The Mary Tyler Moore Show (TV Series) Christmas and the Hard-Luck Kid II (1970) User Reviews

Great Christmas episode

[Rrrobert · 8/10 · 26 June 2019]

Well done Christmas episode. Heart warming and not too sentimental.

Mary is disappointed when she learns she has to work on Christmas day, then regrets being talked into swapping shifts to work Christmas Eve as well.

I loved Mary's conversation with Charlie over the radio. Charlie was voiced by Henry Corden. He had a great voice so I had to look him up: turns out he was very prolific.

Lonely Night

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 31 January 2017]

Because Mary is forced to work on Christmas Day, a man talks her into taking the Christmas Eve shift. She is full of the Christmas spirit and now has been dealt a downer. She had made plans with Rhoda and even that has fallen through. She sits sadly in the office as the night crawls along. It is fun watching her innocent actions as she tries to occupy her time, waiting for midnight. There's a great scene earlier, where Lou has her come into the office and give her a card. It has a check in it, but he forgot to put the amount on it. His discomfort as he tries to figure out how much to put on the check is hilarious. It's a very touching episode, even if it's a bit maudlin.

Mary misses Christmas this year...

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 4 February 2024]

Mary is bummed. She was planning on driving several hours to her parents' house to spend Christmas. However, Lou has informed her that SOMEONE needs to be at the office on Christmas Eve...and that someone is her. In addition, she feels sorry for one of her co-workers with a family, and agrees to cover for him on Christmas. So, obviously Christmas is going to be a bust this year. Is there any possible reprieve for Mary or will it just be one of the loneliest nights of her life?

This is an episode that is not especially humorous but it has a lot of heart...and I didn't mind this. Overall, a nice episode and one that is worth seeing.

Imagine being Murray's wife

[jillmorganga · 6/10 · 22 December 2019]

Okay folks, imagine being Murray or Mr. Grant's wife. Your husband LEAVES you and the kids to go spend time with a beautiful single coworker on CHRISTMAS EVE. Not to actually work or make money but strictly to spend time with the beautiful single coworker. On a holiday no less. If you look at it from that point of view instead of Mary's point of view it really puts a different view on the show.

Classic TV Xmas Countdown Episode #52

[kgraovac · 6/10 · 20 December 2023]

It's her first Xmas at WJM and Mary is blindsided when Lou tells her she must work on Xmas Day.

The series was still finding its' footing the first season or two, so this is just an okay effort, but not great. The opening scene is cute when we see Mary's MERRY desk all decorated to the hilt. Best part is Lou asking, "Got the nativity scene in your drawer?" and Mary being Mary... Yup, she sure does!

Mary and Rhoda open their gifts early and Rhoda reveals she uses pantyhose as an Xmas stocking because "they hold more".

Alone at the station, Mary watches TV and phone chats with a transmitter operator. When "The Nutcracker" came on TV, I was sure Mary (being a dancer in real life) was going to start pirouetting around the newsroom, but she only sways back and forth a little bit.

Being the only true Xmas episode in the series (I didn't count Season 5's "Not a Christmas Story") this is really your only choice if you want an MTM holiday show. 6/10.