The Mary Tyler Moore Show (TV Series) What's Wrong with Swimming? (1976) User Reviews

Mary Has to Crack the Whip

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 2 March 2017]

Lou gives Mary permission to make her own decision when it comes to a new sports commentator. She hires a female Olympic swimmer. She has been in broadcasting for a while, but doing sports is new for her. Mary knows she is in trouble when the woman asks her about Fran Tarkenton (who is she?). Mary and Lou have gone around and around about women and sports, but Lou relents. So when this person completely blows it in her first outing and refuses to do things she's told, it gets really interesting. There is a standoff with Mary, being in an executive position, and the swimmer, who tries to intimidate her. The episode has some funny stuff, but it isn't one of the most impressive.

Affirmative action blows up in Mary's face

[robert3750 · 6/10 · 19 January 2022]

Awful decision on the part of Mary. Affirmative action blows up in her face. She was so hell bent on hiring a female sportscaster that she never bothered to find out if the woman was knowledgeable about sports in general. Of course, Mary never exhibited knowledge of sports herself, so she shouldn't have been the one to do the hiring in the first place.

I told you so

[Rrrobert · 8/10 · 2 March 2020]

Another solid episode. The comedy comes naturally from the characters and story.

Mary wants to hire personable and intelligent ex-swimmer Barbara Jean Smathers (Caren Kaye) who has done some broadcasting, as sportscaster. Ted, Murray, Lou are resistant, but as producer it is a decision Mary is free to make.

The situation is well articulated as Mary frets over the decision and then tries to manage Barbara Jean while Lou stands-by. The closing scene with Mary and Lou is great.

What's Wrong with Swimming?

[studioAT · 5/10 · 17 July 2020]

A fun episode, with Mary having to crack the whip when a new sports commentator doesn't cut it.

With some lovely interactions along the way, this was a lot of fun.