"Phyllis" (1975) TV series 1975-1977

Creators:

Stan Daniels
Ed. Weinberger
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

8 September 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Spinoff from the popular "Mary Tyler Moore" series has Mary Richards' landlady, Phyllis Lindstrom, moving...

Plot Keywords:

Photography Studio | Sitcom | Grandmother | Mother Daughter Relationship | Supervisor

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Cloris Leachman	...	Phyllis Lindstrom (48 episodes, 1975-1977)
Henry Jones	...	Judge Jonathan Dexter (48 episodes, 1975-1977)
Jane Rose	...	Audrey Dexter (48 episodes, 1975-1977)
Carmine Caridi	...	Dan Valenti / ... (25 episodes, 1975-1977)
Lisa Gerritsen	...	Bess Lindstrom (24 episodes, 1975-1977)
John Lawlor	...	Leonard Marsh (24 episodes, 1976-1977)
Garn Stephens	...	Harriet Hastings (24 episodes, 1976-1977)
Judith Lowry	...	Sally 'Mother' Dexter / ... (23 episodes, 1975-1977)
Richard Schaal	...	Leo Heatherton (23 episodes, 1975-1976)
Liz Torres	...	Julie Erskine (20 episodes, 1975-1976)

Series Directed by
James Burrows		(19 episodes, 1975-1976)
Doug Rogers		(7 episodes, 1976-1977)
Jay Sandrich		(6 episodes, 1975-1976)
Joan Darling		(4 episodes, 1975-1976)
Noam Pitlik		(4 episodes, 1977)
Harry Mastrogeorge		(2 episodes, 1976-1977)
Asaad Kelada		(2 episodes, 1976)

Series Writing credits
Glen Charles		(13 episodes, 1975-1977)
Les Charles		(13 episodes, 1975-1977)
Earl Pomerantz		(9 episodes, 1975-1977)
Stan Daniels		(4 episodes, 1975-1976)
Michael Leeson		(4 episodes, 1975-1976)
Ed. Weinberger		(4 episodes, 1975-1976)
Bob Ellison		(3 episodes, 1975-1977)
David Lloyd		(3 episodes, 1975-1977)
James L. Brooks		(2 episodes, 1975)
Allan Burns		(2 episodes, 1975)
Tom Tenowich		(2 episodes, 1976-1977)
Laurence Marks		(2 episodes, 1977)

Series Produced by
Stan Daniels	....	producer / executive producer (43 episodes, 1975-1977)
Ed. Weinberger	....	producer / executive producer (43 episodes, 1975-1977)
Michael Leeson	....	producer (23 episodes, 1975-1976)
Budd Cherry	....	associate producer (19 episodes, 1975-1976)
Ralph Riskin	....	associate producer (5 episodes, 1976-1977)
Glen Charles	....	consulting producer (unknown episodes)
Les Charles	....	consulting producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Dick DeBenedictis		(21 episodes, 1975-1977)

Series Cinematography by
F. Bud Mautino		(14 episodes, 1975-1977)
William T. Cline		(11 episodes, 1975)

Series Film Editing by
Kenneth R. Koch		(24 episodes, 1975-1977)

Series Casting by
Meryl O'Loughlin		(13 episodes, 1975-1976)
Mary Goldberg		(2 episodes, 1975)

Series Art Direction by
Kenneth A. Reid		(24 episodes, 1975-1977)

Series Set Decoration by
Warren Welch		(18 episodes, 1975-1976)
Cloudia Rebar		(6 episodes, 1976-1977)

Series Makeup Department
Ray Steele	....	makeup artist (23 episodes, 1975-1977)
Lola Kemp	....	hair stylist (15 episodes, 1975-1976)
Janet Purcell	....	hair stylist (6 episodes, 1976-1977)
Barbara Lorenz	....	hair stylist (2 episodes, 1975)

Series Production Management
Ted Rich	....	post-production supervisor (24 episodes, 1975-1977)
Abby Singer	....	production manager / unit production manager (19 episodes, 1975-1976)
Les Sheldon	....	production manager (6 episodes, 1976-1977)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Thomas Lenox	....	assistant director (13 episodes, 1975-1976)
Richard Bremerkamp	....	assistant director (8 episodes, 1976)
Barbara Bass	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1976-1977)
Dick Erickson	....	second assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Jack Mann	....	property master (24 episodes, 1975-1977)

