User reviews

It takes just one person to ruin a show, and in this case it was the idiot that cancelled it. Bob Newhart was back in a hit show after his series, Bob, was barely acknowledged. He was joined by Judd Hirsch, another great talent from Dear John and Taxi. The two of them made a successful and hilarious spin on the Odd Couple routine as Hirsch alluded to mob ties he had. His line, "Las Vegas...................Nevada." was hilarious as it annoyed Newhart to no end. The show also starred Jason Bateman, a rare talent barely seen on television. I haven't seen him since It's Your Move or Valerie, two other great shows that were cancelled before their time. Putting the axe to this show was one of the most unjust things that ever occurred to the CBS line-up, but at least that axe man got another job at NBC. How do you think we lost Working, Stark Raving Mad, Unsolved Mysteries and the new Dark Shadows ?

"Odd Couple-like series that had potential because of the chemistry between the two leads. The problem that arose was that for some odd reason, critics and CBS felt there was no room for "old time television." That could have something to do with the stars, being two television legends and with the style of the show, which is similar to "The Odd Couple," and other "buddy, buddy" series. Pity, it was nice to see these guys back on television again.

George and Leo embody classic television themes in a well done manner. The jokes are not like the jokes today's television audiences are familiar with. The jokes are not sex related, but more like something from The Odd Couple or Taxi. CBS really goofed by canning this terrific series. It was great to see Bob Newhart and Judd Hirsch on tv again and it's a shame the show is gone.

"The Bob Newhart Show" was hilarious. "Newhart" was not only hilarious but legendary. "Bob" was hilarious but short-lived. "George and Leo," where Bob Newhat was joined by another proven sitcom star, was not hilarious.

Bob Newhart started out as a stand-up comic. A very different sort of comic from any other: In his best routines he was on a telephone, basically being the straight man where the comic lines were in the listeners' heads. It's sort of like Abbot and Costello's "Who's on first," where the straight man (Abbot) has all the laugh lines.

The genius of Bob Newhart's shows was that, while Newhart was a funny guy, like another low-key comic, Jack Benny, he surrounded himself with very funny characters and he didn't care who got the laughs, so long as people in offices would say, "Did you catch that latest show with Bob Newhart?" When "Newhart" was on as soon as it signed off a friend and I would race each other to the phone to see who'd ring the other first, to discuss it.

The first season of "Newhart" was pretty dire but with a little tweaking it lasted nine years. "Bob" his the ground running breathlessly but lasted little more than one season.

The first problem with "G&L" is that the subsidiary characters aren't there. Then there's Bob and Judd. Bob is the same Bob he's always been, which is good as he plays a bookstore owner (in retrospect it seems a natural setting). Judd is funny in his manipulative, fast-talking, conman way asca stranger who muscles his way onto Bob Newhart's life with surprises like little bombs going off one by one. But the chemistry isn't there. It's like they're playing two different sitcoms. While "G&L" is often compared to "The Odd Couple," the odd couple played in the same show and its stars had chemistry and the ability to put over lines that weren't always funny. The best of its humor rose from character, not funny lines.

Don't get me wrong: Newhart's presence, which was on TV basically all my life, is comforting. And he's too exacting a comic not to make sure he has some fine laughs. But if "G&L" had starred anyone else, with the same scripts, I wouldn't have watched it. Usually, I say Newhart's shows, even when they tank or take time to settle on, we're good ideas. I can't say that this time.