# Newhart (1982)

> A Manhattan writer and his wife swap city life for a quirky Vermont inn and its eccentric townsfolk.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/2857

## Facts

- Seasons: 8
- Episodes: 184
- Episode runtime: 24 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: Barry Kemp, Sheldon Bull
- Network: CBS
- Cast: Bob Newhart, Mary Frann, Tom Poston, Julia Duffy, Peter Scolari, Jennifer Holmes, Steven Kampmann, William Sanderson
- TMDB rating: 7.8/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083455/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: wry, warm, deadpan, whimsical, cozy

## What critics say

Audiences consider Newhart a warm, witty small town sitcom with a dependable comic ensemble, rated positively overall with its middle seasons rated highest.

## Synopsis

Newhart (1982-1990) is an American network sitcom created by Barry Kemp and Sheldon Bull for CBS, produced by MTM Enterprises. Bob Newhart stars as Dick Loudon, a how-to book writer who leaves New York City with his wife Joanna (Mary Frann) to run a little inn in rural Vermont, where he eventually becomes a local television celebrity hosting a regional show. The engine of the series is the gentle collision between a bookish city man who wants a quiet life and a town full of eccentrics who will not leave him alone. Tom Poston plays George Utley, the inn's handyman, while Julia Duffy and Peter Scolari add romantic and professional friction as Stephanie Vanderkellen and Michael Harris. Each episode is a self-contained comic situation built around neighbors such as Larry (William Sanderson) and the feuding Darryl brothers, who share a name yet never speak. Across eight seasons and 184 episodes, the show runs as a classic episodic sitcom with recurring characters rather than a serialized story. Its tone is wry, warm and deadpan, with comedy coming from understatement and escalating small-town oddness. Fans of Cheers, Northern Exposure and Mr. Belvedere will find the same mix of cozy setting, eccentric ensemble and a calm lead at the center of the chaos.

## Shows like Newhart

- [The Bob Newhart Show (1972)](https://ember.film/tv/1866)
- [The Vicar of Dibley (1994)](https://ember.film/tv/2630)
- [Mama's Family (1983)](https://ember.film/tv/1907)
- [Green Acres (1965)](https://ember.film/tv/575)
- [Cheers (1982)](https://ember.film/tv/128)
- [One Day at a Time (1975)](https://ember.film/tv/2078)
- [To the Manor Born (1979)](https://ember.film/tv/112)
- [Empty Nest (1988)](https://ember.film/tv/2682)
- [Mad About You (1992)](https://ember.film/tv/470)
- [Petticoat Junction (1963)](https://ember.film/tv/3184)

---

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