'A Funny Ingenue': Rachel Bloom On The Influence Of Mary Tyler Moore

Mary Tyler Moore is being remembered for her work on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show, as well as her appearances in theater and film. But perhaps no one feels her influence more keenly than other women who are funny on TV — especially ones who want to make shows about single women.

While I was working on a piece for Morning Edition that you'll be able to hear Thursday morning, I spoke to Rachel Bloom, the star and the co-creator of the CW's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. She said that when she and her co-creator, Aline Brosh McKenna, pitched the show, they had lots of things to worry about, but the fact that it was show about a single woman wasn't one of them. Not so back when The Mary Tyler Moore Show was being developed. It was so much fun chatting with her that here, you can hear more of our conversation. Bloom explains the influence Moore had on women in TV, the importance of women getting their own punch lines, and how the opening credits of The Mary Tyler Moore Show almost inspired a key element of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend's second season.

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