LogFAQs > #928027349

The Mary Tyler Moore Show - "Chuckles Bites the Dust"
Nominated by: KBM

When I go back to the Nick at Nite/TV Land shows of yesteryear, I've often found that they just don't capture my interest in the way that newer shows do. There are many exceptions, of course, but there's something about the four-camera laugh track show that really slows down the momentum of a story, resulting in a less complex plotline in order to accommodate the constant intrusions of canned laughter. That does make this episode slightly more impressive, given the nuance of the plotline here.

The concept of understanding that there can be humor in darkness, that tragedy need not solely breed sadness, is something you don't see presented with any sort of complexity in television of this era. And even here, I hesitate to say that this is the best representation of that notion, but compare this to an era of kissing grits and wriggling noses for wishes, and you can see that the grappling with death in this episode is positively Dickensian from that perspective.

For me, what I really noticed was the eerie similarity between this cast and the cast of Murphy Brown. Aside from a major difference between Ed Asner and Miles, the casts are functionally copies of one another, right down to their choice of occupation. Mary and Murphy are opposites, the (surprisingly uninteresting) Betty White and Corky Sherwood Forest are opposites, Jim Dial and Ted Baxter are virtually identical... you can point to the various equivalent characters with ease. I think that actually took away from this episode overall for me. These people embody stock characters, not deeper, more meaningful characters that can resonate on a personal level. A lot of television is grounded in the superficial, and this is kind of the same way. Despite the attempt to achieve something a little bit more meaningful, it ultimately is mired in the processed writer's room conventions of old school television, and old school television is designed to cater to a particularly conservative audience. Not in political perspective but in creative accessibility.

So, this is the best of a lukewarm stew. That bite with a little extra flavor in an otherwise unremarkable meal.

Writing: 6/10
Characterization: 4/10
Scarlet Factor: 6/10
Overall Rating: 16/30

Next up is... LOST - "Walkabout" (Nominated by: Iceisnice)
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"It is too easy being monsters. Let us try to be human." ~Victor Frankenstein, Penny Dreadful