Curiosities The Sitemaster would like to extend thanks to Harry Binswanger, Christopher Olson, Patrick McGeehan, and Ben Harding for their generous contributions to this section of the site.
Joshua Bryant
Joshua Bryant played Mary's old friend Sandy, a concert pianist, in "Baby Sitcom". In "Son of But Seriously Folks", a writer named Joshua Bryant (played by Gavin O'Herlihy, aka the short-lived Chuck Cunningham of "Happy Days") is seen leaving WJM-TV to go off to write for Walter Cronkite.
Turner & Mitchell
Lloyd Turner and Gordon Mitchell scripted the Emmy-winning "Toulouse-Lautrec is One of My Favorite Artists" (episode 1.7). They were recognized an episode later in "The Snow Must Go On" as the two candidates running for mayor (Ted: "Turner 85, Mitchell 23 !!") Side note: Lloyd Turner and Gordon Mitchell also wrote for the hit series "Get Smart".
Just Around the Corner
Mary's parents move into the neighborhood in episode 3.7, "Just Around the Corner"...kind of strange they never stop by and are never mentioned again after episode 3.11, "You've Got a Friend"!
Ouch, Ted must have cut himself!
In "Farmer Ted and the News", Ted is seen wearing two band-aids on two fingers in the second half of the show. In the first half, he was doing a commercial for a tomato slicer...he must have cut himself.
Mark Williams and Marc Williams
Played by Peter Haskell, Mark Williams interviews Mary Richards in the third season episode "What is Mary Richards Really Like", and then Regis Cordic plays Marc Williams in the fourth season episode "WJM Tries Harder".
How many station managers/owners of WJM-TV were there?
About seven or eight...although whether or not they owned the station or managed it is sometimes unclear. In the final episode of Season 1, the owner is Wild Jack Munroe, played by Slim Pickens. In the final show, WJM gets another managerial clean-out and the new owner/manager is Mr. Coleman, played by Vincent Gardenia. David Ogden Stiers plays one of the managers toward the end of the final season. Ron Rifkin played Ed Schroeder, who was seen in "A New Sue Ann" in Season 5. At least several others are referred to over the years, one of them being a certain Mr. Finch.
Phyllis and Lars, and L&P Management
In the premiere episode, "Love is All Around", Phyllis tells Mary that she found the apartment and signed a year's lease for her, so Rhoda wouldn't get it. Then, of course, Rhoda has already claimed the apartment for herself. In the midst of the argument over this, Phyllis says, "I'll go get the owner", but then she immediately reports that the owner is out of town. But wait! Phyllis and Lars are the managers of the building; they're supposed to handle such conflicts. It isn't the owner's problem! Also, she couldn't have "found" the apartment; the previous tenant moved out and it was vacant.
In "Where there's Smoke, There's Rhoda", Phyllis complains about having to pay for the damage caused by the fire in Rhoda's apartment. But wait! If Phyllis is just the manager of the building, it isn't her responsibility...unless she and Lars bought the building at some point, and that is never asserted. The owner of the building most assuredly has fire insurance, since it's an apartment building, and not having insurance would be illegal.
So, to say that Phyllis was Mary's "landlady" is not really accurate.
Lou and Phyllis
Lou Grant, Phyllis Lindstrom. Grant Tinker has a real-life sister named Phyllis.
Is Lars Lindstrom short, overweight and balding?
Maybe, maybe not. In "Ménage à Phyllis", Mary describes Lars as "short, overweight, and balding". In "The Lars Affair", Ted describes him as a tall, handsome blonde. But Sue Ann Nivens, the hungriest female in television, had an affair with him. He must have been good looking...to quote Sue Ann, "why date a dud when you could grab a stud?"... so the "short" description is probably inaccurate. Well, we never did see the guy, so who knows. The answer is lost in limbo.
Shot Down in...what?!
The name of the eclectic clothing store in "Angels in the Snow" is called Shot Down in Ecuador Junior. Is that not the weirdest name for a place of business you've ever heard? Thank Marylin Miller and Monica Johnson for that, because they wrote the episode. Listen
Turner, Mitchell, Lorenzo
In "The Snow Must Go On", Turner and Mitchell are running for mayor. But there are some other familiar names on the election board as well. 'Lorenzo' is one of the names...certainly an in-joke aimed at writer/audience warm-up man Lorenzo Music. After his two-year stint on MTMS, Mr. Music went on to create and direct "The Bob Newhart Show" (with MTMS crony Dave Davis) and two years after that, to start up his six-year role as Carlton, Your Doorman on "Rhoda".
Beverly Garland on "Twilight Zone" and "MTMS"
Longtime character actress Beverly Garland appeared as Veronica Ludlow on "Lou Douses an Old Flame". Evidently Veronica dumped Lou for another guy, and now is dating a guy who's a trombone player in a travelling band. He needs the money to get his trombone fixed. Sixteen years earlier, Beverly Garland played a character named Maggie in the classic "Twilight Zone" episode called "The Four of Us are Dying". In fact, her performance was so good that Rod Serling said to her, "You really played her with such feeling...I had no idea I'd written her so deeply." Maggie was a somewhat rootless torch singer in a nightclub, and was in love with a guy named Johnny Foster who played the trumpet. So, perhaps in some small way, the reprising of Beverly as a musician's girlfriend was not coincidental. And if that was the case, it was a very clever move on the casting director's part. FYI: Ms. Garland is best known as Barbara Harper-Douglas of "My Three Sons".
John McMartin, Minneapolis Lawyer?
John McMartin played Barry Munroe, councilor of law, in "Mary Gets a Lawyer" (season 7). He also played a lawyer in two episodes of "Phyllis", and they were both based in Minneapolis...but his name wasn't Barry Munroe!
Mary the Writer?
In episode 7.2, Mary and Georgette have a conversation at the beginning of the show about writing. Georgette asks her if she's ever taken any writing courses. Mary says, "I took a creative writing course in college, but that's all." In reality, she took two more writing courses! One in the second season, in which she met her man Dan Whitfield (in "Room 223"), and one in the fourth season (in "Two Wrongs Don't Make a Writer"), where Ted rips off her story called "When I was Seventeen".
Grant Tinker, the Underhanded Politican
In episode 5.19, Lou recalls his glory days as a reporter and decides to do a documentary about a political candidate. After two weeks of intensive research, he finds that the guy has a spotless reputation, and all he has to show for his work is this photo...of Grant Tinker!
Tim Brown, the new sportscaster?
Lou all-but hired him in episode 1.5, "Keep Your Guard Up", but we never see him again. Until the seventh season episode "What's Wrong with Swimming", we never hear about sports on WJM.
Ted Konopka, the dog
In the closing credits for "You Try to Be a Nice Guy", there's a guy named Ted Konopka listed as "Mrs. Goldman's Dog". It was Ted Knight (birth name: Taedeus Konopka) who plays Mrs. Goldman, Sherry's neighbor. Mrs. Goldman makes barking dog noises, whenever someone passes by her door.
Murray and Marie's Kids
Murray Slaughter has four kids...or does he have five? Bonnie (played by both Sherry Hursey and Tami Bula) and Lori (played by the young Helen Hunt) both appear in episodes. In one episode, we hear Marie Slaughter ask young Ellen (played by Eileen McDonough) to open the door at a party at their house. Le Chan (played by Michael Higa), Murray's adopted son, makes a cameo in the fifth season A Son for Murray. In the same episode, there's reference to a Suzy Slaughter, Murray and Marie's youngest child. It should also be noted that they hired young girls to play the daughters for episodes where there were get-togethers at Murray and Marie's home...and Helen Hunt certainly wasn't one of them!
Concert dress?
Mary's date, Sandy Sperakovsky (played by Joshua Bryant) is supposed to be a concert pianist. He's in town to perform with the Minneapolis Symphony. But he isn't exactly dressed for the concert when he comes to pick up Mary (who's dressed in a sexy black evening gown). Sure, he coulda changed at the hall, but later that night after they return from the concert, he's wearing that same turtle neck and sportcoat. Seems a trifle odd...or perhaps the guy stayed clear of tuxedos whenever he could.
No need to waste it?
In the opening theme song, the lyrics are, "Love is all around, no need to waste it." Does that really make sense? If love is all around, how can it be wasted?
