I think that Rhoda is one of the best shows ever. You cannot beat the directions that this show took in breaking ground. It is the quiet gem and a very funny and moving show. Do you agree? Why is it that this show is so forgotten for its greatness?
shareThis was a great show. I would definitely say that it is probably the best spinoff ever created. I was initially skeptical when I heard that Rhoda was being spun off into her own show. Rhoda didn't seem like the kind of character to revolve an entire show around, but I was proven wrong. RHODA, for the majority of its run, was an immensely entertaining comedy.
shareI do not normally like American sit-coms, but Rhoda was really good.
Pity no DVD.
Well, much as I love Rhoda, lets not forget that as far as spin-offs are concerned, Maude broke a whole heck of a lot of ground, and it spun-off from All In The Family, two years prior to the start of Rhoda. Though, generally speaking, I'll admit I probably enjoy Rhoda more.
I am the movies I love! (^_^)
I know fans hate it when you go to an IMDB Board to criticize their personal favorites, but let's face it - few people would agree that "Rhoda" was one of the best shows ever. It was cute and had some funny moments and good episodes, was very well acted (Nancy Walker in particular, was a real treat); but I can think of hundreds of TV shows that were better than "Rhoda" and I'm sure most critics would agree with me, sorry.
share
I'm kind of on the fence with this one. I was a big fan of the Mary Tyler Moore show, and remember watching Rhoda when it originally aired, but then lost interest not long into it's run.
I think for me, the big mistake the show made was introducing the "Joe" character too quickly (though I found the character very likeable, and thought David Groh was very good). I would have preferred if they had just let Rhoda be "Rhoda" for at least a couple of seasons, and then possibly had her get married more towards the end of the series' run. Like Mary on her show, I think an unattached Rhoda would have given the show more story line "options", and kept it interesting for a longer time.
Though I'm probably wrong, I always had the feeling the producers of the show realized they kind of made a mistake with Joe, and ended up "getting rid of him" (relatively) quickly.
That being said, this was no doubt a quality series, with a lot to offer it's legion of fans. Valerie Harper was more than capable of carrying her own show (and did it so effortlessly!), but like the series it spun off of, this show's strength was also it's great supporting cast. Nancy Walker, of course, was a gem, but the real key was the excellent Julie Kavner, as "Brenda". If they had made a mistake in the casting of Rhoda's sister, it would have been especially difficult for the show to have had a successful run. I don't think this talented woman ever got enough credit for the good job she did as a "linch pin" of the cast. Again, just my opinion.
I picked up the season 1 dvd set, and would recommend it to anyone, if for no other reason than to enjoy the nostalgic "time trip" back to the 1970's, on a funny show filled with great, likeable characters.
Though I would have to agree with the earlier poster that this wasn't one of the greatest show of all time, compared to most of the absolute crap that passes for "entertainment" these days, this show easily qualifies as top-notch comedy from a "golden era" of television sitcoms (MTM, The Bob Newhart Show, WKRP).
Damn!! 35 YEARS already??? Where does it go........
"Hello, this is Carlton your doorman ....." Gerald David 'Lorenzo' Music 1937-2001
msdemos,
I agree with your entire post. The show is very good, and Valerie is amazing. But I do think the Rhoda/Joe relationship could have been handled better. The main thing was that the marriage happened so quickly. It seemed like the writers never gave any thought to what would happen AFTER. It would have been interesting if they made it more of a "will they/won't they?" type thing, then we would've had a chance to build up to the wedding. Plus we'd get to see more sides of both Rhoda and Joe, which would lead to some comedy, I'm sure.
As for the casting, I don't see how this show could have ever worked without Nancy Walker. Even on MTM, she was PERFECT as Rhoda's mother. Julie Kavner is great, too. You could easily see her as Rhoda's sister. And we can't forget Carlton the Doorman, LOL! We never even really SAW him, but he was always hilarious!
Although I was disappointed with the editing of the episodes on the DVD, particularly the pilot, I still highly recommend this set. Who knows? Maybe Shout will make up for it with Season 2. The only way to find out is for people to buy this one.
- Kristen
http://mtmshow.vze.com
You're right, "Kristen". As much as we fans might not like it, the only real way to "vote" for future releases is with our wallets.
BTW, nice to see that Fox is finally getting around to releasing more of Mary Tyler Moore (well, at least season 5, anyway!).
Something tells me that with a unique I.D. like yours, you're probably thrilled!!!
Now, if we could just get them to do the same with The Bob Newhart Show (one of my all-time faves)!!
Thrilled? What makes you think that? :P I pre-ordered the second I heard they were allowing it. I just wish Fox would hurry up and give us a date already. I think they've kept us waiting long enough. And just so this post isn't TOTALLY OT, I really hope Shout announces more of "Rhoda" soon. I'm not sure yet if I'd buy the later seasons, but I would certainly buy season 2.
- Kristen
http://mtmshow.vze.com
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