View Full Version : The Bob Newhart Show or Newhart


favoriteshow
12-28-2018, 04:26 PM
The Decades daytime lineup includes an hour of The Bob Newhart Show, followed by Newhart.

Which of the two is more enjoyable, or more popular? I have Hulu Plus and it has the first three seasons of The Bob Newhart Show. (Not the entire six). Newhart is not there.

From the wikipedia entries, it seems like both did well back in the day. The original show portrays a psychologist. How does Frasier compare to either (if at all), which was another somewhat workplace show about a psychiatrist but also some family. (Both leading men are bald as well). I remembered when Frasier aired on NBC, but I never really got into it with the exception when NBC would announce that Lilith would guest appear.

Are either of the Newhart series enjoyable now many years after the run?

tlc38tlc38
12-28-2018, 04:42 PM
I like “Newhart” more. It’s more comedic and funny. “The Bob Newhart Show” is more dry humor and good for a chuckle but “Newhart” is screwball genius comedy that makes you LOL.

DeadlyToolTime
12-28-2018, 05:05 PM
I prefer The Bob Newhart Show. It's a relaxing sitcom with the right mix of dry humor. I could never get into Newhart. To me, it's one of those you either love it or hate it shows, but you could say the same about The Bob Newhart Show.

PhoenixAcres
12-28-2018, 07:10 PM
For me personally I much prefer Newhart. Sometimes it suffers from '80s silliness or dated references but it's still a hilarious show with a fantastic and talented cast.

Bob Newhart Show is more cerebral and slower paced. It's a good show no doubt but doesn't always appeal to my sense of humor the way Newhart does.

stevea
12-28-2018, 08:34 PM
I kind of liked the premise where Dick Louden and Joanna were surrounded by a bunch of crazy, kookie people. And they were trying to maintain their sanity for eight seasons. So I preferred Newhart.

The use of a backwoods guy with two brothers with the same name, was genius, but kind of overused, to put it mildly.

I also think they made improvements as they went along. It was a good idea to switch from videotape to film, and to ditch Steven Kampmann for Peter Scolari. The first maid was too normal--also a good idea to bring in Julia Duffy.

Yong Fang
01-02-2019, 01:04 AM
I liked the Bob Newhart Show much better than Newhart.

However parts of the Bob Newhart Show I didn't much care for that much. Bill Daly and Peter Bonerz were annoying. They could have fallen off the cliff and would not have been missed. Carol (Marcia Wallace) and Emily (Suzanne Pleshette) made the show watchable. I wish there would have been a lot more patients and screwballs, more Jack Riley as Elliot Carlin. To me the older series had about 70 percent positives and 30 percent negatives.

Newhart like I said I didnt much like, and would watch it only for Bob Newhart himself. I didnt like the wife, Tom Postin or those three guys names Larry, Larry and Darlyll or whatever they were. Or Julia Duffy as the spoiled girl and her boyfriend/husband not named Tom Hanks. Wasnt a horrible show, but just not a favorite.

biffbronson
01-02-2019, 06:53 AM
I'm going with The Bob Newhart Show. Especially as I get older, I can relate to the characters. Sometimes it's too extreme, like Howard Borden's odd or childish behavior, but I still enjoy the series and don't really find it tiresome.

Newhart is okay and I like the cast overall. There were lots of good episodes, but I think it relied too much on Steff and Michael later on. I find the first couple of seasons more interesting, though it hadn't really found its stride.

1960'sTVfan
01-03-2019, 12:23 PM
Bob Newhart is an acquired taste, either you like him or you don't. I'm not a fan so I don't watch his TV shows. In my opinion, Newhart is one of those annoying types who thinks he's funny but really isn't.