Rhoda's Sister's Wedding
In Episode #50, "What is Mary Richards Really Like?", Rhoda refers to "her sister's wedding", as if she were already married. She doesn't really get married until Episode #75, "Rhoda's Sister Gets Married", months later!
Mary's Nephew?
In the first season episode Just a Lunch, Mary refers to her nephew. But she's an only child!!
Job Applications
In the seventh season episode Sue Ann Gets the Axe, Lou gives a false account of Mary's hiring, claiming that she came without credentials ("You had zilch!") to apply for the job of associate producer. In fact, she came to apply for a secretarial job. And she wasn't really without credentials...she had two years of college, as is mentioned in two different episodes.
Walter Tewksbury Typo!
I still need to get a still of this, but I'm informed that in the closing credits of A Boy's Best Friend, Walter Tewksbury (played by Nolan Leary) is listed as 'George' Tewksbury.
Arthur Price
In the third season episode Have I Found a Guy for You, a guy named Arthur Price (played by Daniel Keough) is boyfriend to Mary's friend Linda. Arthur Price was Mary Tyler Moore's agent during her years on MTMS. Good in-joke! But did they think no one would notice?
Where's the plastic?
Those of you who are fans of Rhoda will recall that Ida Morgenstern was the persona of a compulsive housewife. She kept plastic coverings on her couches and chairs at all times...or did she? In the fourth season episode Rhoda's Sister Gets Married, there is no plastic on the furniture!
The Teddy Awards
No, the Teddy Awards weren't named for Ted Baxter! Isn't that a surprise? In fact, 'Teddy' was an acronym for The Television Editors Award.
Phyllis Lindstrom, M.S.
She's got a master's degree (probably in Home Economics!) But is it any wonder why she doesn't have a paying job?
What year did Mary graduate?
In the second season episode Didn't You Used to be...Wait...Don't Tell Me, Rhoda browses through Mary's high school alumni magazine. Rhoda queries, "Mair, what year did you graduate?" Mary replies, "1959." In Ted's Wedding, in season six, Mary lends him her high school "Class of 1958" ring. His reply, "Thanks a lot, Mary. If I ever get Georgette a real one, I'll get this back to you." Damn, Ted was a cheapskate!
Recycled Dining Area
This same restaurant booth is seen in about five different episodes. It first shows up in The Boss Isn't Coming to Dinner, Feeb, What is Mary Richards Really Like?, in the first and second seasons. In Feeb, Mary, Murray and Ted are supposed to be lunching at a new restaurant! The same booth is also seen in Hi There, Sports Fans, You've Got a Friend and Mary Richards Falls in Love.
The Coffee Mug Flub
In the second season episode "And Now, Sitting in for Ted Baxter", Ted tries to distract Mary by getting a cup of coffee. She reminds him that he has vacation time coming, but he doesn't want to leave, for fear of having his job stolen by a more competent anchorman. First he picks up a small teacup and saucer, and pours himself some joe. But wait...in the next frame, the teacup becomes a mug that says TED.
Chuckles the Clown's real name was...
George Bowerchuck. In the second season episode "Ted Over Heels", Ted dates his daughter, Betty Bowerchuck (played by the well-known character actress Arlene Golonka), for a short time. In the sixth season fireball "Chuckles Bites the Dust", his first name is revealed. He was married to Louise Bowerchuck.
Allen Ludden sends chain letters?
The gameshow host Allen Ludden (Betty White's husband) was also good friends with Grant Tinker and Mary Tyler Moore. In the second season episode "Don't Break the Chain", they used him in an in-joke dialogue between Mary and Lou. Here's the praiseworthy dialogue that takes place in Lou's office:
Lou: (shows Mary the list of names on the chain letter) Now look up here at this name.
Mary: Allen Ludden?
Lou: Yes.
Mary: (clueless) So?
Lou: Mary, Allen Ludden is no fly-by-night nobody...he's Allen Ludden!
Mary: Yes?
Lou: I've been watching Allen Ludden on television ever since "College Bowl". If Allen Ludden believes this chain letter is good enough for him, that's good enough for me. That's why I spent a lot of time picking people who wouldn't break the chain. People I could trust. People who are reliable, responsible, intelligent.
Ted:(walking into Lou's office) Lou, I got your chain letter.
Lou: And then I ran out of those people.
