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TV LAND CELEBRATES 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF ICONIC COMEDY SERIES THE BOB NEWHART SHOW
On-Air Tribute Airing Monday, September 10 to Feature Some of Newhart’s Favorite Episodes
TVLand.com to Stream Episodes and Present Rarely-Seen Content Including Classic Promos For TV Land Starring Bob Newhart and Cheryl Hines
TV Land and The Paley Center for Media to Host Celebration Event to Take Place at The Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, CA
September 05, 2007 – TV Land celebrates a great milestone in television history this September – the 35th anniversary of the iconic series The Bob Newhart Show. In an on-air and online tribute kicking off on Monday, September 10, the network pays tribute to this Emmy Award-winning series which set the tone for a generation of TV shows. On air, from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. (all times ET/PT), TV Land will showcase eight episodes personally selected by Newhart for being some of his favorites including “Blues for Mr. Borden,” “Sorry Wrong Mother” and “Over The River & Through The Woods.” TVLand.com will stream all eight of these episodes online from Monday, September 10 through Sunday, September 16. Fans logging on to TVLand.com will also be able to view rarely-seen-footage of Newhart and the cast of the show as they accept “The Icon Award” at the third annual TV Land Awards as well as classic TV Land and Nick at Nite promos for the show and more. Both tributes follow a celebration event hosted by TV Land and The Paley Center for Media (formerly The Museum of TV & Radio) in Beverly Hills on September 5.
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“The Bob Newhart Show is a timeless classic that made us laugh and has kept us laughing for 35 years,” states Larry W. Jones, President, TV Land. “The brilliant ensemble cast, witty storylines and farcical humor is a testament to its enduring impact today.”
ON-AIR TRIBUTE TV Land’s four-hour on-air marathon showcases eight episodes which have been personally selected by Bob Newhart as some of his favorites from the series.
The schedule is as follows:
8 p.m. “Last TV Show” Bob resists vehemently when his therapy group insists that he accept an invitation for the group to conduct one of its weekly sessions on a live PBS show called Psychology in Action.
8:30 p.m. “Blues For Mr. Borden” Swinger Howard Borden suffers a bad case of the blues when his young son tells him about his marvelous new "uncle" who seems to have taken up permanent residence with Howard's ex-wife.
9 p.m. “Sorry Wrong Mother” Howard Borden is about to introduce his son to Ellen and tries to remold her into an image the boy will like.
9:30 p.m. “Who Is Mr. X” Bob accepts a seemingly innocent invitation to appear as the guest on a TV discussion program and winds up in the jaws of a dilemma when the show host reveals the disposition of a shark.
10 p.m. “Over The River & Through The Woods” It's a stag Thanksgiving for Bob when Emily flies off to join a family reunion, leaving Bob to share the holiday with his male buddies.
10:30 p.m. “Some Of My Best Friends” Dr. Hartley's psychological therapy group has an unexpected visitor when a friendly homosexual (played by Howard Hesseman) joins in the sessions.
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11 p.m. “Death Be My Destiny” Bob strikes out against a fear of falling manifested in a friend and in a patient, but succumbs himself when subjected to a harrowing elevator experience.
11:30 p.m. “Ex-con Job” Dr. Hartley's attempt at providing psychological aid to men about to leave prison and reenter society has him climbing the walls.
TVLAND.COM TRIBUTE
TVLand.com will stream all eight episodes listed above from Monday, September 10 to Sunday, September 16. The site will also feature the cast (Bob Newhart, Peter Bonerz, Suzanne Pleshette, Bill Daily and Marcia Wallace) as they receive “The Icon Award” from Ray Romano at the third annual TV Land Awards as well as footage from the cast’s 35th Anniversary Party, the unveiling of the Bob Newhart statue in Chicago -- complete with interviews from the dedication and a making-of segment, and co- star Jack Riley at The TV Land Convention. Additionally, in partnership with ATASF’s (Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation) Archive of American Television, TVLand.com will present extensive interviews with Bob Newhart along with fellow cast members and the show’s creators about their memories of the iconic series. Visitors to the site will also be able to browse the Bob Newhart photo gallery and play the Bob Newhart Trivia Game.
In addition, TVLand.com will host hilarious promos for the show which ran on TV Land and Nick at Nite 10 years ago and star Bob Newhart. The vignettes are based on “Shows Bob Never Made” – all parodies of popular classic television series including “Mister Bob” with Bob voicing a talking gerbil, “The Bob Bunch” as he plays all eight roles when an accounting firm and financial services company merge as well as “Bob’s Angels,” “The Incredible Bob” and “Six Million Dollar Bob.” Directed by Dick Martin (of Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In), Cheryl Hines is a guest star in select spots playing Bob’s wife in “Six Million Dollar Bob” and as the Farrah-esque Angel in “Bob’s Angels.”
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THE PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA
On Wednesday, September 5, The Paley Center for Media (formerly The Museum of TV and Radio) and TV Land will host an official 35th Anniversary Celebration of The Bob Newhart Show in Beverly Hills, CA. Newhart, along with several cast members from the series (Peter Bonerz, Marcia Wallace, Bill Daily, Jack Riley and Suzanne Pleshette) will be in attendance and will join Bob for a question and answer session after a special screening of his favorite moments from the show's rich history. The series’ long-time director Dick Martin of Rowan and Martin will also be in attendance. Pat Mitchell, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Paley Center for Media, will moderate the panel discussion.
A hugely popular hit, The Bob Newhart Show garnered several Emmy nominations and awards including nods for Outstanding Comedy Series. It originally aired from 1972-78 on CBS. It featured one of the most beloved casts in television history -- Suzanne Pleshette as Bob's wife, Emily; Bill Daily as their needy neighbor Howard Borden; Marcia Wallace as the quick- witted receptionist Carol Bondurant and Peter Bonerz as Bob's office neighbor, the orthodontist Jerry Robinson. The cast also boasted a lengthy list of well-known "patients" of Dr. Hartley, who became household figures in their own right.
Now seen in over 90 million U.S. homes, TV Land is dedicated to building the ultimate Baby Boomer entertainment brand on all platforms. Armed with a slate of new original programming, newly acquired Classic TV and movies, multiplatform content and Cause Change, a new pro-social initiative, the network is uniquely positioned to cater to America’s 78 million Baby Boomers, the first generation of Americans who grew alongside television. TV Land’s program mix features hit originals, popular dramas, sitcoms, westerns and Retromercials. TV Land’s roster includes hits like All in the Family, M*A*S*H, The Andy Griffith Show and several others. Furthering the network’s commitment to develop original programming that complements its roster of acquisitions, the network regularly showcases original series and specials like I Pity The Fool, Sit Down Comedy with David Steinberg, TV Land Myths and Legends, Generation Boom, TV Land Confidential and the upcoming original series High School Reunion.
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