Rhoda: Season One – DVD Review

DVD Reviews, Reviews

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The 70s were a prime time for spin-offs. The great comedy hits had supporting characters blossom when the network brass gave them a solo shot at stardom. No Seinfeld curse afflicted the offspring of Happy Days and All In the Family. The Mary Tyler Moore Shows supporting characters continued their appeal when they moved out of Minneapolis. Lou Grant got serious. Phyllis went West. While not an official spin-off, Murray captained The Love Boat. The first of Marys friends to get her own show was upstairs neighbor Rhoda Morgenstern. Rhoda: Season One. It became an instant hit.

“Joe” has Rhoda visiting her family in New York City. She stays with her sister Brenda (Julie Kavner) in a rather cramped apartment. Her vacation goes a little longer when she meets Joe (David Groh). Hes a charmer that runs a wrecking company. The two seem almost made for each other. She decides that its not worth a trip home. Shes back to being a New Yorker. “You Can Go Home Again” has her searching for an apartment. Her hunt for an affordable rent is futile. Finally she takes up the offer to move back into her childhood bedroom. The price of living with her overbearing mom (Nancy Walker) is almost too much. “Ill Be Loving You, Sometimes” has Joe and Rhoda attempting to cool down their relationship by agreeing to see other people. She ends up on a date with Howard Hessman (WKRP in Cincinnatis Dr. Johnny Fever) in a swinger suit.

“The Lady in Red” has Rhoda job searching after she loses her unemployment. Her first day as an editors assistant takes her to the funeral of a major writer. However her red dress doesnt go over well next to the casket. The relationship with Joe and Rhoda moves extra fast on “Pop Goes the Question.” Joe asks her if she wants to move into his place. In 1974, shacking up was not a popular concept. Mary Tyler Moore makes a phone call cameo. Does Joe ask the right question afterward? Well the answer can be found in “The Shower.” They have bridal party for Rhoda. Amongst her old classmates is Linda Lavin (Alice).

“Rhodas Wedding” is presented in its hour long special format. Its a big event wedding with the gang from The Mary Tyler Moore Show flying in for the special occasion. Lou Grand (Ed Asner) is drunk upon arrival. Phyllis (Cloris Leachman) drops the ball on her former tenants biggest day. If you look carefully, youll see James L. Brooks make a cameo on the subway. When this aired, it was the biggest sensation of the season. “Honeymoon” puts Rhoda and Joe on the cruise from hell. Nothing goes right for the romantic couple. The legendary Charles Lane (Its A Wonderful Life) boards this not-quite Love Boat. The series really wanted to develop this relationship fast with “Im a Little Late, Folks.” She suspects shes already pregnant. But Rhoda doesnt quite become the Octomom.

“Chest Pains” has Rhoda take her mom to the doctor. What makes this episode a pure pop sensation is the guest stars include John Ritter and Norman Fell. It would still be a few years before they united for Threes Company. “Along Comes Mary” has Mary Tyler Moore return for another guest gig. Rhoda and Joe are preparing for a three day vacation when Mary shows up unexpectedly at the door. The couple cant split and leave her pal alone in Manhattan. Joe cant deal with his plans being wrecked. Rhoda has to chose between her new husband and her old friend.

The cast is what really makes this series click. Kavner looks like Harpers younger sister. If you close your eyes, youll realize that Kavner has become one of TVs greatest mothers. Walker is hilarious as the nagging mother who is never happy. She ended up directing Bruce Jenner and the Village People in Cant Stop the Music. The extraordinarily classy Gould was a fixture of 70s TV. He recently popped up on an episode of Cold Case. The comic Carlton the Doorman only spoke over the intercom was a purely flaky character. He was supposedly drunk while on the job. Producer Lorenzo Music provided the voice. He eventually became Garfield the Cat.

This first season of Rhoda finished the year as the #6 hit on TV. The show unleashed Rhoda from the confines of being an element of an ensemble cast. Her weird quirks flourished for the full half hour instead of waiting for Mary to stumble home. Her marriage to Joe is extremely bumpy which should have foretold their eventual divorce. But dont get too ahead of the 25 episodes on Rhoda: Season One. This was the season when everything was a pleasure for Marys old neighbor.

The Episodes

“Joe,” “You Can Go Home Again,” “I’ll Be Loving You, Sometimes,” “Parents’ Day,” “The Lady in Red,” “Pop Goes the Question,” “The Shower,” “”Rhoda’s Wedding (Two-parter),” “The Honeymoon,” “”9-E” is Available,” “I’m a Little Late, Folks,” “Anything Wrong?,” “‘S Wonderful,” “Good-Bye Charlie,” “Guess What I Got You for the Holidays,” “Whattaya Think It’s There For?,” “Not Made for Each Other,” “Strained Interlude,” “Everything I Have is Yours, Almost,” “Chest Pains,” “Windows by Rhoda,” “A Nice Warm Rut,” “Ida, the Elf” and “Along Comes Mary.”

The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The transfers vary depending on the episode. Nothing is a complete disaster. The big issue is that over half of the episodes were taken from the syndication prints. These appear a little worse than the original broadcast versions. The audio is mono. It was a show recorded live in front of a studio audience so the sound gets tricky when the actors move. The episodes are Closed Captioned.

Remembering Rhoda (10:17) has James L. Brooks discuss how Rhoda didnt go over well as a character during her first test on The Mary Tyler Moore. He based the character on his sisters friend. They had to do the spin-off or Valerie Harper was going to snag a different gig. Brooks talks about why they had to bust apart her marriage in the third season. The interviews are done with Brooks and executive producer/co-creator Allan Burns.

Rhoda: Season One has this series hit the ground running. The scripts and the actors rate up there with the action from The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The big disappointment of this boxset is the lack of all original broadcast versions of the series. But if you arent completely agitated by these snipped transfers, youll enjoy the comedy of a supporting character finally given the chance to solo.

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Shout! Factory presents Rhoda: Season One. Valerie Harper, Nancy Walker, Julie Kavner and Mary Tyler Moore. Boxset Contents: 25 episodes on 4 DVDs. Released on DVD: April 14, 2009. Available at Amazon.com

Joe Corey is the writer and director of "Danger! Health Films" currently streaming on Night Flight and Amazon Prime. He's the author of "The Seven Secrets of Great Walmart People Greeters." This is the last how to get a job book you'll ever need. He was Associate Producer of the documentary "Moving Midway." He's worked as local crew on several reality shows including Candid Camera, American's Most Wanted, Extreme Makeover Home Edition and ESPN's Gaters. He's been featured on The Today Show and CBS's 48 Hours. Dom DeLuise once said, "Joe, you look like an axe murderer." He was in charge of research and programming at the Moving Image Archive.