THE BOB NEWHART SHOW

CAST

Robert (Bob) Hartley............................... Bob Newhart Emily Hartley................................. Suzanne Pleshette Howard Borden............................................. Bill Daily Jerry Robinson....................................... Peter Bonerz Carol Kester Bondurant....................... Marcia Wallace Margaret Hoover (1972-1973).................. Patricia Smith Dr. Bernie Tupperman (1972-1976).......... Larry Gelman Ellen Hartley (1974-1976)............................. Pat Finley Larry Bondurant (1975-1977).................. Will McKenzie Eliot Carlin .................................................Jack Riley Mrs. Bakerman ....................................Florida Friebus Miss Larson (1972-1973)...................... Penny Marshall Michelle Nardo (1973-1976)...................... Renee Lippin Mr. Peterson (1973-1978).......................... John Fiedler Mr. Gianelli (1972-1973)............................. Noam Pitlik Mr. Vickers (1974-1975)........................... Lucien Scott Mr. Herd (1976-1977)................................. Oliver Clark

PRODUCERS

Tom Patchett, Jay Tarses, David Davis, Lorenzo Music, Michael Zinberg

PROGRAMMING HISTORY138 Episodes

CBS

September 1972-October 1976...... Saturday 9:30-10:00 November 1976-September 1977..... Saturday 8:30-9:00 September 1977-April 1978............. Saturday 8:00-8:30 June 1978-August 1978.................. Saturday 8:00-8:30

NEWHART

CAST

Dick Loudon........................................... Bob Newhart Joanna Loudon......................................... Mary Frann Kirk Devane(1982-1984).................. Steven Kampmann George Utley........................................... Tom Poston Leslie Vanderkellen (1982-1983).......... Jennifer Holmes Stephanie Vanderkellen (1983-1990)............ Julia Duffy Larry............................................. William Sanderson First Darryl......................................... Tony Papenfuss Second Darryl....................................... John Voldstad Jim Dixon ................................................Thomas Hill Chester Wanamaker.......................... William Lanteau Cindy Parker Devane (1984)................... Rebecca York Michael Harris (l984-1990)....................... Peter Scolari Harley Estin (1984-1988)......................... Jeff Doucette Elliot Gabler (1984-1985)............................ Lee Wilkof Bev Dutton (1984-1988).......................... Linda Carlson Constable Shifflett (1985-1989)............... Todd Susman J.J. (1985-1987).................................. Fred Applegate Bud (1985-1990)..................................... Ralph Manza Paul (1988-1990)........................................ Cliff Bemis Prudence Goddard (1989-1990)............... Kathy Kinney Art Rusnak (l989-1990)....................... David Pressman

PRODUCERS

Barry Kemp, Sheldon Bull

PROGRAMMING HISTORY 182 Episodes

CBS

October 1982-February 1983........... Monday 9:30-10:00 March 1983-April 1983.................... Sunday 9:30-10:00 April 1983-May 1983........................ Sunday 8:30-9:00 June 1983-August 1983.................. Sunday 9:30-10:00 August 1983-September 1986......... Monday 9:30-10:00 September 1986-August l988............ Monday 9:00-9:30 August 1988-March 1989................. Monday 8:00-8:30 March 1989-August 1989.............. Monday 10:00-10:30 August 1989-October 1989........... Monday 10:30-11:00 November 1989-April 1990............ Monday 10:00-10:30 April l990-May 1990......................... Monday 8:30-9:00 May 1990-July l990...................... Monday 10:00-10:30 July 1990-August 1990....................... Friday 9:00-9:30 September 1990............................ Saturday 9:00-9:30

The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart are both prime examples of the ensemble comedy that came into vogue in U.S. television during the 1970s and enjoyed continued popularity in the 1980s and 1990s. The two shows had much else in common (in addition to their star, Bob Newhart); both had sharp writing, well-drawn characters, and a distinctive style of humor that was intelligent and sophisticated, yet just a bit off the wall.

As with many 1970s ensemble sitcoms, such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show focused on career-oriented adults, mostly single, related by circumstance rather than blood. Newhart played Dr. Bob Hartley, a psychologist practicing in Chicago. He treated a variety of patients whose problems, no matter how eccentric, were played for laughs; the star among them was the misanthropic Elliott Carlin (Jack Riley). Bob's office mate was Dr. Jerry Robinson (Peter Bonerz), an orthodontist and typical 1970s "swinging single"; they shared the services of a quick-witted secretary-receptionist, Carol Kester (Marcia Wallace). Bob's wife, Emily--smart, funny, sexy--was played by Suzanne Pleshette. The couple's neighbor and closest friend in their high-rise apartment building was Howard Borden (Bill Daily), a childlike airline navigator who ate most of his meals with the Hartleys and had them water his plants even when he was home; he was, in effect, the offspring they didn't have. "That guy could lose an argument with a fern," was the caustic Carlin's comment on Howard.

A few lines and situations illustrate the show's deft and daft humor: Bob and Emily having a bicentennial party in 1976 and inviting Carlin because, according to Bob, "He says he gets lonely every bicentennial;" Howard explaining how spilling salt could be fatal--this after Bob nearly fell down an elevator shaft and became obsessed with death; the Hartleys sending Howard to a psychologist so he can become independent and responsible--but then wanting the old Howard back; Jerry coming into money, giving up his practice, and turning into "the village coot," who wants to do nothing but whittle and watch the sunrise.

These characters, even if defined by their specific quirks, developed and grew throughout the show's long run. Emily began as a substitute teacher, became a full-time teacher and moved up to vice principal; Carol married a travel agent and also tried out some other careers, but always came back to Bob and Jerry; Howard was engaged for a time to Bob's sister Ellen, a newspaper reporter, but she went out of his life and off the show when she moved to Cleveland for a better job (and after she had a flirtation with Howard's visiting brother, game warden Gordon Borden). The show made creative use of some running gags--Bob's one-sided telephone conversations, which had been a popular part of Newhart's standup act; his habit of trying to explain situations by using analogies no one understood; and his bedtime conversations with Emily, as each could turn back on the light, and make one more comment.

When Newhart retired the show--by choice--he expressed misgivings about the direction of situation comedy as the 1970s gave way to the 1980s; broad physical comedy and obvious jokes seemed to be pushing out wit and sophistication. The success of Newhart, however, showed there was still a place for intelligent, eccentric comedy. In this series Newhart played Dick Loudon, a writer of how-to books who moved from New York to Vermont to realize his dream of running a country inn. His wife, again smart, funny, and sexy, was named Joanna and was played by Mary Frann. Again there were numerous quirky supporting characters. Tom Poston, who had frequently guested on the earlier show, portrayed the inn's unhandy handyman, George Utley. Julia Duffy played the hilariously vain and spoiled Stephanie Vanderkellen, an heiress working as a maid at the inn (Stephanie replaced her less interesting cousin, Leslie, after the first season). Stephanie's boyfriend, Michael Harris (Peter Scolari), was an insufferable 1980s yuppie and producer of a local TV show, Vermont Today, which Dick began hosting a few years into Newhart's run. Perhaps the most memorable, and certainly the most unusual, characters were three bizarre backwoodsmen, of whom only one ever spoke (until the final episode). "I'm Larry, this is my brother Darryl, and this is my other brother Darryl," was their stock introduction. They could always be counted upon to enjoy any activity that would disgust most people. The show, like Newhart's earlier sitcom, weeded out weak characters and developed the strong ones as it went along.

Newhart closed its successful eight-year run with one of the best final episodes of any series. It involved everyone in town--except the Loudons--selling their property to a Japanese corporation, included a parody of Fiddler on the Roof, and ended with Newhart waking up in bed with Suzanne Pleshette and explaining that he'd had a very strange dream (a parodic reference to the famous 1986-87 season of Dallas.)

As this ending indicates, the 1970s Bob Newhart show is especially fondly remembered and there have been several other tributes to its enduring popularity. Marcia Wallace made a guest appearance on Taxi as the dream date of cabby Jim Ignatowski, who had nearly memorized every episode of The Bob Newhart Show. (Many members of the creative staff of Taxi had begun their careers at MTM Productions, the company that produced The Bob Newhart Show.) Newhart reprised Dr. Bob Hartley on a Saturday Night Live segment in the 1990s, with Hartley being the only voice of reason on a talk-show panel. And when TV character Murphy Brown (as part of a continuing joke on the show of the same name) was finally assigned a competent secretary, it was again Marcia Wallace, playing Carol. At the end of the episode, however, Newhart showed up as Bob Hartley and, after reducing himself to begging, won her back from Murphy.

-Trudy Ring