Oh, Mr. Grant: The Oprah Tyler Moore Tribute

So, last night CBS was scheduled to air a tribute to the late Mary Tyler Moore (MTM), the beloved actress who gave us Laura Petrie and Mary Richards, and a whole slew of performances (Change of Habit, excepted) that endeared her to the American psyche like no other actress comedienne since Lucille Ball.

When Lucy died, CBS put together a top notch tribute on Ball, the actress, comedienne mother and business woman.

So this should have been a slam dunk.

Cookie's heart began to sink when he heard Gayle King's name as the host, and having seen the Oprah interviews following MTM's death, Cookie had a very, very bad feeling.

And like Donald Trump in the White House, that bad feeling came true.

After a very brief minute or two over view about MTM's career and heart ache - yes, a whole minute or two, Gayle King drove the tribute into the Oprah Zone.

Before you knew it, she was showing more tape of Oprah pretending to be Mary Tyler Moore, than she was showing of Mary Tyler Moore.

This went on for nearly a half-fucking-hour.

And thus, Oprah Tyler Moore was born.

Cookie left after 15 minutes because he knows what happens when Gayle and Oprah come together.

The husband, on the other hand, wanted to give it a fair shake.  At 25 after the hour, he shut down the TV.

OK, I am willing to accept that Oprah is the single most powerful woman in media.  And she owns half of Weight Watchers - and by the way, she didn't look lean and fit last night - and that Oprah carries a lot of weight in media. And that she earned her position, and deserves to be an oracle.

But seriously CBS.  A half fucking hour of Oprah?

This begged the question.  Where were Cloris Leachman, Dick Van Dyke, Carl Reiner, Rose Marie, Valerie Harper, Georgia Engle, Bob Newhart, Ed Asner and for Godsakes BETTY WHITE in that first half hour?

Now granted, Paul Sand, meh, maybe not.

THESE were the people who are alive who worked with MTM in her series days.  Even Robert Wagner is alive, and he starred in "Just Don't Stand There" with her.  Even RJW would have been happy to be there for MTM.

But Oprah?

This begs the second question - could they not find more examples of her talent when there are 12 seasons of programs?  Could we have not enjoyed at least one extended scene?

Winfrey? Winfrey? Winfrey?

C'mon CBS - five minutes with Oprah would have been fine.  But thirty fucking minutes?  Who scripted this bullshit?  The Trump White House?

Let us hope that ABC's 20/20 eschews Oprah during its tribute tonight.   If she show up there, the screams you will hear will be Cookie, leaping from the basement window.

As for your CBS, you fucked last night up on on your own.