# The Bob Newhart Show (1972)

> A Chicago psychologist's patient sessions and office friendships supply gentle, deadpan sitcom comedy.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1866

## Facts

- Seasons: 6
- Episodes: 142
- Episode runtime: 25 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: Lorenzo Music, David Davis
- Network: CBS
- Cast: Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, Bill Daily, Marcia Wallace, Peter Bonerz, Peter Brown, Elaine Giftos, Pat Morita
- TMDB rating: 8.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068049/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: witty, warm, deadpan, gentle, cozy

## What critics say

Audiences rate the sitcom positively, praising its gentle, character-driven humor and the chemistry of its ensemble around Bob Newhart's deadpan psychologist.

## Synopsis

The Bob Newhart Show (1972-1978) is an American situation comedy produced by MTM Enterprises for CBS. Comedian Bob Newhart plays Robert Hartley, a Chicago psychologist whose calm, deadpan demeanor is tested by a parade of neurotic patients and the chaos of his shared office suite. Suzanne Pleshette plays Emily Hartley, his wife, whose sharp wit keeps him grounded at home, while Bill Daily as Howard Borden, Marcia Wallace as Carol Kester, and Peter Bonerz as Jerry Robinson fill out the office world of friends and colleagues who drop in, overshare, and nudge his routine off course. Each episode is built from a few short sessions with patients and then a series of domestic and office complications, with the jokes landing in a warm, conversational rhythm. Filmed before a live studio audience across six seasons and 142 episodes, the series has the brisk warmth of a 1970s multi-camera sitcom and a cozy, low-stakes tone. Its humor is gentle rather than edgy, and its appeal rests on the steady comic reactions of its lead. Fans of Taxi, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Frasier will find a similar blend of workplace ensemble warmth and clever dialogue.

## Shows like The Bob Newhart Show

- [The Brady Bunch (1969)](https://ember.film/tv/2015)
- [Barney Miller (1975)](https://ember.film/tv/3095)
- [The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961)](https://ember.film/tv/2021)
- [The Mindy Project (2012)](https://ember.film/tv/40751)
- [St. Denis Medical (2024)](https://ember.film/tv/167055)
- [Benson (1979)](https://ember.film/tv/1745)
- [Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (1967)](https://ember.film/tv/13)
- [One Day at a Time (1975)](https://ember.film/tv/2078)
- [Cheers (1982)](https://ember.film/tv/128)
- [Perfect Strangers (1986)](https://ember.film/tv/1684)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt