Rhoda

(1974-1978)

30 minutes

Comedy / Family / Sitcom

A spin-off from “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” wherein the character of Rhoda Morganstern was portrayed as a plumpish brunette whose main challenges were to land an occasional date and, with some will power, slim down so as not to eat her heart out every time she looked at her attractive friend, confidante, and neighbor, Mary Richards (Mary Tyler Moore).

Now, four years later, slim, glamorous, and single, Rhoda leaves Minneapolis for a two-week vacation and returns to the home of her birth, New York City (born in the Bronx), where she moves in with her sister, Brenda, an overweight bank teller.

Preparing for a date her mother has arranged for her, Rhoda meets and falls in love with Joe Gerard, the head of the New York Wrecking Company, when he comes to the apartment to leave his ten-year-old son, Donny (by a former marriage which ended in divorce), with Brenda, his baby-sitter.

Cancelling her plans to return to Minneapolis, Rhoda secures employment as a store window dresser and, shortly after, accepts Joe’s proposal of marriage.

Married, Rhoda and Joe establish housekeeping in the same apartment house as Brenda. Stories depict the trials and tribulations of newlyweds as they struggle to survive the trying first years in difficult times.

Cast:

Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morganstern (Gerard)

David Groh as Joe Gerard

Julie Kavner as Brenda Morganstern

Nancy Walker as Ida Morganstern, Rhoda’s mother

Harold Gould as Martin Morganstern, Rhoda’s father

Lorenzo Music  as the Voice of Carlton, the never seen, intoxicated doorman

Cara Williams as Mae, Joe’s secretary-bookkeeper

Scoey Mitchell as Justin Culp, Joe’s partner

Todd Turquand as Donny Gerard

Candy Azzara as Alice, Joe’s secretary/bookkeeper (later episodes)

Music: Billy Goldenberg

Program Opening:

Rhoda: “My name is Rhoda Morganstern. I was born in the Bronx, New York in December of 1941. I’ve always felt responsible for World War II. The first thing that I remember liking that liked me back was food. I had a bad puberty, it lasted seventeen years. I’m a high school graduate. I went to art school—my entrance exam was on a book of matches. I decided to move out of the house when I was twenty-four. My mother still refers to this as the time I ran away from home. Eventually I ran to Minneapolis where it’s cold, and I figured I’d keep better. Now I’m back in Manhattan. New York, this is your last chance.” 

