It’s hard to look back at 1970s TV sitcoms and not even mention The Bob Newhart Show among those great shows that aired at the time. Bob Newhart already stepped in front of his show’s cameras with an established comedic background. His routines, including those involving phone conversations, kept people laughing for years. Yet Newhart also developed a rather deadpan style of delivery.
He perfected this comedic style in nightclubs and TV show appearances. Years before this sitcom arrived on CBS, Newhart had his own variety show on NBC. It didn’t stick with viewers, though. Newhart headed back out on the road, delivering laughs all across the United States. This sitcom, which had a massive lead-in show on Saturday nights on CBS, found its way into America’s hearts.
‘The Bob Newhart Show’ Had Quite A Cast
Between 1972 and 1978, The Bob Newhart Show delivered consistently good, tasteful comedy. Newhart was the star, of course, but he knew that without a solid supporting cast, the show would not succeed. Therefore, this sitcom made sure that plenty of great talent surrounded the star. Little did the cast probably know that people would still be talking about this sitcom 50 years later. Yet here we are.
Newhart played Dr. Bob Hartley, a psychiatrist who routinely dealt with human issues. He lived in Chicago and was married to Emily, played by Suzanne Pleshette. There were no kids in this show, giving Newhart and Pleshette a great chance to portray an adult-centric relationship. Pleshette’s natural beauty and ability to banter back and forth with Newhart was worth watching.
Bill Daily, whom viewers knew from playing Major Roger Healey on I Dream of Jeannie, played pilot Howard Borden. He lived right across the hall from Bob and Emily, so he popped in occasionally. Daily’s performance let him act a little like Healey, but he managed to pull it off wonderfully.
At the office, Newhart had a couple of solid actors that he interacted with regularly. Marcia Wallace played Bob’s secretary Carol Kester, who could fire off a wisecrack or two at any time. Wallace, who died in 2013, is best known to modern audiences as the voice of Edna Krabappel on The Simpsons. Peter Bonerz was down the hall in his role as dentist Jerry Robinson. Jerry often showed up around Carol’s desk, chit-chatting with her when Bob steps off the elevator.
One element that routinely showed up in The Bob Newhart Show was Bob Hartley holding group therapy sessions. Character actors John Fiedler and Jack Riley had solid jokes to fire off in these scenes. Bob Newhart didn’t mind setting up them for their lines, either. Making the group therapy moments a hilarious part of the show became kind of a must-see thing.
Now, do classic TV fans remember the CBS Saturday night lineup during this time? Let’s give you a refresher. The Mary Tyler Moore Show was the lead-in show for Newhart. On there, you had Mary Tyler Moore, Ed Asner, Gavin MacLeod, Ted Knight, Valerie Harper, and Cloris Leachman. A solid cast indeed. Then came The Bob Newhart Show. What was next? The Carol Burnett Show, featuring Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Lyle Waggoner, Vicki Lawrence, and Tim Conway.
That’s like a “murderer’s row” of sitcom and comedy talent right there. During some of these seasons, CBS even put All in the Family as its Saturday night lead-in show. It was quite a shock to viewers to see Archie Bunker instead of Jackie Gleason on at that time. Newhart’s sitcom was very popular. Reruns still air here and there on some streaming platforms.
Final Thoughts
Fans were heartbroken to hear of Bob Newhart’s death at 94 years old earlier in 2024. His long career brought fame and fortune to a guy who diligently worked at his craft. Newhart even had a successful second sitcom, again on CBS, simply titled Newhart. It had its own funny twists and turns, even letting Bob work with longtime friend Tom Poston. Pleshette, Daily, Riley, and Feidler also have died since The Bob Newhart Show aired. The sitcom has a welcome place in the annals of television history. Psychiatry has hardly been as funny, especially when “Hi Bob” became a national catchphrase.
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