Rhoda Morgenstern Rhoda Morgenstern Rhoda Faye Morgenstern, portrayed by Valerie Harper, is a fictional character on the television sitcom "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and subsequent spin-off, "Rhoda". The original opening of the series "Rhoda" establishes that Rhoda Faye Morgenstern was born in the Bronx, New York, in December 1941. She is the daughter of Ida and Martin Morgenstern (Nancy Walker and Harold Gould), and grew up in New York before moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota sometime in the late 1960s. On "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" Rhoda had a sister named Debbie (Liberty Williams), seen in one episode, and a briefly-mentioned brother
Mary and Rhoda first production to be set in the series' "universe" in 18 years since the series finale of "Lou Grant" in 1982. "Mary and Rhoda" was written by Katie Ford, executive produced by Mary Tyler Moore and Susan B. Landau, and directed by Barnet Kellman. During the opening title sequence, the original 1970 version of the theme song "Love Is All Around" is played and then switches to the 1996 version recorded by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. Mary Richards-Cronin returns to New York City after spending four months in Europe (“Italy, mostly,” she tells a cabdriver) following the death of