Embarrassing...
I saw an episode from I think the final season where George's old gang gets back together. How the heck did Newhart even do some of these episodes. It was so bad.
shareI wouldn't respond if, thanks to a cold keeping me home, I hadn't happened to watch this episode this morning.
For those who don't remember (I didn't) George happened on a photo of "his old gang" from his teen years, a group which included the ubiquitous Jim and Chester. Known as the Houligans, George decided to get them all back together. They only agreed if Dick would join the gang. He agreed and was immediately named the leader, given the nickname "Brains." They happily ordered new sweatshirts, but although he couldn't explain why, George wrote down that the name to be featured on the back was "Houligals."
There was a rival gang, the Ruffians, who also happily go reunited and wanted to rumble with the Houligans. They came upon the scene in an alley (lots of them in small towns) in a satirical nod to West Side Story, and after exchanging silly insults based largely on their embroidered nicknames, started to rumble--only everyone just looked like they were warming up for judo class, nobody tried to hit their foe.
They wound up with a ridiculous arm wrestling contest.
In other words, if my description didn't give it away, I totally agree with you modica. This episode was positively dreadful. I only got through it because I was slowly drinking my cup of medicine in hot water.
Both Bob Newhart, and Newhart, had outlandish characters and lots of really stretched routines, but the second series stretched things so far that many of their episodes were dumb instead of insanely funny. Especially in the last 2-3 seasons. That's why I strongly prefer the 70s series in Chicago overall.
Newhart had some true gems, but a lot more dogs than Bob Newhart.
I think Newhart tried the more outrageous and almost surreal episodes in the last two seasons. Most of them did not work. I really don't know why the show changed so drastically during the last two seasons. Not only were the episodes unbelievable, they just weren't funny. If they wanted to go out with a crazy bang, they should have made it funny at least...it was embarrassing and just made what came before; somewhat tarnished.
shareMaybe, just maybe, by that time they had already somehow had the very last episode written first or the idea that it was going to be a dream and just thought something like, "Oh what the heck. Let's get really crazy with this show since it's all going to turn out to be a dream anyway."
I dunno. Just a guess. But knowing that it all is a dream anyway can justify or take away the pain of watching those bizarre final episodes.
Bizarre is fine, but it would have been better if the shows were at least funny.
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