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''The Bob Newhart Show'' is an American
sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
television series produced by
MTM Enterprises MTM Enterprises (also known as MTM Productions) was an American independent production company established in 1969 by Mary Tyler Moore and her then-husband Grant Tinker to produce ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' for CBS. The name for the productio ...
that aired on
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
from September 16, 1972, to April 1, 1978, with a total of 142 half-hour episodes over six seasons. Comedian
Bob Newhart George Robert Newhart (born September 5, 1929) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan and slightly stammering delivery style. Newhart came to prominence in 1960 when his album of comedic monologues, ''The Button-Down Mi ...
portrays a
psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and interpretation of how indi ...
whose interactions with his wife, friends, patients, and colleagues lead to humorous situations and dialogue. The show was filmed before a live audience. The credits feature the
Cooper Black Cooper Black is an ultra-bold serif typeface intended for display use that was designed by Oswald Bruce Cooper and released by the Barnhart Brothers & Spindler type foundry in 1922. The typeface was drawn as an extra-bold weight of Cooper's "Coo ...
typeface, after it was made famous in 1966 by its use in the artwork for the Beach Boys ''
Pet Sounds ''Pet Sounds'' is the 11th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on May 16, 1966, by Capitol Records. It was initially met with a lukewarm critical and commercial response in the United States, peaking at number 10 on the ...
'' album.


Premise

The show centers on Robert "Bob" Hartley, PhD (Newhart), a
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and interpretation of how indi ...
. Most activity occurs between his work and home life, with his supportive, although occasionally sarcastic, wife Emily (
Suzanne Pleshette Suzanne Pleshette (January 31, 1937 – January 19, 2008) was an American theatre, film, television, and voice actress. Pleshette started her career in the theatre and began appearing in films in the late 1950s and later appeared in prominent ...
), and their friendly but pesty neighbor, airline navigator Howard Borden ( Bill Daily). The medical building where Bob's psychology practice is located also houses Jerry Robinson, D.D.S. (
Peter Bonerz Peter R Bonerz (, born August 6, 1938) is an American actor and director. Early life Bonerzwas born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to Elfrieda (née Kern) and Christopher Bonerz. He grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he attended Marquette Un ...
), an
orthodontist Orthodontics is a dentistry specialty that addresses the diagnosis, prevention, management, and correction of mal-positioned teeth and jaws, and misaligned bite patterns. It may also address the modification of facial growth, known as dentofacial ...
whose office is on the same floor, and their receptionist, Carol Kester (
Marcia Wallace Marcia Karen Wallace (November 1, 1942 – October 25, 2013) was an American actress and comedian, primarily known for her roles in television situation comedies. She is best known for her roles as receptionist Carol Kester on the 1970s sitc ...
), as well as a number of other somewhat eccentric doctors who appear on the show occasionally. Bob's three most frequently seen regular patients are the cynical, mean-spirited and neurotic Elliot Carlin ( Jack Riley), the
milquetoast Caspar Milquetoast was a popular American cartoon character created by H. T. Webster. The term “milquetoast” has since come to be used for a meek or timid person. Milquetoast may also refer to: *Dr. Milquetoast, a character in " The Pacifis ...
former
US Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
cook Emil Peterson (
John Fiedler John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...
), and quiet, reserved Lillian Bakerman (
Florida Friebus Florida Friebus (October 10, 1909 Her obituary in the ''Los Angeles Times'' gives her birth year as 1908. – May 27, 1988) was an American writer and actress of stage, film, and television. Friebus's best-known roles were Winifred "Winnie" Gi ...
), an older woman who spends most of her sessions knitting. Carlin was ranked 49th in ''TV Guides List of the 50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time, and Riley reprised the character in guest appearances on both '' St. Elsewhere'' and ''
Newhart ''Newhart'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS from October 25, 1982, to May 21, 1990, with a total of 184 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons. The series stars Bob Newhart and Mary Frann as an author and his wife, ...
''. Most of the situations involve Newhart's character playing
straight man The straight man is a stock character in a comedy performance, especially a double act, sketch comedy, or farce. When a comedy partner behaves eccentrically, the straight man is expected to maintain composure. The direct contribution to the ...
to his wife, colleagues, friends, and patients. A frequent running gag on the show is an extension of Newhart's
stand-up comedy Stand-up comedy is a comedy, comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up. Stand-up comedy consists of One-line joke ...
routines, where he played one side of a telephone conversation, the other side of which is not heard. In a nod to this, for the first two seasons, the episodes opened with Bob answering the telephone by saying "Hello?". Emily routinely acts as straight woman to slow-witted Howard, and on occasion to Bob.


