In watching "Soap" we see Chuck and Bob Campbell. Burt's son Chuck had a dummy with a smart mouth named Bob. Everybody thought that Bob was real or he wanted to have everybody thing Bob was real. It got to the point that other family members were thinking that Bob was real. Even I was looking at him as a real person. I had to be careful. It was stated by a guest cast member that Chuck used Bob to express himself about things. Using him to justify the was he really feels about things. Some of Bob's funny lines are:

From the episode when Jodie brings home a lesbian woman to meet the family.

(Everybody is sitting quietly and then Bob breaks out with.....)

Bob: So. Jodie tells me you're a lesbo huh?

Later On...

Mary Campbell: I better go get dinner.

Alice: I'll help you.

Bob: Aw sit down Alice. That's woman's work!

That cracked me up.


The episode when Mary's son Danny brings home a black girlfriend and her family.

(Of course Chuck and Bob is sitting with everybody else and everything is quiet....)

Bob: So Danny tells me your'e a family of Negroes, Huh?

That Dummy got on my nerves so much, I wanted to step on him. I hope no one was offended with the lines from the show. It was all in comical humor. The show was definitely controversial but funny and the family was definitely crazy beyond a shadow of a doubt.

[This message has been edited by ThomasE (edited 12-13-2000).]

I agree, Bob's terrible! I've wanted to use him for firewood ever since he appeared on the show. My question is why didn't anyone admit Chuck to a mental hospital? They did it to Burt for thinking he could make himself invisible so why not Chuck? LOL!

True! Like father, Like son.

Bob was such a funny "character".

------------------
Andrew Carden

Originally posted by TRWoman
I agree, Bob's terrible! I've wanted to use him for firewood ever since he appeared on the show. My question is why didn't anyone admit Chuck to a mental hospital? They did it to Burt for thinking he could make himself invisible so why not Chuck? LOL!

You know, that's a good point. Too bad that place didn't give family discounts. Chuck, Burt and The Major.

I thought BOB was one of the best things about the show. My only question is why chuck and bob never got a storyline of thier own, like everybody else did? They were just in scenes to add a few laughs and then were gone. Maybe a plot where chuck loses bob and goes nuts. MORE CHUCK AND BOB!

I thought Bob was very, very funny (one of my favorite characters on the show) and I agree that Chuck used Bob to express his true feelings. Half the characters on "Soap" belonged in the looney bin, not just Chuck.:lol:

God, I love Chuck and Bob. It's a fantastic little conceit that delivers some hilarious comedy. I agree about them never getting storylines of their own, though, in fairness, I think that was probably down to a simple fact - Jay Johnson is not an actor, he's a ventriloquist!

I thought Bob was very, very funny (one of my favorite characters on the show) and I agree that Chuck used Bob to express his true feelings. Half the characters on "Soap" belonged in the looney bin, not just Chuck.:lol:
Half?? I think nearly EVERYBODY belonged in the funny farm. :crazy: :rofl:

I think on one of the DVDs, Susan Harris explained that Chuck and Bob were going to be on short term, but they proved popular with the audience, so they were kept around.

I think on one of the DVDs, Susan Harris explained that Chuck and Bob were going to be on short term, but they proved popular with the audience, so they were kept around.
I read that someplace, can't remember where.

I have to admit, when Soap first aired, I thought Chuck & Bob were hilarious -- but then, I was 7. I still find them a very funny duo, and now, all these years later, I have the bonus of understanding the jokes!

Bob is the MAN.

Bob is the MAN.

Well... so to speak! ;)

I have to admit, when Soap first aired, I thought Chuck & Bob were hilarious -- but then, I was 7. I still find them a very funny duo, and now, all these years later, I have the bonus of understanding the jokes!


I think that is the routine. You laugh at jokes when you are younger but as you get older, you begin to get a better feel of the jokes and they seem funnier to you and you get the true gist of them.

I posted this topic almost nine years ago and gradually over the years its been getting some responses. Cool. ;)

I loved how Benson got even with Bob, LOL.

I read that Bob the dummy spoke on his own in season four. I don't remember this. Can anyone give details?

Thanks!

Pretty sure that didn't happen. I watched all four seasons and I don't recall it, in any event.

On the topic of Bob, it just occurred to me that he was kind of a prototype for "Stewie" from "Family Guy"; the small statured character who was insulting and derisive of every other character, who loved to push buttons and thought he was better than everyone else, and who ultimately, was totally reliant on the very characters he was insulting!

Who played Bob?

Who played Bob?

Haha! Bob was Chuck's dummy. Chuck was played by Jay Johnson. I loved those two! They were hilarious! But, I don't think it would work out if they had their own plot line.

I know this might be a littlt OT, but didn't Chuck and Bob appear on an episode of That 70's Show one time?

Anyone happen to know the real name of the black woman in the show that he was referring to? I can see her face, but I just can't place her name.

Anyone happen to know the real name of the black woman in the show that he was referring to? I can see her face, but I just can't place her name.

That lady's name was Lynne Moody, and she was a knockout. :)

I think on one of the DVDs, Susan Harris explained that Chuck and Bob were going to be on short term, but they proved popular with the audience, so they were kept around.

True. In fact A S . Berman's SOAP book confirms they were temporary hires, and in fact, were going to be the original killers of Peter Campbell.

