"Jennifer Keishin Armstrong's deft weave of social history and sharp entertainment reporting explains how The Mary Tyler Moore Show] made the world safe for Lena Dunham" (Peter Biskind, author of Easy Riders, Raging Bulls)--the making of a classic and groundbreaking TV show, as experienced by its producers, writers, and cast.

When writer-producers James L. Brooks and Allan Burns dreamed up an edgy show about a divorced woman with a career, the CBS executives they pitched replied: "American audiences won't tolerate divorce in a series' lead any more than they will tolerate...