Bill Daily Movies
From the late '60s through the mid-'70s, first on I Dream of Jeannie and later on The Bob Newhart Show, Bill Daily was one of the most visible comic acting talents in television, despite the fact that he'd always intended on a career in music. Born in Des Moines, IA, in 1928, he was raised by his mother with help from several aunts and uncles after the death of his father and he gravitated toward music as a teenager. Following a stint in the army in the late '40s, Daily became a professional musician, playing upright bass with different groups in the Midwest, and he eventually added little bits of stand-up comedy to his repertory in the course of performing. He hooked up with an NBC station in Chicago, first working behind the camera as a writer and musician and then doing comedy on the air. Eventually, he became a regular guest as a comedian on The Mike Douglas Show, which originated from Chicago. From there, he was discovered by Steve Allen who brought him onto his show as a comedian and sidekick. Daily subsequently credited his musical side with providing him with the sense of timing to become a successful comedian. During the early and mid-'60s, Daily moved into acting roles on programs like Bewitched -- on which he debuted in a straight dramatic role, in a Christmas episode in which he was highly effective -- and was given a small role in the pilot of I Dream of Jeannie. That part, of Major Roger Healy, turned into the co-starring role after the program's first season. Following five successful seasons on that program, he moved to The Bob Newhart Show as Howard Borden, providing comedic support similar to the part he'd played on I Dream Of Jeannie, as Newhart's befuddled, constantly jet-lagged next door neighbor. Daily has only ever appeared in two feature films, both of them comedies -- the made-for-television In Name Only in 1969, as a carefree bachelor (clearly modeled after one aspect of his character on I Dream of Jeannie) and in Disney's release of The Barefoot Executive in 1971. Since the first Bob Newhart series left the air, his television appearances have been infrequent and always in supporting, guest starring roles, although he did appear on Nick-at-Nite helping to promote The Bob Newhart Show when it aired on the channel. He has since reportedly become a theatrical actor and director in the Albuquerque, NM, area. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide- 1976
Bob's legal hassles and headaches begin apace when he advises a shy patient named Mr. Herd (Oliver Clark) to be more assertive. The strategy works so well that Mr. Herd ends up suing Bob. In the meantime, Emily is fiercely determined to fight a traffic ticket -- and she expects Bob to support her every inch of the way. Written by Sy Rosen, "Birth of a Salesman" made its CBS network debut on February 14, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1976
Finally getting custody of his son Howie, Howard must now face the problem of proper child care when he isn't around. At first, Howie is left in the hands of Bob and Emily, who in turn hire a gorgeous babysitter named Mitzi Margolis (Brooke Adams). Howard is so impressed by Mitzi that he asks her to remain in his home on a permanent -- and definitely nonprofessional -- basis. Also in the cast is Amzie Strickland as Mrs. Walhauser. Written by WKRP in Cincinnati writer Hugh Wilson, "The Boy Next Door" first aired on February 21, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1976
This week, Bob is besieged from all sides. Not only is Carol threatening to give notice to two of her four bosses, but Howard has given Bob a bad-taste gift -- and he expects to be praised for his largesse. Completing the canvas is the unscheduled appearance of a human fly. Shirley O'Hara appears as Debbie Flett. Written by Gary David Goldberg of Family Ties fame, "Et Tu, Carol?" originally aired on October 30, 1976, as the final episode in The Bob Newhart Show's familiar 9:30 p.m. Saturday time slot; thereafter, the series would be shown one hour earlier. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1976
Now that he is retired, Jerry can devote his energy to locating his birth parents. Alas, his first two efforts -- distributing leaflets and advertising on a local wrestling show -- failed to yield results. Down but not out, Jerry embarks upon a world tour to locate the couple who gave him up for adoption years earlier. Without giving the ending away, it can be noted that Fred D. Scott appears as Mr. Robinson and Lucy Landau is cast as Mommy. First shown on December 4, 1976, "Here's to You, Mrs. Robinson" was written by Gordon and Lynne Farr. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1976
Bob is aghast to discover that his mother and father are separating after 47 years of marriage. The reason: Mr. Hartley loves to fish, and Mrs. Hartley (Martha Scott) does not. Worse still, Mom wants Bob and Emily's advice on reentering the dating scene. Also in the guest cast is John Holland as Brian McDermott. Written by Sy Rosen, "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" first aired on December 11, 1976, as the first episode in a two-part story arc. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1976
In the conclusion of a two-part story arc, Bob is still fretting over the breakup of his parents' marriage. Counting on the holiday spirit to heal old wounds, Bob invites both his mother and father to Christmas dinner at the Hartley apartment, hoping to bring them back together (provided, of course, they aren't too busy to attend). Martha Scott and Barnard Hughes repeat their roles as Martha and Herb Hartley. Written by Gordon and Lynne Farr, "Making Up Is the Thing to Do" originally, and appropriately, aired on December 25, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1976
