Newhart

Newhart was an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS from October 25, 1982, to May 21, 1990, with a total of 184 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons. The series stars Bob Newhart and Mary Frann as an author and his wife who own and operate the Stratford Inn in rural Vermont. The small Vermont town is home to many eccentric characters. TV Guide, TV Land, and A&E named the Newhart series finale as one of the most memorable in television history. The theme music for Newhart was composed by Henry Mancini.

This article is about the 1982–1990 television series. For the actor, see Bob Newhart. For the 1972–1978 television series, see The Bob Newhart Show.

Newhart
Created byBarry Kemp
Developed bySheldon Bull
StarringBob Newhart
Mary Frann
Jennifer Holmes
Julia Duffy
Tom Poston
Steven Kampmann
Peter Scolari
William Sanderson
Tony Papenfuss
John Voldstad
Theme music composerHenry Mancini
ComposerNelson Riddle
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons8
No. of episodes184 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersBarry Kemp
Mark Egan
Mark Solomon
Dan Wilcox
Douglas Wyman
David Mirkin
ProducerSheldon Bull
Running time24 minutes
Production companyMTM Enterprises
Release
Original networkCBS
Original releaseOctober 25, 1982 (1982-10-25) –
May 21, 1990 (1990-05-21)
Related
Bob
The Bob Newhart Show

Premise

Bob Newhart plays Dick Loudon, an author of do-it-yourself and travel books. He and his wife Joanna move from New York City to a small town in rural Vermont to operate the 200-year-old Stratford Inn. Although the town's name was never specified in the show, some media sources identified it as Norwich.[1] The outside shot of the house is the Waybury Inn in East Middlebury.

Dick and Joanna run the inn with the help of sweet-natured but simple handyman George Utley and Leslie Vanderkellen, a bright, cheerful Dartmouth College student and heiress who takes a job as a maid to find out what it is like to be "normal". Next door to the inn is the Minuteman Café, owned by Kirk Devane, a pathological liar. Leslie leaves before season two to continue her studies abroad, to be replaced by her cousin Stephanie, who, unlike Leslie, is vain, lazy, and spoiled.

Near the end of season two, Dick becomes the host of a local television show, Vermont Today, where he interviews an assortment of bizarre and colorful guests. His vapid, neurotic producer, Michael Harris, falls in love with Stephanie, their relationship providing a satire of 1980s excess.[2]

The town is populated by oddballs whose behavior never ceases to bemuse the sane, mild-mannered everyman Dick. Among them are Larry, Darryl and Darryl, three brothers who normally worked as woodsmen, but also supported themselves with various odd jobs throughout the first two seasons, and were seen very occasionally on the show. When Kirk moved away in the third season, the three brothers bought the Minuteman Cafe from him, and became series regulars who were seen running the cafe for the remainder of the series. Larry would always make an entrance saying "Hi! I'm Larry, this is my brother Darryl, and this is my other brother Darryl". Neither of the Darryls talked (until the series finale), but Larry's descriptions of their misadventures often venture into the surreal.

As the series progresses, the world around Dick grows increasingly illogical. The final episode reveals that the entire series was a dream of Dr. Robert Hartley, Newhart's character in The Bob Newhart Show.

Cast

Main
  • Bob Newhart as Dick Loudon, owner of the Stratford Inn, author of how-to books and host of Vermont Today
  • Mary Frann as Joanna Loudon, Dick's wife; the co-owner of the Stratford Inn who also works as a realtor
  • Tom Poston as George Utley, the handyman/maintenance man at the Stratford Inn, a position that has been passed down in his family for generations
  • Jennifer Holmes as Leslie Vanderkellen, an heiress and student at Dartmouth College who works as a maid at the Stratford Inn (1982–83)
  • Steven Kampmann as Kirk Devane, a pathological liar and the owner of the neighboring Minuteman Café (1982–84)
  • William Sanderson as Larry, Tony Papenfuss as his brother Darryl, and John Voldstad as his other brother Darryl, backwoodsmen who live in the same town. The three take over the Minuteman Café following Kirk's departure. The two Darryls never speak until the final episode. (recurring 1982–84, main 1984–90)
  • Julia Duffy as Stephanie Vanderkellen, Leslie's cousin, a vain, spoiled, and lazy heiress; replaces Leslie as the Stratford's maid after the first season (guest 1982, main 1983–90)
  • Peter Scolari as Michael Harris, the vapid, neurotic producer of Vermont Today; Stephanie's boyfriend and later husband (recurring 1983–84, main 1984–90)

