The Bob Newhart Show – The Complete Fourth Season
Picture: C
Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Episodes: B-
In the middle of it long run, The Bob Newhart Show -
The Complete Fourth Season began to go into a new direction that kept the
comedy going, but the show itself lost a certain naturalness and sense of
possibility it had up until the previous season. Suzanne
Pleshette’s Emily becoming a working wife was not a problem, but that the space
between the couple was constantly interrupted by their friends and cohorts did
throw the show off for good.
Another compact set is offered on three double-sided DVDs
in another set of nice slender cases in another nicely illustrated box, adding
funny box art. The opening this time has
become fancier with choppy graphics, signaling the change of direction, though
this set has episode prints with a shorter version that cuts the fancier
graphic aspects likely for commercial time.
To recap, the classic cast headed by Newhart, Pleshette, Peter Bonerz,
Bob Daily, Marcia Wallace, Patricia Smith, John Fiedler and others in this
David Davis/Lorenzo Music created show which became an instant classic. With everything set up, the comedy about a
psychologist (something that had never been done on TV before) continued to
find new places to go. The comedy never
humiliated the persons suffering mental illness, while actually exposing such
problems for the first time in a way TV had never seen before. This season was still funny, but some good
things were lost.
In this 1975 - 76 season, guest stars included Tom Postin,
Cliff Osmond, Howard Hesseman, Robert Casper, Patrick Cranshaw, Renee
Auberjonois, Richard Foronjy, Keenan Wynn, Alan Manson, Philip R. Allen, Titos
Vandis, William Daniels, Kristina Holland (in a few shows), Ellen Weston (both
in one of the same shows and veterans of Kolchak:
The Night Stalker), Nora Marlowe, Lawrence Pressman, Gail Strictland,
Brooke Adams, Amzie Strictland and Veronica Hamel. This was often before these actors became
recognized and found success of their own.
MTM had a knack for casting the best talent in the business and it paid
off as this show continued to build and build in the ratings after a rough
start. Here are the episodes, with
commentary by Newhart, Pleshette & James Burrows marked*, Newhart & Marsha
Wallace**, Newhart, Burrows & Jack Riley***, Newhart, Wallace & writer
Sy Rosen**** and Newhart, Pleshette, Wallace & Burrows*****:
- The Longest
Good-Bye*
- Here’s
Looking At You, Kid
- Death Of A
Fruitman
- Change Is
Gonna Do Me Good
- The Heavyweights
- Carol’s
Wedding
- Shrinks
Across The Sea
- What’s It
All About, Albert?
- Who Is Mr.
X?**
- Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time
- Over the River & Through The Woods***
- Fathers & Sons & Mothers
- The Article
- A Matter Of Vice-Principal
- Bob Has To Have His Tonsils Out, So He
Spends Christmas Eve In The Hospital
- No Sale
- Carol At 6:01
- Warden Gordon Borden
- My Boy Guillermo****
- Duke Of Dunk
- Guaranteed Not To Shrink*****
- Birth Of A Salesman
- The Boy Next Door
- Pepper-Two
I have much more to say about the entire show in my review
of the first season, but am glad the theme song is back in tact. The 1.33 X 1 image are better than the second
season set, but the poorest of the four sets so far with the worst grain and
color we have seen to date. These shows
need some serious work on them. The
Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is also adequate, though it still sounds a tad
small. The music was by Pat Williams,
with the original title song by Lorenzo and Henriette Music. Extras include five very funny commentary
tracks above and both a great vintage gag reel and yet another new featurette
about this season on the final side of DVD 3.
The result is a set consistent with the previous ones in everything but
picture performance, but the show is a classic and fans will still not want to
miss it.
- Nicholas Sheffo
