The Mary Tyler Moore Show mirror those of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show". When the writers of the sitcom "Friends" were about to create their series finale, they watched several other sitcom finales. Co-creator Marta Kauffman said that the last episode of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" was the "gold standard" and that it influenced the finale of "Friends". The show spun off three television series, all of which aired on CBS: the sitcoms "Rhoda" (1974–78) and "Phyllis" (1975–77), and the one-hour drama "Lou Grant" (1977–82). In 2000, Moore and Harper reprised their roles in a two-hour ABC TV-movie, "Mary and Rhoda". Two retrospective specials
Rebecca Balding Rebecca Balding Rebecca Balding (born September 21, 1955) is an American actress who is probably best known for her appearances on "Soap" and "Charmed". Balding was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. She attended the University of Kansas. She had the role of Carol David, mother of Jodie Dallas' child, on "Soap", appearing in 19 episodes from 1978 through 1980. Balding played Corky Crandall in 1979 in the sitcom "Makin' It", as well as the original female reporter Carla Mardigian during the first three episodes of the inaugural 1977 season of the drama series "Lou Grant", starring Ed Asner, before that