Written by David Lloyd, this episode finds Bob, Jerry, and Howard volunteering to lead a brace of orphans on a rugged camping trip. Their long journey ends with but a single step, as the heroes set up camp in a Chicago parking lot. Also appearing are Sorrell Booke as Perlmutter, Michael Le Clair as Phil Dorigo, Tierre Turner as Wally Carson, and Fil Formicola as the Man at the Elevator. The first Bob Newhart Show to air in the series' earlier 8:30 p.m. Saturday time slot, "Send This Boy to Camp" was originally broadcast on November 6, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1976
Bob turns amateur detective when his expensive new tape recorder turns up missing. Deducing that there's a thief at large, Bob places everyone -- friends and family members alike -- under suspicion. But the solution to the mystery is embarrassingly close to home. Originally shown over the CBS network on November 13, 1976, "A Crime Most Foul" was one of several Bob Newhart Show episodes written by veteran comedy scrivener, Sy Rosen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1976
Bob accepts the invitation of his pal, Cliff Murdock (Tom Poston), to revisit a bar that they both frequented in their college days. Alas, times have changed, and the bar has a distinctly seedy-looking clientele. Worse still, Bob and Cliff try to purchase basketball tickets from a brace of sexy girls -- who, revealing themselves to be undercover policewomen, place the heroes under arrest. Featured in the cast are Bobby Ramsen as Johnny Carson Jr. (sic), Kim O'Brien as Kim, Lucy Lee Flippin as Darva, Jean Palmerton as Corinne, David Himes as the detective, and Rhodes Reason as the patron. Written by Gordon and Lynne Farr, "The Slammer" first aired on November 20, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1976
Reaping a huge sum of money from an earlier investment, Jerry sells his practice and retires. Unfortunately, Bob is unable to enjoy Jerry's retirement, fearing that a life of leisure has transformed his best friend into a bum. Also appearing are John Randolph as Bob's father-in-law, Junior Harrison, and comedian/director Howard Morris as Shorty Vance. Written by Hugh Wilson, "Jerry's Retirement" originally aired on November 27, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1976
About to embark upon an out-of-town trip, Bob tries to divest himself of the dependent Howard by foisting his friend off on a fellow psychologist, Dr. Ned Podbillion (Leonard Stone), whose unorthodox methods invariably yield positive results. Upon his return, Bob is confronted by the new Howard -- and he's not altogether delighted with what he sees. This episode was the return of future WKRP in Cincinnati maven Hugh Wilson. "Still Crazy After All These Years" originally aired on October 9, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1976
There is no question that Carol is deeply and sincerely loved by her new husband, Larry Bondurant (Will Mackenzie). Only one problem: Larry is smothering Carol with affection, and she's having a lot of trouble coming up for air. Meanwhile, Bob tries to convince a patient that a weekly bingo game isn't fixed -- or is it? Written by Gordon and Lynne Farr, "Carol at 6:01" (the title was a play on a popular art film of the 1970s) first aired on January 10, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1976
Although the opening episode of The Bob Newhart Show's fifth season was not the first of that season to be filmed, "Enter Mrs. Peeper" was a logical extension of the final episode of season four. Tom Poston makes another appearance as Bob's fun-loving college buddy, Cliff Murdock, aka "the Peeper." Having remarried, Cliff insists that he's a changed man. Jean Palmerton appears as Corinee Murdock, with Charles Thomas Murphy as the messenger and series story consultant Jay Tarses as the waiter. Written by Gordon and Lynne Farr, "Enter Mrs. Peeper" originally aired on September 25, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1976
In anticipation of Howard's big Fourth of July Bicentennial celebration, Bob and Emily scurry down to the basement storage locker to get supplies. Alas, Emily locks both herself and Bob into the locker -- and there they remain until July 5th. This minor mishap has major repercussions on the Hartleys' relationship. Will Mackenzie makes another appearance as Carol's husband, Larry Bondurant. Written by Gordon and Lynne Farr, "Caged Fury" first aired on October 2, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1976
Gail Strickland makes a return appearance as Courtney Simpson, Jerry's free-spirited former girlfriend. When Courtney announces her desire to marry Jerry, he is delighted. But then he discovers that Courtney merely needs a husband so that she can adopt an eight-year-old orphan named Richie (Matthew Laborteaux). Written by Sy Rosen, "My Boy Guillermo" made its network TV bow on January 24, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1976
It seems that even before Dennis Rodman, the Chicago basketball world was plagued with showboaters who thought that they were the center of the universe. In this episode of The Bob Newhart Show, Anthony Costello is cast as Dwayne Granger, aka "The Duke of Dunk," a star basketball player. Upset that Dwayne's monumental ego has resulted in a drop in morale and a long losing streak, the team's coach goes to Bob for help. Written by Douglas Arango and Phil Doran, "Duke of Dunk" originally aired on January 31, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1975
- Add The Bob Newhart Show: Season 04 to QueueAdd The Bob Newhart Show: Season 04 to top of Queue
