Phyllis (TV Series) - Synopsis and Production

Synopsis and Production

Being left penniless after the death of her husband Lars, Phyllis and her daughter Bess (Lisa Gerritsen) move in with Lars' mother, the scatterbrained Audrey Dexter (Jane Rose), and stepfather, Judge Jonathan Dexter (Henry Jones). Phyllis takes a job as an assistant in a photographic studio. The owner, Julie Erskine, was played by the actress Barbara Colby, who was murdered after three episodes of Phyllis had been filmed, and the part was then assumed by Liz Torres. Much of the first season's humor stemmed from Phyllis' attempts to fit into the job market, after having lived for many years as the spoiled wife of a rich dermatologist. Actor Richard Schaal (who was married to actress Valerie Harper, the star of Rhoda at the time) was cast as Leo Heatherton, a well-meaning but bumbling photographer who worked with Phyllis and Julie at the studio. Elderly actress Judith Lowry guest starred in an early episode ("Leaving Home") as Jonathan's mother, Sally Dexter. Her appearance was so well received by viewers that by the end of the first year, Lowry became a regular on the show and her character of Mother Dexter also joined the household.

Aired between two popular shows, Rhoda and All In The Family, on Monday nights, Phyllis instantly became a top ten hit. Cloris Leachman won a Golden Globe Award for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series. The sitcom was the sixth highest-rated television series for the 1975–76 television season (at the time ranking higher than both Rhoda and The Mary Tyler Moore Show).

The series premise was reworked somewhat for season 2. Erskine Photography and the characters Julie Erskine (Liz Torres) and Leo Heatherton (Richard Schaal) were dropped from the show, with the explanation that Julie had married suddenly, sold the photography studio, and moved away, putting Phyllis out of a job. Leachman, Gerritsen, Jones, Rose, and Lowry remained with the show.

In the second season premiere Phyllis was immediately hired as an assistant to a San Francisco City Supervisor. Carmine Carridi played Phyllis' boss, and John Lawlor was Leonard Marsh, an inept politician who worked in the same office. Garn Stephens was Harriet Hastings, Leonard's secretary and Phyllis' rival (she and Phyllis would become friends toward the end of the season). Ratings began to drop. Rhoda was also going through a format change at the time, which may have also affected Phyllis’ ratings. During this time, both shows' chief competition, NBC's Little House on the Prairie, flourished.

In a late 1976 episode, Jonathan's cranky and outspoken Mother Dexter (Judith Lowry), Phyllis' main nemesis, married Arthur Lanson (Burt Mustin); both Lowry and Mustin died within a month of the episode's airing. CBS moved both Rhoda and Phyllis to Sunday nights at 8:00 P.M. and 8:30 P.M., respectively. During this time, actress Jane Rose (who played Audrey Dexter) took ill. These events put Phyllis' home life in flux, which necessitated more new story lines. Daughter Bess's role became more prominent and she found romance with Mark Valenti (played by Craig Wasson), the nephew of Phyllis' boss, and they later married.

By the end of the 1976–77 season, the ratings for Rhoda had improved but Phyllis was still faltering. As a result, Rhoda was renewed for an additional season (it would ultimately be canceled in December, 1978), but Phyllis was dropped by CBS in the spring of 1977, finishing in 40th place that season. The stigma of the deaths of several cast members during the show's run, as well as the ill health of actress Jane Rose are also said to have been factors in the show's cancellation. The final episode ("And Baby Makes Six") had Bess announcing that she and Mark were expecting their first child. This installment aired Sunday, March 13, 1977. The same week, on Saturday, March 19, Cloris Leachman made her last appearance as Phyllis Lindstrom on the final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show.