Strictly average movie

Pretty Good

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Bob Newhart was one of the few stand up comics whose method has rarely been imitated.He began his career by being more of an actor, in essence, as part of a conversation, but the conversation would always take place on a telephone.The brilliance here is that his "straight man" could respond so matter-of-factly, and without outrage to the unheard voice on the other end of the phone, and the comedy was in realizing what the other person was saying.Most of his comedy on his famous "Button Down" album involved phone calls, such a with Abe Lincoln and Abner Doubleday.Here, he played off real people most of the time, but kept his usual straight routine. This meant that when he finally went home to his beautiful straight woman wife, the comedy would be from his explanations of his day, and from the intrusion of the lovable neighbor played by Bill Daily, who played the charismatic friend of astronaut Tony Nelson on another show.The comedy would flow very evenly, and then erupt with some hilarity usually based on something that happened earlier.His group therapy provided some great laughter, and foretold the success of later TV comedy "Dear John". In one show, his band of patients who met in group therapy found themselves characters in a play, written by a fellow member. At first, they hated the play, then after a production, they loved it.This was a very funny show, and very timeless.

I enjoyed this one a tad bit more than "Newhart". I think it was a bit funnier and never got as strange as did "Newhart" near the end of its also very successful run. I am kind of stunned to see that it was the longer running series of the two. They both have something in common and that is Bob playing a straight man to a bunch of strange situations. His reactions are always priceless whether he is in a session because he is a psychiatrist, or he is picking up the phone and doing one of his saying things that make you really wonder what is going on, on the other end of the phone. The characters that Bob has surrounding him are great too as they are made up of his wife Emily, his next door neighbor, his secretary and his dentist friend at work. Not to mention the strange assortment of patients that frequent his office such as the always fun Mr. Carlin. Just an all around funny show that works on so many levels, a lot of real winners among the shows as well. Like the time Bob and Emily are arguing about his wanting to watch Monday Night Football or his ordering Chinese for Thanksgiving day dinner. The show is full of laughs and is my favorite of Bob Newhart's shows.

Dr. Bob Hartley (Bob Newhart) is one of the nicest psychiatrists you will ever meet. His most classic patient Mr. Carlin (Jack Riley) had some of the most amazing problems that make for great laughter. Bob Newharts type of comedy is the subtle slow developing type of wit which grows on you no matter who you are if you give it time.This series took pains to develop characters. By the time the series was over, not only was everyone aware of the talent of Jack Riley, but Peter Bonerz, & Marcia Wallace had also become known to fans. Bill Daley here just kept expanding on his role as an odd airline pilot which was a little different than being an astronaut of I Dream of Jeannie, but here Daley is more subdued & fits in nicely.Susanne Pleshett is Emily, a wife who fits in well too. The amazing thing about Newhart is how he makes anyone who works with him better, & it shows throughout the series. He draws people out throughout this series. It is currently running on the American Network.

Not cutting edge like "All in the Family," and lacking the social relevance of Mary Tyler Moore's single woman who was gonna make it after all in a man's world, "The Bob Newhart Show," which shared the CBS Saturday night lineup with those shows in the 70s, nonetheless had the strongest legs. While Archie Bunker fumbled once daughter Gloria and "Meathead" moved out, leaving him without a regular nemesis, "The Bob Newhart Show" delivered first rate comedy as dependably in its last season as it did in its first.Newhart was a more mature Seinfeld in that most of the madness was provided by the supporting cast, and a terrific one it was too: Suzanne Pleshette, sassy and sexy as Bob's earthy wife, Emily; Peter Bonerz as the dentist and sarcastic ladies man, Jerry Robinson; and Bill Daley as perpetually befuddled pilot Howard Borden. Then there was Marcia Wallace as snippy receptionist Carole, the wonderful John Fiedler as mousy Mr. Peterson, and Jack Riley as the truly deranged Mr. Carlin. All had their moments of brilliance, but it was Newhart, with his low-key genius, who held the show together and made it work. A comedy classic.