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Cloris Leachman

TV NEWS

By GEOFF SHEARER

LIFE ‘‘re-begins’’ at 80 andthe laughs just keep com-ing. Three veterans of theclassic 1970s sitcom theMary Tyler Moore Showhave found their grooveagain on the prime-timeTV sitcom landscape.

Betty White, 88, ClorisLeachman, 83, and Ed As-ner, 81, are proving thatold is the new funny.

White, who has rarelybeen out of work sinceplaying the man-hungryTV cooking show hostessSue Ann Nivens on MTMfrom 1973 to 1977, will beback in series two of Hot InCleveland next year.

Asner, who is currentlyperforming on stage in LosAngeles, has been signedto the upcoming sitcomWorking Class, playing thecrusty neighbour of a sin-gle mum (Melissa Peter-man). He is best-loved ascranky news editor LouGrant in MTM and thespin-off Lou Grant, as wellas voicing the grumpy Carlin the animated hit Up.

But it’s Leachman’s re-turn to prominence in thesitcom Raising Hope whichhas critics in stitches.

Leachman playedMary’s downstairs land-lady on MTM and in thespin-off Phyllis until 1977.

In Raising Hope sheplays Maw Maw, thesenile, bra-discardingchain-smoking great-grandmother in the dys-functional Chance family.

Raising Hope, Ten, Wed-

nesday, 8pm