In your honest opinion, do you think The Bob Newhart Show holds up as a classic or was it just a show that was a hit in its time?

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I feel that it was a show that by fortune was a hit in those times. Now, if it comes on air then it will be flop.

An UNDERRATED classic!!!!! :cool: :D

It's definitely a classic. It has all the earmarks of one; great writing, wonderful acting, and a cohesive and ultimately loveable ensemble cast. I'm not sure why it's not up their with the Big Ones when people think of great sitcoms, unless it's just that it's a very 'quiet', understated show with very little hoopla and a much more subdued tone. There's nothing "sexy" about this show; it didn't hit on cultural topics or involve (much) family drama, it just wryly went about its business showcasing the life of one Chicago psychologist and his offbeat family, friends, and clients. But it still delivers on the laughs and it's a very memorable and treasured show. :)

Peter Bonerz (Jerry) said in one of the commentaries on the S3 DVD set that he felt the show was about, most of all, friendship. I concur!!

The characters and stories are not dated at all. Now, the clothing and decor - that's another story!! :eek: :lol:

Peter Bonerz (Jerry) said in one of the commentaries on the S3 DVD set that he felt the show was about, most of all, friendship. I concur!!

The characters and stories are not dated at all. Now, the clothing and decor - that's another story!! :eek: :lol:

Oh yeah. Lots of leisure suits, and plaid and corduroy, if I recall. Hey, the world could use more of those! :lol:

I even read a review of the S4 DVD set that said, "The Bob Newhart Show is very funny once you get over the hideous 1970s fashions (on occasion it’s very hard to do that)." I think "hideous" is too kind a description. :lol:

Well, I guess you just, uhm, kinda had to "be there". :o

Think those clothes were loud enough? :eek: :crazy: :lol:

I actually owned a pair of red plaid pants back in about 1974, so you know, I might not be the best authority on "loud". ;)

:lol: Think there was enough plaid and polyester? :lol: They joked about the clothes during the commentaries on the DVD. The men's wardrobe man, named Ralph, was actually color-blind!! :eek: :lol:

I've never been a fan of Bob Newhart, Mary Tyler Moore or any of those other MTM sitcoms. Just not my cup of tea I guess.

Having lived through those years, for men I think the worst period peaked around 1975 -- with loud jackets, very wide neckties, and big, pointy collars on dress shirts. By comparison I don't think women fared quite as badly. Suzanne still looked okay in some of the pants suits she wore on the series, and usually Marcia and the ladies in group therapy also looked fine.

As far as decor, it's almost inverse as far as bad to better. I think overall, the decor of the early 70s tended to have a not-so-good look and improved later (after the shag rug era). While fashions, by contrast, started out okay and began getting worse.

I think Bob looked his best early in the series, wearing sporty hats and subdued suits. As far as Suzanne, I would have liked to see her wearing dresses and skirts throughout, but form-fitting pants suits did not bother me...!

Peter Bonerz escaped most of the bad fashion by wearing the dental smock the lion's share of the time. Also in 1975 is when Barney Miller debuted - and of course they had those really wide ties and even wider labels.

I asked my parents what people were thinking back then with the fashion and decor. They said they thought the styles were hideous back then, too, but that was all that was in the stores - they didn't have a choice!! :eek: At least, that's what they said. :lol:

Yes -- my dad got a lot of bargains at places like JCPenney as far as suits and shoes. He created somewhat of a stir with a white dress shirt with 2 pockets in the front (from Montgomery Ward) -- one of his co-workers was a smoker and wanted to buy one like it to have an extra pocket for his cigarettes (most had only 1 pocket). In my case I got a lot of hand-me-downs from my older brother, but I fixed that by outgrowing him a bit. That may be why I never had to wear his old leisure suit (LOL). I wonder what ever happened to that?

I used to follow The Bob Newhart Show as closely as any other favorite sitcom. I particularly liked the Loyola of Chicago basketball episode -- it was fun to see older guys get that excited over collegiate sports.

I think everyone is a product of their times and it's only in hindsight that styles look silly or unattractive. I would be willing to bet that 30 years from now people will look back at the fashions of this era with just as much disgust/derision as we do on some of the past decades.

I have to say, though, that 50s and 60s fashions DO seem to be viewed more positively today than do the fashions of the 70s. Sometimes it seems like the 60s have never really gone out of style; that's a great testimony to their staying power!

It's a classic to those of us who like smart, witty, at-times understated comedy that happens in real-life situations, although that's not everybody's cup of tea.
My three favorite sitcoms of all-time, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and The Bob Newhart Show, all are like that, so you know what camp I'm in.

On the fashion issue, one of my current favorite shows, "What Not To Wear", often makes reference to '70s "style" when trying to get contestants to give up things in their wardrobes. They've said ladies' clothes make them look like Carol Brady, Phyllis Lindstrom, and Maude, among many others, and it's not meant to be a compliment!
I've never heard them rip Mary Tyler Moore, who could pull off her outfits, and I'd say the same about Suzanne Pleshette. I didn't mind some of Bob's suits, but the wide ties and oversized and stiff shirt collars of that era are jarring!

Speaking of that, I watched TMTMS and TBNS during their initial runs on a black and white TV when I was a kid. In watching TMTMS DVDs over the last few years, I was amazed at how different the show looks in color, and at the color of some of the outfits. Having just bought the TBNS DVDs over the holidays, I'm in that same situation watching the Bob re-runs. Some of the colors and patterns on the clothes are unbelievable!