In the television world, there are a group of sitcoms that I strongly consider to be my shows. Some are obvious, some are not, and a few are very obscure. Among the not-so-obscure are the four major TV series starring one of my all-time comic idols Bob Newhart. The earliest of these series is The Bob Newhart Show, the story of a Chicago psychologist trying to survive amidst a bevy of crazies. Peter Bonerz played the role of Jerry Robinson, orthodontist inhabiting the same office building of Bob’s. Mr. Bonerz also made cameos on two of Newhart’s later series Bob and George & Leo.
What is less known about Peter Bonerz is that he is very prodigious as a television director, often at the helm of other favorite sitcoms of mine: Friends, Joey, Just Shoot Me, and Newsradio to name just a few. He even directed a feature films that I enjoyed as a young ‘un entitled Nobody’s Perfekt, starring Gabe Kaplan. A piece of crap to be sure, but nevertheless I enjoyed it. But in the totally obscure department, Peter Bonerz directed the pilot episode of my all-time favorite and totally underrated sitcom It’s Your Move.
So now that I’ve given you the resume of Peter Bonerz and how it relates to my life, I’ll confess that the main reason I sent him a photo to sign on September 25, 1997 simply goes back to the initial, basic reason: he starred in The Bob Newhart Show. It took until January 12, 1998 for him to get it back to me, but he did – signed, sealed, and delivered (along with two autographed notecards).
Autographs of 1997 will continue…
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