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Phyllis: Volume 1

Catalog Number
7350
-
Primary Distributor (If not listed, select "OTHER")
Release Year
Country
VHS | SLP | Slipcase
50 mins (NTSC)
N/A | N/A | N/A
N/A | N/A
Phyllis (TV Series) (1975)

Additional Information

Additional Information
Phyllis is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from September 8, 1975 to March 13, 1977.

Created by Ed Weinberger and Stan Daniels. it was the second spin-off series from The Mary Tyler Moore Show (the first being Rhoda). The show starred Cloris Leachman as Phyllis Lindstrom, who was previously Mary Richards' landlady on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. In the new series, Phyllis and her daughter Bess Lindstrom moved from Minneapolis to San Francisco, after the death of her husband, Dr. Lars Lindstrom. It was revealed that San Francisco was Phyllis and Lars' original hometown, prior to their moving to Minneapolis, and that his mother and stepfather still resided there.

The opening credits to Phyllis parody other TV series opening credits of the period, specifically The Mary Tyler Moore Show, by depicting the character in a variety of local settings while the theme song plays. In addition to scenes shot on location in San Francisco, various scenes from her appearances in The Mary Tyler Moore Show are shown. The theme song parodies spectacular Broadway musical numbers, such as Jerry Herman's title songs to "Hello Dolly" and "Mame." In keeping with the sour disposition of the character, the song resolves with a deprecating line on a minor seventh chord, as Phyllis—who has been smiling broadly at the foregoing flattering hyperbole—makes an ugly face at the camera:

Lyrics:
Who makes the fog surrounding the Golden Gate simply disappear?
Phyllis... Phyllis...
Who makes the warning bells on the cable cars play, "The Gang's All Here"?
Phyllis... Phyllis...
Who charms the crabs on Fisherman's Wharf right out of their shells?
Who lights the lamps of Chinatown just by walking in view? Who?
Phyllis! Phyllis! Phyllis...
...it sure isn't you.


In July 1992, a VHS containing the first two episodes of Phyllis was released by MTM Home Video; the cassette has long been out of print and Phyllis has not yet been released on DVD.

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