45 Eerie Photos Captured Behind-The-Scenes
CULTURE | May 28, 2023
Written by Sarah Norman
A peek behind the scenes or an untold story can reveal so much more about our favorite shows and movies. Why did Mary Tyler Moore wear that silly wig on her new show, and who were those Hanson brothers in Slap Shot? These are the mysteries of the screen (big and small) that stay with us for years, seemingly never to be solved. But there are explanations and anecdotes -- everything has some back story or secret origin. What was in the bottle before Barbara Eden (Jeannie) moved in? What's George Harrison doing in that Monty Python movie? And what is up with the mask that Michael Myers wears -- is it really a Star Trek thing? Take a moment to dig deeper and you might find the fact or tale that makes you enjoy a series or film even more.
Mary Tyler Moore was a TV star before she got her own groundbreaking show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. American viewers knew her as Laura Petrie, a role she had played in all 158 episodes before getting her own program. Moore's character on her new show was Mary Richards, not Laura Petrie.
Mary Tyler Moore Wore A Wig To Distance Herself From Her Old Character
Spinoff shows had become common, with shows such as The Andy Griffith Show and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. giving us characters who went on to have their own series (Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. and The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., respectively). The producers of The Mary Tyler Moore Show were legitimately concerned that confused audiences would assume the character was Laura Petrie, so Moore started the new show wearing a large, dark wig. The wig disappeared after the first season, and nobody said anything.
