who played rhoda's sister brenda
Rhoda's Mom was the classic Jewish mother and was played by Bounty pitchwoman Nancy Walker (who also played Mr. Cunningham's cousin Nancy Blansky on the Happy Day's semi-spin off Blansky's Beauties!). Other characters on the show were the always heard but never seen Carlton the Doorman and Rhoda's sister Brenda. With Rhoda on her own show, Brenda strangely enough became The Rhoda and Rhoda became The Mary. And while Brenda, as played by Julie Kavner, was a great character, this change may have hurt the show's longevity. People like Rhoda's character like she was on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Making her the pretty, happy, married one took away a lot of the elements people expected her to play off of.