"Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" (1976) TV series 1976-1978

Director:

Bob Lally

Writer:

Brad Buckner (writer)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

5 January 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Set in fictional Fernwood, Ohio, this deliriously demented serial focused on the beleaguered heroine Mary Hartman...

Plot Keywords:

Spoof | Repetition In Title | Cult TV | Indecent Exposure | Waxy Yellow Buildup

Awards:

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Louise Lasser	...	Mary Hartman (17 episodes, 1976-1977)
Greg Mullavey	...	Tom Hartman (16 episodes, 1976-1978)
Beverly Garland	...	Cookie LaRue (16 episodes, 1976-1977)
Norman Alden	...	Coach Leroy Fedders (15 episodes, 1976-1977)
Debralee Scott	...	Cathy Shumway (14 episodes, 1976-1977)
Mary Kay Place	...	Loretta Haggers (14 episodes, 1976)
Graham Jarvis	...	Charlie Haggers (14 episodes, 1976)
Dody Goodman	...	Martha Shumway (13 episodes, 1976)
Philip Bruns	...	George Shumway / ... (11 episodes, 1976-1977)
Bruce Solomon	...	Sergeant Dennis Foley (11 episodes, 1976-1977)
Victor Kilian	...	Raymond Larkin (10 episodes, 1976-1977)
Claudia Lamb	...	Heather Hartman (9 episodes, 1976)
Salome Jens	...	Mae Olinski (7 episodes, 1976-1977)

Series Directed by
Joan Darling		(11 episodes, 1976)
Jim Drake		(3 episodes, 1976)
Bob Lally		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Jerry Adelman		(12 episodes, 1976)
Daniel Gregory Browne		(12 episodes, 1976)
Ann Marcus		(12 episodes, 1976)
Brad Buckner		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Norman Lear	....	executive producer (1 episode, 1976)
Brad Buckner	....	producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Earle Hagen		(unknown episodes)
Bobby Knight		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Vince Humphrey		(unknown episodes)

Series Casting by
Ruth Conforte		(unknown episodes)

Series Costume Design by
Sandra Baker		(16 episodes, 1976-1977)

Series Production Management
Norman Lear	....	production supervisor (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Edwin McCormick	....	shop carpenter (4 episodes, 1976-1977)
Tommy Bond	....	prop management (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Kyle T. MacDowell	....	electrician (16 episodes, 1976-1977)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Frontis Chandler	....	costumer (1 episode, 1976)

Production Companies

• Filmways Television
• TAT Communications Company

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures Television
• Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (2001)
• Columbia TriStar Television
• Embassy Telecommunications
• Rhodes Productions
• Sony Pictures Television (2002-)

Other Companies

• KTLA  sound recording
• Metromedia Square  sound recording
• ShowBiz Enterprises  draperies

Runtime:

30 min (325 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-PG

Company:

Filmways Television

Trivia:

Then Nixon aide Ben Stein wrote an impassioned letter in support of the show early in the first season, when its future was strongly in doubt; his piece is considered at least one of the reasons it continued airing.

Quotes:

[Martha rushes through the kitchen]
George Shumway: What's the matter? The house on fire?
Martha Shumway: It would be better for us all if it was!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hard Soap, Hard Soap (1977)

A demented,glorious, masterpiece

Truly one of the greatest-and least remembered -TV shows of all time.I loved this show back in the seventies. It was a rich tapestry of comic-and touching- characters, exemplified by the naive heroine, Mary Hartman,and her friends, perhaps most unforgettable of whom was would be Country Music queen,Loretta Haggers, played by the sadly underused -and brilliant-Mary Kay Place.But then this show was rich in fine acting-Dabney Coleman, martin Mull, and Marian Mercer, among others.If the Comedy channel can rerun "soap" why cant they rerun this masterpiece?