The Mary Tyler Moore Show (TV Series) WJM Tries Harder (1974) User Reviews

Nicely done story

[Rrrobert · 8/10 · 26 October 2019]

Mary dates a news presenter from a rival TV station, which has a highly sophisticated and effective newsroom and the hottest ratings in town.

Mary feels embarrassed about the lowly WJM operation, not helped when her new beau makes cracks about WJM news and Ted's blunders. (This guy thankfully isn't the focus of the episode, and it isn't a 'dating' episode.) When WJM news gets a small budget increase, Lou takes Mary's suggestion that they hire college students as stringers. Then one calls through a big story that can't be corroborated...

This is a nice classic story with each of the regulars doing what they do best and lots of big laughs.

As an aside I always love Ted's outfits. He had beautiful clothes but usually the coordination just a little off or overdone. But here his grey suit with black and white tie and white pocket square looks great.

Ned Wertimer who here plays a worker in the other newsroom, was previously a WJM staffer who guilted Mary into doing his Christmas Eve shift.

Pete (J. Benjamin Chulay), the blond WJM staffer, has a bigger role than usual and a bit of dialogue.

We're Small; But We're Tough

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 16 February 2017]

Mary starts going out with a guy from another TV station, the biggest in town (probably patterned after WCCO). When she visits that station, she begins to be ashamed of WJM. Lou tries to cheer her up, but it is no use. Ted once again does everything to make a mockery of the little station. The guy she goes with says they have no monitor on her station because when Ted does the news, everyone gathers around the monitor laughing, and no one gets anything done But it's the small things that count and there are ways of being the best you can be. There is a brainstorming session in Lou's office where Ted barges in. It's pretty funny.