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I’ve always
enjoyed the work of Bob Newhart. Even growing
up I used to listen to his comedy albums.
I think what I liked the best about his
style was that it was clean. Unlike most
comics working today, who throw expletives
around in order to get laugh, guys like
Newhart (or Shelley Berman, or Bill Cosby)
had a more anecdotal method of tickling
our funny bone. They would tell stories
or act out situations on stage that were
actually humorous. We weren’t shocked
into laughter, we laughed because it was
funny.
Needless to say, my love of Bob Newhart’s
dry sense of humor made me a fan of all
of his TV shows, starting of with “The
Bob Newhart Show”, then “Newhart”,
then… just “Bob.” Of course,
those of you who might remember these shows,
probably also remember the final episode
on “Newhart”, which had the
distinction of having one of the funniest
and most memorable final scenes of any sitcom
in TV history. I think it’s safe to
mention it here, because it would be hard
to consider it a spoiler after so many years.
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In the series “Newhart”, he played
Dick Louden, the owner of a small Vermont Inn.
In that very last scene, Newhart wakes up in the
exact bedroom set from the earlier “The
Bob Newhart Show” (where he played psychiatrist
Bob Hartley), lying next to Suzanne Pleshette
(who played his wife) and he says he just had
the strangest dream…
Anyhow, I’m completely off the track. I’m
actually here to talk a little about the DVD set
for the 3rd season “The Bob Newhart Show.”
Newhart made the early transition to TV and turned
in a bona fide hit. The series ran from 1972 –
1978 and featured Newhart as Dr Robert Hartley,
a successful Chicago psychiatrist. The show mainly
took place around his office, where dealt with
his wise-cracking receptionist Carol (Marcia Wallace)
as well as a veritable cornucopia of patients.
He also had the ‘good’ fortune of
having a best friend in Howard Borden (Bill Daily)
who was not really the sharpest of tacks, and
would cause him no end of headaches. Fortunately,
he could always count on spending a nice evening
at home with his lovely wife Emily (Pleshette)…
as long as Howard didn’t show up to eat
all their food.
“The Bob Newhart Show” was a perfect
example of how good a comedy series could be if
it took the time to deliver smartly written comedy.
The banter between the characters was always very
was always sharp, and watching Newhart try to
match wits with those around him, when everyone
around him suffers from a lower score on the I.Q.
scale, was always a treat. I think in some ways
I identified with his quick, often misunderstood
comments, because I generally spend my days around
those who aren’t quite as bright and creative
as I am. This is not meant to be a high and mighty
statement on my part, just a statement of fact
considering I live in Texas, where the population
has the collective intelligence of topsoil. I
make little sarcastic remarks all the time, and
usually the people they are directed at don’t
get it. I love it…
The 3rd season of “The Bob Newhart Show”
continued the focus on his therapy group, which
really began to take shape in the 2nd season.
Most notably we were treated to the comic genius
that is Jack Riley. He played Mr. Carlin, on of
Hartley’s most neurotic characters. Carlin
became so popular that he ended up as a recurring
character in over half the episodes produced for
the series.
When Fox released the 1st season set of "The
Bob Newhart Show", there were no special
features at all. I love special features, especially
for shows that I loved so much. The 2nd season
set made up for it by including some commentaries
and a short 'Making of' featurette. They are now
following that up in the 3rd season set with commentaries
on 5 of the episodes. All of them feature Bob
Newhart. He does one all by himself, two with
Peter Bonerz (who played the insufferable dentist,
Jerry), one with the great Fred Willard, and one
with the show's creator, Jim Burrows. All of these
commentaries make for a great listen.
I consider “The Bob Newhart Show”
to be a landmark series in many ways. It was one
of the great comedy series of the 70’s,
featured a bright and funny cast and some of the
most sharply written scripts of the time. The
comedy featured here is timeless, even if the
home furnishings and clothes are severely dated.
Episodes:
Big Brother is Watching
The Battle of the Groups
The Great Timpau Medical Arts Co-Op Experiment
The Separation Story
Sorry, Wrong Mother
The Gray Flannel Shrink
Dr. Ryan's Express
Brutally Yours, Bob Hartley
Ship of Shrinks
Life is a Hamburger
An American Family
We Love You… Good-Bye
Jerry Robinson Crusoe
Serve for Daylight
Home is Where the Hurt Is
Tobin's Back in Town
Think Smartley - Vote Hartley
The Way We Weren't
A Pound of Flesh
My Business is Shrinking
The New Look
Bob Hits the Ceiling
Emily Hits the Ceiling
The Ceiling Hits Bob
Starring: Bob Newhart,
Extras: Audio Commentary on Selected Episodes,
Making of Featurette
Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: Fox
Release Date: 4/11/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
We'll give Bob Newhart: Season 3 an A.
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