Throughout the run of The Bob Newhart Show, Bob and Emily were childless because Bob Newhart, a father of four in real life didn't want the show to be about the messes dad got himself into. When the ratings started to slip, the writers came up with a script that Emily would be pregnant. Newhart looked at the script and said "Who are you going to get to play the role of Bob?"

It showed he was very firm about his "No kids" policy and it showed even in his next sitcom Newhart.

In a way that's was actually a good move since normally when an aging sitcoms starts to incoporate kids they're normally smart alecky brats acting cutesy on TV.

Throughout the run of The Bob Newhart Show, Bob and Emily were childless because Bob Newhart, a father of four in real life didn't want the show to be about the messes dad got himself into. When the ratings started to slip, the writers came up with a script that Emily would be pregnant. Newhart looked at the script and said "Who are you going to get to play the role of Bob?"

It showed he was very firm about his "No kids" policy and it showed even in his next sitcom Newhart.


Yes, I agree it was good for the show he didn't. HOWEVER; Suzanne Pleshette told the poignant account of having been pregnant via her 2nd husband Tommy Gallagher during the first season of TBNS and Mr. Newhart actually saying he'd have the Hartleys become parents as soon as she gave birth. Sadly, the pregnancy didn't go fullterm and Miss Pleshette was to never become a mother but I thought it was cool of Mr. Newhart to be willing to bend had that been her fate (and NOT have her hide behind furniture, visit faroff kin or endure fat jokes until a miracle diet). It's interesting,too, that Miss Pleshette imagined that the latter day Newharts would have STILL been childless and not adopted the same way she wound up being but Emily (and Miss Pleshette) WERE able to be de facto mothers to their coworkers and younger folks in the business.

^^^ I watched that interview with Pleshette. She was so egotistical (in the funniest way) that I wasn't surprised she endowed Emily with all her own traits. If she had wanted to be a mother she could have adopted like her costars Marcia Wallace and Bill Daily so I give her credit for realising that ultimately motherhood wasn't her calling. It's hard to stay rational and make that decision but as someone who worked with foster parents for 20 years I only wish more people would do the same. I thought it was great that a mainstream show like TBNS showed a happy couple who had formed their own family sans children. The biggest issue we had was couples who thought they had to have children come what may. When I would tell them they didn't actually need to be parents and that perhaps they would be happier if they didn't pursue adoption I think it was the first time any of them heard it. And this was the 90s so I'm sure it was a brave step for the network to put a child free couple on TV in the 70s.

It might have been nice for the last show of the series.

Emily "Bob, we need to talk."

Bob "Ok, Emily, what do you want to talk to me about?"

Emily "I'm pregnant."

Bob "Uh, ok, yea, what was that again?"

Emily "I am pregnant!"

Bob "This cant be, can it, you, uh, both of us, as in, you are on the uh, birth control?"

Emily "I was but here we are."

Bob "That's, uh, wonderful, I, yes, congratualtions, I am going to be, yes, uh a father?"

Emily "Yes."

Then Bob goes away to stutter and stammer to himself for a half hour, then has a stiff drink, realizes he loves his wife and the end of the story.