Celebrating the recent Emmy nominations with a tribute to one of the greatest sitcoms ever made
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The Emmy nominations have just been announced, and as expected, the gang was all there. From Game of Thrones to Westworld and Stranger Things, Atlanta to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, it seems that most everyone’s favorites were acknowledged by members of the television Academy. With virtually every category opened up to accommodate the growing number of Emmy-worthy work, the competition has never been this stiff or nail-biting. In an ideal world, every deserving show would take home Emmy gold come September. Yet there cannot be victory without defeat, particularly where the Emmys are concerned. This is hardly anything new. Television history is a gold mine of writing, acting, and producing efforts that were never given their due despite winning the hearts of legions upon legions of viewers. In this week’s edition of Field of Streams, we honor one such classic sitcom which propelled its star to even greater fame, touched on the various societal trends of the decade, and introduced a new brand of comedy.
First airing on CBS in 1972 and lasting six seasons, The Bob Newhart Show starred the comedian as Bob Hartley, a well-respected psychologist living with his wife Emily (Suzanne Pleshette) in Chicago, who enjoyed both a loving marriage and a successful practice. The series saw the hapless Bob cope with the shenanigans of his wife, his man-hungry secretary Carol (Marcia Wallace), his carefree dentist friend Jerry (Peter Bonerz), and his flighty neighbor Howard (Bill Daily) while coping with one wacky patient after another.
If the premise for The Bob Newhart Show doesn’t sound all that novel for a sitcom, its humor was downright revolutionary. The chief writing/producing team of David Davis and Lorenzo Music crafted the definition of comedy sophistication with the show’s clever wordplay and its humorous dissection of everyday situations. Yet the good writing never would have hit home had it not been for Newhart. With The Bob Newhart Show, the comedian enjoyed the perfect vehicle with which to perfect his one-of-a-kind form of deadpan and introduce social awkwardness into the TV comedy mainstream. Take for example the episode in which Bob is asked onto a local morning show to discuss his profession, only to be ambushed by the host. “You mean you charge $40/hour and you guarantee nothing?” she asks. “I, uh…I validate,” replies Bob nervously. It was the same kind of humor which flowed through the home scenes between Bob and Emily. The episode with the IQ test is a sterling example of the show’s clever husband/wife dynamics. When Bob insists Emily tell him the score of an IQ test she had him take, she answers, “129.” In typical reserved fashion, Bob says, “That, that’s good.” An encouraging Emily then replies, “Oh that’s very good, Bob! That’s almost gifted!” Airing during Vietnam, Watergate Stagflation, and three different Presidents, The Bob Newhart Show never really capitalized on the news events of the day, but rather the spirit of the times themselves. The female characters, particularly Emily, were liberated but still “feminine,” and the show’s own premise delved into the subject of psychology at a time when seeing a shrink was still taboo and alien. Neither the show nor its namesake ever won an Emmy, settling instead on two noms for Pleshette and an additional nom for Best Comedy Series. Newhart himself wouldn’t take home the gold until his guest stint on The Big Bang Theory decades later (a fact that reeks of injustice). Still, The Bob Newhart Show remains a crowning achievement in ‘70s situation comedy that has earned every ounce of critical acclaim and audience love it continues to gather.
In honor of The Bob Newhart Show, here are a collection of streaming classic TV shows which likewise never got their rightful Emmy glory.
CHARLIE’S ANGELS (Vudu)
Although many wrote off Aaron Spelling’s series about a trio of beautiful women who were trained detectives as throwaway fluff, Charlie’s Angels was anything but. In the midst of women’s liberation, the titular angels (Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith, and Cheryl Ladd) threw themselves into the kind of work almost universally reserved for male characters while a man (David Doyle) sat behind the desk taking care of the little details. Sure it wasn’t reaching the greatest of heights, but its message of empowerment couldn’t be denied or ignored. The TV academy agreed…to a point, giving Jackson two noms for Best Actress in a Drama series. With a number of remakes to its name, Charlie’s Angels may always be considered more pop culture than serious drama. Still, its impact and meaning are too strong to dismiss.
STAR TREK (Netflix)
The three seasons of the original Star Trek are considered the holy grail in the entire series’ universe. Gene Roddenberry’s telling and exciting exploration into space was a game changer that took the concept of science fiction to unprecedented levels. The series broke ground in terms of social commentary and in character relations while fitting perfectly into the otherworldly and somewhat psychedelic nature of ‘60s television. Regardless, Emmy gold forever eluded Roddenberry and his masterwork despite three nods for Leonard Nimoy (nominated every year of the show’s run) and two for Best Drama Series. No one could foresee the places Roddenberry’s simple premise would journey (a journey far from over) or what it would mean to fans the world over…with or without an Emmy by its side.
THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES (Prime)
If The Bob Newhart Show was considered too high-brow for some Emmy voters, then The Beverly Hillbillies was just too down home. Made at a time when rural sitcoms were at their peak, Paul Henning’s farcical comedy about a deep southern family who move to Beverly Hills after striking it rich instantly won over the hearts of virtually anyone who owned a television set. The show emphasized the best of the “fish out of water” setup while never demeaning it’s lovable band of bumpkins. Instead, it was always the out of touch Californians who ended up the butt of every joke-filled episode. Though Emmy voters couldn’t deny the impact of The Beverly Hillbillies, (begrudgingly) giving the show multiple noms for acting and writing, it’s empty-handed fate was sealed. The award show’s producers even went so far as to have the cast present the Emmy for Best Comedy Series (the sole year their show was nominated) to eventual winner The Dick Van Dyke Show; a loudly resounding slap in the face.
WHO’S THE BOSS? (Crackle)
It seemed like every other show in the ‘80s needed to have a conventional family at its center getting up to all kinds of wholesome adventures. Yet Who’s the Boss? didn’t care about following the trend as it focused on a male housekeeper (Tony Danza) and his daughter (Alyssa Milano) who move in with a divorced lawyer (Judith Light) and her young son (Danny Pintauro). While the conservative Reagan ‘80s favored conventional home life, Who’s the Boss skillfully subverted things by championing the idea of a blended family unit while highlighting the similarities between the two. Keeping the series going was not only the telling role reversal between Danza’s and Light’s characters, but also the tension surrounding a mutual attraction to one another which would eventually come to light by the show’s end. Perhaps it was the lack of conventionality or simply its so-so ratings (the show never made the top 10), but despite more than a dozen nods over its impressive 8-year run, Who’s the Boss? would instead have to settle for beloved sitcom immortality over golden statues.
