•
Mary Richards (
Mary Tyler Moore), a single native Minnesotan, moves to Minneapolis in 1970 at age 30 and becomes associate producer of WJM-TV's ''Six O'Clock News''. Her sincere, kind demeanor often acts as a foil for the personalities of her co-workers and friends. •
Lou Grant (
Ed Asner) is producer (later executive producer) of the news. His tough and grumpy demeanor initially hides his kind-hearted nature which is gradually revealed as the series progresses. He is referred to as "Lou" by everyone, including Mary's friends, with the exception of Mary herself, who can rarely bring herself to call him anything other than "Mr. Grant". He is married to Edie (
Priscilla Morrill), but during the run of the show they separate and divorce. •
Murray Slaughter (
Gavin MacLeod), head writer, makes frequent quips about Ted Baxter's mangling of his news copy and Sue Ann Nivens' aggressive, man-hungry attitude. He is Mary's closest coworker and close friend. Murray is married to the occasionally seen Marie (
Joyce Bulifant) and, like Lou Grant, he has three biological daughters. Murray and Marie also adopt an orphaned Vietnamese boy during the series. •
Ted Baxter (
Ted Knight) is the dim-witted, vain, and miserly anchorman of the ''Six O'Clock News''. He frequently makes mistakes and is oblivious to the actual nature of the topics covered on the show but, to cover for tormenting insecurity, he postures as the country's best news journalist. He is often criticized by others, especially Murray and Lou, for his many shortcomings, but is never fired from his position. Initially a comic buffoon in the series, Ted's better nature is gradually revealed as the series unfolds, helped along by his sweet, seemingly vague, but frequently perceptive wife Georgette. •
Rhoda Morgenstern (
Valerie Harper) (1970–1974, 1975, 1977) (Regular, seasons 1–4; Guest, seasons 6–7) is Mary's upstairs neighbor and best friend. She works as a
window dresser, first at the fictional Bloomfield's Department Store and later at Hempel's Department Store. Though insecure about her appearance, she is also outgoing and sardonic, making frequent wisecracks, often at her own expense. Like Mary, she is single. She dates frequently, routinely joking about her disastrous dates. Rhoda moves to New York City and falls in love after the fourth season, beginning the spinoff series
Rhoda. •
Phyllis Lindstrom (
Cloris Leachman) (1970–1975) (Season 1–5, 7 Guest) is Mary's snobbish friend and landlady. She is in many episodes of the first two seasons, after which her appearances decline in frequency. She is married to unseen
dermatologist Lars and has a precocious daughter,
Bess (
Lisa Gerritsen). She is actively involved in groups and clubs and is a political activist and a supporter of
Women's Liberation. Rhoda and Phyllis are usually at odds and often trade insults. After appearing in three episodes of season five, Leachman left to star in the spin-off show
Phyllis. In that series, it is explained Phyllis has been widowed. Discovering that her husband had virtually no assets and that she must support herself, Phyllis returns to her home town of
San Francisco. •
Georgette Franklin Baxter (
Georgia Engel) (1972–77) (Season 3–7) is the somewhat ditzy girlfriend of stentorian news anchor
Ted Baxter.
Mary Tyler Moore described her as a cross between
Stan Laurel and
Marilyn Monroe. She and Mary get along fantastically, and Georgette helps fill the void created by the departure of Rhoda and Phyllis. Georgette, a co-worker of Rhoda's at Hempel's Department Store, is introduced as a guest at one of Mary's parties. Later, she works for a car rental service, as a Golden Girl, and for Rhoda selling plants. Georgette is devoted to Ted and they eventually marry in Mary's apartment. They adopt a child named David (
Robbie Rist), and later, Georgette gives birth in Mary's apartment to a girl who is (temporarily) named Mary Lou. •
Sue Ann Nivens (
Betty White) (1973–1977) (Season 4–7), host of WJM's
The Happy Homemaker show. While her demeanor is superficially cheerful, she makes judgmental comments about Mary, exchanges personal insults with Murray, and uses many sexual double entendres, especially around Lou, to whom she is strongly attracted. == Production ==