The BEST episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Every episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show!
The Mary Tyler Moore Show was one of the most literate, realistic, and enduring situation comedies of the 1970s. Mary Richards was the idealized single career woman. She had come to Minneapolis after breaking up with a man she had been dating for four years. Ambitious, and looking for new friends, she moved into an older apartment building and went to work as an assistant producer of the local news show on television station WJM-TV. In her early 30s, Mary symbolized the independent woman of the 1970s.
#1 - Lou's Second Date
Season 4 - Episode 22 - Aired 2/16/1974
Lou and Rhoda find they have a lot in common and begin seeing each other on a casual basis but everyone assumes that the romance is serious.
#2 - A Reliable Source
Season 6 - Episode 22 - Aired 2/21/1976
Mary learns that an old friend seeking re-election to Congress had financial help from the mob. Lou threatens to use the story on the air.
#3 - Thoroughly Unmilitant Mary
Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/6/1971
The writing and technical unions go on strike, leaving only Lou, Mary, and Ted in the newsroom. WJM-TV makes Lou be second cameraman on "The Chuckles the Clown Show". Because an upset Murray is on strike, Mary has to write the news stories. They are terrible, and when Lou criticizes them, she starts crying. Things take a turn for the worse: Ted's union strikes, and Lou has to fill in as anchorman! On his first brodcast, he has "clammy hands", and he bombs. At a local bar, Murray, Gordy, & Mary share a laugh over this. After drinking before his 2nd brodcast, he is "as cool as a cucumber"--that is, until he falls asleep at breaktime. Herb fills in for Lou for the rest of the brodcast. The next day, the unions come to an agreement, and everything goes back to normal. Rhoda Morgenstern & Phyllis Lindstrom do not appear in this episode.
#4 - Chuckles Bites the Dust
Season 6 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/25/1975
Chuckles the Clown is crushed to death by a rogue elephant in a parade, which leaves all the newsroom staff in hysterics except Mary.
#5 - Love is All Around
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/19/1970
The classic series begins its classic 7-year run in Mary's apartment. Mary Richards, a 30-year-old single woman, has left her long-time boyfriend, Bill, to be with her old friend, Phyllis Lindstrom, in Minneapolis. (Mary originally lived in Roseburg, MN.) Why did Mary leave Bill? After promising to her that he would marry her right after his internship at the hospital, he said, "Why rush into things???" Meanwhile, she's already having troubles with her new apartment--a bitter upstairs neightbor, Rhoda Morgenstern, insists that she owns Mary's apartment! Later, Mary goes on a job interview at WJM-TV's The 6:00 News for a secreterial job. Lou Grant, the boss, tells her that the job has already been filled, but he does say that the job of Associate Producer is open. Sure, it offers $10 less per week than the secreterial job, but Mary is fine. "If you can get off with $15 less per week, I'll make you Producer," he says. She declines, then goes on to meeting Ted Baxter, the ridicul
#6 - Feeb
Season 2 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/8/1972
An incompetent waitress is fired after Mary complains about her poor service and Mary feels obliged to hire her when she applies for an assistant's job at WJM-TV.
#7 - The Square-Shaped Room
Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/11/1971
When Edie is out of town, Lou hires Rhoda to redecorate his living room. However, Rhoda's tastes are too modern.
#8 - An Affair to Forget
Season 5 - Episode 15 - Aired 12/21/1974
Now that Mary is producer, Ted thinks that he can make his move on her. He convinces the rest of the newsroom that they are having an affair.
#9 - Mary's Three Husbands
Season 7 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/26/1977
Murray, Ted and Lou fantasize about being married to Mary.
#10 - The Shame of the Cities
Season 5 - Episode 19 - Aired 1/25/1975
Lou wants to research his own news story now that Mary's producer and decides to launch a major investigation on a city councilor only to discover that he is completely honest.
#11 - Ted's Wedding
Season 6 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/8/1975
Out of pity for Ted, Mary invites him & Georgette over for brunch. While he as an onion ring in his mouth, he proposes to Georgette...again. When, for the first time, Georgette says no, she & Ted have a talk and decide they want to get married now. They invite all their friends: Lou, Murray (with mud on his sweatshirt from his son's football game), and Sue Ann (who, in a spectacularily comedic enterance, brings a veil, flowers, and rice, among several other things). Ted's mom can't make it (she's washing her hair), but the incompetent minister comes straight from his tennis match. Best man Lou helps Ted calm his wedding day jitters. When the minister asks Ted if he takes Georgette to be his lawfully wedded wife, he pauses for a moment. Finally, with a smile on his face, he says, "I do." When they are pronounced husband & wife, Sue Ann sings the wedding march...very poorly, of course. Once the wedding ends and Lou, Murray, & Sue Ann leave, Ted asks, as if nothing had happened,
#12 - What Do You Want to Do When You Produce?
Season 6 - Episode 15 - Aired 12/20/1975
Initially delighted at the chance of producing the Happy Homemaker show, Murray quickly becomes miserable when he realizes the menial tasks he has to do for Sue Ann.
#13 - Mary Midwife
Season 7 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/25/1976
Georgette gives birth at Mary's dinner party. With the hospital and doctor too far away, Lou and Mary help deliver the baby.
#14 - Ted's Change of Heart
Season 7 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/23/1976
Ted suffers a heart attack on the air and for the next few days becomes conscious of how precious life is.
#15 - One Producer Too Many
Season 7 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/30/1976
Lou promotes Murray to co-producer against Mary's wishes to prevent him from accepting a producer's job at a rival television station.
#16 - Mary's Insomnia
Season 7 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/4/1976
Mary is having trouble sleeping and resorts to pills, which has Lou concerned that she's become addicted to them.
#17 - Look at Us, We're Walking
Season 7 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/25/1976
Mary and Lou threaten to quit after the new station manager refuses to give them a raise.
#18 - Mary's Big Party
Season 7 - Episode 22 - Aired 3/5/1977
Mary has planned a fancy party at her apartment, with a mystery guest of honor, but the power in the building goes before he arrives.
#19 - Put On a Happy Face
Season 3 - Episode 23 - Aired 2/24/1973
Everything goes right for Rhoda and everything goes wrong for Mary on a disastrous day when she is due to go to the Teddies.
#20 - Happy Birthday, Lou!
Season 4 - Episode 15 - Aired 12/22/1973
Mary plans a surprise party for Mr. Grant's birthday, only to find out too late that he hates birthday parties.
#21 - 1040 or Fight
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/28/1970
Mary is audited by the IRS, and the shy auditor takes an interest in her. Unfortunately, he has great difficulty telling her how he feels.
#22 - Support Your Local Mother
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/24/1970
Rhoda's mother, Ida, comes visiting and Rhoda refuses to see her. Ida stays with Mary but drives her crazy.
#23 - Christmas and the Hard Luck Kid II
Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 12/19/1970
Feeling sympathetic for a co-worker who hasn't spent Christmas with his family for years, Mary is forced to stay alone at WJM-TV on Christmas Eve.
#24 - Party is Such Sweet Sorrow
Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/9/1971
Mary gets a tempting offer from a rival television station, but becomes reluctant to leave when her WJM-TV colleagues throw a farewell party for her.
#25 - Second Story Story
Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 1/23/1971
Mary's apartment is burgled, with only her clothes, stereo and television taken but then next night the whole apartment is cleaned out.