"Newhart" (1982) TV series 1982-1990

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Creator:

Barry Kemp

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Release Date:

25 October 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Dick Loudon and his wife Joanna decide to leave life in New York City and buy a little inn in Vermont...

Plot Keywords:

Vermont | Handyman | Sitcom | Hotel | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

Nominated for 6 Golden Globes. Another 5 wins & 30 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Nov. 15	8:00 PM	WGNAMER	Handymania	#8.20
Sun. Nov. 15	8:30 PM	WGNAMER	Dick and Tim	#8.21

Cast

Bob Newhart	...	Dick Loudon / ... (184 episodes, 1982-1990)
Mary Frann	...	Joanna Loudon (184 episodes, 1982-1990)
Tom Poston	...	George Utley (184 episodes, 1982-1990)
Julia Duffy	...	Stephanie Vanderkellen (163 episodes, 1983-1990)
Peter Scolari	...	Michael Harris (142 episodes, 1984-1990)
William Sanderson	...	Larry (75 episodes, 1982-1990)
Tony Papenfuss	...	First Darryl (75 episodes, 1982-1990)
John Voldstad	...	Second Darryl (75 episodes, 1982-1990)

Runtime:

30 min (184 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Middlebury, Vermont, USA

Company:

MTM Enterprises

Trivia:

Vermont residents complained that the opening scenes are of New Hampshire, and not Vermont.

Quotes:

Arthur Vanderkellen: I can't help it, I like that boy.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy (#2.2)" (1989)

Hilarious

That's how I describe "Newhart" in one word. I've always enjoyed Bob Newhart's dry humor and wit.

I liked almost all of the characters on the show. The only one I wished stayed for the entire run was Kirk Devane (Steven Kampmann). He was hilarious the way he lies and the one episode that sticks out with me was when he produced and stared in his own commercial with Dick's wife Joanna for his diner. He does the commercial like the old Ronco ads from the 70s ("How much would you pay for this hamburger? Well don't answer yet...."). Then he says Joanna paid this outrageous price and the look on her face was priceless.

The other episode that sticks out with me was when Dick goes to a Boston Celtics game and has courtside seats. He apparently gets kicked out of the seat I believe because it was someone else's seats and he had to stand outside in the aisle area. Then I believe it was Larry Bird goes hobbling out of the game to the Celtic's team clubhouse, which became the perfect set up for the parody of the "Mean" Joe Greene Coke commercial from 1980. That was a classic.

The final episode was the best and ultimate way to end the show. One of the biggest "curve balls" was thrown. This was one ending you could never see coming.

A bit of trivia: Larry and the 2 Darryls were originally planned by the writers to appear in about 2-4 episodes and were to be written off shortly thereafter. Since "Newhart" was taped in front of a studio audience, the audience would cheer, applaud and holler when the trio walked in the door, then the introduction would follow: "Hi, I'm Larry, this is my brother Darryl and this is my other brother Darryl". That would then follow with more cheers and applause or laughs. It was said, that the studio audience kept the trio from being written off the show.