Flashback Video: Mary Tyler Moore’s brief variety show with young David Letterman and Michael Keaton

After starring in two of the very best sitcoms in the history of television – The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show – seven-time Emmy winner Mary Tyler Moore remained an icon but was never able to strike gold a third time when it came to a series.

But she sure tried.

A year after her classic self-titled sitcom left the air, she returned to CBS with a variety hour simply called Mary. It was sketches and musical numbers with a cast we hadn’t heard of then but we sure know them now: David Letterman, Michael Keaton and Swoosie Kurtz, among others.

The show was pulled after three episodes then returned in a new format in the spring. That failed too.

Here is the closing musical number from that very first episode – I just love seeing Letterman in it!

Here are some other snippets from the show: