Amidst the much-touted reunions of the Happy Days and Brady Bunch cast, one other mini-reunion that particularly excited me occurred at the July 18, 2009, Hollywood Show. There quietly nestled in the back of the show, three cast members of The Bob Newhart Show assembled to meet the fans. Bob Newhart himself has always been a personal favorite and I absolutely adore his first classic sitcom that chronicled the deadpan Dr. Robert Hartley and the world of crazies that surrounded him. The show ran for six seasons from 1972-1978 and has become legendary as one of the all-time great sitcoms.
I had previously acquired autographs of Newhart himself and cast member Peter Bonerz through the mail… and I had picked up the signed photo of Bill Daily, who portrayed Bob Newhart’s next door neighbor Howard Borden (seen above right), when he made an appearance at a collectors show that I didn’t attend. But this time I had a chance to actually meet Bill Daily -and pick up signatures of and photos with two other cast members as well.
Bill Daily was of course also well-known as his portrayal of Major Roger Healey, sidekick to Larry Hagman’s Tony Nelson in the great sitcom I Dream of Jeannie. Daily had been so quirky in both of his famous sitcoms that I almost dreaded approaching him to see if I could snag a free photo with him (bringing along the one I had already purchased of course). I was pleasantly shocked to find that he was not only exceptionally kind, but not quirky in the slightest.
Bill Daily as Howard Borden
Sitting to his right was Marcia Wallace, who portrayed Newhart’s secretary Carol Kester. After the end of The Bob Newhart Show, she embarked on a career of TV game show appearances throughout the late 70’s and early 0’s. In more recent years she won an Emmy award for her portrayal of Edna Krabappel on The Simpsons.
For a two sawbucks, I had her add her signature to the cast photo above and pose for a picture with me. Like Bill Daily, she was exceptionally nice as well. We discussed the releases of The Bob Newhart Show on DVD and the two seasons that have yet to see the light of day. She seemed genuinely appreciative to find such a fan in me.
Marcia Wallace as Carol Kester
And finally there was Jack Riley. He had starred as the incredibly paranoid and neurotic Elliot Carlin, one of Bob Newhart’s prize patients. Although not technically a series regular, he starred in 76 of the 142 episodes of the show – along with appearing in virtually every other sitcom of the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s – such as M*A*S*H, Happy Days, Family Ties, Diff’rent Strokes, Night Court, Friends, Seinfeld, and That 70’s Show.
Although rather quiet, Jack Riley was friendly enough, but quite honestly didn’t look so good in his wheel chair. Of all of the cast members, he was the only one I had ever seen before – although I don’t actually remember him working the crowd at the Hollywood ’80 Sons of the Desert convention. He had written out a rather odd musing on a photo of him and Bob Newhart, so I went ahead and purchased this one and got my free photo with him.
Jack Riley as Mr. Carlin
So who thought it was a real kick to meet three starts from one of my favorite sitcoms all at one time? That…that would…that would be me.
Celebrities of the 2009 Hollywood Show will continue…
I remember Bill and Marcia frequenting ‘Match Game’ during its final years.
Dave Chasteen
October 22nd, 2009