New York couple Dick and Joanna Loudon purchase the Stratford Inn in rural Vermont.New York couple Dick and Joanna Loudon purchase the Stratford Inn in rural Vermont.New York couple Dick and Joanna Loudon purchase the Stratford Inn in rural Vermont.
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Did you know
- TriviaThe only episode of the series where the kitten's meow on the MTM logo at the end of the show is the normal meow.
- GoofsDuring the series, whenever anyone enters or leaves from the inside of the Stratford, they approach from or leave to the right (presumably to or from steps at the right end). However, from the outside shot in the opening credits, it's clear that the porch in that direction is closed off by a room.
Featured review
Kirk Devane Is No Mr Carlin
In the beginning... the creators of NEWHART wanted to provide a comeback for Bob's mild, mellow magic by inserting attributes and/or characterizations from the previous decade's far superior BOB NEWHART SHOW...
First and foremost is one of the most annoying sit-com characters ever, Kirk Devane, who is blunt, grouchy and angry like Mr Carlin (the brilliantly scene-stealing Jack Riley) only without being likable, combined with Peter Bonerz as Jerry the Dentist's wannabe-single-swinger persona... and both fall miserably...
Tom Poston fares much better and is more natural and appealing as George, basically Howard (Bob Daily) Part Two, the lovable male airhead, here both a wacky neighbor and a handyman...
Which brings us to the plot: Bob with a once again younger and far too hot wife opening a labor-of-love Vermont Inn, and instead of remaining constantly busy (and having sporadic money concerns) as a shrink, Bob's an already financially-set writer and can afford what's basically a semi-retired write-off of an existence...
So while it's a pretty good show, and considered a classic in its own right, NEWHART... the man and the series... is too lazy at times, too contrived at others: And note that Kampmann's annoyingly brutal Kirk leaves after the second season (proof he simply didn't work, seeming to be desperately auditioning for another sitcom altogether)...
Yet the original blonde... an extremely cute and naive rich girl Jennifer Holmes (who Kirk creepily lusts after)... is far better than the overacting Julia Duffy, a combination of Crissy from THREE'S COMPANY and that weird old movie woman ready for her closeup (meanwhile Peter Scolari replaced Kampmann as a stuffed-shirt TV producing yuppy, only nicer albeit still pretty darn annoying)...
Anyhow, it's not a bad pilot... setting up the characters more than any kind of story, like pilots often do... especially with only twenty-four-minutes do it... but Vermont's no Chicago, and never will be.
First and foremost is one of the most annoying sit-com characters ever, Kirk Devane, who is blunt, grouchy and angry like Mr Carlin (the brilliantly scene-stealing Jack Riley) only without being likable, combined with Peter Bonerz as Jerry the Dentist's wannabe-single-swinger persona... and both fall miserably...
Tom Poston fares much better and is more natural and appealing as George, basically Howard (Bob Daily) Part Two, the lovable male airhead, here both a wacky neighbor and a handyman...
Which brings us to the plot: Bob with a once again younger and far too hot wife opening a labor-of-love Vermont Inn, and instead of remaining constantly busy (and having sporadic money concerns) as a shrink, Bob's an already financially-set writer and can afford what's basically a semi-retired write-off of an existence...
So while it's a pretty good show, and considered a classic in its own right, NEWHART... the man and the series... is too lazy at times, too contrived at others: And note that Kampmann's annoyingly brutal Kirk leaves after the second season (proof he simply didn't work, seeming to be desperately auditioning for another sitcom altogether)...
Yet the original blonde... an extremely cute and naive rich girl Jennifer Holmes (who Kirk creepily lusts after)... is far better than the overacting Julia Duffy, a combination of Crissy from THREE'S COMPANY and that weird old movie woman ready for her closeup (meanwhile Peter Scolari replaced Kampmann as a stuffed-shirt TV producing yuppy, only nicer albeit still pretty darn annoying)...
Anyhow, it's not a bad pilot... setting up the characters more than any kind of story, like pilots often do... especially with only twenty-four-minutes do it... but Vermont's no Chicago, and never will be.
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- TheFearmakers
- Aug 11, 2023
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What is the broadcast (satellite or terrestrial TV) release date of In the Beginning (1982) in Australia?
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