I did - and while it referenced the last episode of Newhart, it pretty much retconned the last episode of The Bob Newhart Show (where they moved out because Emily got a teaching job in, IIRC, Oregon).
Speaking of specials, CBS is airing a memorial tribute tonight (July 22).
A heads up: tonight Monday 7/22 CBS will be airing a one-hour special on Newhart’s career. 8:00 Eastern, 7 Central. (My Hulu onscreen guide doesn’t show it, but it’s on the CBS website.)
Just ended. It was a decent summary of Newhart’s career. They must have had this in the bank for a while. I don’t understand why they threw it on the air with no advanced promo fanfare. I stumbled accidentally over a mention of it. Fans of The Neighborhood, whatever that is, might be pissed that the show’s reruns got preempted on a whim. (Just looked it up. It will be going to a seventh season in October, meaning it will be on the air longer than The Bob Newhart Show. Wonder if Cedric the Entertainer will get a special when he dies?)
I remember when First Family came out. My father went to see it to make sure it was appropriate for kids. When he returned he said it was an insult to everyone’s intelligence. We never did see it and periodically I check to see if it is available, but never have managed to see it.
This. It’s worth remembering that Newhart didn’t quite work at first. They did some re-tooling after the first season to give Bob more “wacky” characters to bounce off of, as well as giving him a job doing a local TV show, and that’s when it took off.
They tried the same thing with Bob. He was only a comic book artist in the first season. In season 2 he was suddenly working for a greeting card company. They ditched most of the supporting cast, and added Betty White. It still didn’t work.
I loved the first show. In one Emily became a member of MENSA. And invited Bob along.
One of the other members ‘special’ skills was that he could pronounce anyone’s name backwards.
This fellow did it for Emily. Sounded about right. Then told Bob that he could pronounce his name backwards too.
“So What’s YOUR name, I can say it backwards!”
“Ummm… Bob”
Classic stuff.
I remember that one. The invitation said “black tie optional”. Bob was the only guy in a suit.
There’s one scene that stands out to me. Mr. Peterson has had a fight with his wife, and is out on the ledge of a building. Bob arrives to talk to him and try to convince him to come in. The only trouble is, he was on his way to a costume party dressed as Zorro. Bob goes out on the ledge, and eventually Mrs. Peterson does, too. The two reconcile and go inside, the Bob, looking down at the crowd below, puts his hands on his hips and strikes a heroic pose, draws a big ‘Z’ on the window, and goes inside. It may be the only time I ever saw Newhart do physical comedy.
Peterson’s a twerp.
I once read completely through a site called “the A-list” which was a summary of a usenet group; alt.gossip.celebrities, or some such. Very, very few celebrity subjects got a completely positive review. Bob was one and maybe Janeane Garofalo was another.
“That’s not nice Mr. Carlin”
Wasn’t it Mr. Gianelli who said that?
Watched the CBS memoriam special. Got an “ugh” feeling right away when the title said it was done by Entertainment Tonight. So it had too many short clips, jumped all over the place, etc.
One thing that I don’t get are these shows that show the setup but not the punchline. Like the scene in his first TBBT episode when he meets Sheldon. Prof. Proton asks Leonard "… is he dangerous?: and they cut it before the punchline. Why???
Lots of nice stuff about Ginnie. Buddy Hackett set them up on a blind date.
There were some clips near the end from the Rickles/Newhart doc I mentioned previously.
I guess I have a Newhart sitcom fade-out thing going.
I watched The Bob Newhart Show sitcom regularly. And re-watched it completely a few years ago. It still holds up. I started watching Newhart but after a while gave up on it due to too much stupid stuff. Watched maybe a couple of Bobs.
The special brought up a show he did called George and Leo with Judd Hirsch. I don’t recall this existing at all.
The special is supposedly available on the CBS website but it failed to start playing on 3 separate browsers in a different way for each one. Nice job there CBS.
One season on CBS (1997-98), had mediocre ratings, and I wonder if it only manged to make it through an entire season because of the network’s long-standing relationship with Newhart. I remember hearing of it, but never watched it.
Meow.
That episode (“Who Was That Masked Man?”) is tied for my favorite (along with “Who Is Mr. X?”).
Emil Peterson and Elliott Carlin were always great, and teaming them up was for the ages. Carlin’s wisecracks while they were out on the ledge:
When Bob cautions the heavyset Mrs. Peterson (Doris) to be careful stepping onto the ledge, Carlin adds, “Yeah, It’s only made of concrete”.
As Bob counsels them, he asks each if they were happy with Emil being a ‘doormat’. After they each answer “I was”, Carlin cracks, “I now pronounce you doormat and wife”.
After the Petersons have reconciled, Doris tells Emil, “Let’s go home and make up, if you know what I mean”. Carlin brings the house down: “Peterson! JUMP while you’ve got the chance!”
And earlier, Carlin describing his hangover: “I’ve got such a bad headache my hair hurts. And it isn’t even my hair!”
I have vague recollections of one Hartley’s patients having a mental breakdown when he couldn’t decide between Small or Large Curd Cottage cheese.
I think it had to be Mr Peterson.
The role of Buddy’s stepfather came later in his career but I like it very much.
Newhart’s comedy album “The Button Down Mind of Bob Newhart” won the Grammy for Album of the Year.
Not comedy album of the year. THE Album of the Year. They would do that back then.
Lots of little tributes all over the place. The most recent “nice touch” one I saw was on John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight from Sunday. At the end of the opening credits they have a quick shot of someone in the news below a Latin-ish phrase. Usually it’s a politician or similar.
Above the image of Bob they had “Stammerus Iconicus”.
The Grammy for Album of the Year was also accompanied by Best Comedy Album and Best New Artist. The only time Album of the Year and Best New Artist was won by the same person. BTW, that was at the 3rd Grammys. Things have changed since.
Per the CBS doc, apparently things were financially tough for Bob later in the 60s. Then and now, having two incredibly successful albums doesn’t always result in the record companies paying out the big bucks.
I saw the Bob Newhart a Legacy of Laughter on Paramount+. I missed it on CBS a couple weeks ago.
CBS did a nice job covering his career. I didn’t know he had so many guest appearances in the past 25 years. Winning an Emmy in 2013 as a guest on The Big Bang Theory.