Mary Tyler Moore 1936-2017

It's hard to overstate what Mary Tyler Moore meant to television. One of the biggest icons in the history of the medium, and especially for women on TV, she became famous after being cast as Laura Petrie, the wife of Rob Petrie on Carl Reiner's legendary 1960's sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-66). She and Van Dyke were the epitome of the happy married couple on a show that was groundbreaking in the Kennedy era, and she won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy, but after that, she formed a production company with her husband Grant Tinker, and went on to star in The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-77). As Mary Richards, successful single working woman, she changed the face of how women could be seen not just on television, but culturally as well.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show was emblematic of a changing society in the 1970's, but amazingly, it still holds up today, mostly because it was so damn funny. One of the great ensemble casts of all time that saw nearly every single actor win at least one Emmy during its run, it led to many spinoffs, including Rhoda, Phyllis, and Lou Grant. MTM Productions was responsible for not only the spinoffs, but also such television staples as The Bob Newhart Show, WKRP in Cincinnati, Hill Street Blues, Remington Steele and Newhart. The impact of the show (for which Moore won three Emmys as Lead Actress) would leave Moore forever seen as that character, but she went on to act in films, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for 1980's Ordinary People, a role that turned her cheery, sunny image on its head as a cold, distant mother. She was also an activist for various causes, including animals rights and juvenile diabetes, which she was diagnosed with in her early 30's. She won the SAG lifetime achievement award in 2011 and died yesterday from cardiopulmonary arrest due to pneumonia. Her legacy lives on, as one of the most influential comediennes in television history, up there with Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

The Dick Van Dyke Show was often times a flat out musical comedy, and the chemistry between Mary Tyler Moore and Dick Van Dyke is what made Rob and Laura such an appealing couple:

Since they have the whole thing on youtube, I'm just posting the full episode of the classic MTM from Season 6- "Chuckles Bites the Dust":

Golden Globes TV Predictions

On the TV side of things, the HFPA pretty much just goes for what they like, which is usually the new, shiny nominee with the most recent buzz. In most categories anyway. Let's have at, shall we?

BEST DRAMA SERIES

  • The Crown
  • Game of Thrones
  • Stranger Things
  • This is Us
  • Westworld

This may be trickier than it looks to predict, because we've got four hot new shows here. Hmm. So which one does the HFPA love the most? I'm thinking The Crown. Prestige period drama about the royal family? Yeah, that's Globe catnip if ever there was any.

Winner: The Crown

Alt: This is Us

Dark Horse: Westworld

BEST COMEDY/MUSICAL SERIES

  • Atlanta
  • Black-ish
  • Mozart in the Jungle
  • Transparent
  • Veep

They really love this Mozart in the Jungle show, but do they go for it yet again? Seems like too much for them. But what wins instead? To be honest, none of these other shows feel like their type. Is it Veep, after five seasons? New kid on the block, Atlanta? I'm stumped on this one.

Winner: Atlanta

Alt: Mozart in the Jungle

Dark Horse: Veep

BEST DRAMA ACTOR

  • Rami Malek, Mr. Robot
  • Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
  • Matthew Rhys, The Americans
  • Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan
  • BIll Bob Thornton, Goliath

I thought for sure Rami Malek would win this last year and he didn't, so maybe they catch up with him this time, after his Emmy win. Otherwise, I think Matthew Rhys may have a shot. None of these actors' shows got nominated in drama series, so it's kind of a free for all.

Winner: Rami Malek

Alt: Matthew Rhys

BEST DRAMA ACTRESS

  • Caitriona Balfe, Outlander
  • Claire Foy, The Crown
  • Keri Russell, The Americans
  • Winona Ryder, Stranger Things
  • Evan Rachel Wood, Westworld

I think Foy should take this one, as the young Queen Elizabeth. The HFPA almost always chooses a first time nominee from a hot new show here, but Winona Ryder is tempting, as a veteran star in a comeback role.

Winner: Claire Foy

Alt: Winona Ryder

Dark Horse: Caitriona Balfe

BEST ACTOR COMEDY/MUSICAL

  • Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
  • Gael Garcia Bernal, Mozart in the Jungle
  • Donald Glover, Atlanta
  • Nick Nolte, Graves
  • Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent

I'm saying Donald Glover for this, following the hot newcomer trend. 

Winner: Donald Glover

Alt: Gael Garcia Bernal

BEST ACTRESS COMEDY/MUSICAL

  • Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
  • Sarah Jessica Parker, Divorce
  • Issa Rae, Insecure
  • Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin
  • Tracee Ellis-Ross, Black-ish

Yikes. With two previous first time winners here, I'm not sure if they'll repeat or go for someone new. They've never gone for Julia Louis-Dreyfus, despite her epic awards run for Veep- could the Globe finally be hers? Or maybe Tracee Ellis-Ross is the new winner? I could honestly see any one of either Bloom, Louis-Dreyfus, Rodriguez or Ellis-Ross winning.