Mary bespectacled?
Mary Richards is seen wearing glasses twice, during two second season episodes. I think she gave up doing needlepoint, as well.
Rhoda's brother Arnold?
In episode 2.5, "A Girl's Best Mother is Not Her Friend", Ida Morgenstern says to Rhoda, "You leave your brother and sister out of this!", after Rhoda mentions "Brenda and Arnold". We never hear mention of Arnold again after this.
The Tinker Trophy Company
In the first season episode "Bob and Rhoda and Teddy and Mary", Lou hauls out a "Tinker" trophy to give to his staff, since none of them brought home a Teddy Award. Of course, that was an in-joke on Grant Tinker, president of MTM Enterprises.
A (Five-Thousand Watt) Radio Station in Fresno
In MTM's autobiography After All, she mentions that her ex-husband Richard Meeker first worked as a salesman for Ocean Spray™, but later found work at, yes, a small radio station in Fresno, CA in the seventies. Early in the series, the writers came up with Ted's famous, "It all started at a five-thousand watt radio station in Fresno, California..." speech. Could that have been an in-joke? Probably not, but it's an interesting coincidence.
Ted's Absent Father
In the first season episode "Anchorman Overboard", Ted refers to his mother and father, as if his father hadn't deserted the family when Ted was two years old, as we later learn in episode 4.6, Father's Day, when we meet Mr. Baxter, played by Liam Dunn.
Mary's Address
Mary's first address was 119 North Wetherly, Minneapolis. In some shows, the 'North' was dropped.
Which floor is the WJM Newsroom on?
The Newsroom is said to be on different floors. Is it on the thirteenth, the eighth, or the eleventh? The answer is lost in space and time. In Ménage à Phyllis, Phyllis' friend Mike says to Mary, "What's four floors between friends?" when he stops by to see her unannounced.
Mary Richards...still engaged?
Look closely...Mary's wearing a ring on the wedding finger! Looks like she didn't give the ring back to Bill, her ex-fiancée, in the first episode! More than likely, Jay Sandrich (the director of the ages) forgot to tell her to take off the ring.
Changing Clocks
The clocks in the WJM Newsroom were replaced with with newer ones around the start of the fourth season. An aside: Murray seems to have more hair in the photo on the right, taken from a fifth season episode.
Murray & Marie, Sittin' in a Tree
In The Slaughter Affair (2.17), Murray says that he and Marie have been wed for ten years. In I Love a Piano (5.6), he says they've been wed 18 years.
Ed Asner Football Photo
A recent edition of Biography featuring Edward Asner revealed that the famous black & white framed snapshot in Lou's office is, in fact, Ed himself. It is his high school football photo (taken circa 1946).
A Window in Lou's Office?
Was there one? Yes, in the early days of the Show, there was. It overlooked another neighboring building with some nice masonry. At some point in the first season, they patched it up and put a National Geographic Moon Map over the plaster.
From the folks at National Geo: "It was an odd decorating choice when Lou Grant hung "The Earth’s Moon" on his office wall; in early episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, there had been a window in the same spot! Mr. Grant isn’t the only TV character to put "National Geographic" publications on display. We’ve seen shelves of our yellow-edged magazines on Seinfeld and Mad About You. Years ago we spotted NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC on One Day at a Time." The map was originally published in the February 1969 issue of "National Geographic" magazine--very timely; Apollo 11 landed there five months later. (An updated version of the map, which looks very similar to Lou's-- is available by calling 1-800-962-1643 or by visiting www.trailsillustrated.com.) Thanks to Pat McGeehan for this information!
Ted's Specs
Also a first season attribute that was diminished at some point early on. In The Snow Must Go On, Ted is seen here with Mary donning his spectacles. Perhaps the producers felt his countenance was more geeky without them.
Premature Birth?
In the closing episode of Season 6, Ted and the Kid, Ted is pronounced infertile. That was on 3/6/76. However, Georgette gives birth to Mary Lou Baxter on 9/25/76 in Mary's apartment. A six and-a-half-month pregnancy is highly unlikely. Ted must have had a quick biorecouperation!
