"The Betty White Show" {"Under Cover Woman" Episode #1.1} (1977)

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I think fans of "The Golden Girls" might be surprised that this sitcom featured Betty White in her 1970's Sue Ann Nivens phase, not her 1980's Rose Nyland phase, which gives the material a nice edge. Actress Joyce (Betty White) finally gets the lead role in an action/cop show called "Undercover Woman." She lives with her friend Mitzi (Georgia Engel), and she finds out that her ex-husband John (John Hillerman) will be directing the pilot episode. The couple trade many a funny barb until Joyce realizes that the stuffy John is still a part of her life, and that she might harbor feelings for him.

This is an obvious pilot/first episode, as some of the jokes fall flat, and unsure regulars are introduced. White and Hillerman don't have that much chemistry, Hillerman overplays the stuffy director to the point that he is robotic in a role that he would perform much better on "Magnum, P.I." The main focus is on White, and she is a stitch. Her delivery is incredible, and the writers give her and Hillerman some very funny banter. There is some fictional show cast and crew onscreen, but I'm not sure why there is a Mitzi character at all- count how many times Engel leaves a scene- so it will be interesting to see if the show is a work place comedy, or a domestic strife/second chance at romance satire.

Stats:
(1977) 30 min. (* * * 1/2) out of five stars
-Directed by Bill Persky
-Written and Developed by David Lloyd, Series Created by Ed. Weinberger and Stan Daniels
-Cast: Betty White, John Hillerman, Georgia Engel, Charles Cyphers, Carla Borelli, Alex Henteloff, Barney Phillips
(Not Rated)- contains mild violence and very mild sexual references