Ted Baxter
Encyclopedia
Ted Baxter is a fictional character on the sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show
(1970–1977). Portrayed by Ted Knight
, the Baxter character is a broad parody of a vain, shallow, buffoonish TV newsman. Knight's comedic model was William Powell
, and he also drew on various Los Angeles newscasters, including George Putnam
, in helping shape the character. The role was originally conceived with Jack Cassidy
in mind but Cassidy turned it down, although he did appear in an early episode as Ted's equally egocentric brother Hal.
Ted Baxter has become a symbolic figure, and is often used when criticizing media figures, particularly news anchors hired for style and appearance rather than journalistic ability.
. Satirizing the overly masculine affectations of news anchormen, the character spoke in the vocal fry register
, obviously forced deeper than a normal talking voice. While his massive ego consistently fueled his dreams of grandeur, his actual performance was the opposite. A running joke of the show was Ted Baxter's incompetence, evidenced by a steady stream of mispronunciations, malapropism
s, and mercurial displays of temper. Constantly in fear of being fired, Ted Baxter is, in fact, the only character of the show to survive the mass layoffs that were featured in the final episode, a deft twist of plot that further cemented the satirical comment on mainstream media implicit in his character.
In the first few seasons of the show, the character of Ted Baxter was portrayed in very broad comic terms. Baxter was usually represented as a complete idiot and buffoon who would mispronounce even the simplest words on the air. Knight became concerned at how the character was being portrayed and at one point considered leaving the show. To give Knight's character a more "well rounded" existence, the show paired him with a love-interest, Georgette, played by Georgia Engel, who brought out some of the more vulnerable aspects of Ted Baxter.
s for his portrayal of Baxter. Time magazine wrote that "Knight embodied a wonderful comic oaf: vain, inept and hilarious." Bravo ranked Baxter 48th on their list of the 100 greatest TV characters.
, the recurring character of anchor Kent Brockman
is an homage to Ted Baxter. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
also makes extensive explicit and implicit references to Ted Baxter such as the dog named Baxter. In the episode "18th and Potomac" of The West Wing, C. J. Cregg
uses Ted Baxter as the paradigm of a bad reporter. In the comedy-horror film Return of the Killer Tomatoes
, Dr. Gangreen's underling Igor is shown to hold a diploma from "The Ted Baxter School of Journalism". In "Bruce Almighty," the name of the anchorman (played by Steve Carell
) is Evan Baxter. The Electric Company
also spoofed Ted Baxter as "Fred Baxter", a dimwitted news anchorman portrayed by Jim Boyd.
program Countdown
, Keith Olbermann
has used the character to disparage his rival Bill O'Reilly
. He regularly refers to O'Reilly as "Ted Baxter" and reads O'Reilly's words in a Baxter imitation.
In the July 6, 2008 issue of New York Times Magazine, conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh
said of O'Reilly, “Someone's got to say it: the man is Ted Baxter.”
The name has also been given by another conservative talk radio host, Mark Levin
.
Charleston, South Carolina
news anchor Bill Sharpe
has also been compared to Ted Baxter; the Charleston City Paper
awarded him a 2008 Best of Charleston Award for "Best Ted Baxter Impression".
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
(1970–1977). Portrayed by Ted Knight
Ted Knight
Ted Knight was an American actor best known for playing the comedic role of Ted Baxter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Henry Rush on Too Close for Comfort, and Judge Elihu Smails in Caddyshack.- Early years :...
, the Baxter character is a broad parody of a vain, shallow, buffoonish TV newsman. Knight's comedic model was William Powell
William Powell
William Horatio Powell was an American actor.A major star at MGM, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the popular Thin Man series in which Powell and Loy played Nick and Nora Charles...
, and he also drew on various Los Angeles newscasters, including George Putnam
George Putnam
George Putnam may refer to:*George Putnam , Los Angeles, California, television newsman*George D. Putnam , screenwriter*George F. Putnam, American historian...
, in helping shape the character. The role was originally conceived with Jack Cassidy
Jack Cassidy
John Joseph Edward “Jack” Cassidy was an American actor of stage, film and screen.His frequent professional persona was that of an urbane, super-confident egotist with a dramatic flair, much in the manner of Broadway actor Frank Fay...
in mind but Cassidy turned it down, although he did appear in an early episode as Ted's equally egocentric brother Hal.
Ted Baxter has become a symbolic figure, and is often used when criticizing media figures, particularly news anchors hired for style and appearance rather than journalistic ability.
Character
Baxter was the overbearing, pompous anchorman for the fictitious station WJM-TV in Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. Satirizing the overly masculine affectations of news anchormen, the character spoke in the vocal fry register
Vocal fry register
The vocal fry register , is the lowest vocal register and is produced through a loose glottal closure which will permit air to bubble through slowly with a popping or rattling sound of a very low frequency...
, obviously forced deeper than a normal talking voice. While his massive ego consistently fueled his dreams of grandeur, his actual performance was the opposite. A running joke of the show was Ted Baxter's incompetence, evidenced by a steady stream of mispronunciations, malapropism
Malapropism
A malapropism is an act of misusing or the habitual misuse of similar sounding words, especially with humorous results. An example is Yogi Berra's statement: "Texas has a lot of electrical votes," rather than "electoral votes".-Etymology:...
s, and mercurial displays of temper. Constantly in fear of being fired, Ted Baxter is, in fact, the only character of the show to survive the mass layoffs that were featured in the final episode, a deft twist of plot that further cemented the satirical comment on mainstream media implicit in his character.
In the first few seasons of the show, the character of Ted Baxter was portrayed in very broad comic terms. Baxter was usually represented as a complete idiot and buffoon who would mispronounce even the simplest words on the air. Knight became concerned at how the character was being portrayed and at one point considered leaving the show. To give Knight's character a more "well rounded" existence, the show paired him with a love-interest, Georgette, played by Georgia Engel, who brought out some of the more vulnerable aspects of Ted Baxter.
Reception
Knight earned two Primetime Emmy AwardPrimetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
s for his portrayal of Baxter. Time magazine wrote that "Knight embodied a wonderful comic oaf: vain, inept and hilarious." Bravo ranked Baxter 48th on their list of the 100 greatest TV characters.
In popular culture
On the animated TV series The SimpsonsThe Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, the recurring character of anchor Kent Brockman
Kent Brockman
Kent Brockman is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer and first appeared in the episode "Krusty Gets Busted"...
is an homage to Ted Baxter. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, or simply Anchorman, is a 2004 American comedy film, directed by Adam McKay and starring Will Ferrell. The film, which was also written by Ferrell and McKay, is a tongue-in-cheek take on the culture of the 1970s, particularly the then-new Action News format...
also makes extensive explicit and implicit references to Ted Baxter such as the dog named Baxter. In the episode "18th and Potomac" of The West Wing, C. J. Cregg
C. J. Cregg
Claudia Jean "C. J." Cregg is a fictional character played by Allison Janney on the television serial drama The West Wing. From the beginning of the series until the sixth season, she is White House Press Secretary in the administration of President Josiah Bartlet...
uses Ted Baxter as the paradigm of a bad reporter. In the comedy-horror film Return of the Killer Tomatoes
Return of the Killer Tomatoes
Return of the Killer Tomatoes! was the first sequel to Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.-Synopsis:Set twenty five years after the events of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes , the basic plotline is that after the events of the first film...
, Dr. Gangreen's underling Igor is shown to hold a diploma from "The Ted Baxter School of Journalism". In "Bruce Almighty," the name of the anchorman (played by Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
) is Evan Baxter. The Electric Company
The Electric Company
The Electric Company is an educational American children's television series that was produced by the Children's Television Workshop for PBS in the United States. PBS broadcast 780 episodes over the course of its six seasons from October 25, 1971 to April 15, 1977...
also spoofed Ted Baxter as "Fred Baxter", a dimwitted news anchorman portrayed by Jim Boyd.
In media culture
On the MSNBCMSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
program Countdown
Countdown with Keith Olbermann
Countdown with Keith Olbermann is an hour-long weeknight news and political commentary program that airs on Current TV, where it began airing on June 20, 2011. The program was broadcast on MSNBC from March 31, 2003, to January 21, 2011. On MSNBC, the show presented five selected news stories of...
, Keith Olbermann
Keith Olbermann
Keith Theodore Olbermann is an American political commentator and writer. He has been the chief news officer of the Current TV network and the host of Current TV's weeknight political commentary program, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, since June 20, 2011...
has used the character to disparage his rival Bill O'Reilly
Bill O'Reilly (commentator)
William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...
. He regularly refers to O'Reilly as "Ted Baxter" and reads O'Reilly's words in a Baxter imitation.
In the July 6, 2008 issue of New York Times Magazine, conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
said of O'Reilly, “Someone's got to say it: the man is Ted Baxter.”
The name has also been given by another conservative talk radio host, Mark Levin
Mark Levin
Mark Reed Levin is a lawyer, author and the host of American syndicated radio show The Mark Levin Show. Levin served in the cabinet of President Ronald Reagan and was a chief of staff for Attorney General Edwin Meese...
.
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
news anchor Bill Sharpe
Bill Sharpe (WCSC-TV)
William Hershel Sharpe, Jr. is the head anchor on Charleston, South Carolina broadcast station WCSC-TV.-Education:A native of the St. Andrews area in Charleston, he graduated from St...
has also been compared to Ted Baxter; the Charleston City Paper
Charleston City Paper
The Charleston City Paper is an alternative weekly published every Wednesday in Charleston, South Carolina. It mostly covers local places, events, and happenings in the Charleston area which would be of interest to its target audience of college students and young professionals.The paper also...
awarded him a 2008 Best of Charleston Award for "Best Ted Baxter Impression".