Jump The Shark: Newhart

[callmetootie]

When do you think Newhart jumped the shark? I think it did when Michael joined the cast...such an annoying character.

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Andrew Carden

[Penny Lane]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by callmetootie:
[B]When do you think Newhart jumped the shark? I think it did when Michael joined the cast...such an annoying character.


It never did! It just got better, especially after Michael and Stephanie joined the cast.

[JulzRulz86]

I loved the last episode with Little Stephanie in it, but I think when Steph was preganant, so some viewers thought "Why watch her go through that, she'll become a mom and she won't be funny anymore".

[rkeil]

This show jumped the shark in the 7th season. I think this is when Stephanie and michael decide to get married. The shows from thew 7th season are odd and the shows from the 8th season are mostly bizarre. The plots seem like such a stretch. Overall, though I love the show.

A also liked the Kirk Devane character but felt that Michael was just as funny.

[The Gooch]

Although it had some pretty good episodes once in a while, I really think the show jumped after the first season. It turned from video to film, Stepahnie was added, and Kirk (because he was stealing the show) was slowly written out. It went from being a great, funny show to being an average, sometimes funny show.

[TJL]

I think the show jumped then Larry, Daryl and Daryl became regulars. It got a little tedious when they would come in week after week and Bob would have to deal with their crazy antics...

[GeorgeJefferson]

I think the whole Baby Stephanie thing was a little corny and possibly was an indicator that this show jumped the shark. But it certainly redeemed itself and made great TV history with that finale. What a great episode! It is probably my favorite television conclusion of all time.

[pilotguy]

Originally posted by TJL
I think the show jumped then Larry, Daryl and Daryl became regulars. It got a little tedious when they would come in week after week and Bob would have to deal with their crazy antics...

I agree (and have always thought that)....It's like when Christopher Lloyd as "Jim" became a regular on "Taxi"....Crazy characters like that AS WEEKLY REGULARS make an otherwise witty, well-written sitcom too "cartoon-like".

[moconnor09]

Not sure if anyone is still around, but here's my 2 cents. The Newhart show was in some trouble during the "Kirk" seasons. I kept watching, but would cringe whenever he made an appearance. He was a 70s character in an 80s show and just didn't fit. Not only that, his character was just plain annoying. Leslie was OK as a foil, but Stephanie was a much better comedic character, especially for the times.

Personally I preferred the film over the video look. It always looked like nighttime in the video and it was eerily quiet, like a stage play.

As for jumping the shark, it came close a number of times, but one would have to say the marriage of Michael and Stephanie was the beginning of the end. Only so many plots are available for any sitcom anyway. This one did very well!

Mike

[TJL]

Originally posted by moconnor09
Not sure if anyone is still around, but here's my 2 cents. The Newhart show was in some trouble during the "Kirk" seasons. I kept watching, but would cringe whenever he made an appearance. He was a 70s character in an 80s show and just didn't fit. Not only that, his character was just plain annoying. Leslie was OK as a foil, but Stephanie was a much better comedic character, especially for the times.


Yeah, Kirk wasn't a reall strong character. I guess that's why they got rid of him.
The show worked reall well when they brought in more members of the town to interact with Bob. Bob Newhart was always at his best when he is playing the exasperated straight man to a bunch of crazy folk.

[mapleleaves]

Was the funniest line Kirk ever had. Oddly, it's one of the most memorable lines (for me) of the entire series.

[Rezny@gmail.com]

When almost --but not every-show centered around Michael and Stephanie.Soon,it ,to me,at least,became the Michael and Stephanie show,and Bob,and all the rest of the characters were shoved aside.

[catlover79]

Was the funniest line Kirk ever had. Oddly, it's one of the most memorable lines (for me) of the entire series.
I thought that was Ricky Nelson, not Wayne Newton. :confused:

[Miss Lisa]

I think that the episode that started the show going downhill was when Stephanie and Micheal were married and Stephanie's parents wanted Michael to take her last name when they got married. That whole thing just kind of seemed like it was taking it too far. After that, the show centered around Michael and Staphanie and just got way too silly after she returned back pregnant. Especially when they were looking for a place to live, that was sort of ridiculous.

I have to admit though, after all of this, the show was able to pull together and create one of the best finales. As a matter of fact, one of the only finales I'll ever watch.

[catlover79]

Now that I think of it, the show was a bit too centered on Stephanie/Michael and Larry/Darryl/Darryl in the last couple of seasons. It's like Bob took a backseat on his own show. :confused:

[NewhartNewb]

Newhart jumped the sea shark when that dream that became that AWESOME NBC lifetime awarding winning docudrama called WINGS.

[WingsSuperFan]

When they started dreaming about ask the Wings characters. Wings was soooolo much better than Newhart.

[NewhartNewb]

I'm not sure where you get you science or maths from. But. We'll see.

[stevea]

When they had an episode where (and this is a fuzzy memory) where either Larry or one of the Daryls was playing the piano on a set decorated like Liberace would have. Totally bizarre.

[catlover79]

When they had an episode where (and this is a fuzzy memory) where either Larry or one of the Daryls was playing the piano on a set decorated like Liberace would have. Totally bizarre.
Wow, I don't even remember that one.

[Rezny@gmail.com]

Now that I think of it, the show was a bit too centered on Stephanie/Michael and Larry/Darryl/Darryl in the last couple of seasons. It's like Bob took a backseat on his own show. :confused:You're right about that.When it concentrated on just Stephanie/Michael and no one else,it was like watching a totally different show.And that bit where Larry/Darrryl/Darryl came in ,and Larry said"Hi.I'm Larry.This is my brother Darryl and my other brother Darryl"..to everyone(I can see them doing it to total strangers),EVEN(and this got kind of old FAST)people who knew them(Dick,Joanna,George,Kirk,Michael,Leslie,Stephanie,).And you're right about Bob taking a back seat -like he was shoved aside,and Bob being more befuddled and confused than ever.

[robyrob]

i thought the show jumped the shark when the whole town got bought out by the Chinese and turned it into a golf course.

[catlover79]

i thought the show jumped the shark when the whole town got bought out by the Chinese and turned it into a golf course.
But that was the last episode, so it really couldn't have jumped then. :confused:

[robyrob]

But that was the last episode, so it really couldn't have jumped then. :confused:
i stand by my answer, of course I thought they got right back on track again with the classic ending!

[catlover79]

i stand by my answer, of course I thought they got right back on track again with the classic ending!
Very true!! I loved how the audience just erupted into cheers and applause when Suzanne Pleshette popped up. :D

[Torgo]

I never got tired of the Larry, Darryl and Darryl schtick...heck it was so cool it even popped up in the computer game- Baldur's Gate. (You run into 3 creatures named Larry, Darryl, and Darryl)