Episode
The Mary Tyler Moore Show: WJM Tries Harder
Overview
Mary begins dating the anchorman from Minneapolis's top news show and becomes ashamed of WJM-TV's smaller news operation.
Details
- Series
- The Mary Tyler Moore Show
- Season
- Season 4
- Episode
- Episode 16
- Air date
- 1974-01-05
- Runtime
- 25 min
Episode context
WJM Tries Harder is Episode 16 in Season 4 of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. It aired on 1974-01-05. The runtime is 25 min.
Previous / Next
Episode 15: Happy Birthday, Lou!
Lou is closing in on fifty and today is his birthday. Mary can't stand the thought of the now-separated Lou celebrating his birthday all alone, so she arranges a surprise party for him. That evening, she invites Lou over for a drink and the doorbell rings just as he tells her how much he appreciated her not throwing an office party for him that afternoon. Gordy is at the door with an envelope...full of hats. Others are out in the hallway, too. Lou is furious and tries to get out using the back door...but there is no back door. Mary asks Lou's permission to invite Murray in. He enters, miffed at Lou's actions. Next Rhoda, and finally Ted, get to come in. Lou admits that he hates displays of affection...then reluctantly agrees to let the remainder of the guests in. While they all file in, he files out and down to MacKluskey's bar where....they throw a surprise party for him. Later he returns to Mary's place to apologize...evidently the guests opened his gifts (at Ted's urging) and they a
Episode 17: Cottage for Sale
Phyllis, who has gotten her real estate license, persuades Lou to sell his house. However, Lou hasn't really made up his mind whether he wants to move.
More episodes from this season
Episode 14: Almost a Nun's Story
Georgette finds Ted making out with a woman in his dressing room. She then decides to enter a nunnery, but the head nun talks her out of it.
Episode 18: The Co-Producers
Mary and Rhoda are given permission to develop a new show for WJM but their dreams begin to fade when they find out that the hosts will be Ted and Sue Ann, who both begin to interfere with their plans.
Episode 13: I Gave at the Office
Murray's daughter, Bonnie, is looking for a job and Mary is persuaded into giving her one but Bonnie is not as efficient as everyone had hoped.
Episode 19: Best of Enemies
Rhoda tells the secret of Mary's that she never graduated from college, as she claimed on her job application, and their friendship is suddenly put at risk.
Episode 12: We Want Baxter
Phyllis persuades Ted to stand for local government. Ted agrees and goes so far as to quit his job at WJM-TV.
Episode 20: Better Late . . . That's a Pun . . . Than Never
To relieve her boredom, Mary jokingly writes a humorous obituary of one of the people in the WJM-TV file. Coincidentally, the same person dies the following day and the obituary is read on the air. Lou has no choice but to suspend Mary, but she threatens to quit in response.
Episode 11: Just Friends
Lou is still heartbroken over Edie's departure and asks Mary to help them get back together.
Episode 21: Ted Baxter Meets Walter Cronkite
After a heavy self-promotion campaign, Ted wins his first Teddy Award. When Walter Cronkite comes to the newsroom, Ted assumes that he will be hired by the networks.
Episode 10: The Dinner Party
Mary invites Congresswoman Geddes to a fancy dinner at her home, trying hard to ensure that everything is perfect.
Episode 22: Lou's Second Date
Lou and Rhoda find they have a lot in common and begin seeing each other on a casual basis but everyone assumes that the romance is serious.