SAG mourns death of Mary Tyler Moore; CBS, Sundance TV plan tributes

Jan. 26 (UPI) -- The American actors union SAG-AFTRA says it is mourning the Wednesday death of Mary Tyler Moore.

Best known for her roles as Mary Richards on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show, the Emmy Award-winning actress was the 48th Life Achievement recipient and accepted the honor at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2012. She was 80 when she died after years of failing health.

"Mary was a television legend, but more than that, in her most iconic role she was both an agent of change as well as a reflection of our changing society. At a time when independence for women was not the social norm, both the fictional Mary and the real-life Mary set an example, showing that women could take control of their lives and their careers," SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris said in a statement. "She will be dearly missed."

CBS This Morning co-host Gayle King is set to anchor a one-hour special called Mary Tyler Moore: Love is All Around Thursday night on CBS.

"The special will feature original reporting and mine CBS' vast archives to present the story of the pioneering actress' life and career. In addition, the special will include interviews with Oprah Winfrey, newsmakers, admirers and others expressing their thoughts about Moore's profound impact on acting and how women were portrayed in the media, as well as her work outside of entertainment," the network said in a press release.

SundanceTV will celebrate the memory of Moore with an all-day marathon of the final season of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, beginning Saturday.