The Ultimate The Bob Newhart Show Quiz | Television

Answer: Psychology

If anyone could've pulled off the dry humor needed to fill this role, it was indeed Bob Newhart. His work as a psychologist drove much of the humor in this series.

Answer: Chicago

Among the many buildings regularly featured in the beauty shots of Chicago were the trapezoidal John Hancock Center and the corn-cobbish Marina Towers.

Answer: He was a widower.

Completely loveable and absolutely annoying, Howard Borden was actually divorced. His son's name, appropriately enough, was Howie. And he did a romantic relationship with Bob's sister, Ellen (played by Pat Finley), though ultimately things fell apart.

Answer: True

Actress Patricia Smith, a veteran of such classic series as "Kraft Television Theatre" and "Studio One", played the "forgotten" neighbor and friend of Emily's during "Bob Newhart's" first season (1972-73). (Thanks to the Internet Movie Database for additional information on Patricia Smith.)

Answer: Travel agent

At one point in time, Larry actually decided to leave the agency he worked for and tried to start his own. Despite the best efforts of his friends and his new wife, Larry ended up going back to his old job.

Answer: Noam Pitlik

In addition to being an accomplished actor, Noam Pitlik was also a skilled director, with credits on such hits like "Barney Miller", "Taxi" and "Night Court". Pitlik played the obnoxious and acrimonious Gianelli during "Bob Newhart's" first season; Daniel J. Travanti would play the Gianelli up until the character's death in 1975. Howard Hesseman, who would later go on to fame as Dr. Johnny Fever on "WKRP in Cincinnati", played openly-gay group member Craig Plager, and veteran character actor John Fiedler played the henpecked Emil Peterson. (Thanks to the Internet Movie Database for additional information for this question.)

Answer: MTM Enterprises

"Bob Newhart" was one of a number of successful hits produced by Mary Tyler Moore's production company. MTM is now part of the vast News Corporation empire, under the 20th Century Fox Television banner.

Answer: George Wyner

The original pilot, which never aired, was directed by Jay Sandrich and written by producers David Davis and Lorenzo Music. Both Newhart and Bonerz were cast as psychologists, and Pleshette was cast as a substitute teacher. All that changed by the time the on-air pilot, "Fly the Unfriendly Skies", aired on CBS on September 12, 1972. (Thanks to TV Tome.com for information on the original "Bob Newhart" pilot.)

Answer: 1978

After six years, Bob and Emily packed up and moved to Oregon, where Bob had taken a job teaching at a small college. Incidentally, the show's ratings in this final season were the worst of the entire run, as it finished 67th in the Nielsen ratings. (Thanks to TV Tome.com for additional information for this question.)

Answer: The Peeper

Tom Poston would be a regular on Bob Newhart's second show, which ran two years longer than "Bob Newhart" and was also seen on CBS. And in a very sweet twist, Poston and Suzanne Pleshette got married on May 11, 2001. The marriage, coming over forty years after their first date, was the third for Pleshette--she divorced actor Troy Donahue after only nine months of marriage and her second husband, to whom she was married for over 30 years, died after a prolonged illness--and the second for Poston--his wife of over 30 years succumbed to Lou Gehrig's Disease. (Thanks to www.bob-newhart.com and www.meredy.com for additional information on Suzanne Pleshette and Tom Poston.)