Bob

Bob was the new vehicle for CBS during its 1992-1993 season. It was a critic's favorite, and it's 1st season alone landed Bob Newhart on the front cover of TV guide twice-a rare accomplishment! Often on many of the critics 10 best list for the 1992-1993 television season, `BOB' was an under appreciated, gem. Unfortunately, CBS decided to re-tool the show (changing it's format), dumping 90% of the cast, putting it back on Fridays (the show received a major ratings boost when it appeared on Monday's midway through it's first season) and adding Betty White for it's second season. But to no avail, the show was quickly cancelled.

In my opinion, its first season was one of the sharpest sitcom's I have ever seen: Quick, Odd, Quirky, Funny, and touching. I would have to disagree with the previous `critique' above/below, the chemistry on this show was great and the timing was wonderful. May this series finally get some credit? Way above it's time, and sharper and more sophisticated than Seinfeld was at the time.the best show on all four networks of the 1992-1993 season.

Bob Newhart's third sitcom was mostly a crashing non-success,which is a shame since,besides Mr.Newhart,the show had a very good ensemble cast that included veteran actors like Ruth Kobart and Carlene WAtkins mixed in with solid younger talent like Cynthia Stevenson,Andrew Bilgore and John Cygan. This was the first season. Then CBS decided to re-up this show(rather tenuously it appeared)for a second year,they blew-up that cast,inserted pros Betty White,Tom Poston and Jere Burns,that and a schedule move(from the no-man's land that was Friday nights to Monday nights)and hoped it would inflate the less-than-scintillating returns.It didn't,and the show was quietly pushed off the air after the half-way point of the 1993-94 season.

I personally felt like this show,while hardly up there with the first two Newhart entries,was still very watchable,quite funny and seemed to have plenty of potential to get better and/or get a better following. But who knows? Maybe audiences were expecting too much of either Dr.Bob HArtley or Dick Loudon. Or maybe the loyal t.v. audiences didn't like what they saw in grouchy cartoonist Bob McKay. Or maybe the audiences were not warming to Newhart's dry,button-down style of comedy. Whatever,I thought this show deserved a better treatment,given the pedigree of the eponymous star.

The first season of "Newhart" sucked eggs. The only really funny episodes were a couple with Larry, Darryl and Darryl and one with a visit by Stephanie. Fortunately, CBS showed its faith in Bob Newhart and gave his 1980s show a slightly retooled 2nd season, with more visits from Larry and the Darryls and making Stephanie a regular. The third season moved the brothers three next door and added Peter Scolari, and "Newhart" proved a classic.

"Bob," Bob Newhart's 1990s show, had a solid premise: milquetoast greeting-card artist has an early comic book of his revived, but rather than a cuddly, old school superhero comic book it's dark and edgy. Bob is surrounded by strange comic book people including an A-personality partner. He also has a home life (harkening back to the double setting of "The Bob Newhart Show.") Only, this time he has a daughter (one of the biggest laughs I ever got from a TV show between the end of "Newhart" and the start of "Andy Richter Controls the Universe" was an episode where his daughter got a hot date . . . By phone. It might not be an odd occurrence today, but back then it was downrighr bizarre).

The daughter is played byCynthia Syevenson, a real, deadpan plus to the show. She's great.

Again, CBS showed their faith in cash cow Bob Newhart and they let the show run a full season. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, "Bob" never got traction.

"Bob" was retooled for a second season, and, unlike "Newhart," which started out limping and got better and better for nine seasons, "Bob" in its second season got worse. Rather than tweaking the show until it was as fine-tuned as a racing engine, the entire office side of the show was thrown out and changed. When the revamped "Bob" didn't catch fire, it went where the bad shows go.

I liked "Bob" and, seeing what happened with "Newhart," I was willing to give it time to find its sea legs. But I'm not a network exec.

For a different sort of Newhart vibe, the first season of "Bob" is worth a peek, if you can find it.

I thought this was a great show with much potential. It wasn't even given a chance. Though the character was less likable than the two previous BOB incarnations, he was still funny. It didn't hit the mark right off, but then again, NEWHART, another classic, didn't really hit its mark until the second or third season. Anyone know where any tapes of this lost gem are?????? I keep hoping they might release it, what with the recent release of many one season wonders like Lotsa Luck, Good Morning World, Gidget and others. I thought the show was good in that it had a more farcical flavor than The Bob Newhart Show. And WHAT A GREAT CAST. Ruth Kobart, John Cygan, Christine Dunsford, who was hilarious, Timothy Fall, Andrew Bilgore, Cynthia Stevenson, Lisa Kudrow, Tom Poston, Dorothy Lyman, Steve Lawrence, Dick Martin. I loved it when he played poker with his buddies. When they fired the entire cast and replaced them with Betty White and Jere Burns, it just lost all of its loopy charm.

When Bob (the show) began, I already loved it just because 8t was about a comic book character. Since I too am an illustrator, and a fan.of comics, I was happy to see it. Unfortunately, CBS decided to rewrite the show and make it about greeting cards. Even Betty White couldn't save it because the writers sucked. This is one of those great shows that was never given a chance. A true shame... like The Tony Randall Show about a judge and his caustic secretary.