Recurring
  • William Lanteau as Chester Wanamaker, the town's fussbudget mayor (1982–90)
  • Thomas Hill as Jim Dixon, Chester's wild-eyed best friend (1982–90)
  • Rebecca York as Cindy Parker-Devane, a professional clown, Kirk's girlfriend and later wife (1983–84)
  • Jeff Doucette as Harley Estin, a barely competent, very unlucky friend of George who is always looking for a job (1983–88)
  • Fred Applegate as J.J. Wall, the sarcastic director of Dick's television show (1984–87)
  • Ralph Manza as Bud, the assistant director of Dick's television show (1984–90)
  • Linda Carlson as Bev Dutton, the television station manager (1984–87)
  • Todd Susman as Officer Shifflett, the town's self-important police constable (1984–90)
  • José Ferrer as Arthur Vanderkellen, Stephanie's aristocratic father (1985-87)
  • Priscilla Morrill as Marian Vanderkellen, Stephanie's mother (1985-89)
  • Melanie Chartoff as Dr. Mary Kaiser, Stephanie and Michael's therapist (1987–90)
  • Kathy Kinney as Prudence Goddard, the town librarian (1989–90)
  • David Pressman as Mr. Art Rusnak, the local shoe store manager (1989–90)

"The Last Newhart"

The series finale of Newhart, titled "The Last Newhart", has been described as one of the most memorable in television history.[3][4] The entire town is purchased by a visiting Japanese tycoon, who turns the hamlet into an enormous golf course and recreation resort. Dick and Joanna are the only townspeople who refuse to leave. The others accept million-dollar payoffs and leave in a farewell scene that parodies Fiddler on the Roof.

Five years later, Dick and Joanna continue to run the Stratford Inn, which is now located in the middle of the golf course. The other townspeople, now richer and older, unexpectedly return for a reunion. The Darryl brothers also speak for the first time on screen, loudly yelling "Quiet!" at their wives in unison. Dick gets frustrated with the increasingly chaotic scene, and storms out shouting "You're all crazy!", only to be knocked out by an errant golf ball.

The following scene shows nighttime, in the bedroom of Dr. Bob Hartley (Newhart's character on The Bob Newhart Show) and his wife Emily (Suzanne Pleshette). Bob awakens, upset, and he wakes Emily to tell her about the very strange dream he has just had: that he was an innkeeper in a small Vermont town filled with eccentric characters. Emily tells Bob "that settles it — no more Japanese food before you go to bed." Bob mentions his marriage to a "beautiful blonde," and that Emily should wear more sweaters (in reference to Mary Frann's form-fitting tops) before the credits roll.

Several references are made to Newhart's former show, including the use of its theme song and credits. Although the Bob Newhart Show theme was missing from the final closing credit shot in the series' initial syndication run, the theme has been reinstated in the current version syndicated by 20th Century Fox Television. The MTM cat logo normally closed the show end credits with Newhart voicing-over the "meow", but for the finale, the cat's voice was Darryl and Darryl yelling "Quiet!"

Development of the episode

Entertainment Weekly stated in 1995 that Newhart's wife Ginny had conceived the idea for the finale, but the show's executive producers, Mark Egan, Mark Solomon, and Bob Bendetson, denied this in a letter to the editor, "[T]he final episode of Newhart was not 'dreamed up' by Bob's wife, Ginny. She had absolutely no connection with the show. ... We wrote and produced the Emmy-nominated script (with special thanks to Dan O'Shannon)."[5]

In Newhart's 2006 book I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This! And Other Things that Strike Me as Funny, he stated that his wife had indeed proposed the ending of Newhart, which had been developed by the show's writers.[6] He reiterated this in a 2013 interview, saying,

That was Ginnie's idea. ... She said, 'You ought to end in a dream sequence because there was so much inexplicable about the show.' She said, 'You should wake up in bed with Susie and explain what's so—" and I said, 'What a great idea,' and I gave the idea to the writers and they fleshed it out with the Japanese buying the town and our not selling."[7]

Suzanne Pleshette, in a Television Academy interview, also avers that the idea was Ginny's, having heard it from her over dinner with the Newharts several years before the finale was shot.[8]

Interviews with Newhart, Pleshette, and director Dick Martin[9] reveal that the final scene was kept a secret from the cast and most of the crew. A fake ending was written to throw off the tabloids that involved Dick Loudon going to heaven after being hit with a golf ball and talking to God, played by George Burns or George C. Scott. Pleshette was kept hidden until her scene was shot. When the scene began, many people in the live audience recognized the bedroom set from The Bob Newhart Show and burst into spontaneous applause. Pleshette and Newhart performed the scene in one take.[9]