Frank Adamo was Dick Van Dyke's personal assistant. He appeared uncredited on a number of episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show. Adamo took care of Dick's children and handled his business affairs. By the mid 70's, nearly all of Van Dyke's kids were grown, so perhaps Frank was short on work. He appears as an extra in at least twelve MTMS episodes. He plays a cameraman in "A New Sue Ann" (Season 4), the doorman in the funeral parlor in "Chuckles Bites the Dust", he's a maitre'd in a couple of the Teddy Awards shows/shows where a restaurant was featured, a party guest...and he wasn't credited for a single one of them.
Grant Tinker, former president of MTM Enterprises and NBC, appears with his then wife, Mary Tyler Moore, in the opening and closing credit sequences:
Lisa Gerritsen, a.k.a. Bess Lindstrom, appears among this group of schoolchildren
with whom Mary follows toting her bag of groceries, in the closing credits.
A framed photo of Richard C. Meeker, Jr. (1956-1980), Mary's son, can be found in Mary's apartment.
The lady in green in the outdoor montage of "Bess, You is My Daughter Now" (1.3).
This untalented gal, so wanting to make her mark in the world of classic TV, made a point of popping in and out of the camera shots, instead of simply going about her business at the shopping mall. We've only included three shots here, but she appears in 8 (eight) different frames in the unedited prints of the episode.
The extras in the newsroom. This shot of Lou and Ted also features "the blonde guy" who appeared as a WJM desk occupant for nearly the lifetime of the Show. Actually, he is J. Benjamin Chulay, relative of the late John C. Chulay, an MTMS director.
James L. Brooks, producer and co-creator of MTMS (as well as Rhoda and Taxi), makes a cameo appearance in Enter Rhoda's Parents, as the dark-haired, quasi-Lincolnesque gentleman at the party. We can also credit him for being the loudest laugh in the studio audience in many episodes of MTMS, Rhoda, and Taxi. Listen for his "HA HA HA!", which one of his colleagues describes as a "honking" laugh.
The Golden Letters
Mary always keeps her golden 'M' mounted on the wall for all to enjoy. It remains on the living room wall of her 1119 N. Weatherley address...
...then it gets relegated to the kitchenette at the "towers" address.
Also note that Mary keeps a golden 'R' on her Wetherley wall, signifying Rhoda's permanent place in her heart.
This trend was continued in "Rhoda". Upon her marriage to Joe Girard, the expected "R & J" appears next to the coat closet.
Rhoda had a small golden 'etc.' that she kept conspicuous throughout her "MTMS" and "Rhoda" days.
Mary Richards: cheerleader or pompomist?
In the first season episode "Toulouse-Lautrec Is One of My Favorite Artists", we hear Mary
bashfully admit that she was head cheerleader in high school. Two episodes later, in "Keep Your Guard Up", she plainly says that she was NOT a cheerleader, but a pom-pom girl. Much later, in the sixth season episode "Mary's Delinquent", Mary changes her story again. Have a listen to the three audio clips, and decide for yourself.
Mary's Mother
In episode 1.3, "Bess, You Is My Daughter Now", Mary says that her mother's name is Marge.
Have a listen. But in fact, her mother's name is Dottie Richards (played by Nanette Fabray).
In episode 6.8, "Mary's Delinquent", Georgette tells of an imaginary friend she had as a youngster, named Dottie, who taught her how to tap-dance.
Now chew on these facts:
Rhoda's Sister, Debbie or Brenda Morgenstern ?
In the third season episode "Rhoda's Sister Gets Married", Rhoda's sister's name is Debbie Morgenstern
(played by Liberty Williams). We never see or hear from Debbie again after this episode. When Jim Brooks and Allan Burns were creating "Rhoda", they smartly decided to toss Debbie into limbo, and instead bring in Julie Kavner to play Brenda Morgenstern, Rhoda's younger sister. Had they kept Liberty Williams, "Rhoda" would never have lasted five seasons. Brenda at left ; Debbie, Aunt Rose (Brett Somers, who was once married to Jack Klugman) and Valerie Harper.
The Lindstrom Family Tree
On The Golden Girls, Betty White's character's name was Rose Lindstrom Nylund. She also grew up in St. Olaf, Minnesota! Those who watch The Golden Girls will recall Rose's countless references to her Swedish ancestors...was Lars Lindstrom one of them?
Inconsistent/Proconsistent Castings
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