Season four of The Bob Newhart Show opens with the first of the several teamings of star Bob Newhart and character comedian Tom Poston, cast respectively as Chicago psychologist Bob Hartley and Bob's old school chum Cliff Murdock. Some two decades later, Poston would in real life become the husband of Bob Newhart Show co-star Suzanne Pleshette, who, of course, was cast as Bob's wife Emily. The most significant change in the series' norm during its fourth season is the marriage of Bob's receptionist Carol Kester (Marcia Wallace) to travel agent Larry Bondurant (Will McKenzie) after a courtship lasting all of 12 hours. In otrher developments, Bob is wracked with guilt when a nasty person whom he kicked out of the therapy group dies in a freak accident involving a ton of zucchini; an imperious French psychologist (René Auberjonois) saddles the Hartleys with his marital problems during a medical-exchange program; Keenan Wynn guest stars as Bob's mentor, who has adopted a new and flippant attitude towards all psychologists; Bob's judgemental mother (Martha Scott) decides to move in with the Hartleys; the game-warden brother of the Hartleys' neighbor Howard Borden (Bill Daily) repays Howard's hospitality by stealing his girlfriend; a former flame of dentist Jerry Robinson (Peter Bonerz) unexpectedly proposes to him; and Emily rocks the foundations of the Illinois legal system when she decides to fight a traffic ticket. The season's best episode -- indeed, one of the best episodes in the entire six-year run of The Bob Newhart Show -- is "Over the River and Through the Woods," in which Bob and his drunken buddies have a close encounter with "moo-goo-gai-pan." And surely some sort of award is due the writer who came up with the episode title "Bob Has to Have His Tonsils Out, So He Spends Christmas Eve in the Hospital." ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1975
With Bob out of town on a lecture tour, Emily is terrified that she will succumb to the temptation of having an affair with her old flame Steve Darnell (David Hedison). To prevent this, Emily turns to Jerry and Howard for help -- and you know how much help they are. Written by Laura Levine, this was one of several sixth-season episodes in which Bob Newhart did not appear. "It Didn't Happen One Night" first aired on February 18, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1975
Jerry Fogel is cast as Paul Billingham (aka Ralph Alfalfa the Happy Farmer of Chicago radio fame). Though a huge success on the airwaves, Billingham harbors a dark secret: He stutters. Now that he has been offered a TV job, Billingham is terrified that the bizarre physical subterfuges he uses to speak coherently into the microphone will be exposed -- so naturally, he goes to Bob for advice. Written by Andrew Smith, "Easy for You to Say" originally aired on February 11, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1975
Bob's parents are briefly uprooted while their house is being painted. While Dad Hartley (Barnard Hughes) goes off on a fishing trip, Mom Hartley (Martha Scott) stays with Bob and Emily -- and the viewers brace themselves for another round of concentrated maternal smothering. Meanwhile, Bob has to mediate between elderly patient Edward T. Vickers Sr. (Lucien Scott) and his fractious son, Edward Jr. (William Daniels). Written by Arnold Kane, "Father & Sons & Mothers" first aired on November 29, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1975
Emily leaves town to spend Thanksgiving with her parents, leaving Bob, his friends, and his patients to fend for themselves. What results is a truly lost weekend -- booze and all. Yes, this is the episode with the celebrated "moo-goo-gai-pan" scene, cited by many TV historians as one of the greatest moments in sitcom history. Featured in the cast are Janet Meshad as Elaine and Dave Himes as the delivery boy. Written by Bruce Kane, "Over the River and Through the Woods" originally aired on November 22, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1975
The name of this Bob Newhart Show episode is proof incarnate that the series' producers were growing tired of coming up with clever titles that would never show up on screen. Yes, Bob is in the hospital on Christmas Eve, and he's not the only one who is miserable. Merie Earle makes another appearances as octogenarian Mrs. Loomis, while Graham Jarvis plays Dr. Bickwell. Written by Tom Patchett and Jay Tarses, the episode originally aired on December 20, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1975
Feeling that both his life and career are worthless, Bob consults his college mentor, distinguished psychologist Professor Albert (Keenan Wynn). Chuckling at Bob's discomfiture, Albert insists that the "shrink" business is all an elaborate fraud. These soothing words succeed only in making Bob feel more insignificant than ever. Featured in the cast are Tom Fitzsimmons as Webb Franklyn and Bobby Eilbacher as David. Written by Phil Davis, "What's It All About, Albert?" originally aired on November 1, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1975
Bob is persuaded to appear on a TV interview show hosted by soft-spoken Ruth Corley (Jennifer Warren). But the moment the cameras are turning, Ruth transforms into a barracuda, aggressively attacking both Bob and his profession. Unnerved, Bob is trapped into revealing that he has been treating a prominent local politician -- and then the fur really begins a-flying. Also appearing are Alan Manson as Congressman Avery and Claudette Duffy as Sister Mary Catherine. Written by Bruce Kane, "Who Is Mr. X?" first aired on November 8, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1975
Emily is convinced that Bob is in a rut. As a result, Emily and Bob switch household responsibilities: She handles the budget while he does the shopping. Bob's misadventure with a grocery-store box boy (Bryan Byers) is a highlight. Written by Gordon and Lynne Farr, "Change Is Gonna Do Me Good" made its first network appearance on October 4, 1975, as the 77th episode of The Bob Newhart Show. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
