"Rhoda"

Cafe Society
1

I’ve been watching episodes of “Rhoda” lately, which I haven’t seen since it first aired back in the 70s. What I’m noticing is that Rhoda isn’t nearly as interesting a character as she was on the *Mary Tyler Moore Show, *in which she served as a “foil” for the more conventional Mary. Without Mary, Rhoda’s own ordinariness comes out.

And I’ve noticed that Brenda is now the foil that Rhoda used to be . . . self-conscious, self-effacing, constantly dealing with issues with her appearance and her weight, desperate to have a man in her life . . . and of course having to deal with their mother Ida. Brenda is now the more interesting character, and the episodes focusing on her are generally the best.

2

This is Carlton your doorman…is the only thing I remember about the series.

3

Carlton! He was a hoot.

I remember Rhoda’s husband. He was hot. I stopped watching when they split up.

4

They did an animated special about Carlton. Not bad, actually, but the ratings were terrible so they gave up plans to turn it into a weekly show.

Carlton’s voice was by Lorenzo Music, who also did the animated Garfield.

5

David Groh. He passed away a couple of years ago.

6

And of course, Julie Kavner (Brenda) is now the voice of Marge Simpson.

7

You are correct, and the writers knew it, too. Particularly during the time Rhoda was married to Joe, she was happy, which is not the natural condition for sitcom characters. The writers started throwing more storylines to Brenda, but eventually solved the problem by splitting up Rhoda and Joe.

8

Rhoda was one of the few shows that actually got BETTER as it progressed. The problem was Rhoda was a great second banana and to put a second into a lead is always a difficult thing

The first season of Rhoda was OK, the second after marriage was bad. Why? Because it changed the character too much. After the divorce, it started slowly to become better and better.

Rhoda found a new friend in Anne Mera, they brought in Ron Silver and gave Brenda a boyfriend. By the last season it was really a hundred times better than the first.

So what happened? Mary Tyler Moore’s end that’s what. Mary Tyler Moore ended her show and it went into syndication.

All of a sudden viewers were able to see fat, frompy, and hysterically funny Rhoda, and match her against the thin, confident, and not-so-funny Rhoda.

By this time it was hopeless as you couldn’t compete against that.

The thing is LOSERS = FUNNY. Winner’s usually don’t

When show characters get their own show, you have to find a new hook for them.

Look at Mama’s Family. Mama of the Carol Burnett Show sketches was a real bitch. She was a self centered, antagonistic, blue haired dragon. But when they made Mama the center of a show, they changed this. Why? Because the central character needs to be sympothetic and have a hook.

This happened to Phyllis as well. Phyllis of Mary Tyler Moore, was basically an unlikeable character. This is fine in small doses when it’s played off against others. When given her own show this trait was unbearable. Phyllis didn’t last because they didn’t change her. (Well it was the big reason anyway)

Rhoda was truly one of the best second banana characters. Look at epidsode #2 of the Mary Tyler Moore Show, when she finds out the guy she invited over to drinks as a date is bringing his newly married wife. She dumps a whole container of bacon curls in her lap and starts goring. Pretty funny stuff, but nothing like the new Rhoda would’ve done.

One of my favourite Rhoda moments form the Mary Tyler Moore Show

9

And another reason *Phyllis *didn’t last was because every single one of the characters was annoying as hell (especially that older couple she lived with). I started watching it the same time I started watching *Rhoda, *but after about five episodes I couldn’t take it any more.