RHODA

USA / CBS – MTM Enterprises / 110×30 minute episodes / Broadcast Monday 9 September 1974 – Saturday 9 December 1978

Theme Music: Billy Goldenberg / Incidental Music: Billy Goldenberg (seasons 1 and 2), Richard Lewis Warren (seasons 3 and 4) and Les Hooper (season five) / Producers: David Davis, Charlotte Brown, Lorenzo Music, Allan Katz, Don Reo, Bob Ellison

Quirky sitcom spin off from The Mary Tyler Moore Show in which Rhoda Morgenstern moved back home to New York, she quickly fell in love and married businessman Joe Gerard who ran the New York Wrecking Company; He had been married before and had a 10 year old son.

At the start of the series Rhoda had been living in an apartment block with her sister Brenda and after her marriage she and Joe moved into an apartment in the same block. Rhoda then started her own window dressing business but married life began to pall and within two seasons she and Joe had separated.

Around this time more emphasis was also placed on Rhoda’s sister Brenda. During the next couple of seasons Rhoda re-adjusted to singledom but later began a relationship with entertainer Johnny Venture.

Again the following season brought changes; Rhoda changed jobs, she began working for the Doyle Costume company run by Jack Doyle and much of the action now centered around the company. Also a big part of the show was Rhoda’s typically Jewish mother Ida Morgenstern (Ida doesn’t appear in the third season though as Nancy Walker who plays her was busy appearing in her own self titled sitcom which only lasted the one season) whilst Carlton the doorman was much heard but never seen. Rhoda and her sister Brenda share the same middle name – Faye!

In 1974, Harper won the Emmy for Best Comic Actress and in 1975 the funny series won a Golden Globe for best comedy show. The show was deservedly popular and won lots of plaudits for its positive portrayal of ethnicity but interestingly neither Valerie Martin or Nancy Walker were actually Jewish themselves. In an episode of the Mary Tyler Moore show Rhoda had another sister called Debbie but she was never mentioned on this show.

cast
VALERIE HARPER as Rhoda Morgenstern Gerard
JULIE KAVNER as Brenda Morgenstern
DAVID GROH as Joe Gerard (1974-77)
NANCY WALKER as Ida Morgenstern
HAROLD J. GOULD as Martin Morgenstern
LORENZO MUSIC as the voice of Carlton the Doorman
CARA WILLIAMS as Mae (1974-75)
CANDY AZZARA as Alice Barth (1974-75)
TODD TURQUAND as Donny Gerard (1974)
BARBARA SHARMA as Myrna Morgenstern (1974-76)
SCOEY MITCHILL as Justin Culp (1975-76)
RON SILVER as Gary Levy (1976-78)
ANNE MEARA as Sally Gallagher (1976-77)
MICHAEL DELANO as Johnny Venture (1977-78)
KEN McMILLAN as Jack Doyle (1977-78)

THE EPISODES
SEASON ONE – 9 September 1974 – 10 March 1975
1. JOE
2. YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN
3. I’LL BE LOVING YOU SOMETIMES
4. PARENT’S DAY
5. THE LADY IN RED
6. POP GOES THE QUESTION
7. THE SHOWER
8. RHODA’S WEDDING PART ONE
9. RHODA’S WEDDING PART TWO
10. THE HONEYMOON
11. 9-E IS AVAILABLE
12. I’M A LITTLE LATE, FOLKS
13. ANYTHING WRONG
14. ‘S WONDERFUL
15. GOOD-BYE CHARLIE
16. GUESS WHAT I GOT YOU FOR THE HOLIDAYS
17. WHATTAYA THINK IT’S THERE FOR
18. NOT MADE FOR EACH OTHER
19. STRAINED INTERLUDE
20. EVERYTHING I HAVE IS YOURS, ALMOST
21. CHEST PAINS
22. WINDOWS BY RHODA
23. A NICE WARM RUT
24. IDA, THE ELF
25. ALONG COMES MARY

SEASON TWO – 8 September 1975 – 1 March 1976
1. KISS YOUR EPAULETS GOODBYE
2. RHODA MEETS THE EX-WIFE
3. IDA’S DOCTOR
4. MUCHO, MACHO
5. THE PARTY
6. BRENDA’S UNEMPLOYMENT
7. WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE
8. SOMEBODY DOWN THERE LIKES HIM
9. CALL ME GRANDMA
10. MYRNA’S STORY
11. LOVE SONGS OF J. NICHOLAS LOBO
12. FRIENDS AND MOTHERS
13. A NIGHT WITH THE GIRLS
14. BUMP IN THE NIGHT
15. IF YOU DON’T TELL HER, I WILL
16. RHODA’S SELLOUT
17. ATTACK ON MR RIGHT
18. IF YOU WANT TO SHOOT THE RAPIDS, YOU HAVE TO GET WET
19. THE RETURN OF BILLY GLASS
20. A FEDERAL CASE
21. THE MARTY MORGAN STORY
22. LET’S CALL IT LOVE
23. IT’S NOT MY FAULT, IS IT?
24. DON’T GIVE UP THE OFFICE

SEASON THREE – 20 September 1976 – 13 March 1977
1. THE SEPARATION
2. TOGETHER AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME
3. NO BIG DEAL
4. I WON’T DANCE
5. H-E-E-E-R-E’S JOHNNY
6. TWO LITTLE WORDS… MARRIAGE COUNSELOR
7. AN ELEPHANT NEVER FORGETS
8. RHODA QUESTIONS HER LIFE AND FLIES TO PARIS
9. MEET THE LEVYS
10. MAN OF THE YEAR
11. YOU DESERVE A BREAK TODAY
12. A TOUCH OF CLASSY
13. GUESS WHO I SAW TODAY
14. WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON NEW YEAR’S EVE?
15. LOVE FOR SALE
16. A NIGHT IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM
17. SOMEBODY HAS TO SAY THEY’RE SORRY
18. THE ULTIMATUM
19. RHODA’S MYSTERY MAN
20. NICK LOBO, SUPERSTAR
21. NOSE JOB
22. THE SECOND TIME AROUND
23. PAJAMA PARTY BINGO
24. TO VEGAS WITH LOVE

SEASON FOUR – 2 October 1977 – 23 April 1978
1. THE RETURN OF IDA
2. THE JOB
3. LADY’S CHOICE
4. ONE IS A NUMBER
5. IDA WORKS OUT
6. RHODA LIKES MIKE
7. THE WEEKEND
8. HOME MOVIES
9. JOHNNY’S SOLO FLIGHT
10. WHO’S SHY?
11. BLIND DATE
12. IDA ALONE
13. ALL WORK AND NO PLAY
14. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
15. THE JACK STORY
16. RHODA CHEATS
17. GARY AND IDA
18. AS TIME GOES BY
19. TWO’S COMPANY
20. BRENDA AND THE BANK GIRL
21. SO LONG, LUCKY
22. JACK’S BACK
23. FIVE FOR THE ROAD PART ONE
24. FIVE FOR THE ROAD PART TWO

SEASON FIVE – 23 September – 9 December 1978
1. MARTIN DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE
2. IN SEARCH OF MARTIN
3. RHODA VS IDA
4. BRENDA GETS ENGAGED
5. MEET THE GOODWINS
6. IDA’S ROOMMATE
7. MARTIN COMES HOME
8. JACK’S NEW IMAGE
9. MARTIN SWALLOWS HIS HEART
10. THE DATE IN THE IRON MASK
11. THE TOTAL BRENDA
12. EARL’S HELPING HAND
13. BRENDA RUNS AWAY