This Was Television On October 25
1982: Newhart checks in
Sitcom veteran Bob Newhart ran a Vermont inn populated by all manner of wacky locals in his second eponymous sitcom, which ran eight seasons on CBS. The quaint Stratford Inn was an epicenter of eccentric characters such as daffy handyman George (Tom Poston), yuppie couple Stephanie and Michael (Julia Duffy, Peter Scolari), and kooky woodsmen Larry, his brother Darryl, and his other brother Darryl.
Newhart is often best remembered for its classic series finale, in which the events of the entire series are revealed to be a dream conjured by Newhart’s previous TV protagonist, Dr. Bob Hartley. This ending is even more metaphysically curious when you realize that the entire televised universe only exists in the coma-inspired imagination of a small boy in Boston. -A.D.
Today’s Birthdays: Billy Barty, Spike Jones player (d. 2000); Lamont Bentley, Moesha squeeze (d. 2005); Michael Boatman, mayoral aide (48); Nancy Cartwright, Simpson (55); Adam Goldberg, creepy roommate (42); Tracy Nelson, crime-solving nun (49); Paul Regina, brother (d. 2006); Marion Ross, Milwaukee mom (84).
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[…] we learned yesterday, 1982 was a good year for the debuts of series that only existed within the dreamscapes of an […]