Phyllis (TV series) character of Mother Dexter also joined the household. Aired between two popular shows – "Rhoda" and "All in the Family" – on Monday nights, Phyllis instantly became a top ten hit. Cloris Leachman won a Golden Globe Award for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. The sitcom was the sixth highest-rated television series for the 1975–76 television season (at the time ranking higher than both "Rhoda" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"). The series premise was reworked somewhat for the second season. Erskine Photography
Phyllis (TV series) played Audrey Dexter) took ill. These events put Phyllis' home life in flux, which necessitated more new storylines. Daughter Bess's role became more prominent and she found romance with Mark Valenti (played by Craig Wasson), the nephew of Phyllis' boss, and they later married. By the middle of the 1976–77 season, the ratings for "Rhoda" had improved but "Phyllis" was still faltering. As a result, "Rhoda" was renewed for an additional season (it would ultimately be canceled in December 1978), but "Phyllis" was dropped by CBS in the spring of 1977, finishing in 40th place that season. The show actually