A lifetime ago when we only had 3 or 4 channels on TV, I lived for Saturday nights on CBS. All in the Family & MASH from 8-9pm, Mary Tyler Moore at 9, The Bob Newhart Show at 9:30. Oh and The Carol Burnett Show at 10pm, that was my sister Shawn’s favorite.
Often, my mom would send me upstairs to tell my older brother Duke his favorite show was about to start. I’d knock on his bedroom door, the clacking of his typewriter would stop. I’d yell thru the wood “Duke, All in the Family is about to start…” He’d bark back “I’m busy! I have to finish writing my novel or I’ll never become a celebrated author and get the hell out of this rural sh-thole!”
I’d yell back “But tonight’s the episode where Archie meets Mike’s study partner who’s a liberal AND a homosexual! You missed it the first time ‘round!” He’d yell “Oh! Alright, I’m coming!”
My favorite was Mary Tyler Moore (who I loved and still do) but when I grew up I wanted to be Bob Newhart more than anything. Well, his character Bob Hartley. Live in a big city, work in an office downtown and come home to my modern high-rise apartment and sexy as heck wife Suzanne Pleshette.
Well, I didn’t get Suzanne but I DID wind up moving to the city and working in some nice offices downtown for 30 years… and I’m typing this from my high-rise apartment!
- What’s in the box: All 6 seasons from 1972-1978, a bonus disc containing the unaired pilot, a ‘Making Of’ documentary, a blooper reel and two anniversary specials. 25 DVDs total.
- Did you know: Do you remember how primetime tv shows had a ‘Christmas episode’? The Bob Newhart Show had one for each of it’s six seasons.
- Anything else? Yes, a surprisingly nice book on the history of the show
- Price: $43.18 (the “Buy it Now” price which included shipping)
- Bought at: Ebay.com
- Who should I thank: Shout Factory, who produced the set and I suppose my sister Shawn too, who inspired me to look on Ebay. A few weeks ago she asked if I still had an active Ebay account, there was a rare Helen Reddy CD she wanted but didn’t want to reactivate her account. (I said I was sorry, closed my own account years prior. Her daughter-in-law Jessica purchased the CD.) But it made me think, I’ve had this Bob Newhart boxed-set in my Amazon cart for 5-6 months, waiting for the price to drop. I looked on Ebay and sure enough, a seller had 3 of these (factory sealed) at less than HALF of Amazon’s price!
Well, I hope everyone out there has a Happy, Healthy New Year and a much better year ahead. As for me, I’ll be spending the day in my robe, on my couch watching Bob here in his robe, on his couch. I’ll probably be wearing the same expression too, knowing we have 20 more days of you-know-who!
I haven’t bought any boxed TV series for a while; the last one was the complete “Barney Miller”. The only other one I’ve ever bought is the wonderful “Black Books”.
ReplyDeleteAt the moment we’re working our way through two series (acquired in a different manner), “Leverage” and “Hustle”.
Have you ever seen probably the best Australian TV series ever, “Rake”?
Peter once the MM
Make sure it’s the Australian one. There was a dreadful American remake that was cancelled pretty quickly.
DeleteHaha I DID see that, Peter--I saved the Australian version and will check it out this weekend :)
DeleteHey Peter--well, aside from Star Trek the only TV shows I buy on dvd are from the 1970s (and this is my first purchase in a few years). I just couldn't pass up the price :) As for 'Rake', I never heard of it but looked it up, sounds intriguing--and it's available on Netflix, I added it to my queue. Thanks for the heads up & Happy New Year Music Man :)
ReplyDeleteHe had two shows, didn't he -- the one where he was a psychologist and the one where he ran a bed & breakfast. I still have a boxed set o Seinfeld ... but mostly I go to Netflix these days. Recently I've been watching Dawson's Creek. I never saw it back in the day. It's pretty good but, ya know, not as good as Newhart!
ReplyDeleteTom, Bob actually had a show in-between this one and "Newhart", where he played a cartoonist (but it was short-lived). I liked his other shows okay but for me, the '70s are gold :)
DeleteI loved Bob Newhart. That is one funny man. Great how those shows were not lost but can be purchased today. You got a deal. Did Duke ever finish his book?
ReplyDeletePatti, you said it! I know dvds are a little behind the times, but darn it I want some of these shows handy--if you want to see Bob Newhart now, you have to subscribe to Hulu--I've HAD IT UP TO HERE with streaming! As for Duke, I don't know if he finished but God knows he typed 100,000 pages before he went off to college and became a lawyer!
DeleteI loved both Newhart shows(his sense of humor is my sense of humor) and enjoyed MTM, MASH and All in the Family. My husband had (so I have) all the MASH episodes on DVD. The Carol Burnett show was spotty; some of it was hilarious but other skits were dumb in my opinion. I miss those old TV shows! Comfort food for the mind. Enjoy your NYE with Bob!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Margaret! That's cool your husband owned MASH, I'm not surprised, sometimes I feel like I know him a little just based on your own blog. For me, these shows were more than just good tv, but memories of watching tv together as a family, my parents still alive, etc. Anyway, Happy New Year & thank you :)
DeleteI'm a big fan of ebay, but try to always buy from local sellers as the shipping cost from USA is often double or more than the cost of any item. Anyway, I've bought a lot of DVDs and books from them. TV series, not so, I get those brand new from our JBHifi stores. I don't own MASH, but have the series on a flashdrive, I have many series this way, they take up much less room and I don't have to get up and change discs, just push buttons on the remote to get to the next season.
ReplyDeleteRiver I'm sorry about those shipping costs... but that's nice how you buy stuff on flash drives. I'm old school, I suppose. Well I plan to be watching some Australian tv soon, I was recommended a show called "Rake". Happy New Year, River :)
DeleteI buy new flashdrives and my daughter downloads stuff for me.
DeleteI ran into an old episode of the Newhart show a few years ago, and was stunned to see my 70s kitchen wallpaper in his apartment kitchen. It is a very over-the-top flower pattern that just screams 1970s. Maybe you will see it when viewing your DVDs. Don’t judge! Lol
ReplyDeleteMeg, I've watched half the first season so far and yes, Bob & Emily's kitchen is that green & orange flowers on one wall, it was just the times, it's all good with me :^)
DeleteIt’s 3 more hours until 2021 here in Hawaii, Doug! Thank you for keeping me company in 2020 and making it less painful. I’ve appreciated your friendship.
ReplyDeleteI really do love Bob Newhart. I haven’t shopped on EBay but now you’ve got me curious.
Thanks Kay, you always write the kindest comments! I'm really glad I've gotten to know you (and your family) in 2020, I've appreciated your friendship as well! I'm looking forward to more Kay & Art adventures--Happy Hawaiian New Year! :^)
DeleteOne of the best parts of 2020 is having met YOU and following your blog, Doug. I have enjoyed both your posts and your comments on my own. I watch a fair amount of streaming stuff, but life gets in the way of the couch time. :-)
ReplyDeleteDJan, thanks so much for your very kind words. To be honest, your comments here are always a treat. I've been a big fan of yours for awhile (more your Sunday blog) but it wasn't "to get comments back", I was just a fan of your good writing. Anyway, I know you're an adventurer and a little too active to hang out and couch surf like some of us--cough--but thanks again for taking the time to visit & I sure hope you and SG have a Healthy New Year :)
DeleteEnjoy Bob Newhart! I loved Suzanne because of her beautiful hairstyle. Happy new year. Aloha from Hawaii.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gigi! Happy New Year to you too, sure hope you're doing good after that slip!
DeleteI grew up without a television until I was in college and my roommate had one so I sadly missed out on a lot of these shows though I have heard of them all and seen the occasional rerun since. Now that binge watching is a thing, I am more inclined to go back and see what I missed.
ReplyDeleteEd, I have to admit this threw me for a loop--I see you being lucky in some respects, but at the same time a lot of my own memories seemed to center around different tv shows. Wow!
DeleteI get that response a lot. I never missed it growing up on a farm with lots of work to do and plenty of books to read though I was lost when peers started talking about such and such show that was on last night. I never knew who shot J.R. but I knew he had been shot.
DeleteWhen I did get out of college and had my own television, I quickly became obsessed with it, an unfortunate drawback to not having one all those years. I would spend evenings and weekends glued to it. Eventually I dialed that back over the years to just an hour or so a day and increased my reading books to replace it and have found a happy medium. I watch mostly news and educational types of shows and not many sitcoms or serial dramas that populate most of the stations. Probably the only aspect I'm still in the dark about is when peers talk sports which I also don't watch. But being older, they rarely press me as to why I don't add to the conversation as long as I have a involved look on my face.
I got a Hulu trial membership in December mainly so my wife and I could watch the Bob Newhart Show Christmas episodes. They are great!
ReplyDeleteThat's great to hear Robert! I heard the show was on Hulu, but I'm already streaming enough :)
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