Series Sound Department
Cam McCulloch	....	sound mixer (23 episodes, 1975-1977)
Richard Weaver	....	rerecording / re-recording / ... (12 episodes, 1975-1976)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Rod Everson	....	gaffer (24 episodes, 1975-1977)
Frank Jackson	....	key grip (23 episodes, 1975-1977)

Series Casting Department
Meryl O'Loughlin	....	casting / executive in charge of talent / ... (7 episodes, 1975-1977)
Nancy E. Barr	....	casting assistant (unknown episodes, 1976)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lynne Albright	....	costumer: women (24 episodes, 1975-1977)
Frank Delmar	....	costumer: men (18 episodes, 1975-1976)
Jack Stone	....	costumer: men (6 episodes, 1976-1977)
Albert Nipon	....	wardrobe: Cloris Leachman (3 episodes, 1976)

Series Music Department
Stan Daniels	....	composer: theme music / composer: title song / ... (48 episodes, 1975-1977)
Dick DeBenedictis	....	conductor (14 episodes, 1975-1976)
Ed Norton	....	music editor (5 episodes, 1975-1977)

Series Transportation Department
Chris Haynes	....	driver (1 episode, 1975)

Series Other crew
Lionel A. Ephraim	....	production executive (48 episodes, 1975-1977)
Glen Charles	....	executive script consultant / story editor (31 episodes, 1975-1977)
Les Charles	....	executive script consultant / story editor (31 episodes, 1975-1977)
Tom Tenowich	....	story editor (24 episodes, 1976-1977)
Don Bustany	....	technical coordinator (23 episodes, 1975-1977)
Margo Husin Call	....	assistant to the executive producers / assistant to executive producers / ... (18 episodes, 1975-1976)
Gloria Morgan	....	script supervisor (18 episodes, 1975-1976)
Barbara Pizik	....	assistant to the producer / assistant to producer (16 episodes, 1975-1976)
Deborah Kay Boyle	....	assistant to producers / assistant to the producer / ... (13 episodes, 1975-1977)
Barbara Carleton	....	assistant to the executive producers / assistant to the executive producer (13 episodes, 1975-1976)
William Schwartz	....	producers' aide (11 episodes, 1975)
Diane Sonnett	....	assistant to the producer (10 episodes, 1975)
Kathleen McTeigue	....	assistant to producers (6 episodes, 1976-1977)
Paula Spector	....	assistant to executive producer / assistant to executive producers (4 episodes, 1975)
Cassandra Oliva	....	script supervisor (3 episodes, 1976-1977)
Barbara Amato	....	script supervisor (3 episodes, 1976)
Gil Clasen	....	technical coordinator (2 episodes, 1975)
Meryl O'Loughlin	....	executive in charge of talent (2 episodes, 1976)

Production Companies

• MTM Enterprises

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1975) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Other Companies

• Braverman Productions  main title (as Braverman Productions, Inc.)

Runtime:

30 min (48 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

CBS Studio Center - 4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

MTM Enterprises

Trivia:

Barbara Colby played Julie Erskine in the first three episodes of "Phyllis". The gifted actress was murdered not long after the third episode, "Up For Grabs", was in the can.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mary Tyler Moore: Mary Moves Out (#6.2)" (1975)

Soundtrack:

Phyllis

Such a waste of a great character

The character of Phyllis was not originally designed to be a leading role; rather she was a self-centered, opinionated, overbearing cameo character of sorts to add a zany counter to the tranquil Mary Richards. She was silly, but not really likable. Once the character had to stand on her own, she had to be toned down and made more appealing, thus losing the truly funny quality she added to the Mary Tyler Moore Show.

With the exception of Mother Dexter, her supporting characters did not do the necessary job of balancing the character of Phyllis, and the show often looked strained and weak. The show seemed to mirror the character of Phyllis in that it did not seem to know where it was going or what to do with itself after the pilot episode. The 'wacky' photography studio was dropped for the dull politician's office thereby dooming the show to current political topics and satire - but without the proper characters to pull it off. Nothing felt right and the second season was worse than the first.

I so wish Phyllis had stayed in Minneapolis!