Bob Newhart was hesitant to return to the classic TV wars
Although Bob Newhart was one of the funniest people on TV during the 1970s, he was the first to admit that it takes more than one funny person to win the TV ratings game.
His weekly television series won him an Emmy for "Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Humor" and a prestigious Peabody Award. So, he knew a thing or two about winning on TV, but his weekly ratings were considered only "average."
Even an Emmy wasn’t enough to compete with the other classic TV shows airing at the same time.
According to a 1972 interview with the Chicago Tribune, Newhart was a little hesitant to return to the classic TV wars when The Bob Newhart Show premiered in 1972.
"I'm probably the only guy to ever get a Peabody Award, an Emmy, and a pink slip all in one year," Newhart said. "It's made me a little gun-shy of ever doing another series."
"I decided a television series was not the way to get my particular brand of humor across to the public," Newhart continued. "I've had quite a few offers to do a situation comedy, but I got in the habit of saying, 'Forget it. I don't want to do it.' Who needs another father-is-an-idiot situation comedy on TV?"
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According to the interview, he reopened his mind to doing a series when he was approached by Mary Tyler Moore, Grant Tinker, and MTM Enterprises Inc., under which his show was originally launched.
They allowed Bob to have complete control of the show, and he was allowed to write all of his own material, which was important for someone like him because it was the only way he felt his comedy could come across as natural.
"They knew my special style of humor when they started out, and they tailored the show around me and the type of comedy I do," Newhart said.
The Bob Newhart Show was filmed in front of a live studio audience, allowing him to showcase what he did best. In the series, Newhart played the role of psychologist Dr. Bob Hartley. He said the role was tailored to him, and being a psychologist with the ability to listen was an essential part of his comedy style.
"They created the role for me because, after listening to a lot of my material, they decided I'm a good listener, a good reactor to other people's problems, and making me a psychologist is an ideal situation for my type of comedy," Newhart said. "It's a role that lends itself to me playing myself."
Because of the freedom he had, he was able to make The Bob Newhart Show last six seasons on air, and it became an essential part of showcasing his comedy to the entire country. Ratings were one thing, but audiences recognized that, like MTM Enterprises, he was a special type of comedy.
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