Tuesday, April 27, 2004

Seventies shrine for sale

The "Mary Tyler Moore House" -- a large Victorian in Minneapolis used for exterior shots of the lead character's residence on "the Mary Tyler Moore Show" in the 70s -- is for sale for $1.2 million. Among the amusing details in the story is the bit about how, during the early 70s, the residents got so tired of TV crews taking photos of the manse that they hung a huge IMPEACH NIXON banner across the front.

Long after the show was off the air, it continued to draw pilgrims:

In a 1995 article published in the New York Times, the Maurers said they seldom watched television and were unaware of the significant landmark status of the house when they bought it in 1988.

But they soon found out, the newspaper reported. On moving day, while they were sitting on the porch, a van stopped in front and a dozen people climbed out. They trooped onto the lawn, arranged a tripod camera and then, on signal, threw their hats into the air for a photo.

That makes me wonder: how might fans of other TV series register their devotion? Perhaps fans of "Friends" carry armchairs and reading lamps and set them up in front of fountains, while fans of "The West Wing" try to escape from the White House tour and walk purposefully through the corridors, carrying papers and having humorous, oblique conversations about politics.

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