Reception of the finale

In November 2005, the series finale was named by TV Guide and TV Land as the most unexpected moment in TV history.[10] The episode was watched by 29.5 million US viewers,[11] bringing in an 18.7/29 rating/share, and ranking as the most-watched program that week.[12]

In 2011, the finale was ranked number four on the TV Guide Network special, TV's Most Unforgettable Finales,[13] and in 2013 was ranked number 1 in Entertainment Weekly's 25 Best TV Series Finales Ever.[14]

In 1991, the cast of The Bob Newhart Show reunited in a primetime special. In one scene, Bob and Emily's neighbor Howard Borden (Bill Daily), quipped that he'd dreamed about living for years as an astronaut, as scenes were shown of Daily in his earlier role of astronaut Roger Healey on I Dream of Jeannie. At the end of the special, Bob Hartley gets on the elevator, where he encounters three workmen: Larry, Darryl, and Darryl.

On the February 11, 1995 episode of Saturday Night Live which was hosted by Bob Newhart, the episode's closing sketch ended with a redux of Newhart's final scene, in which Bob Hartley again wakes with his wife Emily (special guest Suzanne Pleshette) and tells her that he had just had a dream of hosting Saturday Night Live. Emily responds, "Saturday Night Live, is that show still on?"—this during a period when SNL was heavily criticized for its declining quality.[15][16]

In 2010, Jimmy Kimmel Live! presented several parody alternate endings to the television show Lost, one of which mirrored the finale of Newhart complete with a cameo appearance by Bob Newhart and with Lost star Evangeline Lilly in place of Emily/Pleshette.[17]

The final scene with Newhart and Pleshette was later parodied in an alternate ending to the television series Breaking Bad where actor Bryan Cranston wakes from a dream next to his Malcolm in the Middle co-star Jane Kaczmarek where they assume their respective roles of Hal and Lois. Hal recounts the events of Breaking Bad in humorous fashion as though he is horrified that he could do those things albeit as Walter White. Lois reassures him that everything is all right and the final shot is of Walter's hat.[18]

The final scene of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson parodied this, as well. After revealing that Bob Newhart had been playing the on-set pantomime horse Secretariat, Ferguson wakes up as his The Drew Carey Show character Nigel Wick, in bed with his co-star Drew Carey. The two then discuss the crazy possibility of Wick being a talk show host and Carey losing weight and becoming a game show host. (The shot continued with a parody of the twist ending of St. Elsewhere and then the closing song from The Sopranos finale.)

Reception

Newhart was a solid ratings winner, finishing its first six seasons in the Nielsen top 25. Despite not finishing in the top 30 for its last two seasons, Bob Newhart stated in an interview with the Archive of American Television that CBS was satisfied enough with the show's ratings to renew it for a ninth season in 1990. However, Newhart, who was anxious to move on to other projects, declined the offer, promising CBS that he would develop a new series for the network, which he was under contract to do. This resulted in the 1992 series Bob, which lasted two seasons.

Newhart season rankings in the U.S. television market
Season Episodes Original air dates TV season Nielsen ratings
Season premiere Season finale Rank Rating Households[lower-alpha 1] / Viewers[lower-alpha 2] (in millions)
122October 25, 1982April 10, 19831982–1983#1220.016.66
222October 17, 1983April 16, 19841983–1984#2318.015.08
322October 15, 1984May 28, 19851984–1985#1618.4—
424September 30, 1985May 12, 19861985–198619.616.84
524September 29, 1986April 13, 19871986–1987#1219.517.04
624September 14, 1987April 9, 19881987–1988#2516.5—
722October 24, 1988May 22, 19891988–1989#5012.8
824September 18, 1989May 21, 19901989–1990#4813.119.34
  1. 1982–1987
  2. 1989–1990

Awards

Emmy Awards

The show was nominated for 25 Emmy Awards but never won.

