R.I.P. Mary Tyler Moore (1936-2017)

Mary Tyler Moore, who made TV audiences everywhere believe we might just make it after all, has passed away at the age of 80.

Television and comedy trailblazers don’t come much bigger than Moore. After first gaining fame with her Emmy-winning turn on “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” she launched the hugely influential and groundbreaking “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” in 1970. That was the first sitcom to focus on a woman forging her own career path, and it was a smash hit with audiences and critics, racking up 29 Emmy nominations across seven seasons, and winning an armload too. Moreover, it had a strong feminist impact as well, particularly in a decade which saw the movement make great strides in the public arena.

Moore followed her small-screen success with roles on the big screen, most notably playing against type in Robert Redford‘s “Ordinary People,” which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Younger cinephiles may remember her terrific turn in David O. Russell‘s “Flirting With Disaster” in the mid-’90s.

Moore’s influence will continue to be felt for years to come, and her legacy not soon forgotten. Our thoughts are with her family and friends.