110 Episodes aired from September 9, 1974 to December 2, 1978
 

Season One
 
1.      Joe 9/9/1974

2.      You Can Go Home Again 9/16/1974

3.      I'll Be Loving You , Sometimes 9/23/1974
 
4.      Parents' Day 9/30/1974

5.      The Lady in Red 10/7/1974

6.      Pop Goes the Question 10/14/1974

7.      The Shower 10/21/1974

8.      Rhoda's Wedding (1) 10/28/1974
 
9.      Rhoda's Wedding (2) 10/28/1974

10.     The Honeymoon 11/4/1974

11.     "9-E" is Available 11/11/1974

12.     I'm a Little Late, Folks 11/18/1974

13.     Anything Wrong? 11/25/1974
 
14.     'S Wonderful 12/2/1974

15.     Good-Bye Charlie 12/9/1974

16.     Guess What I Got You for the Holidays 12/16/1974

17.     Whattaya Think It's There For? 1/6/1975

18.     Not Made for Each Other 1/13/1975

19.     Strained Interlude 1/20/1975

20.     Everything I Have is Yours, Almost 1/27/1975

21.     Chest Pains 2/3/1975

22.     Windows by Rhoda 2/10/1975
 
23.     A Nice Warm Rut 2/24/1975

24.     Ida, the Elf 3/3/1975

25.     Along Comes Mary 3/10/1975

Season Two
 
26.     Kiss Your Epaulets Goodbye 9/8/1975
 
27.     Rhoda Meets the Ex-Wife 9/15/1975

28.     Ida's Doctor 9/22/1975

29.     Mucho, Macho 9/29/1975

30.     The Party 10/6/1975

31.     Brenda's Unemployment 10/13/1975
 
32.     With Friends Like These 10/20/1975

33.     Somebody Down There Likes Him 10/27/1975

34.     Call Me Grandma 11/3/1975

35.     Myrna's Story 11/10/1975

36.     Love Songs of J. Nicholas Lobo 11/17/1975
 
37.     Friends and Mothers 11/24/1975

38.     A Night with the Girls 12/1/1975

39.     Bump in the Night 12/8/1975

40.     If You Don't Tell Her, I Will 12/29/1975

41.     Rhoda's Sellout 1/5/1976
 
42.     Attack on Mr. Right 1/12/1976

43.     If You Want to Shoot the Rapids You Have to Get Wet 1/19/1976

44.     The Return of Billy Glass 1/26/1976

45.     A Federal Case 2/2/1976
 
46.     The Marty Morgan Story 2/9/1976

47.     Let's Call it Love 2/16/1976

48.     It's Not My Fault, Is It? 2/23/1976

49.     Don't Give Up the Office 3/1/1976

Season Three
 
50.     The Separation 9/20/1976

51.     Together Again for the First Time 9/27/1976

52.     No Big Deal 10/4/1976

53.     I Won't Dance 10/11/1976
 
54.     H-e-e-e-r-e's Johnny 10/18/1976

55.     Two Little Words - - Marriage Counselor 10/25/1976

56.     An Elephant Never Forgets 11/1/1976

57.     Rhoda Questions Her Life and Flies to Paris 11/8/1976
 
58.     Meet the Levys 11/15/1976

59.     Man of the Year 11/29/1976

60.     You Deserve a Break Today 12/13/1976

61.     A Touch of Classy 12/20/1976

62.     Guess Who I Saw Today 12/27/1976
 
63.     What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? 1/3/1977

64.     Love for Sale 1/10/1977

65.     A Night in the Emergency Room 1/16/1977

66.     Somebody Has to Say They're Sorry 1/23/1977
 
67.     The Ultimatum 1/30/1977

68.     Rhoda's Mystery Man 2/6/1977

69.     Nick Lobo, Superstar 2/13/1977

70.     Nose Job 2/20/1977

71.     The Second Time Around 2/27/1977
 
72.     Pajama Party Bingo 3/6/1977

73.     To Vegas With Love 3/13/1977

Season Four
 
74.     The Return of Ida 10/2/1977

75.     The Job 10/9/1977
 
76.     Lady's Choice 10/16/1977

77.     One is a Number 10/23/1977

78.     Ida Works Out 10/30/1977

79.     Rhoda Likes Mike 11/6/1977

80.     The Weekend 11/13/1977
 
81.     Home Movies 12/4/1977

82.     Johnny's Solo Flight 12/11/1977

83.     Who's Shy? 12/25/1977

84.     Blind Date 1/8/1978

85.     Ida Alone 1/15/1978

86.     All Work and No Play 1/22/1978
 
87.     Happy Anniversary 1/29/1978

88.     The Jack Story 2/5/1978

89.     Rhoda Cheats 2/12/1978

90.     Gary and Ida 2/19/1978

91.     As Time Goes By 2/26/1978

92.     Two's Company 3/5/1978
 
93.     Brenda and the Bank Girl 3/12/1978

94.     So Long, Lucky 4/2/1978

95.     Jack's Back 4/9/1978

96.     Five for the Road (1) 4/16/1978

97.     Five for the Road (2) 4/23/1978

Season Five
 
98.     Martin Doesn't Live Here Anymore 9/23/1978

98.     The Total Brenda 12/9/1978

99.     In Search of Martin 9/30/1978
 
100.    Rhoda vs. Ida 10/7/1978

101.    Brenda Gets Engaged 10/14/1978

102.    Meet the Goodwins 10/21/1978

103.    Ida's Roommate 10/28/1978

104.    Martin Comes Home 11/11/1978
 
105.    Jack's New Image 12/2/1978

107.    The Date in the Iron Mask

108.    Martin Swallows His Heart

109.    Earl's Helping Hand

110.    Brenda Runs Away

Rhoda Intro