Bob Patterson (TV series)

Bob Patterson is an American television sitcom starring Jason Alexander, produced by Ira Steven Behr. It was directed by Robby Benson and Barnet Kellman. The series premiered on ABC on October 2, 2001, and the final episode aired on October 31 of that year. It was canceled in November 2001 after five of the ten scheduled episodes aired.[1]

Bob Patterson
GenreSitcom
Created by
Directed byRobby Benson
Barnet Kellman
Starring
Composers
  • Michael Skloff
  • Giorgio Bertuccelli
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10 (5 unaired)
Production
Executive producers
  • Peter Tilden
  • Ira Steven Behr
  • Jason Alexander
  • Tim Doyle (Pilot)
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time30 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original networkABC
Original releaseOctober 2 (2001-10-02) –
October 31, 2001 (2001-10-31)

Overview

The show revolves around fictitious motivational speaker Bob Patterson, "America's #3 Self Help Guru", who is popular with millions of people across America, thanks to his books I Know More Than You, I Still Know More Than You and the To the Top! franchise. Friction between his job and family occurs partly due to Bob's self-absorbed but insecure nature and complete lack of self-awareness, ironic qualities for someone whose job is supposed to be selflessly motivating others to improve their lives.

Use of character outside of show

After the show's cancellation, Alexander used the concept behind Patterson to create a similar fictional character named Donny Clay, "America's #4 Self-Help Guru." Alexander has toured the United States in character as Clay.[2]

Catchphrases

The character of Bob Patterson had a series of catchphrases:

  • "No is only yes to a different question."
  • "The only thing between you and your goals is you.......and your goals."
  • "You are the U in the Universe."
  • "To the top!"

Cast
  • Jason Alexander as Bob Patterson, the main character and the namesake of the show. Despite being a self-help guru, Bob is shown to be insecure and jealous of his surroundings, as shown in many scenes. An example is when his ex-wife Janet returns to live with Bob.
  • Robert Klein as Landau, Bob's manager and friend. Despite being friends, Landau tends to upset Bob quite frequently, such as when he uses Bob's personal bathroom. He is only referred to as Landau and his first name is never revealed.
  • Jennifer Aspen as Janet Patterson, Bob's ex-wife who comes back to live with him after becoming celibate. She and Bob decide to stay friends, despite her living in his house and doing personal things such as performing nude yoga in their bedroom.
  • Chandra Wilson as Claudia, a wheelchair-using woman who works as a secretary for Bob. There are hints that she might be faking her disability, as shown in a scene where Bob catches Claudia standing up from her wheelchair to grab something from a top cabinet.
  • Jay Paulson as Les, a co-worker and friend of Bob.
  • Phil Buckman as Vic, a friend of Bob's who works with him.
  • James Guidice as Jeffrey Patterson, Bob and Janet's son. Despite being in his late teens, Jeffrey is shown to not be very grown or mature and has failed to launch into manhood and is shown as lazy and crude.

Episodes
No.TitleDirected by [3]Written by [3]Original air dateProd.
code [3]
1"Pilot"Barnet KellmanStory by : Jason Alexander & Michael Markowitz & Peter Tilden
Teleplay by : Jason Alexander & Ira Steven Behr & Tim Doyle & Peter Tilden		October 2, 2001 (2001-10-02)1AFY79
2"Honest Bob"Barnet KellmanIra Steven Behr & Peter TildenOctober 9, 2001 (2001-10-09)1AFY03
3"Naked Bob"Barnet KellmanBarbie FeldmanOctober 16, 2001 (2001-10-16)1AFY02
4"Awards Bob"Barnet KellmanHayes JacksonOctober 24, 2001 (2001-10-24)1AFY05
5"Bathroom Bob"Robby BensonBrian ScullyOctober 31, 2001 (2001-10-31)1AFY07
6"Family Bob"Barnet KellmanBrian ScullyUnaired1AFY01
7"Paranoid Bob"Barnet KellmanJustin AdlerUnaired1AFY04
8"Clown Bob"Barnet KellmanBarbie FeldmanUnaired1AFY06
9"Matchmaker Bob"
"Mentor Bob"		Barnet KellmanJustin AdlerUnaired1AFY08
10"Wheelchair Bob"Barnet KellmanHayes JacksonUnaired1AFY09

Reception

Critical

The series received poor reviews. The New York Times critic Caryn James wrote that "the series may be the season's biggest disappointment... Robert Klein yells while Mr. Alexander screeches."[4] In a one-and-a-half-star review for USA Today, Robert Bianco called Chandra Wilson "the only person in the show you can imagine wanting to see again."[5] Los Angeles Times reviewer Howard Rosenberg wrote: "The only character here that's amusingly written is Bob's new assistant, Claudia (Chandra Wilson)."[6]

Ratings

Ratings for Bob Patterson were considered disappointing.[1] The series' premiere drew 9.8 million viewers, while its final episode recorded 7.8 million viewers.[7]

References
  1. Lowry, Brian (2001-11-03). "ABC Takes 'Patterson' Off Lineup". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
  2. Rich Place (July 30, 2009). "Donny Clay coming to Chautauqua". The Post-Journal. Jamestown, New York. Archived from the original on 2011-01-19. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
  3. From the United States Copyright Office catalog: "Public Catalog - Copyright Catalog (1978 to present) - Basic Search [search: "Bob Patterson"]". United States Copyright Office. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  4. James, Caryn (2001-10-02). "TELEVISION REVIEWS; A Hopeless And Helpless Self-Help Specialist". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  5. Bianco, Robert (2001-10-02). "Alexander's sitcom lacks character". USA Today.
  6. Rosenberg, Howard (October 2, 2001). "Comic Timing Can't Save 'Bob Patterson'". Los Angeles Times.
  7. Haber, Matt (2006-03-26). "Sorry, Newman: There May Not Be a Seinfeld Curse". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
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