Bess, You Is My Daughter Now
- Episode aired Oct 3, 1970
- 30m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
314
YOUR RATING
Mary agrees to take care of Phyllis's precocious daughter for a few days.Mary agrees to take care of Phyllis's precocious daughter for a few days.Mary agrees to take care of Phyllis's precocious daughter for a few days.
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- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe title is from the song 'Bess You is My Woman Now' from the operetta 'Porgy and Bess', with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward.
- GoofsFrom the exterior shots, they show us Mary lives in the attic apartment, however, early in the episode Rhoda explains she came "down here" from her place "upstairs", to meet Mary for a movie date.
- Quotes
Mary Richards: Have you had dinner?
Bess Lindstrom: Yes, Phyllis burned it.
Mary Richards: Aw, I'm sorry.
Bess Lindstrom: Why? You didn't burn it.
Mary Richards: Well, no. But it's just that when you try to fix something and then it doesn't turn out right it's kinda disappointing.
Bess Lindstrom: Well, it doesn't bother Phyllis.
Mary Richards: Do you always call your mother Phyllis?
Mary Richards: It's her name!
- ConnectionsReferenced in Phyllis: Bess, Is You a Woman Now? (1975)
- SoundtracksLove Is All Around
Written and Performed by Sonny Curtis
Featured review
featuring a character I never really took to on the show.
Of all the characters introduced in episode one of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", the one that never really appealed to me was Bess. I certainly DON'T blame the young actress playing the part...she was very talented. But the way she was written seemed very unusual and difficult to believe as a real person. Also, I never really found her quirky qualities particularly endearing or fun to watch. This is personal taste...and perhaps others might feel very differently.
Lars, Phyllis' husband you NEVER see on the show, has chicken pox. So, Phyllis asks Mary to do her a favor...to watch Bess until Lars has recovered. Mary agrees but at first finds it tough going with Bess, as the child is precocious...too much so. It's obvious that Phyllis is a strange sort of parent and has a very 'modern' style of parenting. As a result, Bess is a weird kid and Phyllis treats Bess like a mini-adult. Eventually, this strangeness causes problems as Bess decides to stay with Mary forever...and dopey Phyllis seems okay with that!
The weirdness of Bess combined with an odd montage make this a most atypical episode of the series. While episodes one and two were very good, this one seems pretty awkward by comparison. An okay episode but not a funny one.
Lars, Phyllis' husband you NEVER see on the show, has chicken pox. So, Phyllis asks Mary to do her a favor...to watch Bess until Lars has recovered. Mary agrees but at first finds it tough going with Bess, as the child is precocious...too much so. It's obvious that Phyllis is a strange sort of parent and has a very 'modern' style of parenting. As a result, Bess is a weird kid and Phyllis treats Bess like a mini-adult. Eventually, this strangeness causes problems as Bess decides to stay with Mary forever...and dopey Phyllis seems okay with that!
The weirdness of Bess combined with an odd montage make this a most atypical episode of the series. While episodes one and two were very good, this one seems pretty awkward by comparison. An okay episode but not a funny one.
helpful•01
- planktonrules
- Jan 28, 2024
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