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(More customer reviews)"The Mary Tyler Moore Show" entertained TV viewers for seven full seasons on the Columbia Broadcasting System television network, from 1970 through 1977 -- and the one single most talked-about episode during the program's 168-show duration would certainly have to be THIS side-splitting entry from the sixth season, "Chuckles Bites The Dust".
"Chuckles" was the seventh episode of Season #6, and the 127th MTM program overall since its 1970 debut. I, personally, must have been in a very good mood when this "Chuckles" show was initially broadcast on network TV, because the Cincinnati Reds' baseball club had just three days earlier won their first World Series championship in 35 years, defeating the Boston Red Sox. And, being an avid Reds' fan at the time, it was a very good feeling to have the World Series trophy back in Cincy. This baseball info, of course, isn't the slightest bit relevant to this review about a TV sitcom, but I thought I'd toss that data into the pot due to the calendar dates being so close together. :-)
The Reds beat the Red Sox on October 22, 1975, to capture the World Series crown -- while MTM and "Chuckles" aired on Saturday, October 25, 1975, and entered the history books as well. Not by winning the World Series -- but by capturing on film one of TV history's best and most beloved single episodes of any program ever made.
Written (expertly to say the least) by David Lloyd, "Chuckles Bites The Dust" tells the sad, yet hilarious, tale of a clown (known as "Chuckles") employed by Minneapolis station WJM-TV who is killed in a (very) freak accident while leading a parade -- he's trampled to death by an elephant while wearing a "peanut" costume! :-)
Lou Grant (played by Edward Asner) is at first stunned when he relays the news of Chuckles' untimely death to the rest of the newsroom staff. But soon the unorthodox circumstances by which Chuckles fell victim to the Grim Reaper become the source of uproarious amusement to certain members of the WJM team, particularly Lou and Murray Slaughter (Gavin MacLeod).
Mary, however, cannot find any humor whatsoever in the death of their WJM colleague, and berates the others who are finding Chuckles' demise so immensely entertaining. But Miss Richards, too, will find it impossible not to laugh later -- at Chuckles' funeral services -- when Reverend Burns (played by John Harkins) is delivering the eulogy for the dear departed seltzer-squirting kid-show host.
It's hard not to crack up into uncontrollable belly-laughs multiple times during "Chuckles Bites The Dust" --- There's, of course, the hysterical funeral scene, when Mary just cannot contain her laughter (and then her tears), in a truly classic piece of comedic acting by the then-38-year-old actress. She is absolutely letter-perfect in this scene, with impeccable comedy timing.
I often wonder, when re-watching that great scene, if Mary performed it in just one "take", or if the episode's director had to do multiple re-takes to get it just right. That information is probably available to the masses somewhere, in one of the various books written about the MTM Show -- but right now I cannot recall if it was a "one-take" shot or not. Anyway, truly a memorable moment in television history, to be certain.
But in addition to Mary's side-splitting funeral scene, there are a few other raucously-funny moments in this "Chuckles" episode as well. Murray, Lou, and Ted Baxter (Ted Knight) get in several good zingers too, including Murray's hilarious "peanut" comment (as noted in my title line of this review), which was spoken following Lou's set-up line -- "It's lucky more people weren't hurt". (LOL!)
Interestingly, the Director for the "Chuckles" episode was not one of the show's usual helmsmen (such as Jay Sandrich, Peter Baldwin, Jerry Paris, Alan Rafkin, or Jerry Belson). No, "Chuckles", instead, was directed by Joan Darling. It was, as a matter of fact, the *only* MTM episode Darling ever directed. And she was nominated for an Emmy Award for it! How 'bout that!
If you're ever in the mood to watch a knee-slapping, fall-down-funny half-hour episode of a TV sitcom that stars a lovely lady whose initials are "MTM", then having this VHS tape of "Chuckles Bites The Dust" on the video library shelf is more than simply a good idea -- it's mandatory!
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The Mary Tyler Moore Show: "Chuckles Bites The Dust" Plus Bonus Episode "Once I Had A Secret Love" (1970)Chuckles Bites the Dust: "Murray, Lou, and Ted find it hard to keep a straight face when they learn that WJM's Chuckles the Clown has been killed by a rogue elephant. But for the always proper mary, the untimely ‘shelling' of Chuckles is no laughing matter."Once I Had a Secret Love: "When Lou comes to work unshaven, shaky, and sockless, Mary knows something is up. But can she keep thesecret ofLou's drunken tryst with Sue Ann? Betty White's performance in this episode helped win her an Emmy. Fans think that these scenes between Lou and Mary are the funniest in the entire series."
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