George and Leo

[Alan Brady's Hair]

This has been discussed in threads about Newhart, but I can't find a separate thread for it. Bob Newhart (George) is his usual character, living on Martha's Vineyard. Judd Hirsch (Leo) is a slippery character who seems to have been chased out of Las Vegas by the Mob. They're thrown together because George's son is married to Leo's daughter.

It only lasted 22 episodes (1997-98) and had some disarray, as Leo's initial daughter was replaced after 8 episodes. I didn't think the kids (or any other supporting characters) contributed much to the show.

What was good: Newhart was his usual self and played well with Judd Hirsch, who I thought did really well given the chance to play a screwball character. Just 8 episodes in, they did "The Cameo Show," featuring about 20 actors who had recurring roles on Taxi, Dear John, Newhart, or the Bob Newhart Show.

There's also a funny episode where Robert Goulet guests as someone who might know Leo from his days in Vegas. The episode is funnier because the idea seems to come from a story Newhart's buddy Don Rickles used to tell about himself and Frank Sinatra.

[TMC]

Bob Newhart in George & Leo

Bob Newhart was a mainstay of television for decades, with a number of shows carrying his own name. After a variety show in the early '60s, he moved to scripted sitcoms with "The Bob Newhart Show" running for six years in the 1970s, before returning to TV in the '80s with "Newhart," which ran even longer. In the 1990s, the actor struggled to find a successful follow-up. In 1992, he launched "Bob," a sitcom where he starred as a struggling comic book artist... but that wasn't his biggest flop.

Looking for a hit, Newhart paired with another TV legend, Judd Hirsch of "Taxi" and "Dear John" fame, for an absolutely dreadful buddy comedy, "George & Leo." In the series, Newhart played George Stoody, an uptight, meek bookseller who gives refuge to Leo Wagonman (Hirsch), a slimy conman hiding from the mob who just so happens to be his daughter-in-law's father. Despite a decent supporting cast including Jason Bateman and Robyn Lively, the show was poorly received, with reviewers praising its two leads but disliking the series.

In an obvious effort to gain eyeballs, one episode featured titled "The Cameo Show" featured a parade of guest stars from former shows once led by Newhart and Hirsch. This included Marilu Henner from "Taxi," Peter Bonerz from "The Bob Newhart Show," Julia Duffy of "Newhart," and Harry Groener from "Dear John." The show was still canned after 13 episodes, effectively killing Newhart's sitcom career.