Phyllis
Off the Bench
TV Flash files “Off the Bench” as hour 28 of 48 in the TV Flash guide — Phyllis (1975–1977) on CBS, season 2, episode 4, aired 1976-10-11, 30 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S02E04: listed hour 28 of 48 in the Phyllis guide, hour 4 of 24 in season 2. It aired 1976-10-11 (30 min). The listed hour before it is “Speech 1A” (S02E03). Next is “Boss or Buddy, or Both, or Neither” (S02E05).
Viewer FAQ
Where does Off the Bench sit in the Phyllis guide?
S02E04 is listed hour 28 of 48 — hour 4 of 24 in season 2, season 2 episode 4.
When did Phyllis S02E04 air?
Off the Bench aired 1976-10-11 and is listed at 30 minutes.
Do I need The Mary Tyler Moore Show first?
Helpful for the character's original bite, not required. The San Francisco household is a self-contained Leachman vehicle.
In the series
Why this series still plays
Cloris Leachman takes Mary's most self-absorbed neighbor west to San Francisco and lets the neurosis lead. An MTM spin-off that bets a supporting comic can carry a series on timing alone. Physical comedy as contact sport, vanity included, and no Mary Richards safety net in sight.
Open on a woman who steamrolls the room before the credits finish introducing the in-laws. Cloris Leachman's Phyllis Lindstrom, widowed and westbound, arrives in San Francisco as if Minneapolis had been a rehearsal. CBS's Phyllis (1975–1977), from Ed. Weinberger and Stan Daniels, is an MTM spin-off that makes a structural bet: a supporting neurotic can carry a series on timing alone. Henry Jones's Judge Jonathan Dexter, Jane Rose's Audrey, and Lisa Gerritsen's Bess fill the new household. No Mary Richards safety…
Filed against
- Cloris Leachman as Phyllis Lindstrom
Cloris Leachman’s Phyllis Lindstrom made The Mary Tyler Moore Show’s Minneapolis feel crowded on purpose — vanity as a neighbor, timing as a contact sport, the self-absorbed orbit Mary Richards could not quite shake. Then Phyllis took the…
- Henry Jones as Judge Jonathan Dexter
Henry Jones played Judge Jonathan Dexter on Phyllis — Cloris Leachman taking Mary's most self-absorbed neighbor west to San Francisco, an MTM spin-off that bets a supporting comic can carry a series on timing alone. Physical comedy as…
- Jane Rose as Audrey Dexter
Jane Rose’s Audrey Dexter gave Phyllis a San Francisco in-law to bounce off — Cloris Leachman taking Mary’s most self-absorbed neighbor west, an MTM spin-off that bets timing can carry a series. Physical comedy as contact sport. TV Flash…
- Lisa Gerritsen as Bess Lindstrom
Lisa Gerritsen played the kid who saw through the vanity as Bess Lindstrom on Phyllis — Cloris Leachman’s self-absorbed neighbor spun west to San Francisco, MTM timing without a Mary Richards safety net. Physical comedy as contact sport.…