1983
  • Outstanding Comedy Series – Sheldon Bull, Producer; Barry Kemp, Executive Producer
  • Outstanding Video Tape Editing For a Series – Andy Ackerman
1984
  • Outstanding Comedy Series – Sheldon Bull, Producer; Barry Kemp, Executive Producer
  • Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Tom Poston
  • Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Julia Duffy
1985
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Bob Newhart
  • Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Julia Duffy
1986
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Bob Newhart
  • Outstanding Sound Mixing For a Comedy Series or Special – Andrew MacDonald, Sound Mixer; Bill Nicholson, Sound Mixer; Craig Porter, Sound Mixer; Richard Wachter, Sound Mixer
  • Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Tom Poston
  • Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Julia Duffy
1987
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Bob Newhart
  • Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series:
    • Tom Poston
    • Peter Scolari
  • Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Julia Duffy
  • Outstanding Writing For a Comedy Series – David Mirkin ("Co-Hostess Twinkie")
1988
  • Outstanding Editing For a Series (Multi-Camera Production) – Michael Wilcox, Editor
  • Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Peter Scolari
  • Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Julia Duffy
1989
  • Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series – Eileen Brennan
  • Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Peter Scolari
  • Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Julia Duffy
1990
  • Outstanding Editing For a Series (Multi-Camera Production) – Michael Wilcox, Editor
  • Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Julia Duffy
  • Outstanding Writing For a Comedy Series – Bob Bendetson, Mark Egan and Mark Solomon ("The Last Newhart")

Golden Globe Awards

Newhart earned six nominations for Golden Globe Awards.

  • Television Series – Musical or Comedy (1984)
  • Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy: Bob Newhart (1983–1986)
  • Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television: Julia Duffy (1988)

Other awards

Newhart was nominated for one Casting Society of America award and four nominations for TV Land Awards. Newhart won a total of four Viewers for Quality Television Awards.

Home media

20th Century Fox released season one of Newhart on DVD in Region 1 on February 26, 2008.

In November 2013, Shout! Factory announced it had acquired the rights to the series. It has since released the entire series in individual season sets.[19][20][21]

DVD Name Ep No Release Date
The Complete First Season 22 February 26, 2008
The Complete Second Season 22 February 11, 2014
The Complete Third Season 22 April 22, 2014
The Complete Fourth Season 24 August 19, 2014
The Complete Fifth Season 24 May 10, 2016
The Complete Sixth Season 24 September 13, 2016
The Complete Seventh Season 22 December 13, 2016
The Complete Eighth Season 24 March 14, 2017

References
  1. King, Susan (May 20, 1990). "Bye Bye, Bob : There's No One Left at the Inn as 'Newhart' Signs Off". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  2. St. James, Emily (February 12, 2014). "How the second season of Newhart proves sitcoms need time to learn". AV Club.
  3. "100 most memorable TV moments". TV Land. Archived from the original on December 15, 2004. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  4. Karol, Michael (July 2006). Sitcom Queens: Divas of the Small Screen. iUniverse. p. 118. ISBN 978-0-595-40251-9. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
  5. "Mail Page". Entertainment Weekly. June 2, 1995. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved March 23, 2009.
  6. Newhart, Bob (2006). I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This! And Other Things that Strike Me as Funny (1st ed.). New York: Hyperion. pp. 225–26. ISBN 978-1-4013-0246-7.
  7. "Bob Newhart and Louis C.K.". Inside Comedy. Season 2. Episode 1. February 16, 2013. Showtime.
  8. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Suzanne Pleshette on the final episode of "Newhart"". Television Academy Interviews – via YouTube.
  9. "Newhart: The Last Newhart". Archive of American Television. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  10. "TV Guide and TV Land Join Forces To Count Down The 100 Most Unexpected TV Moments". TV Land. December 1, 2005. Archived from the original on August 30, 2006. Retrieved March 7, 2021 – via PR Newswire.
  11. "On This Day... Bob Newhart snaps out of it". The Birmingham News. May 21, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  12. Margulies, Lee (May 31, 1990). "TV RATINGS: 'Newhart' Comes in First but CBS Is Still Last". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  13. Harrison, Shaun (April 17, 2016). "The Best TV Finales Ever". TV Guide. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  14. "The 25 best TV series finales ever". Entertainment Weekly. May 29, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  15. Newcomb, Horace (2004). Encyclopedia of Television. Fitzroy Dearborn. p. 278. ISBN 978-1-5795-8394-1.
  16. Smith, Chris (March 13, 1995). "Comedy Isn't Funny: Saturday Night Live at twenty – how the show that transformed TV became a grim joke". New York Magazine. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  17. "'Lost' Ending: Jimmy Kimmel and the Parodies". The Wall Street Journal. May 24, 2010. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  18. Harnick, Chris (November 18, 2013). "Breaking Bad' Reveals Wonderful Alternate Ending With 'Malcolm In The Middle,' Jane Kaczmarek". Huffington Post.
  19. "Newheart: Season Six". Shout! Factory. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  20. "Newheart: Season Seven". TVShowsOnDVD. Archived from the original on December 12, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  21. "Newhart – The Complete 8th and Final Season". Archived from the original on March 16, 2017. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
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