The first time the show tried to tape its pilot, it was a disaster: A bomb threat was called in for the lot (determined to be unfounded), the studio air conditioning broke, the microphones weren't working, and there was barely any laughter from the audience. Brooks and Burns had no idea what to do with the script, but Marge Mullen, the script supervisor, focused on one piece of feedback from the audience polling: They'd all hated the character of Rhoda, played by Valerie Harper. "There's this little girl who's Phyllis's daughter," Mullen said. "If the little girl likes Rhoda, it'll give the audience the opportunity to love her, too." In the retaping, actress Lisa Gerritsen, playing the daughter of Mary's landlady, Phyllis, said, "Aunt Rhoda's really a lot of fun," and that seemed to make all the difference. The audience laughed at the line and the rest of the taping was a success.
