Fictional Fernwood, Ohio is the home town of the Hartmans. Mary Hartman (Louise Lasser) oddly dresses as a gingham-clad "Dorothy" from the Wizard of Oz, while husband Tom (Greg Mullavey) looks like a Bowery boy with his baseball cap, lollipop physique, and boyish attitude. Best friends Loretta (Mary Kay Place) and Charlie (Graham Jarvis) Haggers keep up the tempo as Loretta composes country songs for every situation. Mary's promiscuous sister Cathy (Debralee Scott) keeps parents Martha (Dody Goodman) and George (Philip Bruns) Shumway wondering if and when she'll marry her deaf and dumb boyfriend (Ed Begley, Jr.).
Episode one begins with the discovery of the brutal mass murder of the neighboring Lombardi family, their chickens, and two goats -- while Mary contemplates the problems of yellowing waxy build-up on her kitchen floors. Grandpa Larkin (Victor Kilian) is discovered to be the Fernwood Flasher, and handsome Sgt. Foley (Bruce Solomon) enters the scene as a compassionate, sensitive police officer infatuated with Mary. Daughter Heather (Claudia Lamb) finds popularity as she is interviewed about Lombardi school mates, and best friends Loretta and Charlie Haggards cut the record of their lifetime while the on-looking Hartman's marriage falls into decay.
The second disc concentrates on the Hartman's marital problems, Heather's kidnapping by the Lombardi mass murderer, Mary's substitution as hostage for her daughter's safety, and the police meeting the hostage demands. Loretta and Charlie find out they're pregnant and Grandpa has a date with his young social worker.
The third disc tragically ends with the Haggars crashing into a van of nuns on the way to Nashville, sending Loretta to the hospital awaiting news of her pregnancy. Tom and Mary resolve their marital problems but not without Mary getting "even," while Tom hides a little secret he dare not share.
In it's prime, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman was a wonder and delight to watch as I raced to see each and every episode. However, after viewing the first disc, I found the series a bit humdrum and didn't have any regrets about attending to other chores while it played through its soap opera broadcast. However, the highlight of this entire series is Sgt. Foley who is a delight for the eyes and brings an energy to the show. I have to wonder why Mary chose Tom over him. All in all, throughout its run, the iconic 1970's show is riddled with guest stars such as Dabney Coleman and Martin Mull, funny lines, and impossible situations which thrill the imagination and tickle the funny bone.
