Cloris Leachman makes such an impact as landlady Phyllis Lindstrom on
The Mary Tyler Moore Show that it’s easy to forget she was only ever a recurring presence on the series. But
my how crucial she is to the calibration of the 1970s’ best sitcom ensemble: The splash of vinegar to the title star’s sweetness, casually insulting Mary Richards’ tastes and exchanging passive-aggressive barbs with Rhoda Morgenstern a depiction of Midwestern nice that could only come from a native of Des Moines. It wasn’t the type of thing that could sustain a show of its own, but Leachman’s departure for