My Ten Favorite TV Characters: Lou Grant (#3)
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (86812)
United States
September 17, 2016 7:22pm CST
I'd like to thank my foot, neck, and hip for deciding to act up on me simultaneously an hour before I was going to leave for the concert. 
This is one of the unintended side effects of getting older: you become an expert in anatomy, every time a new body part that you didn't even know existed starts hurting. Thankfully, the NRBQ/Los Straitjackets tour is playing elsewhere nearby in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, here's another favorite TV character.
#3: Lou Grant
If the only episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show that ever existed was "Chuckles the Clown Bites the Dust" Lou would still be on this list. That's one of the greatest episodes of a TV series I've ever seen in my life!
But there was lots more of Lou. In fact, Lou Grant is one of the rarest characters in TV history: he was on one show for seven years, then graduated to another show for another six! He also moved from a sitcom to a drama. That happened one other time, when the character "Trapper John" went from M*A*S*H to Trapper John, MD; however, in that case, the character was played by two different people (Wayne Rogers and Pernell Roberts, respectively).
Lou Grant was Ed Asner's brilliant character from start to finish. He was gruff but lovable, a perfect blend of tough guy and teddy bear. One of his most memorable moments was upon meeting Mary Richards in MTM, telling her, "You know something? You've got spunk," then angrily adding, "I hate spunk!"
That trait followed him from Minneapolis when The Mary Tyler Moore Show ended to Los Angeles, where he became the city editor of the Los Angeles Tribune in Lou Grant. His frequent head butting with Joe Rossi was legendary, and he could snap someone's head off in one moment (one of my favorites came when they were investigating if a resort was owned by the mob: the pictures photographer Dennis "Animal" Price took were stolen out of his room while he was in the shower, and Lou snapped, "You picked a hell of a time to take your annual shower!") then almost pastoral in his compassion the next (watch the LG episode "Veterans").
Asner was well recognized for his character: he won five Emmy awards, three for the Mary Tyler Moore and two for Lou Grant. (His total of seven Emmys is one of the highest number of awards given to one actor in history.)
Lou Grant was one of the most memorable characters of the 1970s.
Lou Grant
Portrayed by Edward Asner
From The Mary Tyler Moore Show, CBS, 1970-77
And Lou Grant, CBS, 1977-1982
If you have time, here's the classic episode "Chuckles the Clown Bites the Dust." A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants:
This is one of the unintended side effects of getting older: you become an expert in anatomy, every time a new body part that you didn't even know existed starts hurting. Thankfully, the NRBQ/Los Straitjackets tour is playing elsewhere nearby in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, here's another favorite TV character.
#3: Lou Grant
If the only episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show that ever existed was "Chuckles the Clown Bites the Dust" Lou would still be on this list. That's one of the greatest episodes of a TV series I've ever seen in my life!
But there was lots more of Lou. In fact, Lou Grant is one of the rarest characters in TV history: he was on one show for seven years, then graduated to another show for another six! He also moved from a sitcom to a drama. That happened one other time, when the character "Trapper John" went from M*A*S*H to Trapper John, MD; however, in that case, the character was played by two different people (Wayne Rogers and Pernell Roberts, respectively).
Lou Grant was Ed Asner's brilliant character from start to finish. He was gruff but lovable, a perfect blend of tough guy and teddy bear. One of his most memorable moments was upon meeting Mary Richards in MTM, telling her, "You know something? You've got spunk," then angrily adding, "I hate spunk!"
That trait followed him from Minneapolis when The Mary Tyler Moore Show ended to Los Angeles, where he became the city editor of the Los Angeles Tribune in Lou Grant. His frequent head butting with Joe Rossi was legendary, and he could snap someone's head off in one moment (one of my favorites came when they were investigating if a resort was owned by the mob: the pictures photographer Dennis "Animal" Price took were stolen out of his room while he was in the shower, and Lou snapped, "You picked a hell of a time to take your annual shower!") then almost pastoral in his compassion the next (watch the LG episode "Veterans").
Asner was well recognized for his character: he won five Emmy awards, three for the Mary Tyler Moore and two for Lou Grant. (His total of seven Emmys is one of the highest number of awards given to one actor in history.)
Lou Grant was one of the most memorable characters of the 1970s.
Lou Grant
Portrayed by Edward Asner
From The Mary Tyler Moore Show, CBS, 1970-77
And Lou Grant, CBS, 1977-1982
If you have time, here's the classic episode "Chuckles the Clown Bites the Dust." A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants:
(First Aired: October 25, 1975) The newsroom is shocked at the bizarre death of Chuckles the Clown during a circus parade.
4 people like this
3 responses
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
27 Sep 16
I always thought it odd that Lou was comedic on Mary Tyler Moore and dramatic on his own show.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43650)
• Denver, Colorado
18 Sep 16
Lou was hilarious. And great at drama, too. Great choice. I actually had Ted Baxter on my list but he failed to make the final cut.
1 person likes this
