With mostly good reason. But even MTM's no-go's generally had something to recommend them to TV history. We've got the roll call of the half-dozen unsuccessful outings that vexed Our Mare as she tried to strike lightning a third time.

Mary (1978, CBS) -- After two hit sitcoms, why not a variety show? Well, because the oh-so-'50s format was at death's door, a threshold MTM crossed with it. Prime time skits just seemed so ho-hum after 1975's Saturday Night Live exploded sketch comedy into the irreverent rock age. But nobody can say MTM didn't try her darnedest -- though "darn" wasn't exactly a word for this era, either -- because she gathered a seriously smart group of writers and performers to help her try. Check the list. Her costars included Michael Keaton, Swoosie Kurtz and some unknown young Hoosier comic named David Letterman. Her writers included Jay Tarses (The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd)) and his standup partner, Tom Patchett, plus early Letterman cohort Merrill Markoe. Lasted a mere three episodes.

The Mary Tyler Moore Hour (1979, CBS) -- After the variety hour bombed, the network renovated it into a variety-cum-sitcom hour, in which MTM was the star of a variety show whose behind-the-scenes shenanigans were also portrayed. This allowed more big-name guest stars into the mix (Lucille Ball, Dick Van Dyke, Gene Kelly, et al). Another collective yawn. Lasted 11 episodes.

Mary (1985, CBS) -- Ho-kay then, back to sitcomland. And with a wilder edge. MTM went tabloid as a Chicago newspaper reporter surrounded by crazies in the style of such other overpopulated fun faves as Barney Miller. Addams Family wacko John Astin costarred as an artsy critic, while newcomer Katey Sagal made her pre-Married With Children mark as a tough chain-smoking columnist. Unfortunately, the network's business-as-usual sitcom rules saddled their strangeness with the tiresome will-they-won't-they romantic question embodied by editor/boss James Farentino. Yawn. That's what viewers did, too. But we'd like to get a glimpse of this one again. Just 13 episodes.

Annie McGuire (1988, CBS) -- No more Mary in the title. Another strong cast. (Future Oscar winner Adrien Brody played her son!) But another quick exit. MTM was a divorced Manhattan city executive who married a local engineer with kids of his own. Let's just say they weren't the Brady Bunch in any way, including length of stay. Just 11 episodes.

New York News (1995, CBS) -- Ink-stained again in a drama series about a New York newspaper, MTM was this time part of an ensemble rather than the central star. Gregory Harrison and Melina Kanakaredes played tenacious reporters, with Madeline Kahn as the gossip columnist, all bossed by tough-as-nails editor MTM. Joe Morton was on hand, too, but none of it was enough to make viewers change channels from NBC's Seinfeld. Just 13 episodes.

The Naked Truth (1997, NBC) -- We're cheating here. This wasn't really an MTM series. But she did recur on yet another tabloid sitcom as Tea Leoni's mom. Sort of a precursor of her new NBC gig.

And that season premiere of Lipstick Jungle with MTM's debut as Brooke Shields' judgmental mom is already viewable online here.