Bob Newhart has been a staple of American TV for years. It
began when he was a stand up comedian making albums that are still considered
classic comedy to this day. When he took to the airwaves with his first hit TV
series, THE BOB NEWHART SHOW, fans went nuts. The antics of psychiatrist Bob
Hartley, his wife, friends and patients was a hit on CBS from 1972 through
1978. He followed that with NEWHART that ran from 1982-1990 (tell me you don't
recall the phrase "Hi. I'm Larry and this is my other brother Daryl and my
other brother Daryl.") Newhart joked on Johnny Carson's show that his
series always featured his name and the next would have to be called Bob. While
a joke at the time, it became reality.
BOB stars Newhart as a comic book artist who lost hold of
his dream. The creator of Mad Dog, a comic book hero with the abilities of a
dog, folded after several issues. Bob then went on to become a greeting card
writer/artist. As the series opens he's still doing that but is contacted by a
major comic publishing company owned by a reclusive millionaire to bring Mad
Dog back to life.
The only problem is that the nostalgic idea of Mad Dog
brought back were founded by comic book whiz kid Harlan Stone (John Cygan), a
comic book genius who is more about blood, guts and explosions than the simple
stories Bob had in mind. Trying to get these two different types of
personalities to work together forms the basis for the series with all other
items surrounding it brought in.
At home Bob has his loving wife, Kaye (Carlene Watkins) and
his college aged daughter Trisha (Cynthia Stevenson). And family life becomes
the fodder for his stories, including one episode when his daughter's break up
becomes the theme of the first story that Bob and Harlan come up with. How that
affects the family and how Bob circumvents the sell out of caring vs.
creativity makes for some great laughs.
The craziness of the comic book world was little known when
this series came out. It was just the beginning of what would eventually
blossom into a world where comic book heroes were turned into the biggest
blockbusters Hollywood has delivered in some time. So perhaps it was just ahead
of it's time, the show only lasted two seasons. But for fans of Newhart and his
work the release of this boxed set is a treasure. While some of the other
series have been released sporadically this is the only complete one released
at one time. It may not compare with the other two series, but for fans this is
a must have set.
In watching the series I found that I enjoyed the shows,
especially the craftsmanship displayed by Newhart himself. He is a tremendous
comedian who never turns in a bad performance. Also in watching I realized that
he was never one to hog the camera to himself and very often aided in
developing the rest of the cast into characters that he could either work off
of or present at their own personal best. That's a rare thing with most actors.
It always helped the shows he was involved with, including this one.
It may not rank up there with the likes of the two previous
series Newhart put together, but this one does offer some laughs. It's a must
have for fans of Newhart and worth watching for everyone else. You'll most
likely walk away wondering why this series didn't last as long as the other
two.
Click here to order.
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