The jump from comedy to drama is a tough one for any character, but Ed Asner as Lou Grant, managed to make it seem natural. After the end of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, where he played the irascible but lovable newsman, the character was spun off into his own show, Lou Grant. This CBS production ran from 1977 to 1982, and instead of the wacky world of Minneapolis, Lou was transplanted to the gritty world of Los Angeles. He became the city editor at the fictional Los Angeles Tribune. The change in tone was significant. Gone were the light-hearted stories, and in their place came hard-hitting stories about real-world issues. The show tackled subjects such as political corruption, mental health, and the struggles of the working class.
The move from a sitcom to a drama could have been a disaster, but it worked. The writers made sure that the character of Lou Grant remained true to its roots, while also allowing it to grow and mature. He was still the same tough, no-nonsense guy, but now we saw a more vulnerable side. Lou had to deal with complex ethical and professional dilemmas. He wasn’t just trying to get a funny line in each scene; instead he was trying to get the truth.
This shift in tone allowed the show to bring in a whole new set of characters. Robert Walden played Joe Rossi, a young and ambitious reporter, and Mason Adams was the managing editor, Charlie Hume. Nancy Marchand played the publisher of the paper, Margaret Pynchon and Jack Bannon played Art Donovan, a senior reporter with a cynical view of the world. These characters, each with their own flaws and strengths, worked together to produce the paper and gave depth to the stories. The writers allowed the supporting cast to have their own storylines, something that was rare for the time. This made the world of the Los Angeles Tribune feel alive and real.
Lou Grant distinguished itself through its meticulous attention to detail in the presentation of the news process. The show went to great lengths to portray the newsroom in an authentic way, from the late-night editing sessions to the struggles to get a story right. This made the show feel very relevant, and it made it resonate with audiences. The characters were not just symbols of a newsroom; they were people with actual problems. They had to contend with the pressures of their jobs and the pressures of their lives away from work.
The show also benefited from the performances of its cast. Asner was fantastic in the title role, and his portrayal of a man who wants to do good work, even when the world is against him, was compelling. The supporting cast was equally as good, and they gave the show its heart and soul. It’s no exaggeration to say that Lou Grant is one of the most important television dramas of the 1970s and 1980s, and it still holds up today. Its unflinching look at the world of journalism and its focus on the importance of truth, make it as relevant now as it was then.
Lou Grant aired on CBS.
Years ran: 1977-1982
Number of Episodes: 114
Creators: James L. Brooks, Allan Burns, Gene Reynolds
Cast: Ed Asner, Robert Walden, Mason Adams, Nancy Marchand, Jack Bannon
