The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–77) was one of the most beloved and enduring television sitcoms (situation comedies;

see entry under 1950s—TV and Radio in volume) of its era. The show, which aired on CBS, was more than just a clever, entertaining hit series. Its popularity paralleled the rise of the feminist movement in the United States during the early and mid-1970s. The show's primary character, Mary Richards, played by star Mary Tyler Moore (1936–), was a popular-culture icon, a symbol for the times. She was a character who had never before been seen on television (see entry under 1940s— TV and Radio in volume 3): a single professional woman...