Editing Bob Newhart (section)

=== 1982–1990: ''Newhart'' ===
By 1982, Newhart was interested in a new sitcom. After he had discussions with [[Barry Kemp (TV producer)|Barry Kemp]] and [[CBS]], the show ''[[Newhart]]'' was created, in which Newhart played [[Vermont]] innkeeper and TV talk show host Dick Loudon. [[Mary Frann]] was cast as his wife, Joanna.<ref name=":0" /> [[Jennifer Holmes (actress)|Jennifer Holmes]] was originally cast as Leslie Vanderkellen, but left after former daytime soap star [[Julia Duffy]] joined the cast as Dick's inn maid and spoiled rich girl, Stephanie Vanderkellen. [[Peter Scolari]] (who had been a fan of Newhart's since he was 17) was also cast as Dick's manipulative TV producer, Michael Harris, in six of the eight seasons. [[Steven Kampmann]], who was a neighbor for a while, was cast as Kirk Devane for two years, at a cafe he owned. Character actor [[Tom Poston]] played the role of handyman George Utley, earning three Primetime Emmy Award nominations as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1984, 1986, and 1987. Like ''The Bob Newhart Show'', ''Newhart'' was an immediate hit, and again, like the show before it, it was also nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards but failed to win any. During the time Newhart was working on the show, in 1985, his smoking habit finally caught up to him, and he was taken to the [[emergency room]] for secondary [[polycythemia]]. The doctors ordered him to stop smoking.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

In 1987, ratings began to drop. ''Newhart'' ended in 1990 after eight seasons and 182 episodes. The last episode ended with a scene in which Newhart wakes up in bed with Suzanne Pleshette, who played Emily, his wife from ''The Bob Newhart Show''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url= https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/bob-newhart-appreciation-newhart-finale-1235063494/|title= Why the 'Newhart' Finale Is the Perfect Example of Bob Newhart's Comic Genius|magazine= Rolling Stone|accessdate= July 28, 2024}}</ref> He realizes (in a satire of a famous plot element in the television series ''[[Dallas (TV series)|Dallas]]'' a few years earlier) that the entire eight-year ''Newhart'' series had been a single nightmare of Dr. Bob Hartley's, which Emily attributes to eating Japanese food before he went to bed. Recalling Mary Frann's buxom figure and proclivity for wearing sweaters, Bob closes the segment and the series by telling Emily, "You really should wear more sweaters" before the typical closing notes of the old ''Bob Newhart Show'' theme played over the fadeout. The twist ending was later chosen by ''[[TV Guide]]'' as the best finale in television history.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.tvguide.com/galleries/best-tv-finales/3/|title= The Best TV Finales|website= TV Guide|accessdate= July 28, 2024}}</ref> With the exception of the series finale, Newhart simply said "meow" in the [[MTM Productions]] closing logo on all episodes. The finale's logo used a sound clip of the two brothers named Darryl shouting "QUIET!!!" in unison; prior to this, only their brother Larry ever spoke a word while they remained silent.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.chicagotribune.com/1985/12/01/the-kitten-that-roared/|title= THE KITTEN THAT ROARED|website= Chicago Tribune|date= December 1985|accessdate= July 28, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/shows/newhart-the-last-newhart|title= The Last Newhart|website= Television Academy|date= October 22, 2017|accessdate= July 28, 2024}}</ref>