The success of Newhart showed there was still a place for intelligent, eccentric comedy. In this series Newhart played Dick Loudon, a writer of how-to books who moved from New York to Vermont to realize his dream of running a country inn. His wife, again smart, funny, and sexy, was named Joanna and was played by Mary Frann. Again there were numerous quirky supporting characters. Tom Poston, who had frequently guested on the earlier show, portrayed the inn's unhandy handyman, George Utley. Julia Duffy played the hilariously vain and spoiled Stephanie Vanderkellen, an heiress working as a maid at the inn (Stephanie replaced her less interesting cousin, Leslie, after the first season). Stephanie's boyfriend, Michael Harris (Peter Scolari), was an insufferable 1980s yuppie and producer of a local TV show, Vermont Today, which Dick began hosting a few years into Newhart's run. Perhaps the most memorable, and certainly the most unusual, characters were three bizarre backwoodsmen, of whom only one ever spoke (until the final episode). "I'm Larry, this is my brother Darryl, and this is my other brother Darryl," was their stock introduction. They could always be counted upon to enjoy any activity that would disgust most people. The show, like Newhart's earlier sitcom, weeded out weak characters and developed the strong ones as it went along.
Newhart closed its successful eight-year run with one of the best final episodes of any series. It involved everyone in town--except the Loudons--selling their property to a Japanese corporation, included a parody of Fiddler on the Roof, and ended with Newhart waking up in bed with Suzanne Pleshette and explaining that he'd had a very strange dream (a parodic reference to the famous 1986-87 season of Dallas.)
-Trudy Ring
CAST
Dick Loudon........................................... Bob Newhart
Joanna Loudon......................................... Mary Frann
Kirk Devane (1982-1984).................. Steven Kampmann
George Utley........................................... Tom Poston
Leslie Vanderkellen (1982-1983).......... Jennifer Holmes
Stephanie Vanderkellen (1983-1990)............ Julia Duffy
Larry............................................. William Sanderson
First Darryl......................................... Tony Papenfuss
Second Darryl....................................... John Voldstad
Jim Dixon ................................................Thomas Hill
Chester Wanamaker.......................... William Lanteau
Cindy Parker Devane (1984)................... Rebecca York
Michael Harris (1984-1990)....................... Peter Scolari
Harley Estin (1984-1988)......................... Jeff Doucette
Elliot Gabler (1984-1985)............................ Lee Wilkof
Bev Dutton (1984-1988).......................... Linda Carlson
Constable Shifflett (1985-1989)............... Todd Susman
J.J. (1985-1987).................................. Fred Applegate
Bud (1985-1990)..................................... Ralph Manza
Paul (1988-1990)........................................ Cliff Bemis
Prudence Goddard (1989-1990)............... Kathy Kinney
Art Rusnak (1989-1990)....................... David Pressman
PRODUCERS
Barry Kemp, Sheldon Bull
PROGRAMMING HISTORY
182 Episodes
CBS
October 1982-February 1983 Monday 9:30-10:00
March 1983-April 1983 Sunday 9:30-10:00
April 1983-May 1983 Sunday 8:30-9:00
June 1983-August 1983 Sunday 9:30-10:00
August 1983-September 1986 Monday 9:30-10:00
September 1986-August 1988 Monday 9:00-9:30
August 1988-March 1989 Monday 8:00-8:30
March 1989-August 1989 Monday 10:00-10:30
August 1989-October 1989 Monday 10:30-11:00
November 1989-April 1990 Monday 10:00-10:30
April 1990-May 1990 Monday 8:30-9:00
May 1990-July 1990 Monday 10:00-10:30
July 1990-August 1990 Friday 9:00-9:30
September 1990 Saturday 9:00-9:30