Winner: Tracee Ellis-Ross

Alt: Rachel Bloom

Dark Horse: Julia Louis-Dreyfus

BEST LIMITED SERIES

  • American Crime
  • The Dresser
  • The Night Manager
  • The Night Of
  • The People vs. OJ Simpson

I'm guessing People v. OJ, although to be honest, I'm not sure if the HFPA's tastes align with that show. If not for all the hype, I'd be tempted to go with something like The Night Manager. But it was a little too much of a cultural, zeitgeisty thing to be ignored by them.

Winner: The People vs. OJ Simpson

Alt: The Night Manager

BEST ACTOR- LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE

  • Riz Ahmed, The Night Of
  • Bryan Cranston, All the Way
  • Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager
  • John Turturro, The Night Of
  • Courtney B. Vance, The People vs. OJ Simpson

I should maybe go for OJ in all these categories, same as the Emmys did. But I'm less certain about it, knowing this voting group. I'm saying Tom Hiddleston.

Winner: Tom Hiddleston

Alt: Courtney B. Vance

BEST ACTRESS- LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE

  • Felicity Huffman, American Crime
  • Riley Keough, The Girlfriend Experience
  • Sarah Paulson, The People vs. OJ Simpson
  • Charlotte Rampling, London Spy
  • Kerry Washington, Confirmation

Paulson it is, with less competition here, seeing as how these other shows don't have as much Globes attention.

Winner: Sarah Paulson

Alt: Kerry Washington

Dark Horse: Riley Keough (don't ask me why- I just have a feeling the HFPA knows this is Elvis Presley's granddaughter)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

  • Sterling K. Brown, The People vs. OJ Simpson
  • Hugh Laurie, The Night Manager
  • John Lithgow, The Crown
  • Christian Slater, Mr. Robot
  • John Travolta, The People vs. OJ Simpson

Okay, I'm deviating from OJ here. I'm gonna go with John Lithgow, who was extremely good and a total scene-stealer as Winston Churchill. Again, it feel like Globes catnip.

Winner: John Lithgow

Alt: John Travolta (they would like this performance)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

  • Olivia Colman, The Night Manager
  • Lena Headey, Game of Thrones
  • Chrissy Metz, This is Us
  • Mandy Moore, This is Us
  • Thandie Newyon, Westworld

I'm at a disadvantage here, having not seen any of This is Us or Westworld. I don't even know if those shows are up Golden Globe alley or not. It'd be nice to see Lena Headey win something for Game of Thrones someday, but the Globes do like the new. I'm thinking Thandie Newton. On the other hand, there is precedent for the Globes using this category to catch up with someone who's overdue, and Headey would be the most obvious beneficiary of that. Hmm.

Winner: Lena Headey

Alt: Thandie Newton

Dark Horse: Mandy Moore

The CW Reinvents the Archie Characters with New 'Riverdale' Show

I've been in need of a trashy new teen drama for while now, ever since Gossip Girl ended. I've always gotta have a good guilty pleasure. Before that it was The O.C., before that the classics of the WB like Dawson's Creek and Felicity (Buffy doesn't count as a guilty pleasure, that was high art which I will defend as such until the end). So I've been waiting for one for some time- could this finally be it? Produced by the superhero maestro Greg Berlanti (although he was formerly the creator of Everwood), this reinvention of the classic Archies comics is supposedly Gossip Girl meets Twin Peaks, but early word from TV critics is that the first four episodes are deliciously addictive. I'm in. But how funny is it to see the original 90210's Luke Perry as the dad in a teen soap?? Riverdale starts January 26th.

Quinn Returns in New Trailer for 'Homeland' Season 6

It's ridiculous for Quinn to still be alive frankly, but I'm with Homeland til the bitter end at this point. Even if they did jump the gun with their optimism in predicting a female president (and this is not an optimistic show, which makes it even more bittersweet). But really, Quinn can't possibly be mobile this season. And his entire role on the show was as the action hero Jack Bauer type, so what are they going to do with him? I know they didn't want to get rid of Rupert Friend, but I can't imagine the use of a debilitated Quinn, can you?

Alan Thicke 1947-2016

Beloved sitcom dad Alan Thicke passed away suddenly from a heart attack today at the age of 69. The Canadian actor was best known for playing Jason Seaver on ABC's Growing Pains from 1985-1992, but had also hosted a Canadian daytime talk show, The Alan Thicke Show, on the CBC from 1980-83, and had had a successful career as a composer of TV theme songs in the 1970's. The best known of these were the themes to the sitcoms Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life. He went on to make various guest appearances on TV shows throughout the years and hosted many TV events, including game shows and beauty pageants. He is survived by his wife and his three children, including pop star Robin Thicke.

Opening to Growing Pains Season 3: (confession: I've always had a weird affinity for this show's theme song and opening credits- I watched it in reruns as a kid but the song was particularly memorable to me for some reason)