Honestly, if you grew up anywhere near a television set in the late 70s, you probably thought Mariette Hartley was married to James Garner. You weren't alone. Their Polaroid commercials were so convincingly witty and intimate that Hartley eventually had to wear a t-shirt that famously read, "I am not Mrs. James Garner."
But reducing her to a camera pitchwoman is a massive mistake.
Mariette Hartley is a titan of the "Guest Star" era. She’s the kind of actor who didn't just show up; she took over. From sci-fi cult classics to gritty legal dramas, her face is woven into the DNA of American broadcasting. If you’re looking for a specific Mariette Hartley TV series to binge, you’ll find that her career isn't defined by one long-running hit, but by a relentless, decades-long presence across every genre imaginable.
The Emmy That Changed Everything: The Incredible Hulk
Most actors wait a lifetime for a "prestige" role. Mariette Hartley found hers in a comic book adaptation.
In 1978, she starred in the two-part episode "Married" of The Incredible Hulk. She played Dr. Carolyn Fields, a psychologist who falls in love with David Banner while trying to help him cure his "condition." It wasn't just a monster-of-the-week episode. It was a tragedy. Their chemistry was so palpable that the industry had no choice but to take notice.
She won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for that role. Think about that for a second. An actress winning a major dramatic Emmy for a show about a giant green man. It was unheard of. It proved that Hartley could bring gravitas to anything, no matter how "campy" the premise seemed on paper.
From Spock’s Lover to Peyton Place
Before she was winning Emmys, she was breaking hearts in the final season of Star Trek: The Original Series. In the episode "All Our Yesterdays," she played Zarabeth, a woman exiled 5,000 years into Sarpeidon's past. She famously became the only woman Spock ever truly loved (and ate meat for, thanks to some prehistoric regression).
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It was a performance that combined vulnerability with a weirdly modern edge.
But Hartley's TV series footprint started way before the Enterprise. She was a staple of Peyton Place back in 1965, playing Claire Morton. If you’ve never seen the show, just know it was the original primetime soap opera—messy, dramatic, and addictive. She held her own in 32 episodes, which was a marathon in those days.
Then there was Goodnight, Beantown.
This 1983 sitcom was actually her own show. She reunited with Bill Bixby (her Hulk husband) to play rival news anchors in Boston. It only lasted two seasons, but it showcased her comedic timing. She was smart. She was fast. She wasn't playing the "wife" role; she was the lead.
The Queen of the 70s Procedural
If a show had a "Guest Star" credit in the 1970s, there was a 40% chance Mariette Hartley was in the trailer.
She did it all:
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- Columbo: She appeared twice, most notably in "Publish or Perish" and "Try and Catch Me."
- The Rockford Files: This led to her another Emmy nomination. She played Althea Morgan, and her rapport with Garner was what sparked the Polaroid executives' interest.
- Gunsmoke: She appeared in five different episodes as five different characters. Talk about range.
- MAS*H: She played Dr. Inga Halvorsen, a Swedish surgeon who schools Hawkeye Pierce on his own sexism.
She had this uncanny ability to fit into any world. One week she was a pioneer woman on Little House on the Prairie, and the next, she was a high-tech scientist in Logan's Run.
The "Morning Program" Gamble and Beyond
In 1987, Hartley tried something different. She became a co-host of CBS's The Morning Program. It was supposed to be a lighter, more entertaining alternative to the hard news of Today or Good Morning America.
It didn't work.
The critics weren't kind, and the format felt forced. But even in a "failure," Hartley’s professionalism kept her moving. She transitioned into hosting Wild About Animals, a syndicated documentary series that she fronted for twenty years starting in 1995.
She never stopped acting, though. You might have seen her more recently as Patricia Clark (Abby's mom) on the hit series 9-1-1. Or perhaps as Lorna Scarry on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She’s still out there, still working, still bringing that "sunny but serious" energy to every frame.
Why We’re Still Talking About Her
What most people get wrong about Mariette Hartley is thinking she was "just" a TV actress.
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She was an advocate before it was trendy. Her 1990 autobiography, Breaking the Silence, was a gut-punch of a book. She talked about her family’s history with suicide and her own struggles with bipolar disorder. She turned her fame into a platform for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
That’s the nuance.
She wasn't just a face on a screen. She was a woman who survived the brutal Hollywood machine and came out the other side with her integrity intact. When you watch a Mariette Hartley TV series today, you aren't just seeing a performer; you're seeing a pioneer who navigated the transition from the "Golden Age" of Westerns to the modern era of character-driven drama.
Finding the Best Mariette Hartley Episodes
If you want to understand why she matters, don't just look at a list of shows. Watch these specific performances.
- The Incredible Hulk, "Married": It's the gold standard. Watch for the scene where David Banner tells her his secret. It’s heartbreaking.
- Star Trek, "All Our Yesterdays": Even if you aren't a Trekkie, her performance as a woman trapped in isolation is haunting.
- The Rockford Files, "Paradise Cove": You’ll see exactly why she and James Garner became the most famous non-couple in America.
- MAS*H, "Inga": It’s a masterclass in how to play a "strong female character" without it feeling like a trope.
Moving Forward: Her Legacy Today
Mariette Hartley’s career is a reminder that longevity in show business isn't about having one massive hit. It’s about being indispensable.
She’s currently involved in Our Almost Completely True Story, a film she wrote and starred in with her husband, Jerry Sroka. It’s a funny, honest look at finding love later in life. It’s quintessential Hartley: self-deprecating, sharp, and deeply human.
To truly appreciate her impact, start by revisiting her Emmy-winning turn on The Incredible Hulk. It’s available on most streaming platforms that carry classic TV. From there, dive into her guest spots on Columbo. You’ll quickly realize that while the shows changed, the quality of her work never wavered.
Take a moment to look up her advocacy work with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. It adds a layer of depth to her performances that you might have missed the first time around. Her life’s work isn't just a list of credits; it’s a blueprint for a meaningful life in the spotlight.