Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976–1978)

Set in fictional Fernwood, Ohio, this deliriously demented serial focused on the beleaguered heroine Mary Hartman, an average American housewife. In the first year, Mary suffered the ... See full summary »

Stars:

Louise Lasser, Dabney Coleman, Mary Kay Place

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Louise Lasser	...	Mary Hartman (31 episodes, 1976-1977)
Dabney Coleman	...	Merle Jeeter (30 episodes, 1976-1977)
Mary Kay Place	...	Loretta Haggers (29 episodes, 1976)
Greg Mullavey	...	Tom Hartman (27 episodes, 1976)
Graham Jarvis	...	Charlie Haggers (25 episodes, 1976)
Dody Goodman	...	Martha Shumway (21 episodes, 1976)
Philip Bruns	...	George Shumway (20 episodes, 1976)
Debralee Scott	...	Cathy Shumway (19 episodes, 1976)
Claudia Lamb	...	Heather Hartman (19 episodes, 1976)
Bruce Solomon	...	Sergeant Dennis Foley (18 episodes, 1976)
Victor Kilian	...	Raymond Larkin (18 episodes, 1976)

Storyline

Set in fictional Fernwood, Ohio, this deliriously demented serial focused on the beleaguered heroine Mary Hartman, an average American housewife. In the first year, Mary suffered the travails of mass murder, adultery, venereal disease, homosexuality, religious cults, and UFO sightings, before she finally succumbed to a nervous breakdown on a syndicated talk show.

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Plot Keywords:

spoof | cult tv | waxy yellow buildup | indecent exposure | soap opera | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 January 1976 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmways Television, TAT Communications Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min (325 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

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.

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Quotes

Mary Hartman: [Mary realizes she went to elementary school with the man who has kidnapped her] Remember me, Mary Shumway? Mary Shumway?

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Louise Lasser/Preservation Hall Jazz Band (1976)

User Reviews

Candide in a consumer society

A sharply satirical soap opera about a modern-day "Candide" (Louise Lasser) and the dysfunctional Americana she inhabits. In the opening episodes (beginning 1/76), Mary has to contend with her impotent husband, indifferent daughter, pervert grandpa, hot-to-trot sister, and the massacre of a local family (along with their 2 goats and 8 chickens) but it seems the waxy yellow build-up on her kitchen floor subliminally affected the mass media-influenced Mary more than all the domestic drama combined. The absence of a canned laugh track can make viewers feel they're either losing their mind or experiencing a darkly comedic, penetrating pop-culture parody. Possibly both. I loved it then and I love it now!