Chuck and Bob were AWESOME!!!! They were one of the best things about this show!!!!


http://www.dvd.net.au/movies/s/10683-2.jpg

Chuck and Bob were AWESOME!!!! They were one of the best things about this show!!!!




Chuck and Bob are my favorite (male) sitcom characters.

True. In fact A S . Berman's SOAP book confirms they were temporary hires, and in fact, were going to be the original killers of Peter Campbell.

That's because all ventriloquist dummies are pure evil!

That's because all ventriloquist dummies are pure evil!

That's exactly how they phrase it. Jay Johnson says that "when they came up with the Peter Campbell plotline, Susan Harris' first thought was of one of the great archetypes of insanity, the demented ventriloquist".

Chuck and Bob were hilarious. Yes there should have been more focus on them. I seen Jay Johnson about 6-7 years ago in theatre. He was great and had several other dummies besides Bob. A very talented gentleman and funny.

My favorite Chuck and Bob joke in the series - and neither one were actually in the scene. The two families are at the Tate house awaiting the very important phone call from Jessica's kidnappers. The phone rings, and a nervous Chester answers it. He gets upset right away and yells something like "get the hell off the phone!!" Someone asks him who it was and Chester replies, "It was Bob. He wanted to know if Chuck is here!"

Hilarious scene!!

I think I read somewhere that the original plan was to have Chuck be the one who killed Peter Campbell, out of jealousy or something, but when he proved to be so popular, they kept him on for good.

I was fairly young when this aired, but we never missed it. My husband and I are watching weekends on TV Land, but we're partway through and missed some early episodes. I swore that someone ripped Bob's head off, but I haven't seen it yet, and can't find any YouTube clips. I did see Benson throw him out the window, which was hilarious. Did I imagine this?

I was fairly young when this aired, but we never missed it. My husband and I are watching weekends on TV Land, but we're partway through and missed some early episodes. I swore that someone ripped Bob's head off, but I haven't seen it yet, and can't find any YouTube clips. I did see Benson throw him out the window, which was hilarious. Did I imagine this?

Soap is on TV Land now? That can't be right, can it? It would be very uncharacteristic of them.

Soap is on TV Land now? That can't be right, can it? It would be very uncharacteristic of them.

Not TV Land - Antenna TV. My bad.

Not TV Land - Antenna TV. My bad.

It's okay. :wave:

My original questions still stands though. Did Bob get his head ripped off? Or did I dream that?

My favorite Chuck and Bob joke in the series - and neither one were actually in the scene. The two families are at the Tate house awaiting the very important phone call from Jessica's kidnappers. The phone rings, and a nervous Chester answers it. He gets upset right away and yells something like "get the hell off the phone!!" Someone asks him who it was and Chester replies, "It was Bob. He wanted to know if Chuck is here!"

Hilarious scene!!

I might be misremembering (it was a long time ago), but I recall the other part of that joke being that Chuck was in fact, in the room, causing Chester to do a Wait, if Chuck is here, then how was Bob just on the phone ? double-take.

My original questions still stands though. Did Bob get his head ripped off? Or did I dream that?

Not that I remember. But it sounds like you have cool dreams :wave:

Not that I remember. But it sounds like you have cool dreams :wave:

Figures. I was pretty young, and half of the jokes went over my head, but my dad and I would watch this, and I could have sworn that happened, but maybe it was some other show and some other dummy, and I'm confusing the two. :lol:

Chuck and Bob were my favorite characters.

Because Chuck was an entertainer and could justify always having the dummy as practice for his act. That’s why they wouldn’t have him committed.

I thought BOB was one of the best things about the show. My only question is why chuck and bob never got a storyline of thier own, like everybody else did? They were just in scenes to add a few laughs and then were gone. Maybe a plot where chuck loses bob and goes nuts. MORE CHUCK AND BOB!

They did that in the first season when Jodie put bob in the fridge😆

I didn’t even think that guy was that great of a ventriloquist. I could always see his lips moving. I found him completely unfunny.

Chuck and Bob are my favourites and the best part of the show to me.

Hence the genius of Bob (and Chuck). A cartoon or a dummy can say things that would sound completely outrageous or even borderline unacceptable were they to come from an actor or actress.

And for the record, I absolutely LOVE Chuck and Bob. Like some of you all, I believe they're my favorite part of the show. Especially the more nuanced aspects of the duo: Bob's fluency in Spanish while Chuck cannot understand a word of it, Bob reading (and moving his lips) while Chuck stares into space when they're sitting in a hospital waiting room, the various other characters forgetting that Bob's a dummy and engaging in conversation with him, etc.

Chuck and Bob = truly inspired comedy.

Pretty sure that didn't happen. I watched all four seasons and I don't recall it, in any event.

On the topic of Bob, it just occurred to me that he was kind of a prototype for "Stewie" from "Family Guy"; the small statured character who was insulting and derisive of every other character, who loved to push buttons and thought he was better than everyone else, and who ultimately, was totally reliant on the very characters he was insulting!

I always felt that Chuck and Bob were to the Campbells what Benson was to the Tates, simply comic relief to keep the plots from being too serious.

I thought Polly's father's response to Bob in that one episode was perfect. It gave insight into what kind of problems Chuck had.