Newhart
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Premise
The show starred comedian Bob Newhart as Dick Loudon, an author of do-it-yourself books. He and his wife Joanna, played by the late Mary Frann, moved from New York City to a small town in Vermont to operate the Stratford Inn. (The real-life Waybury Inn in Middlebury, Vermont was used for location shots.) Loudon is a sane, mild-mannered everyman surrounded by a community of oddballs in a town which exists in an illogical world that runs by rules that elude him. The show's premise has sometimes been compared to that of the 1965–71 sitcom Green Acres, though Green Acres had broader humor and used physical comedy more prominently.
Other main characters
Jennifer Holmes starred in the first season as Leslie, a fabulously rich, world-class skier, with a foundation that underwrites Jacques-Yves Cousteau. She took the job of hotel maid to find out what it is like to be normal. In the second season, she was replaced by her cousin Stephanie Vanderkellen (Julia Duffy), a spoiled rich girl cut off by her parents and who grudgingly, and often incompetently, worked in Leslie's old job. Rounding out the hotel staff was Tom Poston as the somewhat dim handyman George Utley.The first 2 seasons also featured chronic liar Kirk Devane (Steven Kampmann), who owned the Minuteman Café across from the inn.
Beginning with Season 1, actors William Sanderson, Tony Papenfuss, and John Voldstad played three of the most popular (and surreal) characters on the show, Larry, Darryl and Darryl. They were seen infrequently, until season 2, when they became regulars and took over the Minuteman Café from Devane (who married a woman named Cindy and left town.) The two Darryls never spoke (until the final episode), and in a monotone voice, Larry would invariably introduce them every time they entered a room with "Hi, I'm Larry, this is my brother Darryl, and this is my other brother Darryl." The three, who apparently had no last name, were dirty backwoodsmen who lived in a shack. They often appeared to be from another planet, though some of the most far-out things they said turned out to be true. For a while, Larry had a crush on Stephanie, which initially frightened her, until she eventually realized the three were basically harmless.
Dick also began hosting a low-rated talk show on the town's local cable station. As seasons progressed, episodes focussed increasingly on Dick's TV career and the oddball townsfolk, to the point where it seemed the Loudons hardly ever had any guests at their inn. Dick's hyperactive and manipulative television producer was Michael Harris (Peter Scolari), who dated and eventually married Stephanie, and had a daughter. Exceptionally shallow and superficial, Michael and Stephanie represented the quintessence of the 1980s "yuppie" couple.
Other recurring characters included the over-the-top macho police chief Officer Shifflett (Todd Susman), the prim but hot-to-trot librarian Prudence Goddard (Kathy Kinney), the fussbudget, small-minded mayor Chester Wanamaker (William Lanteau) and his wild-eyed friend Jim Dixon (Thomas Hill).
Guest Stars
Jokes could be quite sly on the show. In one episode, members of the Beaver Lodge are watching Gilligan's Island on the TV. When Michael Harris throws them out, one member protests that he wanted to see how it ended, though the episodes always end the same way, with the castaways not getting off the island. The protester was Russell Johnson, who appeared on Gilligan's Island as the Professor.Another example involved actor Jack Riley, who had portrayed Mr Carlin, a mean-spirited patient of psychologist Bob Hartley, Newhart's character in The Bob Newhart Show. In one episode, Riley (possibly playing another character, but acting exactly the same as Mr Carlin) has a brief encounter with Dick Loudon, who finds him strangely familiar-looking. Dick then speaks to the man's psychologist, who complains about the terrible mental damage done to Riley by "some quack in Chicago", referring to Newhart's character.
\"The Last Newhart\"
The series had one of the most memorable final episodes in television history, entitled "The Last Newhart." The entire town is purchased by a visiting Japanese tycoon, who plans to turn the hamlet into a huge golf course and recreation resort. The lone hold-outs are Dick and Joanna, who keep their property thanks largely to Dick's refusal to play along with what he views as the latest demented whim of the townspeople. Everyone else takes their huge payoffs, says their final good-byes, and leave Dick and Joanna to run the Stratford Inn.Flash forward five years. Dick continues to grimly run the Stratford, while golf balls constantly pelt the walls. Joanna plays the part of a geisha girl, and Japanese replacements for George and Stephanie are even less helpful than the originals.
The ex-townfolk — richer and odder than before — unexpectedly pay the Loudons a visit. Michael and Stephanie's daughter has grown up to be a tiny clone of her mother. George has opened a new theme park dedicated to handymen. Larry, Darryl and Darryl have all married gabby, talkative women. When their wives will not shut up, Darryl and Darryl yell out in unison, "QUIET!" Aside from Larry, who always commented how talkative they were, this moment is the only time on the show that anyone has ever heard them say a word, and everyone is astonished (even the studio audience gasped in shock before erupting in a loud ovation).
Things quickly become chaotic, with the visitors cheerfully deciding to stay for an extended period at the inn. Dick vents his frustration at how unmanageable and stupid everything has become. Nobody is interested in Dick's opinion, so he announces that he is finally fed up and is leaving for good. As he storms out the door, Dick is struck by a wayward golf ball and collapses, unconscious. The screen goes black.
Then a light is turned on and viewers see Newhart in bed, saying "Honey, you won't believe the dream I just had." The other light comes on, and it's not Dick Loudon's wife Joanna, but Bob Hartley's irritated wife Emily (Suzanne Pleshette). The bedroom is from the set of The Bob Newhart Show, and – in a parody of a 1980s television vogue – the entire Newhart program is revealed to have been a dream in the mind of Newhart's 1970s character. Bob tells Emily that in the dream he lived in a weird Vermont town with strange people: a snobbish maid and her alliterative husband, a dense handyman, and three eccentric woodsmen, two of whom were mute.
When he reveals that he was married to a beautiful blonde in the dream, an annoyed Emily tells Bob to go back to sleep and flicks off the light on her side of the bedroom. Reviving a technique from The Bob Newhart Show, in which one of the Hartleys incredulously flicks back on their bedside light and restarts the conversation...Emily snaps her light back on and inquires, "What do you mean, 'beautiful blonde?!' Bob tells her to go back to sleep, commenting "You should wear more sweaters.", something Joanna was noted for.
The scene ends to the strains of the old Bob Newhart Show theme song (although this has been removed from syndicated rerun airings).
After the credits, as the cat in the MTM logo meows, the typical understated Newhart "meow" voiceover is replaced by the two Darryls' shout of "QUIET!"
In November 2005, this episode was named by TV Guide and TV Land the most unexpected moment in TV history.
Behind the Scenes
The show was produced by David Mirkin, (who also wrote nine episodes, and directed four), Bob Bendetson, Sheldon Bull, Barton Dean, Mark Egan, Stephen C. Grossman, Barry Kemp, Michael Loman, Richard Rosenstock, Mark Solomon, Roy Teicher, Dan Wilcox, Douglas Wyman, and Shelley Zellman. In addition, well known comedian Dick Martin was the chief director of the series for most of its run.Trivia
- The Dry erase board in Michael's apartment which lists his goals always mentions, in addition to his ever-changing daily tasks, "Take Over CBS", which was somewhat of a jab at the network on which the series aired.
- The town where the series takes place is never given an on-screen name.
- The last episode of the series was based on an idea thought up by Bob Newhart's wife.
- In 1991, the cast of "The Bob Newhart Show" reunited in a prime-time special. One of the things they did was analyze Bob's dream. During the discussion, the Hartleys' neighbor, Howard Borden (Bill Daily), recalls "I had a dream like that once. I dreamed I was an astronaut in Florida for five years.", as scenes from "I Dream of Jeannie" featuring Daily were shown. ("Jeannie" ran for five years, 1965-70, on NBC.)
- The characters of Larry, Darryl, and Darryl also appeared in various episodes of the television series Coach, which was created by the creator of Newhart, Barry Kemp.
- One of the Darryl's wives in the finale was played by a then-unknown Lisa Kudrow.
- The opening sequence consists of b-roll from the 1981 film On Golden Pond.
- The first season was produced on videotape. From season two forward (in keeping with the visual flow with other CBS sitcoms), the show was produced on film, first in 16MM, and in the final two seasons, on digitally edited 35MM.
- The first episode of the second season (It Happened One Afternoon) was originally filmed on July 15, 1983 with Elke Sommer in the guest starring role; however, the version that was broadcast featured Stella Stevens in the role. This episode was obviously re-shot with a different actress, but the reason is not known.
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