Phyllis
Taking a Chance on Chance
TV Flash files “Taking a Chance on Chance” as hour 40 of 48 in the TV Flash guide — Phyllis (1975–1977) on CBS, season 2, episode 16, aired 1977-01-16, 30 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S02E16: listed hour 40 of 48 in the Phyllis guide, hour 16 of 24 in season 2. It aired 1977-01-16 (30 min). The listed hour before it is “The Threat” (S02E15). Next is “Leonard and the Bribe” (S02E17).
Viewer FAQ
Where does Taking a Chance on Chance sit in the Phyllis guide?
S02E16 is listed hour 40 of 48 — hour 16 of 24 in season 2, season 2 episode 16.
When did Phyllis S02E16 air?
Taking a Chance on Chance aired 1977-01-16 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.…