#1
Posted: 2/2/14 at 12:39pm
I've been watching the sitcom Rhoda recently (part of my journey to revisit the 70s). I never watched it when it aired and so this is my first time viewing the material. I find it an interesting sitcom because all the parts seem to be in place, but it never really reaches the heights that it should.
Valerie Harper is an engaging actress. She proved herself on Mary Tyler Moore and I think definitely deserved her own sitcom. But when they moved her from funny sidekick to center stage, they couldn't think of enough situations to put her in. That's really a shame because they give her a "sexy" job and then spend the series largely ignoring it, choosing to focus on family. Valerie did well as "the wisecracker" but they just can't put her in enough situations to justify the dialogue. Plus in the transition to center stage, Valerie lost some of her great material to Julie Kavner.
Julie Kavner is great as the sister. She takes on all the material that Valerie had on the Mary Tyler Moore Show: overweight, can't find a date, etc. But what makes her better is that Julie has a deadpan delivery and an innocence that Valerie didn't have. Valerie wisecracked her way through, which was funny, but Julie is funny because of the innocence.
David Groh is wonderful as Joe. The unfortunate part is that the writers moved his storyline along too fast. A marriage in Season 1? What were they thinking? They should have spent at least two seasons developing Joe as boyfriend.
Nancy Walker is brilliant as the mother. She lifts the show everytime she is on it.
Of course, one of the most brilliant gags in tv history is Carlton the Doorman. This was a winner of an idea and has been repeated in other sitcoms to great effect.
By Season 3, you can see the writers grasping for straws as they introduce new characters. Ron Silver and Anne Meara are great characters, but it forces Rhoda into the position of being sidekick to them rather than the other way around. And it diminishes the work of David Groh who is just cast aside.
But Rhoda is fun to watch for the special guest stars they bring in. Leland Palmer played Rhoda and Brenda's weight loss coach. And Doris Roberts shows up as Ron Silver's mother. Of course, Jerry Stiller shows up as Anne Meara's ex-husband. And several other interesting people show up on the show.
Still the show ran for 5 seasons and has been issued on dvd, so Rhoda still lives on.
Valerie Harper is an engaging actress. She proved herself on Mary Tyler Moore and I think definitely deserved her own sitcom. But when they moved her from funny sidekick to center stage, they couldn't think of enough situations to put her in. That's really a shame because they give her a "sexy" job and then spend the series largely ignoring it, choosing to focus on family. Valerie did well as "the wisecracker" but they just can't put her in enough situations to justify the dialogue. Plus in the transition to center stage, Valerie lost some of her great material to Julie Kavner.
Julie Kavner is great as the sister. She takes on all the material that Valerie had on the Mary Tyler Moore Show: overweight, can't find a date, etc. But what makes her better is that Julie has a deadpan delivery and an innocence that Valerie didn't have. Valerie wisecracked her way through, which was funny, but Julie is funny because of the innocence.
David Groh is wonderful as Joe. The unfortunate part is that the writers moved his storyline along too fast. A marriage in Season 1? What were they thinking? They should have spent at least two seasons developing Joe as boyfriend.
Nancy Walker is brilliant as the mother. She lifts the show everytime she is on it.
Of course, one of the most brilliant gags in tv history is Carlton the Doorman. This was a winner of an idea and has been repeated in other sitcoms to great effect.
By Season 3, you can see the writers grasping for straws as they introduce new characters. Ron Silver and Anne Meara are great characters, but it forces Rhoda into the position of being sidekick to them rather than the other way around. And it diminishes the work of David Groh who is just cast aside.
But Rhoda is fun to watch for the special guest stars they bring in. Leland Palmer played Rhoda and Brenda's weight loss coach. And Doris Roberts shows up as Ron Silver's mother. Of course, Jerry Stiller shows up as Anne Meara's ex-husband. And several other interesting people show up on the show.
Still the show ran for 5 seasons and has been issued on dvd, so Rhoda still lives on.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
