The Mary Tyler Moore Show (also known as
Mary Tyler Moore as seen in the opening titles) is an
American television sitcom created by
James L. Brooks and
Allan Burns that aired on
CBS from September 19, 1970 to March 19, 1977. The program was a television breakthrough, with the first never-married, independent career woman as the central character:
As Mary Richards, a single woman in her thirties, Moore presented a character different from other single TV women of the time. She was not widowed or divorced or seeking a man to support her.
It has also been cited as "one of the most acclaimed television programs ever produced" in US
television history.
Over a seven-year period, it received high praise from critics and
Emmy Awards for
Outstanding Comedy Series three years in a row (1975, 1976, and 1977).
[ The show continued to be honored long after the final episode aired. In 2003, USA Today called it "one of the best shows ever to air on TV".]
