Bob Newhart in the early phase of being a comedic, was tagged as “the button-down mind.” He slowly perfected the poker-faced, non-empathetic delivery throughout his career. However, he did like a bit of craziness which is why even after 34 years of the debut of the sitcom in 1990, it still gets appreciated and ranked as one of the top TV finales of all time.
This all happened because of its iconic ending that left the audience with an awestruck feeling. The sitcom we are talking about is Newhart’s second project with CBS. In the final few minutes of the sitcom, the comedian gave such a twist that it still is remembered as one of the iconic endings.
What happens at the ending of Newhart’s second sitcom?
In the final episode, roughly three minutes left to end, when Vermont innkeeper Dick Loudon (Newhart) wakes up to tell the strangest dream he saw to his wife Joanna (Mary Frann), he flicks the switch to find not Joanna or Mary Frann but Suzanne Pleshette as Emily. Suzanne played Emily in Newhart’s first sitcom with CBS, The Bob Newhart Show (1972-1978), where Newhart played Bob Hartley (a psychologist).
The crazy shift in the whole bed scene brought the audience to Harley’s Chicago bedroom, making this Newhart’s dream and Dick being some blip in Bob’s dream. This received a massive round of applause from the audience and got so much appreciation that it created a history of its own. This showed how a sitcom can be innovative. This still ranks as one of the best TV finales.
Bob Newhart’s work becomes a stepping stone in comedy
This sitcom became a guidebook for other comedians and directors who further worked in this genre and tried to incorporate this way of ending with fantasy switching. This included Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm? Even NBC’s hospital drama, St. Elsewhere showcased a similar conclusion. Newhart clearly showed how to do this switcheroo thing right.
Bob Newhart is no more but his work and genius brain in comedy will always be remembered. If you want to watch his second sitcom ‘Newhart’, stream it on Prime Video. Let us know what you think of this in the comment section.
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