Who can forget the lovable low-key psychologist Dr. Bob Hartley, in the CBS sitcom The Bob Newhart Show? The quirky series premiered in September 1972, and ran until 1978, and was developed by the same producers that had creative control over The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Dr. Bob Hartley’s Chicago office, in a Medical Arts Center, had a revolving door of off-the-wall patients such as Elliott Carlin (Jack Riley) and former Marine Emil Peterson (John Fiedler). Adding to the madness at the office, was the seventh-floor-sharing orthodontist Jerry Robinson (Peter Bonerz) and receptionist Carol Kester (Marcia Wallace). And to make sure that his home life was not a boring place to be, the divorced airline-navigator Howard Borden (Bill Daily) joined Bob’s wife Emily (Suzanne Pleshette) in keeping the home front lively.

Newhart’s standard one-sided telephone-conversation comedy routine was peppered throughout the episodes, giving him a chance to shine with his deadpan delivery.  A standard comedy routine between Bob and Emily at bedtime, consisted of the two of them turning on and off the light, as they each made additional comments to the other.

Newhart chose to end the show while it was still a favorite and later starred in Newhart, where he played Vermont innkeeper Dick Louden. Many of The Bob Newhart Show original cast appeared in portions of the final 1990 episode.

The show was nominated for two Emmy and two Golden Globe awards, but never won. What a shame that the madcap series was never honored by its peers for the brilliant comedy that it was.