Yesterday we sadly lost the great Valerie Harper. When I was a kid in the '70's, I absolutely loved Valerie & Rhoda, and watched the show, you should pardon the phrase, religiously ( as Rhoda's mom Ida would say ).
There was something about that whole New Yawk Jewish vibe that translated perfectly to British / Irish working class Catholic, or whatever the hell my family is.
As an adult, you can see how zeitgeisty Rhoda was in it's depiction of a modern woman who openly talked about and enjoyed sex, just trying to make her way in the world. But as a kid, I just felt like Rhoda, her nutty family and: 'Uhh, Carlton... Your doorman..?' could've been my friends, an impression only the best sitcoms give you, and something they all aspire to. Plus, of course, Valerie was one attractive lady, and one of my major TV crushes, natch.
Once a week, I could visit the Manhattan I saw in the comics, and it was just like I imagined it. And it was a big show. How big? Well, both Crazy & Mad did their own versions. You don't get bigger than that.
New York, that was your last chance.
