Aaron1375
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.
lbliss314
One of those rare shows where everything came together--cast, characters, writers, stories.Bill Daily kept me in stitches. One episode he bought a stand-up bass--the Hartleys were going nuts from his practicing, which consisted entirely of Howard strumming the same string over and over. Best line: Bob: I feel like I'm living inside a heart. Best joke of all--Howard was a navigator. Thank heavens he wasn't a pilot.Or the night when Jerry and Bob and Howard drove to a cheap motel in Illinois to watch a Bears game that was blacked out in Chicago. Probably the best drunk scenes ever.And the bedroom dialogues with Emily and Bob. Particularly the night Bob was eating cereal, and Emily noticed that he chewed each mouthful exactly 47 times. (I forget the exact number.) What an actress--she made you believe that Bob was a hunk. As I recall, when the show began, Suzanne Pleshette was known mainly for cheapo movies of the week and insipid Disney comedies. Hats off to the genius who thought of casting her.Gotta love it.
mlevans
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.
CaptainControl
The Bob Newhart Show is my favourite show on television, I find it incredibly relaxing and the jokes funny. I find it is a great way to relieve the stress that is experienced every day. If you enjoy comedies, you will love the Bob Newhart Show!
