'Mary Hartman Mary Hartman' Dies at 87

[Mark Jeffries]

Louise Lasser first became known for the films she made with her then-husband Woody Allen, including "Take the Money and Run" and "Bananas," but she suddenly became a star with the title character of "Mary Hartman Mary Hartman," Norman Lear's soap opera parody that also played as a more-or-less straight soap, where Ms. Lasser played the title character of the not-so-ordinary Fernwood, OH housewife thrown into many predicaments--turned down by the networks, Lear took the show--a Monday-through-Friday strip--to syndication and had a surprise hit in 1976--however, the show fell apart in the second season, Ms. Lasser left and the show spun off into the one-season continuation "Forever Fernwood" and the Martin Mull/Fred Wiilard talk show parody "Fernwood/America 2Night," beloved but more of a cult item than an actual hit--in later years, Ms. Lasser had a recurring role on Lena Dunham's "Girls"--of natural causes last Monday at her New York home:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/louise-lasser-dead-mary-hartman-mary-hartman-star-1236639950/