User reviews

Okay, the Bob Newhart Show wasn't for everybody. I never got a chance to watch it on television. Now on DVD, I am discovering it for the first time. The writing is smart and the acting is smarter than ever with Bob Newhart in the title role as a Chicago psychologist, Susan Pleshette as his wife and third grade school teacher. They are great couple on screen. Surprisingly, they don't have children in the show which is a big plus because the show works better without them. Marcia Wallace is wonderful as his secretary. The show is smart, funny, savvy, relevant, and most of all timeless. It's a classic sitcom that might be overlooked because it's not dirty or stupid like most sitcoms are today. The Bob Newhart Show and others of that era are classic and timeless and relevant to today's life. Too bad, shows like that aren't being developed for television today. It's our loss, isn't it?

Two years after launching the groundbreaking Mary Tyler Moore Show, MTM Productions debuts The Bob Newhart Show. It becomes part of CBS' hit Saturday night lineup, thanks to Newhart's trademark double take, stammer and blank stare persona that was also part of a number of successful comedy records.

Newhart carries the show well but it's the core cast that also makes the show a hit. Suzanne Pleshette as Bob's wife Emily, Peter Bonerz as Jerry, Marcia Wallace as Carol, the receptionist and Bill Daily as divorced neighbor Howard. The ensemble remained together for the entire run. Nobody was spun off and there were no contract disputes and it led to one of the most stable sitcom casts of all-time.

Also in the mix was Bob's therapy group, including Jack Riley as neurotic Elliot Carlin, Florida Friebus as Mrs. Bakerman, John Fiedler as Mr. Peterson and Renee Lippin as Michelle Nardo.

I also remember several episodes with Tom Poston as Cliff (The Peeper) Murdock. He also brought hilarity to the show.

One thing I remember about The Bob Newhart Show that Bob and Emily were the first DINK (Double Income, No Kids)sitcom couple. Emily was not a housewife,she was a grade school teacher (and later vice principal).

Even though the show ran for six seasons before Newhart decided to go back to stand up comedy, it's still one of the best 70s sitcoms. It's well-written and well performed and it also gave Bonerz an opportunity to direct, which he still does today. If you have not seen this show, as Newhart's pet phrase from his records "Same to you fella!" Tune into an episode on ME-TV and see why Newhart is a 70s sitcom classic.

"The Bob Newhart Show" is possibly the most brilliant of the "adult sitcoms" of the early 1970's. Along with "The Odd Couple" and "Mary Tyler Moore", this show exhibits a subtle, mature humor that has all but disappeared from television today. Great actors make this show with a simple "situation" -- adults working, talking, eating, and going to bed -- hilarious and reflective. Bob Newhart's unique comedic style finds a perfect outlet in "The Bob Newhart Show." For the uninitiated, it might be compared to "Seinfeld" in that it is a "show about nothing" that derives humor from the interactions between people and not "jokes."

I spent WAY too many hours glued to the TV as a youngster during the 1970s. Many of the shows I thought were absolutely perfect in 1972 or 1975, I have trouble sitting through for 10 minutes today. Some, however, have stood the test of time.

I would have to say that The Bob Newhart Show, more than any other show, has grown in my estimation as I have matured. I enjoyed it as a kid, but love it all the much more now.

Mr. Newhart, simply put, was and is a comedic genius. One blank look from him can surpass a 15-minute monologue by many comedians, for laugh production. In the right setting, with the right handling, Bob Newhart was one of the funniest ever. Fortunately for us, that perfect setting came together in the 1972-78 Bob Newhart Show. This show had impeccable writing by Charlotte Brown, Dick Clair and others, great directing by Peter Baldwin and many others, as well as wonderful acting.

One might have doubted that the struggles of a psychologist and his patients would make good fodder for comedy. Wrong! Who can forget the obnoxious Elliot Carlton (Jack Riley), the sharp knitting needles of Mrs. Bakerman (Florida Friebus, a.k.a., Dobie Gillis' mom), and wimpy Mr. Peterson (John Fielding, also in `12 Angry Men')? Who can forget the elevator and its frequent involvement in scenes, or Bernie Tupperman (Larry Gelman), the pudgy urinologist, or the periodic visits from `The Peeper' (Tom Poston)? And these, of course, were NOT part of the main supporting cast.

Suzanne Pleshette was perfect as Bob's lovely and usually supportive wife, Emily. Marcia Wallace became a household name as Carol, the perky secretary. Peter Borenz and Bill Daily, meanwhile, were absolutely delightful as Bob's two best friends, dentist Jerry Robinson and navigator Howard Borden. Daily, who was also great in `I Dream of Jeannie,' provided one of the most hilarious characters in sit-com history, as the clueless neighbor, Howard.

The cast of The Bob Newhart Show was so good and so deep that I have to make one confession. While I love Bob Newhart himself, I believe my favorite episode was one in which he had only a cameo appearance, phoning home from a convention somewhere. Carol, Jerry and Howard became convinced that an old flame visiting Emily while Bob was gone, spelled trouble. They spied on the two in a restaurant and the scene was possibly the most hilarious in the show's run, as Jerry wore a ridiculous fake glasses/nose combo and Howard could never seem to recognize him.

The Bob Newhart Show was a high-water mark for intelligent, sophisticated humor - although occasional forays into slapstick gave it an even more satisfying balance. Overall, I would call it one of the top three or four comedies ever made.

Bob Newhart was one of the few stand up comics whose method has rarely been imitated.

He began his career by being more of an actor, in essence, as part of a conversation, but the conversation would always take place on a telephone.

The brilliance here is that his "straight man" could respond so matter-of-factly, and without outrage to the unheard voice on the other end of the phone, and the comedy was in realizing what the other person was saying.

Most of his comedy on his famous "Button Down" album involved phone calls, such a with Abe Lincoln and Abner Doubleday.

Here, he played off real people most of the time, but kept his usual straight routine. This meant that when he finally went home to his beautiful straight woman wife, the comedy would be from his explanations of his day, and from the intrusion of the lovable neighbor played by Bill Daily, who played the charismatic friend of astronaut Tony Nelson on another show.

The comedy would flow very evenly, and then erupt with some hilarity usually based on something that happened earlier.

His group therapy provided some great laughter, and foretold the success of later TV comedy "Dear John". In one show, his band of patients who met in group therapy found themselves characters in a play, written by a fellow member. At first, they hated the play, then after a production, they loved it.

This was a very funny show, and very timeless.

Other than the Mary Tyler Moore show in the 1970s, the Bob Newhart show was the best comedy of the era. In hindsight, the two comedies are much closer than you would think. With the quirky characters, the setup of a flawed psychologist, and his adoring wife made for a very funny situational comedy. As a psychologist Bob was able to bring in all sorts of individuals under his care and use the comedy and comedic timing that he was known for in the 50s and 60s as a device to interact with patients and those around him. The combination of Bob, Emily, Jerry, Carol, and the original Kramer, Howard, allowed Bob to play off of them individually while also exposing some of his personal weaknesses. There are several character actors fulfilling various roles that many will recognize. Though only running for 6 seasons, the show prospered each year. The first season, probably of any season I've seen, started off extremely strong and stayed strong the entire season. As the seasons progressed and the Hartleys weaved their way through life we do see changes but the ensemble cast was there for all of the episodes and so it made for a very consistent funny comedy. Also, the fact that it ran in tandem with Mary Tyler Moore each season, except one, made it that much better because those shows were a staple while on air. So anybody that wants to watch a situational comedy and see Bob Newhart at his best and what he was about would love this series.

I enjoyed this one a tad bit more than "Newhart". I think it was a bit funnier and never got as strange as did "Newhart" near the end of its also very successful run. I am kind of stunned to see that it was the longer running series of the two. They both have something in common and that is Bob playing a straight man to a bunch of strange situations. His reactions are always priceless whether he is in a session because he is a psychiatrist, or he is picking up the phone and doing one of his saying things that make you really wonder what is going on, on the other end of the phone. The characters that Bob has surrounding him are great too as they are made up of his wife Emily, his next door neighbor, his secretary and his dentist friend at work. Not to mention the strange assortment of patients that frequent his office such as the always fun Mr. Carlin. Just an all around funny show that works on so many levels, a lot of real winners among the shows as well. Like the time Bob and Emily are arguing about his wanting to watch Monday Night Football or his ordering Chinese for Thanksgiving day dinner. The show is full of laughs and is my favorite of Bob Newhart's shows.

The show centers on Bob Newhart's character as psychiatrist Dr. Robert Hartley. We follow his marriage to Emily (Suzanne Pleshette). Together with their friends and coworkers, we can see ourselves in many of the situations. This is a comedy with a depth of emotion and a few surprises.

Bob Newhart just keeps getting better. Each season contains some of my favorites, including "Over the River and Through the Woods"; everyone gets drunk you have to choose which is funnier "more goo" or "Hi Emily, what's happing?" or "whatever you do, don't look in the dishwasher!"

Then there is the Christmas program when bob has his tonsils out and deals with Mrs. Henderson.

The fun just keeps going on and on.

When Bob Newhart's name comes up, most people today (2023) probably think of his "Newhart" series, set in a Vermont inn. That whacky and wonderful supporting cast of characters (dim handyman George ***, elitists Stephanie and Michael, and the inimitable Larry, Daryl and Daryl) are generally more entrenched in viewers' minds than those in the earlier "Bob Newhart Show"--but IMO, the first series is ahead by a nose.

Some minor neighbor-characters in the first season come and go, an exception being airline pilot Howard (Bill Dailey) who burrows himself like a tick into the Hartley apartment. When there's a knock on the door, you just know it's going to be Howard. ("Hi, Bob!") The writing is intelligent without being highbrow, and generally doesn't rely on outrageous situations, instead showcasing the skill and timing of the leads and supporting cast. (One bug in my bonnet: count how many times they say the name "Bob", even when they've been in the room with him for an entire scene. We get it. His name is "Bob". If memory serves, there was even an SNL skit that skewered the repetition.) But that's my one nitpick. "The Bob Newhart Show" has been a real pleasure to rediscover. Do look it up.

***fun fact: "Newhart"'s handyman George (Tom Poston) was the real-life husband of--ya ready?--"The Bob Newhart Show"'s Suzanne Pleshette!

One of my favorite shows of all time... I'm currently binge watching my complete series set again... halfway through season 4. It's like theater of the absurd, which isn't everyone's cup of tea judging by some of the scathing reviews on here. The only character I never cared for was Bob's sister...she's pretty dull and mostly annoying. That actress really nailed a couple of hysterical parts on the first season of MTM though(Sparky and Twinks!... remember them?)...so she's obviously a good actress, the character as written was really at fault. Moo goo gai pan.

What started out strong went downhill very quickly, with signs of wear showing starting about season 4. By season 5 it was becoming unfunny and dopey, cliche & unmotivated. Season 6 has Bob Newhart written out of like 8 episodes, the literal version of phoning it in, which I'd felt metaphorically for a while up to that point. As much as I appreciated the series early on it was a chore getting through the last two seasons. Overall the series is still good and has a lot of good moments, so it's too bad they left this bad final impressions and didn't end the series sooner before it got stale. Thanks for it all.

This was part of the great CBS Saturday night line-up which included "Mary Tyler Moore", "All in the Family". Bob Newhart's deadpan reactions to all the craziness that was going on around him was what helped to make this show special. Its surprising how it never received an Emmy, or for that matter a nomination. Maybe it was because it was part of such a legendary prime time line-up that it got lost in the shuffle. Also, maybe it was due to the fact that it had such a strong ensemble that no one particular member of the cast stood out. Besides Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, Peter Bonnerz, Marcia Wallace and Bill Daily all made this show what it was, but the funniest character on the show had to be Elliot Carlin. He definitely was one of the most acerbic characters ever created for television. This still is one of the classic situation comedies of its era and it was very much more of an intellectual show.

Dr. Bob Hartley (Bob Newhart) is one of the nicest psychiatrists you will ever meet. His most classic patient Mr. Carlin (Jack Riley) had some of the most amazing problems that make for great laughter. Bob Newharts type of comedy is the subtle slow developing type of wit which grows on you no matter who you are if you give it time.

This series took pains to develop characters. By the time the series was over, not only was everyone aware of the talent of Jack Riley, but Peter Bonerz, & Marcia Wallace had also become known to fans. Bill Daley here just kept expanding on his role as an odd airline pilot which was a little different than being an astronaut of I Dream of Jeannie, but here Daley is more subdued & fits in nicely.

Susanne Pleshett is Emily, a wife who fits in well too. The amazing thing about Newhart is how he makes anyone who works with him better, & it shows throughout the series. He draws people out throughout this series. It is currently running on the American Network.

Unlike most TV shows, the first few episodes of the Bob Newhart Show have no feel of the the show "starting out." Everything plays as though the audience is already familiar with the characters. However they managed to pull this off, the show absolutely benefited from it. Bob Newhart's dry humor was flawless, and he was supported by an equally great cast. Suzanne Pleshette was very good as Mrs Newhart, but I really didn't like the way she dressed. Why all the long gowns and generally unattractive outfits? If Marcia Wallace could get away with wearing a mini-skirt, why not Suzanne? Well, I guess you can't have everything. Peter Bonerz is fine as Jerry Robinson. Bill Daily always seemed to be doing a variation on his I Dream of Jeannie character, but this was fine. It worked. Overall, a truly great 70s sitcom. More genuine laughs than you're likely to find in most sitcoms. My only quibble is the frumpy way Suzanne Pleshette dressed. Of course, my observations are based on the first few episodes. Hopefully, Suzanne's wardrobe will change as the seasons go on.

I am hard of hearing & need closed captions to know what is being said but they are so messed up that I can't figure out what is being said. This is one of my favorite shows but can't watch it unless you fix the closed captions.

A great show one of the best ever but I cant figure out why Emily wears her hair like a nine year old boy. It's as short or shorter than Howard's. Maybe its something in SPs contract? It's awful!

There's no way any doctor would give out his home personal phone number or his address. He just wouldnt. Not only is it unprofessional it could be dangerous. It's ridiculoua.

This show was cute, funny, clever and original for about the first half of the first season. Then the characters personalities emerged and solidified, and not many of them were very likable. Especially Bob Newhart's character. What a lousy husband he played. Selfish, more interested in football than anything. He does and says the nastiest most insensitive things continually and then wonders why Emily is mad? He's downright mean and condescending at times. Wow....what a psychologist! Suzanne Plechette is adorable consistently, even though her roles and situations got dumber and less believable as the seasons dragged on and on. I'm not sure why she allowed it to happen to her character. She must have known this dumbing down would not sit well with the audience. Howard: Insecure, nosy, dumber than a wood plank and as annoying a neighbor ever to appear on sitcom television. He must have had some sort of intellectual disability. There's nothing worse than a clown who is not funny, and that's what you got with Howard constantly. Jerry was not much better. A shallow character who reeks of insincerity. Bob's patients are the saving grace of the show, and one gets to see many actors before they hit it really big. Howard Hesseman and Terri Garr to name a few. Carol: I dunno....an all right character I suppose but she never really was my cup of tea. A bit selfish and over the top portrayal. No believability to her character. The addition of Bob'ss sister to the cast as Howard's love interest didn't work period. Anyone that would saddle herself with such a weasel cannot garner much sympathy. Not that she's not a good actress. In fact she surpasses most of the cast in this regard, but for me the whole scenario fell flat on it's face like the majority of them. The shows themes and execution eventually settled into silly eye rolling nonsense and midway through season 3 I had to tap out as I can only be bombarded with mundane drivel for so long. I don't think i can recall a show starting out with such promise and nosediving so rapidly. It's really not worth spit. For every 3 or 4 episodes you might get rewarded with a joke worth a halfhearted chuckle. An extremely poorly constructed show. It's a bit staggering to me how the show remained successful. People were content getting served up plate after plate of substandard fare I suppose. There were shows that had believable characters and plausable plots back in that era. Seek those out instead. Then again you may enjoy this trite romp of sadly executed 'comedy'.

Not cutting edge like "All in the Family," and lacking the social relevance of Mary Tyler Moore's single woman who was gonna make it after all in a man's world, "The Bob Newhart Show," which shared the CBS Saturday night lineup with those shows in the 70s, nonetheless had the strongest legs. While Archie Bunker fumbled once daughter Gloria and "Meathead" moved out, leaving him without a regular nemesis, "The Bob Newhart Show" delivered first rate comedy as dependably in its last season as it did in its first.

Newhart was a more mature Seinfeld in that most of the madness was provided by the supporting cast, and a terrific one it was too: Suzanne Pleshette, sassy and sexy as Bob's earthy wife, Emily; Peter Bonerz as the dentist and sarcastic ladies man, Jerry Robinson; and Bill Daley as perpetually befuddled pilot Howard Borden. Then there was Marcia Wallace as snippy receptionist Carole, the wonderful John Fiedler as mousy Mr. Peterson, and Jack Riley as the truly deranged Mr. Carlin. All had their moments of brilliance, but it was Newhart, with his low-key genius, who held the show together and made it work. A comedy classic.

I'm afraid I must respectfully disagree with everyone else and agree 100% with cwdfwtx's comment.

It was bad enough my folks subjected me to this soporific (and that's putting it mildly) sitcom (I was 10 years old when it premiered in 1972), and I had to endure it for the next 5 1/2 years. I was certainly glad when ABC's Saturday night lineup (which included "The Love Boat" and "Fantasy Island") eventually sent "Bob Newhart" to Cancellation City.

Both TV Land and Superstation WGN were very smart to show the reruns at 3:30 A.M. Eastern time; if I ran out of Sominex, all I had to do was turn on "Bob Newhart" and I fell asleep within 10 minutes (this show has a very high "yawn factor").

I was also shocked 20th Century Fox (which now owns all the MTM Entertainment shows) recently decided to put the first season of "Bob Newhart" on DVD, and now - GAG! CHOKE! - they announced the second year will be out soon. You can be damn sure I WON'T waste my hard-earned $30 on that, or the first season set!

But, if Sominex ever becomes scarce....well, I just hope THAT doesn't happen!

For the six years that "The Bob Newhart Show" originally ran on CBS-TV from September of 1972 to April of 1978,the series never received the attention and acclaim it so clearly deserved(not one Emmy nomination from either Bob Newhart or the rest of the cast which includes Suzanne Pleshette, Marcia Wallace,Peter Bonerz,Bill Daily,and to even mention the recognition from some of the great writing and direction that this show truly deserved)after an astounding 142 episodes. After the sixth and final season,Bob Newhart decided to call it quits.

He told TV Guide that the show was "still doing well enough.But I got very disturbed about the trends in TV....the kiddie audience seemed to be taking over the tube....I felt my type of low-key comedy-aimed an intelligent adults-was finished. So I just told MTM and CBS I wasn't coming back for the seventh season. We were not canceled. I left on my own."

However,the show wasn't canceled by the network. Amazingly,the series was still in the top ten of the Nielsen ratings and was in the top five spot along with some tough competition of its day including some of the greatest shows of the decade(and this was toward the end of the 1970's) were still going strong including "M*A*S*H","One Day At A Time","Alice", "All In The Family","The Jeffersons","Three's Company","Happy Days",and not to mention "The Carol Burnett Show" which was also still in the top ten as well during its final season. When "The Bob Newhart Show" stopped production in April of 1978,the series and its wonderful cast of characters did not disappear from television. Instead they've taken on a second life,replete with character development and some very funny classic moments. In case some may not remember this series,about the misadventures of a Chicago psychiarist(Dr. Robert Hartley,played by Bob Newhart) who lives in a upscale Lakeshore apartment complex with his lovely wife Emily(played by Suzanne Pleshette)and their next door neighbor Howard Borden(played by Bill Daily)and a host of misunderstood characters that Bob deals with within the office complex where he works and at home. The laughs may have been okay in parts,but still it is a television classic.

ABOUT THE CAST:LIFE AFTER THE BOB NEWHART SHOW In the fall of 1982,Bob Newhart's second-longest running sitcom called "Newhart" was also a top ten hit with CBS-TV for the eight seasons that it was on the air(1982-1990).The new sitcom was set at the Stratford Inn in rural Vermont. He played innkeeper Dick Louden,who was also a how-to author and a talk show host where he kept humble residence with his beloved wife Joanna(played by Mary Frann),his handyman George Utley(Tom Poston)and a host of misunderstood characters and some of them were stranger than life. Who remembers the three woodsman,Larry,Darryl and Darryl? The series final episode in May of 1990 is vintage classic TV where most of the original cast of "The Bob Newhart Show" from the 1970's reappears in segments which included his other TV wife(Suzanne Pleshette). However,Bob Newhart made one more successful series as well which included the short-lived series intitled "Bob",which was also on CBS-TV(1993-1994)and it starred Betty White and Tom Poston. As for the the others including Marcia Wallace,Bill Daily,Peter Bonerz,and Suzanne Pleshette? They're still around especially with Peter Bonerz and Suzanne Pleshette who are now working behind the camera and are producing and directing several feature films made for television and also in theatrical films as well. Marcia Wallace made several appearances in TV shows including "Taxi","Murphy Brown","Will and Grace",and others. while fellow BNS actor Bill Daily is doing the club circuit these days and is frequently on the talk show range with Jay Leno,Conan O'Brien and David Letterman and is set to star in the theatrical version of the 1960's Barbara Eden TV classic "I Dream Of Jeannie".

Bob Newhart plays a narrow-minded, sexist, racist bigot who is supposed to be smarter than everyone around him.

Also unfortunately, he shows that when he is not treating everyone like crap, he is the most boring man in the room.

He has no skill, no ability, no talent. The only reason he has any success is because everyone else would rather be happy and independent - which is severly frowned upon in the ultra-conservative 1970s.

With Bob Newhart frowning the most and the hardest.

Bob occasionally tries to make a decent gesture toward his fellow man, but is always squashed in the end - either by his own ineptitude, or by someone with more success, power, and money.

Then Bob Newhart reverts back to his old, obnoxious self.

A masterpiece of understated adult humor, epitomized by its low-key star, Bob Newhart, who could get big laughs reading from the phone book with his trademark stammers and pauses.

Supporting cast was remarkable, each playing to his or her strengths, gliding smoothly along the tracks laid down by the expert writing staff. Standouts? Everybody was a standout. Peter Bonerz as Jerry, the libidinous orphaned dentist. Bill Daily as the addled Howard Borden, airline navigator, bumbling divorced dad, and meal moocher. Marcia Wallace as Carol, confident, razor-tongued receptionist extraordinaire. Jack Riley as Mr. Carlin, the funniest self-centered jerk of the modern sitcom era. And Suzanne Pleshette as Emily, Bob's gorgeous, sensible wife.

The trick to the show's humor was that it seemed to rise naturally from these characters who, though colorful, also resembled real people. Nobody had to push too hard for a laugh.

Almost three decades later I still haven't seen another TV comedy series that possessed this one's unique tone of humor, an almost indescribable mix of the usual satire and sarcasm and poking fun at our modern life and lifestyles, balanced perfectly against warm-hearted affirmation of the bonds of friendship and affection that make life bearable. And funny.