The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Insightful, endearing, and humorous at every turn, this classic continues to hold a place atop all-time TV favorites. Thanks to a collectively superb cast and the writers' willingness to cultivate substantial content, The Mary Tyler Moore Show continues to be relevant decades later. Though our tolerance toward some of the issues has changed (strong female leads are now commonplace, as is sexual liberation and marital infidelity that makes headlines in this '70s show, for instance), the difference in how this show and modern ones portray them can prompt lively discussion with your teens.

First airing in 1970, The Mary Tyler Moore Show was the first TV series to present an entirely modern female character, reflecting the changing American society and women's growing freedom from the traditional expectations of marriage and family. The series opens with her opting out of a romantic relationship that didn't suit her emotional needs, choosing instead a career and her independence. It's not always an easy path to blaze, and she encounters her fair share of naysayers, discrimination, and self-doubt, but her determination to make it work is reminiscent of an entire generation of motivated young women who knocked down barriers in the workplace.