Lasser's breakthrough role came as the unhappy, neurotic titular character in the soap opera satire "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman", which aired five nights a week for two seasons from January 1976 until July 1977. Some markets aired it at different times of the day and night and also in a block format which showcased all the week's episodes in a row. During the program's run, Lasser became a household name and appeared on the covers of "Newsweek", "People", and "Rolling Stone". In his biography, producer Norman Lear said that the casting of Lasser took less than a minute after Charles H. Joffe told him that there was only one actress to play the part of Mary Hartman. The former Mrs. Woody Allen initially refused the role but later acquiesced. Lear says that "when she read a bit of the script for me, I all but cried for joy...Louise brought with her the persona that fit Mary Hartman like a corset."