and “The Slaughter Affair,” with news writer Murray moonlighting as a taxi driver in order to buy his wife a car.

Extras: Though Moore is conspicuously absent from any of the special features, fans of the show shouldn’t feel cheated. There’s amusing commentary from Ed Asner on his character’s weight gain in one episode and on playing a chauvinist in the series’ early years. Writer Silverman and director Sandrich discuss the initial difficulty in directing Moore, Valerie Harper and Cloris Leachman because their acting styles were so different, and there’s warm commentary from Gavin MacLeod, who originally read for the role of Lou Grant.

Other special features include the documentary “8 Characters in Search of a Sitcom,” which explores the traits of each of the characters and features interviews with the stars, directors and writers; “Moore on Sunday,” a TV documentary from 1973 that focuses on shooting a new opening for the show in Minneapolis; and clips of Harper and Asner receiving their supporting actor Emmys in 1972. There’s also a Mad magazine parody of the show and even a karaoke track of the theme song, “Love Is All Around.”

-- Susan King