This is a question that a lot of people have asked for a long time. Is the final episode when the whole series is revealed to be a dream by Bob Hartley, is that idea a ripoff of Dallas, when the entire 1985-86 season is revealed by a dream by Pam Ewing?

What are your thoughts? I think it is one upmenship because on Newhart the whole series was a dream, instead of just one season.

Myself I just thought it was darn funny! :lol:

More like a spoof. They might never had got the idea if Dallas hadn't pulled the dream bit. Married with Children also used the dream bit after Katy Sagal had a miscarriage and the producers respectfully decided not to use her being pregnant on the show.

That episode is pure genius! On Bob Newhart's Biography he said that the whole thing was his wife's(Ginny Newhart's) idea! It's a classic! :lol:

I think the fact that it was a dream by a different character played by the same actor added a new dimension to it.

Roseanne ended in a similar way - the end of the series (them winning the lottery, etc.) was all part of a novel Roseanne was writing to hide from the stress of her life, and we find out that Dan really DID die when he had his heart attack.

I don't think the final episode is a rip off at all! It is just brilliant. I'd read, and heard about the final episode for many years. When I actually saw the final episode, it didn't disappoint that's for sure. It is the most creative series finale I have ever seen. I wish more shows would put that kind of thought and creativity into their final episodes instead of simply saying "Here ya go, we're out of here..see ya!" The whole show was excellent, but that final scene is it's finest moment. Not to be missed.

Very well said

This is a question that a lot of people have asked for a long time. Is the final episode when the whole series is revealed to be a dream by Bob Hartley, is that idea a ripoff of Dallas, when the entire 1985-86 season is revealed by a dream by Pam Ewing?

What are your thoughts? I think it is one upmenship because on Newhart the whole series was a dream, instead of just one season.
I loved it. One of the best series finales of all time. Pure genius. I remember
one critic quipped that Andy Griffith should do the same finish for MATLOCK:
have Ben Matlock wake up in Mayberry saying that he had dreamed that he
was this high-falutin' attorney!

I couldn't agree more with the fact that this episode is pure genius. I grew up watching this show with my parents and when the last episode came around, the outcome was the last thing any of us expected. Dallas or not Dallas, this was a series finale that I'll never forget.

It was a perfect parody/homage to Bob's former show. I saw this episode when it first aired in the spring of 1990. I had never seen Bob's '70s show before, so I had no idea why my mom and grandma were in hysterics.

Now that I've caught up on Bob's '70s show via DVD, I can see even more how brilliant Newhart's final episode really was. Now why isn't THIS show on DVD!? :mad:

I always thought it took guts to pull that off, such a big gamble.

I do admit I'm young enough to have not watched The Bob Newhart show, but knew of it enough to get the gag on Newhart. But really learned to respect it years later.

I always thought it took guts to pull that off, such a big gamble.

I do admit I'm young enough to have not watched The Bob Newhart show, but knew of it enough to get the gag on Newhart. But really learned to respect it years later.
The first 4 seasons of The Bob Newhart Show are on DVD - they really are worth checking out!! You're right that they took a big chance and they reaped a BIG payoff!!! :D

Welcome to the boards!! :wave:

I remember one critic quipped that Andy Griffith should do the same finish for MATLOCK: have Ben Matlock wake up in Mayberry saying that he had dreamed that he was this high-falutin' attorney!

I would have loved that (especially if somehow we also could have had Linda Purl, Nancy Stafford, and Brynn Thayer appear as Mayberry citizens too!).

I don't think the final episode is a rip off at all! It is just brilliant. I'd read, and heard about the final episode for many years. When I actually saw the final episode, it didn't disappoint that's for sure. It is the most creative series finale I have ever seen. I wish more shows would put that kind of thought and creativity into their final episodes instead of simply saying "Here ya go, we're out of here..see ya!" The whole show was excellent, but that final scene is it's finest moment. Not to be missed.

Of the dozen replies in this thread, this one really sums it up and how I feel about this show's finale! Pure genius, we will not see another series finale like that ever, ever again. Even if you hear how it ends nothing can actually prepare you for when you actually do finally see the finale. THIS is what shows are capable of when they really try!

This finale is one of the very few times they were able to keep it a total secret until it aired. The day after it aired, the finale was all a lot of people could talk about. There were a few other ideas Bob and the writers threw around for the finale but this is the one they ended up doing and I'm glad they did :)

Newhart is one of my personal favorite sitcoms. Even if you don't watch much of the series you owe it to yourself to watch the final few scenes of this show.

The other brilliant part of this finale was pairing up Darryl and Darryl with two women who wouldn't stop talking. The Darryl's got more and more annoyed as the episode went on until finally for the first and only time in the entire series they spoke! Two simple words. "Shut up!"

I really don't care if they did copy or not. I thought that the last episode was hilarious, out there, but hilarious.

The only thing that I really do remember seeing from the last episode is when Bob Newhart wakes up and Emily is next to him the bed and he tells her that he had the strangest dream and she tells him to go back to sleep. In the rest of the episode, wasn't there this japanese man who wanted to but out the town? I remember a scene where Stephanie and Mike walk into the inn with their daughter and Joanna is standing there wearing one of those japanese robes (I forget what they're called).

No I don't think The Last episode was a Ripoff.

I would have loved that (especially if somehow we also could have had Linda Purl, Nancy Stafford, and Brynn Thayer appear as Mayberry citizens too!).
:rofl: That would've been awesome.

The other brilliant part of this finale was pairing up Darryl and Darryl with two women who wouldn't stop talking. The Darryl's got more and more annoyed as the episode went on until finally for the first and only time in the entire series they spoke! Two simple words. "Shut up!"

Actually they said "Quiet!" but tomato potato.

Here's that final scene - with "Mimsie" the MTM cat yelling "QUIET!!" instead of meowing after the credits. :lol:

McVWkGWMHKI

I would have to say it was the greatest ending of any show I can remember. The fact that it ties it back to the earlier show was brilliant.

I would have to say it was the greatest ending of any show I can remember. The fact that it ties it back to the earlier show was brilliant.
I'll proudly ditto this.

I'll proudly ditto this.

Same here!

Something else that was brilliant was that when a reunion show for the original Bob Newhart Show was done a couple of years later it took place the day after the dream and Bob and Emily were discussing it. At the end of the show Larry, Darryl, and Darryl were working on the elevator that Bob was about to get on! :lol: