TV Quote of the Day (‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show,’ on the Fallout From Ted’s Commercials)

[Anchorman Ted Baxter's been doing commercials and Lou Grant's depressed about the whole situation. Mary goes into Lou's office.]

Mary Richards [played by Mary Tyler Moore]: “Mr. Grant, what is it?”

Lou Grant [played by Ed Asner]: [Standing, dejected and defeated] “Hmmm?”

Mary: “What's wrong?”

Lou: “Oh.” [sighing] “I think Baxter's finally got me. I've gone over his contract, a dozen times. There's nothing I can do to stop him. First it was that tomato slicer. Then it was that commercial for that woman's product. I didn't even know what it was. I had to ask my wife what they used it for. She wasn't sure.” —The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Season 3, Episode 9, “Farmer Ted and the News,” original air date Nov. 11, 1972, teleplay by James L. Brooks, Allan Burns, and Martin Donovan, directed by Jay Sandrich