Booklist
"Love is All Around: The Making of The Mary Tyler Moore Show"
by Robert S. Alley & Irby B. Brown
Delta Books, 1989. 235 pages.
This compelling volume covers the history of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. In-depth character analyses with continuous references to specific episodes. Interviews with cast members Ed Asner, Valerie Harper, Gavin MacLeod, Betty White, & Georgia Engel, producers Jim Brooks & Allan Burns, and numerous others, greatly enhance the discussion. A fair amount of space is devoted to the original concept of the show, and how it was pitched to the Network. We learn how Grant Tinker ensured that it got on the air; how writer Treva Silverman was responsible for shaping Mary Richards' form; how veteran casting director Ethel Winant worked to build the ensemble. An entire chapter is spent on "The Last Show" and how the cast members reacted to the demise of the series. Includes episode guide with airdates and list of writing credits. The approach the writers take is academic (perhaps overly so), but this is a must-read for all ardent fans. It's out of print currently, but can easily be found over the internet. Amazon.com can easily place a tracking order for the book if you're interested.
MORE INFO | ORDER
"Am I Anybody?: An Actor's Life"
by Bradford Dillman
Remember Matt Bryan, the architect who Mary dates in "You Certainly Are a Big Boy"? Well, he wrote a book
a few years ago. Actually, he's written sevreral books (the other three are about football playing).
Father of six children and forty-year husband to Suzy Parker, glamorous supermodel of the '60's,
Dillman's book is a highly enjoyable read about his work as a supporting actor. Why was
Marlon Brando such a gargantuan figure? Because of outstanding supporting talents like Dillman.
We may not always know their names, but we'll always know their faces.MORE INFO | ORDER
"Today I Am a Ma'am"
by Valerie Harper
Valerie Harper's new and funny book!MORE INFO | ORDER
Television's Second Golden Age: Hill Street Blues, Thirtysomething, St. Elsewhere, China Beach, Cagney & Lacey, Twin Peaks
by Robert J. Thompson
To date, this is the most comprehensive guide to many of the hit dramas of the 1980's.MORE INFO | ORDER
"Here We Go Again"
by Betty White
Betty White's most recent book (1995) details her near 50-year adventure in showbiz. She speaks highly of her experience on
The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the fun she had playing Sue Ann, the man-eating happy homewrecker.
She regards Mary and Cloris Leachman as two of the finest women in the biz. A good read.MORE INFO | ORDER
"Classic Sitcoms: A Celebration of the Best in Prime-Time Comedy. 2nd Edition"
by Vince Waldron
If you watch shows on Nick at Nite and TV Land, you shouldn't be without this book. It's a fascinating and useful
set of episode guides and commentaries for The Mary Tyler Moore Show, All in the Family, The Dick
Van Dyke Show, The Bob Newhart Show, Taxi, M*A*S*H, I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, and Cheers.
The section on MTMS is quite good, and gives in-depth commentary on select episodes. You can
also visit Vince's Classic Sitcoms Page, where
copies can be ordered through Vince himself (autographed!) for a slightly lower price.MORE INFO | ORDER
"Lou Grant: The Making of TV's Top Newspaper Drama"
by Douglass K. Daniel, Douglas K. Daniel, with contributions by Edward Asner
"Lou Grant" ran from 1977 to 1982 and became the most popular newspaper drama ever broadcast on television. Journalists at the fictional Los Angeles Tribune strove to question authority while covering issues as thoroughly as possible. Daniel chronicles character development, plots (often reflecting real news of the day, from Vietnam vets and inner-city school violence to political corruption and homosexuality, although abortion and school busing were avoided), and censorship issues, coming from the CBS Program Practices department. Daniel provides plot summaries for all 114 episodes and delves into several of the 23 newspaper dramas that premiered (though most failed) during the three decades prior to this award-winning MTM Enterprises production. For five seasons, Lou Grant and his colleagues delivered a weekly dose of dramatic realism; this book serves as an indispensable tool for appreciating its impact on the newspaper genre and television drama as a whole.
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In Press...
**The following titles are (supposedly) in press.**
"Mary Tyler Moore"
by Sylvia Stoddard
A very recently written book. I do not know details on this work at the present time. Should be interesting, though. It's scheduled for release sometime in 2000.
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"Mary, Mary, Mary: The Mary Tyler Moore Show Companion"
by Ron Newcomer & Nick Toth
A guide to all the episodes in the series.
Out of Print
The following titles are not in print at the moment; some of them can be obtained by contacting your local bookseller.
This book is a study on many of the shows MTM Enterprises produced, including MTMS, "Rhoda", "Lou Grant and "Hill
Street Blues". Also includes a complete listing of all the shows/pilots MTM Enterprises ever made, and a little
about the ones that didn't last as long as MTMS. However, it reads more like a textbook for a college class on television appreciation.
Certainly an in-depth study that took a great deal of effort. Your local bookseller can probably track down a copy of it, but the cost will be in the $30-50 range since it is out of print. This could take months.
Recommended for tart sophists and talmid scholars.
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