ALL SCI-FI

[Pow]

Lou Grant ran for 5 seasons (1977~1982) on CBS.

It spun-off wonderful The Mary Tyler Moore Show, but LG was not at all a sitcom in the mold of Moore's series. It was a one-hour drama where Lou now played the city editor of the fictional L.A. Tribune newspaper. The show gave insight into the frustrations & challenges and ethical questions of journalism, as the reporters tackled serious social issues.

The series did have humor, but it was appropriate for the type of show it was. Ed Asner lead a terrific cast. The series won 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, 2 as Outstanding Drama.

I recently watched the pilot episode on Youtube. You'll notice the lack of computers (there's one) in the newsroom, reporters typing out their stories on a typewriter, and some other, now dated, things here and there. However, the scripting is absolutely first rate with its literate and intelligent approach. The actors are terrific and fit their characters like a glove. Some wonderful TV shows can stumble at times as they find their way in their first season regarding their stories and characters. Lou Grant is one of those rare ones that hits the ground running from its very first episode and onwards. It all works beautifully.

Lou Grant is a realistic look into the world of newspapers and one of the rare TV shows to ever do so. It is as marvelous centering upon the newspaper field as Aaron Sorkins The Newsroom was about TV newscasting.

[Bud Brewster]

__________________________________________________

I've always loved the movies from the 30s and 40s about newspapers and the reporters who work at them. Some are dramas, some are comedies, a few are a terrific blend of the two.

I think I'll give Lou Grant a try, based on your recommendation, Mike! One thing that sold me was your statement that the reporters were writing their stories on typewriters instead of computers.

Was this done by the producers to give Lou Grant a "classic newsroom feel", or did the the later seasons of the show include the transition from typewriters to computers in the early 1980s?

Either way, it demonstrates the evolution of technology in journalism, and thus it will undoubtedly appeal to yours truly — good old Bud "Scoop" Brewster of the ASF Gazette.
_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)