Cast


Stars

*
Bob Newhart George Robert Newhart (born September 5, 1929) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan and slightly stammering delivery style. Newhart came to prominence in 1960 when his album of comedic monologues, ''The Button-Down Mi ...
as Dr. Robert Hartley, psychologist *
Suzanne Pleshette Suzanne Pleshette (January 31, 1937 – January 19, 2008) was an American theatre, film, television, and voice actress. Pleshette started her career in the theatre and began appearing in films in the late 1950s and later appeared in prominent ...
as Emily (née Harrison) Hartley, his wife, a school teacher and later, assistant principal *
Peter Bonerz Peter R Bonerz (, born August 6, 1938) is an American actor and director. Early life Bonerzwas born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to Elfrieda (née Kern) and Christopher Bonerz. He grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he attended Marquette Un ...
as Dr. Jerry Robinson, Bob's friend, an orthodontist * Bill Daily as Howard Borden, Bob and Emily's next-door neighbor and friend, an airline navigator and later co-pilot *
Marcia Wallace Marcia Karen Wallace (November 1, 1942 – October 25, 2013) was an American actress and comedian, primarily known for her roles in television situation comedies. She is best known for her roles as receptionist Carol Kester on the 1970s sitc ...
as Carol Kester, Bob and Jerry's receptionist


Bob's patients

Seen on a recurring basis in group therapy sessions. Mr. Carlin, Mrs. Bakerman and Mr. Peterson were by far the most frequently seen patients. * Jack Riley as Elliot F. Carlin *
Florida Friebus Florida Friebus (October 10, 1909 Her obituary in the ''Los Angeles Times'' gives her birth year as 1908. – May 27, 1988) was an American writer and actress of stage, film, and television. Friebus's best-known roles were Winifred "Winnie" Gi ...
as Mrs. Lillian Bakerman *
John Fiedler John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...
as Emil Peterson *
Renée Lippin Renée Lippin (born July 26, 1946) is a retired American actress. She appeared periodically on ''The Bob Newhart Show ''The Bob Newhart Show'' is an American sitcom television series produced by MTM Enterprises that aired on CBS from Septem ...
as Michelle Nardo (seasons 1-5) *
Oliver Clark Oliver may refer to: Arts, entertainment and literature Books * ''Oliver the Western Engine'', volume 24 in ''The Railway Series'' by Rev. W. Awdry * '' Oliver Twist'', a novel by Charles Dickens Fictional characters * Ariadne Oliver ...
as Ed Herd (seasons 2-6) *
Noam Pitlik Noam Pitlik (November 4, 1932February 18, 1999) was an American television director and actor. In 1979, Pitlik won an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for his work on the ABC sitcom ''Barney Miller''. Early life The son of D ...
as Victor Gianelli (seasons 1-2) *
Daniel J. Travanti Daniel J. Travanti (born Danielo Giovanni Travanti; March 7, 1940) is an American actor. He is best known for playing police captain Frank Furillo in the television drama series '' Hill Street Blues'' (1981–1987) for which he received a Gol ...
as Victor Gianelli (season 3) * Howard Hesseman as Craig Plager (seasons 2-6) *Lucien Scott as Edgar T. Vickers (seasons 2-3) * Merie Earle as Mrs. Loomis (seasons 2-3) *
Rhoda Gemignani Rhoda Barbara Gemignani (née Cohan; born October 21, 1940) is an American actress, best known for her recurring role as Mrs. Carmela Rossini in the American television sitcom '' Who's the Boss?''. She appeared frequently on television betwee ...
as Joan Rossi (seasons 2-3) *
Michael Conrad Michael Conrad (October 16, 1925November 22, 1983) was an American actor perhaps best known for his portrayal of veteran cop Sgt. Phil Esterhaus on ''Hill Street Blues'', in which he ended the introductory roll call to each week's show with "Le ...
as Mr. Trevesco (season 2)
Henry Winkler Henry Franklin Winkler, OBE (born October 30, 1945), is an American actor, comedian, author, executive producer, and director. After rising to fame as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on the American television series ''Happy Days'', Winkler has ...
played patient Miles Lascoe in one season 2 episode, but was not a series regular.


Bob and Emily's relatives

Seen very occasionally, except for Bob's sister in seasons 2-4. * Pat Finley as Ellen Hartley, Bob's sister (introduced near the end of season 2, and featured in nearly half of the episodes in season 3, the character was eventually dropped midway through season 4) *
Martha Scott Martha Ellen Scott (September 22, 1912 – May 28, 2003) was an American actress. She was featured in major films such as Cecil B. DeMille's ''The Ten Commandments'' (1956), and William Wyler's '' Ben-Hur'' (1959), playing the mother of Charlto ...
as Martha Hartley, Bob and Ellen's mother *
Barnard Hughes Bernard Aloysius Kiernan Hughes (July 16, 1915 – July 11, 2006), known professionally as Barnard Hughes, was an American actor of television, theater and film. Hughes became famous for a variety of roles; his most notable roles came after mi ...
as Herb Hartley, Bob and Ellen's father * John Randolph as Cornelius "Junior" Harrison Jr., Emily's father *
Ann Rutherford Therese Ann Rutherford (November 2, 1917 – June 11, 2012) was a Canadian-born American actress in film, radio, and television. She had a long career starring and co-starring in films, playing Polly Benedict during the 1930s and 1940s in the An ...
as Aggie Harrison, Emily's mother


Neighbors, friends and others

Most of these were occasional or even one-shot characters. * Patricia Smith as Margaret Hoover, Emily's friend (seen only in the first part of season 1, then dropped) *
Tom Poston Tom or TOM may refer to: * Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name) Characters * Tom Anderson, a character in '' Beavis and Butt-Head'' * Tom Beck, a character ...
as Cliff "The Peeper" Murdock, Bob's college friend from Vermont *Jean Palmerton as Corrine Murdock, "The Peeper's" wife * Moosie Drier as Howie Borden, Howard's son *
Will Mackenzie Will Mackenzie (born July 24, 1938) is an American television director and actor. Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Mackenzie began his professional career as an actor, making his Broadway debut in 1965 in the original production of the musica ...
as Larry Bondurant, Carol's boyfriend and later husband *
Richard Schaal Richard Schaal (; May 5, 1928 – November 4, 2014) was an American film and television actor born in Chicago, Illinois. Career In 1962, Schaal joined Chicago's famed Second City, becoming skilled in sketch and improvisational comedy. He was ...
as Don Livingston (later Don Fesler), boyfriend/short-lived fiancé of Carol's; in the 1st season played Chuck Brock, husband of Nancy, who had previously been briefly engaged to Bob *
Mariette Hartley Mary Loretta Hartley (born June 21, 1940) is an American film and television actress. She is best known for work with Bill Bixby on '' The Incredible Hulk'' (1978) and ''Goodnight, Beantown'' (1983–1984), an original ''Star Trek'' episode (1 ...
as Marilyn Dietz, downstairs neighbor and friend of Emily's *
Gail Strickland Gail Strickland is an American actress who had prominent supporting roles in such films as ' (1975), '' Bound for Glory'' (1976), ''Who'll Stop the Rain'' (1978), ''Norma Rae'' (1979), and ''Protocol'' (1984), and appeared regularly on various ...
as Courtney Simpson, a girlfriend of Jerry's *
Raul Julia Raúl Rafael Carlos Juliá y Arcelay (March 9, 1940 – October 24, 1994) was a Puerto Rican actor. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he took an interest in acting while still in school and pursued the career upon completion of his studies. After ...
as Dr. Greg Robinson, Jerry's brother *
Heather Menzies Heather Menzies Urich (December 3, 1949 – December 24, 2017) was a Canadian–American model and actress, known for her roles as Maria Franziska von Trapp, Louisa von Trapp in the 1965 film ''The Sound of Music (film), The Sound of Music'' ...
as Debbie Borden, Howard's younger sister * William Redfield as Howard's brother, Gordon Borden, the game warden; the actor also appeared in the pilot episode as Margaret's husband Arthur Hoover


Rimpau Medical Arts Center

Doctors Tupperman and Newman were recurring characters; the others were mostly one-shots. *
Larry Gelman Lawrence Sheldon Gelman (November 3, 1930 – June 7, 2021) was an American film and television character actor. He was known for playing Dr. Bernie Tupperman on the TV series ''The Bob Newhart Show'' and Vinnie, the poker playing friend of ...
as Dr. Bernie Tupperman, urologist *
Howard Platt Howard Thomas Platt (born June 5, 1938) is an American stage and television actor, singer and director, best known for his role as "Officer Hopkins" on the TV series ''Sanford and Son'' (1972–76). Howard wrote and performed “Riverwinds” for ...
as Dr. Phil Newman, cosmetic surgeon *
Shirley O'Hara Shirley O'Hara (born Shirley Har; August 15, 1924 – December 13, 2002) was an American actress. She appeared in numerous films from the 1940s to the 1980s. Biography O'Hara was born in Rochester, Minnesota in 1924 and graduated from Roch ...
as Debbie Flett, older, scatterbrained temp receptionist who constantly calls Bob "Dr. Ryan" *Gene Blakely as Dr. Ralph Tetzi, Ear/Nose/Throat specialist *Julie Payne as Dr. Sharon Rudell, who prefers "scream therapy" as a therapeutic device whenever she feels stressed *Tom Lacy as Dr. Stan Whelan *Paula Shaw as Dr. Tammy Ziegler *
Ellen Weston Ellen Weston (born Ellen Weinstein) is an American actress, producer, and writer. Early years Born in New York City, Weston is the daughter of educators; her mother was a teacher, and her father was a superintendent of schools. She attended Perfo ...
as Dr. Sarah Harris *
Kristina Holland Kristina Holland (born February 25, 1944) is an American actress who has performed in more than 22 television series, two films, and voiceover talent for at least two video games. She is now a professional psychotherapist. She is perhaps best kn ...
as Gail Bronson, Carol's vacation replacement *Phillip R. Allen as Dr. Frank Walburn, another psychologist *
Teri Garr Teri Ann Garr (born December 11, 1944) is an American former actress, dancer, and comedian. She frequently appeared in comedic roles throughout her career, which spans four decades and includes over 140 credits in film and television. Her accola ...
as Miss Brennan, Dr. Walburn's receptionist


Episodes

The first four seasons of ''The Bob Newhart Show'' aired on Saturday nights at 9:30p.m.
Eastern Standard Time The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 U.S. states, states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico, Panama, Colombia, mainland Ecuador, Peru, and ...
. During the winter of the 1976–77 season, the program moved to 8:30p.m. EST. For its final season during 1977–78, the program moved to 8:00p.m. EST. The program typically aired following ''
The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. Moor ...
'', which was also produced by
MTM Enterprises MTM Enterprises (also known as MTM Productions) was an American independent production company established in 1969 by Mary Tyler Moore and her then-husband Grant Tinker to produce ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' for CBS. The name for the productio ...
.


Awards and honors

In 1977, the show received two
Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
nominations – for "Outstanding Comedy Series" and for Pleshette for "Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Comedy Series". Newhart, himself, was nominated twice for a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
as "Best TV Actor—Musical/Comedy" in 1975 and 1976. In 1997, the episodes "Over the River and Through the Woods" and "Death Be My Destiny" were respectively ranked No. 9 and No. 50 on
TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
.
TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time ''TV Guide''s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time is ''TV Guide''s list of the 50 most entertaining or influential television series in American pop culture. It appeared in the May 4–10, 2002 issue of the magazine, which was the second in a series ...
listed it as No. 44. In 2007, ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' placed the show on its unranked list of "100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME".
Bravo Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels *Bravo (band), a Russian rock band * Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984 *Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing company ...
ranked Bob Hartley 84th on its list of the 100 greatest TV characters. In 2004,
TV Land TV Land is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through its networks division. Originally a spinoff of Nick at Nite consisting exclusively of classic television shows, the channel now airs a combination of recent and cla ...
commemorated the show with a statue of Newhart in character as Dr. Hartley, seated and facing an empty couch, as if conducting a therapy session in his office. The statue was temporarily installed in front of 430 North Michigan Avenue, the building used for exterior establishing shots of Hartley's office. The statue is now permanently located in the sculpture park adjacent to Chicago's
Navy Pier Navy Pier is a pier on the shoreline of Lake Michigan, located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side community area in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Navy Pier encompasses over of parks, gardens, shops, restaurants, family ...
entertainment complex. In 2005, the
TV Land Award The TV Land Icon Awards was an American television awards ceremony that generally commemorates shows now off the air, rather than in current production as with the Emmys. Created by Executive Producer Michael Levitt, the awards were hosted and bro ...
s honored ''The Bob Newhart Show'' with its Icon Award, presented by
Ray Romano Raymond Albert Romano (born December 21, 1957) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Ray Barone on the CBS sitcom '' Everybody Loves Raymond'', for which he received an Emmy Award, and as t ...
. In 2013, ''
TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
'' ranked the series No. 49 on its list of the 60 Best Series of All Time.


Final episode

In the show's final episode, "Happy Trails to You," Bob gives up his psychology practice and accepts a teaching position at a small college in Oregon, with the Hartleys leaving Chicago, as well as their friends and neighbors, and Bob's patients, behind them. The closing scene, in which the cast exchange tearful goodbyes and embrace before bursting into an impromptu refrain of "
Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
," is a wry nod to ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' finale (also produced by MTM) from the previous year, in which the cast embraced and sang "
It's a Long Way to Tipperary "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" (or "It's a Long, Long Way to Tipperary") is an English music hall song first performed in 1912 by Jack Judge, and written by Judge and Harry Williams, though authorship of the song has long been disputed. It ...
".


Later appearances by series characters

''St. Elsewhere'' (1985) Jack Riley reprised his Elliot Carlin role on a 1985 episode of '' St. Elsewhere'' and partnered with Oliver Clark as the
amnesia Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or disease,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be caused temporarily by the use ...
c John Doe Number Six. Carlin and Doe have been committed to the hospital's mental ward, where Carlin treats Doe with the same verbal abuse he directed toward Clark's "Mr. Herd" on ''The Bob Newhart Show''. Carlin blames his insanity on an unnamed "quack in Chicago." While Oliver Clark's recurring portrayal of John Doe Number Six is essentially identical to Mr. Herd, the two are never stated to be the same individual. In a nod to the ''
Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. Moo ...
'', John Doe Number Six addresses a character played by
Betty White Betty Marion White (January 17, 1922December 31, 2021) was an American actress and comedian. A pioneer of Golden Age of Television, early television, with a television career spanning almost seven decades, White was noted for her vast work i ...
as Sue Ann Nivens, which Betty White's character denies. ''ALF'' (1987) In the 1987 '' ALF'' episode entitled "Going Out of My Head Over You", Willie visits a psychologist, Dr. Lawrence "Larry" Dykstra, portrayed by Bill Daily. Jack Riley is in the waiting room, apparently portraying Elliot Carlin. Also in this episode, ALF mentions learning about psychology by watching episodes of ''The Bob Newhart Show''. ''Newhart'' (1988 and 1990) Riley appears in a 1988 episode of ''
Newhart ''Newhart'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS from October 25, 1982, to May 21, 1990, with a total of 184 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons. The series stars Bob Newhart and Mary Frann as an author and his wife, ...
'', playing an unnamed character who acts very much like Mr. Carlin. This character is being treated by the same therapist in Vermont whom Dick Loudon (Bob Newhart) visits for marriage counseling. Dick feels he recognizes Riley's character, but cannot place his face; whereupon the unnamed patient insults him. Echoing Carlin's statement from the 1985 ''St. Elsewhere'', the therapist apologizes for her patient, explaining that it has taken her "years to undo the damage caused by some quack in Chicago." Tom Poston, who played Cliff "The Peeper" Murdock, Bob's college friend from Vermont, played "George" the resident handyman from Vermont, throughout the Newhart series. Poston and Suzanne Pleshette married in 2001, with the marriage lasting until Poston's death in 2007. Pleshette died the following year. Newhart and Pleshette reprised their roles from the show for the 1990 finale of ''Newhart'', in which it was revealed that the entire ''Newhart'' series had just been Bob Hartley's
dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
. Bob and Emily awake in a room identical in appearance to their Chicago bedroom from ''The Bob Newhart Show''. (This plot device had previously been used in the season five finale ("You're Having My Hartley") in which Emily is pregnant. At the end, the pregnancy is revealed to have been a dream.) ''The Bob Newhart Show: The 19th Anniversary Special'' (1991) The entire cast assembled for the one-hour clip show '' The Bob Newhart Show: The 19th Anniversary Special'' in 1991, which finds the show's characters in the present day. This show is set in Chicago, in the same apartment and office that Bob Hartley had in his 1970s show. During the course of the show, the characters analyzed Bob's dream from the ''Newhart'' finale. At one point Howard recalled, "I had a dream like that once. I dreamed I was an astronaut in Florida for five years," as scenes from ''
