From the archives: New time, new show for Mary Tyler Moore

“The Mary Tyler Moor Show” made its debut Saturday Night on CBS. It is charming, witty and glossily produced. It’s good and the only thing going against it is the timeslot.

The characters are individualistic and funny, and the initial script by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns was complementary to the cast’s skills.

Miss Moore plays a young woman on the rebound from a two year romance who travels to Minneapolis-St.Paul to mind a new life and work.

Finds apartment

First she finds an apartment through a friend (Cloris Leachman), but has a difficult time holding onto it because of a scheming gal (Valerie Harper) who claims that the pad is really hers.

Next on the agenda is being interviewed for a job. Miss Moore applies for a secretarial position in a TV news studio and after a very funny encounter with the news chief (Edward Asner) she is hired as an “associate producer.” The news chief also drinks a lot.

News chief

Later, when Mary’s boyfriend visits her at the apartment the news chief is there, drunk. But he only came to tell Mary that he misses his wife who’s on vacation. While Lurching around the room, Asner decides to type out a love letter to his wife. It was the best scene in the premiere episode.

Anyway, Mary again dusts off her old love, feels much better, and is now setting her sights on a bright career as an associate producer, which mainly consists of her sharpening pencils in the newsroom.

You hope it works. It got off to a fine beginning.

‘THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW’

Comedy series starring Mary Tyler Moore. Features Edward Asner, Valerie Harper, Gavin McLeod, Ted Knight, Cloris Leachman. Producers James L. Brooks, Allan Burns. Coproducer David Davis. Premiere written by James L. Brooks, Allan Burns. Director Jay Sandrich. Saturdays, 9:30 p.m., CBS.