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TVLand “Hot in Cleveland” brings cast of 'Mary Tyler Moore Show' back together

By April Neale Mar 22, 2013, 18:23 GMT

CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images This is the first time in over 30 years that the five former castmates will be reunited on the sitcom stage. Mary Tyler Moore previously appeared on “Hot in Cleveland” as Elka’s cellmate in a season two episode.

Somewhere in TVLand Heaven, Ted Knight is smiling from ear to ear.

The recent sad news about Valerie Harper's terminal brain cancer has spurred the creatives at TVLand's hit series "Hot in Cleveland," now heading to season five, to feature a reunion of sorts with "Hot" castmember Betty White and her former 'Mary Tyler Moore' cast.

Confirmed are Georgia Engel, Valerie Harper, Mary Tyler Moore and Cloris Leachman set to reunite with their co-star of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” Betty White.

From TVLand

In the episode, Elka (Betty White) and Mamie Sue (Georgia Engel) decide to get their bowling team back together, aptly named GLOB: the Gorgeous Ladies of Bowling. The team, which includes Elka, Mamie Sue, Diane (Moore), Peg (Leachman) and Angie (Harper), had a falling out decades ago after their championship season went to their heads.

This is the first time in over 30 years that the five former castmates will be reunited on the sitcom stage. Mary Tyler Moore previously appeared on “Hot in Cleveland” as Elka’s cellmate in a season two episode.
 
Shows like ‘Hot in Cleveland,’ which stars four women, would not be here today without ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ and its incredible female-led cast,” said Larry W. Jones, President, TV Land. “Mary, Valerie, Cloris, Georgia and of course our Betty were all pioneers for women in television.”
 
TV Land’s hit sitcom “Hot in Cleveland” returns for its summer season with a LIVE episode on Wednesday, June 19 at 10pm ET.  The west coast will receive the live-to-tape version three hours later at 10pm PT.  The series, which was just picked up for a fifth season, stars television favorites Valerie Bertinelli (“One Day at a Time,”), Jane Leeves (“Frasier”), Wendie Malick (“Just Shoot Me!”) and Betty White (“The Golden Girls”). 
 
“The Mary Tyler Moore Show” centered around Mary Richards (Mary Tyler Moore), an ambitious, young and single assistant producer, and her career at the fictional WJM-TV News. With her best friend Rhoda Morgenstern (Valerie Harper) and resident busy-body Phyllis Lindstrom (Cloris Leachman), Mary tackled the stereotypes of being an independent working woman in what was typically a “man’s world.”  The show also starred Ed Asner as Mary’s tough-love boss, station producer Lou Grant, Gavin MacLeod as cynical head news writer Murray Slaughter, and Ted Knight as the dim-witted anchorman Ted Baxter. Moore’s company, MTM Enterprises, produced the series for CBS.
 
“Hot in Cleveland” is executive produced by Emmy® Award-winner Sean Hayes (“Will and Grace”) and Todd Milliner of Hazy Mills Productions (“Grimm”) and is helmed by Emmy® Award-winning Suzanne Martin (“Frasier,” “Ellen”) who serves as executive producer, show runner and head writer. Lynda Obst also serves as executive producer, and Larry W. Jones and Keith Cox are executive producers for TV Land. “Hot in Cleveland” is currently seen around the world in over 190 countries.