I Dream of Jeannie ''I Dream of Jeannie'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series, created by Sidney Sheldon that starred Barbara Eden as a sultry, 2,000-year-old genie and Larry Hagman, as an astronaut with whom she falls in love and eventually marrie ...
'' featuring Bill Daily as Roger Healey were shown. ''Murphy Brown'' (1994) Newhart played Bob Hartley on '' Murphy Brown'', in the episode "Anything But Cured" (March 14, 1994) to beg Carol (Marcia Wallace reprising her role from ''The Bob Newhart Show'') to leave her job as Murphy's secretary and come back with him to Chicago. ''Saturday Night Live'' (1995) Newhart reprised Hartley twice in the February 11, 1995, episode of ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
''. In one sketch, he appears on a satirical version of ''
Ricki Lake Ricki Pamela Lake (born September 21, 1968) is an American television host and actress. She is known for her lead role as Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 film ''Hairspray'', for which she received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for B ...
'', befuddled by Ms. Lake's dysfunctional guests and her armchair pop psychology. The episode ended with a repeat of ''Newhart''’s "just a dream" scene, in which Bob Hartley again wakes up with Emily (Pleshette), and tells her that he just dreamed he had hosted ''SNL''. Emily responds, "That show's not still on, is it?" ''George & Leo'' (1997) ''
George & Leo ''George and Leo'' is an American sitcom television series starring Bob Newhart and Judd Hirsch that aired on CBS from September 15, 1997 to March 16, 1998. Synopsis Newhart and Hirsch starred as the respective title characters, widely diverge ...
'' was a sitcom starring Bob Newhart and
Judd Hirsch Judd Seymore Hirsch (born March 15, 1935) is an American actor. He is known for playing Alex Rieger on the television comedy series ''Taxi'' (1978–1983), John Lacey on the NBC series '' Dear John'' (1988–1992), and Alan Eppes on the CBS seri ...
, and a 1997 episode called "The Cameo Episode" featured a raft of cameo appearances by their co-stars of previous series. Although the actors were not necessarily playing the same characters as they played in the previous shows, there was certainly a suggestion with some of the unnamed characters that they ''could'' be. Amongst the ''Bob Newhart Show'' actors making cameos in the episode were Peter Bonerz (as "Dr. Robins"), Oliver Clark, Bill Daily (as a pilot), John Fiedler, Tom Poston (as a police officer), Jack Riley, and Marcia Wallace. ''CBS at 75'' (2002) Newhart and Pleshette, as "The Hartleys", were the hosts of a segment of the ''CBS at 75'' broadcast. Pop Culture: College campuses across the country routinely played beer drinking game named "Hi Bob". The name was used so often that it prompted a participant to take a sip of beer after each use of the phrase.


Home media

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 20th Century Studios Home Entertainment (commonly referred to as 20th Home Video, or 20th Home Entertainment, formerly known as 20th Century-Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video, Fox Video, and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) is a home video label of Wa ...
released the first four seasons of ''The Bob Newhart Show'' on DVD in Region 1 in 2005/2006. On February 3, 2014, Shout! Factory announced it had acquired the rights to the series. It subsequently released ''The Bob Newhart Show: The Complete Series'' on May 27, 2014. The fifth and sixth seasons were later released on DVD in individual sets on February 3, 2015.


See also

* Hi, Bob – a drinking game based on watching the show


References


External links

*
''The Bob Newhart Show''
at TVGuide.com

retrieved February 19, 2010 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bob Newhart Show, The 1972 American television series debuts 1978 American television series endings 1970s American sitcoms 1970s American workplace comedy television series CBS original programming English-language television shows Psychotherapy in fiction Television series about marriage Television series by MTM Enterprises Television shows set in Chicago