The
Mary Tyler Moore Show – The Complete Sixth Season (1975 – 1976/Fox DVD)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: D Episodes: B
Though we have not seen any Phyllis DVD sets announced, The
Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rhoda (via
Shout! Factory, reviewed elsewhere on this site), continue to roll out. Now comes The Mary Tyler Moore Show
with The Complete Sixth Season and many consider it the peak of the
series by virtue of the show hitting its stride and because it includes the
legendary Chuckles The Clown
episode. For our previous coverage of
earlier seasons, try these links:
Season
Two
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2417/The+Mary+Tyler+Moore+Show+-+The
Season
Four
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3933/The+Mary+Tyler+Moore+Show+-+The
Season
Five
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9153/The+Mary+Tyler+Moore+Show
You get all 24 episodes over 3-DVDs and the storylines get
ever more character-focused. Guest stars
include Pricilla Morrill as Lou Grant’s ex-wife getting remarried, Penny
Marshall, Mary Kay Place, Bill Zuckert, Dian Parkinson, Eileen Heckart as
Mary’s Aunt Flo, John Harkins (from Dark Shadows) as the priest at Chuckle’s
funeral, Mackenzie Phillips, Phillip R. Allen, Tamu Blackwell, John Ritter,
Beverly Garland, David Groh (in a Rhoda cross-over show), Ted Bessell from That Girl in a coy piece of casting as
a new boyfriend for Mary, Beth Howland, Connie Sawyer, Wynn Irwin, Titos
Vandis, Michael Tolan back as an old flame of Mary’s, Dabney Coleman, Jeff
Conaway, Janis Paige, Edward Winter, Patricia Estrin and Robbie Rist.
Other highlights include Ted and his taxes, Ted and
Georgette having children and Murray having his own issues. It was another really good season and though
they were doing great, you could feel they were peaking and it could not last
forever.
The full frame 1.33 X 1 image was shot on film and is
still colorful, but that color is closer to the last season than the Second we looked at, plus the image is
clean and on the clear side. There are
some detail and softness issues here and there, plus the episodes are a little
uneven throughout, but this is color rich enough to offset the flaws. Director of Photography William T. Cline,
A.S.C, continued to make the show look great.
The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is fuller and richer than expected, music,
dialogue and all like before, but there can be more compression more often this
time around.
And there are no extras.
- Nicholas Sheffo