Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (MH,MH) is the most fascinating tv show I have come across in the last year, possibly ever. Developed by the great Norman Lear (All In The Family, Sanford and Son, Maude, Good Times, Jeffersons, Facts of Life, Princess Bride, Fried Green Tomatoes) this series is one not often mentioned or even known to modern audiences. And honestly what a shame. MH, MH is a heavy satire of the soap opera genre, deeply layered in sarcasm, ironic product placement, mass murder, infidelity, indecent exposure, waxy floor buildups, the list goes on. It's an insane shows that feels right out of uncanny valley. Originally airing only through syndication MH,MH didn't get near the long term recognition of series like Soap, a sitcom premiering just one year later in 1977 on ABC in primetime. Instead MH,MH is not a comedy, it is a satire. Unlike Soap, it is not a sit-com, it is a real soap opera. And with that realness comes true tense, dramatic scenes, long story arcs carrying across weeks of episodes, multi-camera set up across multiple standard scene locations, no laugh track, long multiple minute scenes without cuts or retakes to save costs, and enough episodes to air five days a week. This means in its 2 seasons MH,MH had 325 half-hour episodes available for syndication. Constant repeating of scenes, retelling of last weeks drama, rehashing of old arguments, and all again heavily laced in satire, MH, MH ends up being what is essentially a 120 hour long dead-pan joke. It would have never made it to production without the name recognition of Norman Lear behind it and nothing but applause goes out to the fantastic creators and head writers Gail Parent and Ann Marcus (and many others); this show was well beyond its years. With only the first 25 episodes available to me to view I can say those few were a treat and I have immediately vowed to watch all 325 episodes within my lifetime.
Review of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
