Newhart

Newhart was indeed a funny and brilliant show without being crude or vulgar. It was fun watching the late wonderful Mary Frann and the amazing genius of Bob Newhart as innkeepers in Vermont. Newhart had a wonderful supporting cast of interesting characters played by Tom Poston, Julia Duffy, and Peter Scolari, and more. It should have won Emmys rather than being nominated but it was a great cast and legacy to sitcom television. Too bad, they don't make them like they used to. Newhart is better known for his dry wit and humor. He is not a slapstick comedian at all. He knows how to tell a story and his facial expressions while similar always is worth watching. Mary Frann was a great actress who was taken from us too young. Julia Duffy and Peter Scolari were great together as a couple and their humor helped enhance this classic show. Tom Poston was always a joy to see and who could forget backwoods Larry and his brothers, Daryl and Darrell who never spoke.

When I think of this show, I often compare it to Green Acres. The two shows were very similar in the fact that it featured someone who wanted to leave the city to move to the country. In this case it was author Dick Loudon filling in for attorney Oliver Wendell Douglas. Also, Dick was surrounded by a strange assortment of people just like Oliver was. The main difference, however, was the fact that Joanna Loudon wasn't the somewhat dim bulb that Lisa Douglas was. Thankfully, Fred Silverman had long since left C.B.S. or else this show might not have seen the light of day.

Newhart was a classic, smart and hilarious show. Bob Newhart is hilarious here. The humor, which was in no way directed at sexual issues, was great and refreshing. The series' quality never declined in quality and was great throughout it's entire run. The final episode probably being the best of all.

I never saw the previous also MTM-produced, apparently very successful "The Bob Newhart Show" which I don't think ever played in the UK, but remember this particular series very well indeed.

I liked it very much then and still do today, now I've got the chance to re-watch them again. Of course rather like the flagship "Mary Tyler-Moore Show", it's built around a known star, the rather hangdog comedian Bob Newhart, who with his improbably young and pretty wife leaves the rat race behind to set up home in a run-down Vermont guest-house.

Being very much set-bound, it relies on the familiarity and like-ability of its quirky cast and the gentle humour in the writing. Of course almost every bit of dialogue is set up for Newhart to deadpan the punch-line but on the parameters there are some engagingly odd-ball supporting characters like the dimwitted repairman George, the ditzy chambermaid Lesley and especially the 80's answer to the Crazy Gang crossed with the Marx Brothers, the hilarious "Anything for a buck" brothers Larry, Daryl and Daryl. Less appealing however is their irritating, fabricating, restaurant-owning neighbour Kirk.

With a luxuriant, scene-setting theme by the celebrated Henry Mancini, the humour here is hardly revolutionary or cutting-edge, but for warm, cosy, feel-good comedy, this is a very enjoyable and comfortable place to check into.

I got to see this show in 1994 when Satellite TV arrived here in Pakistan and it was great. Simple clean humor and a cast that was all perfect I am surprised to learn that the show didn't get any awards just nominations ... it should have ... anyway a must see ...