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PREMISE The show starred Comedian Bob Newhart as Dick Loudon, an author of do-it-yourself books who moved from New York City to a small town in Vermont in order to operate an inn. (The real-life Waybury Inn in Middlebury, Vermont was used for location shots.) Loudon is a sane, mild-mannered everyman surrounded by a community of oddballs in a town which exists in an illogical world that moves just a bit too fast for him. The show's premise has sometimes been compared to that of the 1965–71 Sitcom '' Green Acres '', though ''Green Acres'' had broader humor and used physical comedy more prominently. The late Mary Frann portrayed Loudon's wife, Joanna, who also ran their inn, the Stratford Inn. The show also featured Tom Poston as somewhat dim handyman George Utley. OTHER MAIN CHARACTERS Jennifer Holmes starred in the first season as Leslie, the Loudons' hotel maid. Fabulously rich, a world-class skier, and with a foundation that underwrites Jacques-Yves Cousteau , she took the job to find out what it is like to be normal. The first 2 seasons also featured chronic liar Kirk Devane ( Steven Kampmann ), who owned the Minuteman Café across from the Stratford Inn. The second season brought two major changes to the show. The first season was produced on videotape. From season two forward (in keeping with the visual flow with other CBS sitcoms), the show was produced on film, first in 16MM, and in the final two seasons, on digitally edited 35MM. The other major change was the introduction of Julia Duffy as hotel maid Stephanie Vanderkellen, cousin of Leslie, who is a spoiled rich girl cut off by her parents and who grudgingly, and often incompetently, works as a maid. Dick also began hosting a low-rated talk show on the town's local cable station. As seasons progressed episodes would focus increasingly on Dick's TV career and the oddball townsfolk, to the point where it seemed the Loudons hardly ever had any guests at their inn. Dick's hyperactive and manipulative television producer was Michael Harris ( Peter Scolari ), who dated and eventually married Stephanie, and had a daughter. Exceptionally shallow and superficial, Michael and Stephanie represented the quintessence of the 1980s " Yuppie " couple. LARRY, DARRYL AND DARRYL Beginning with Season 1, actors William Sanderson , Tony Papenfuss , and John Voldstad played three of the most popular (and surreal) characters on the show, Larry, Darryl and Darryl. They were seen infrequently, but by Season 2 they became regular characters who took over the Minuteman Café from Devane (Who had married a woman named Cindy and left town.) The two Darryls never spoke (until the show's final episode in which they said one word: "quiet!"), and in a monotone voice, Larry would introduce them every time they entered a room with "Hi, I'm Larry, this is my brother Darryl, and this is my other brother Darryl". The three, who apparently had no last name, were dirty backwoodsmen who lived in a shack and unsuccessfully owned and operated the Minuteman Cafe. They often appeared to be from another planet, though some of the most far-out things they said often turned out to be true. For a time Larry had a crush on Stephanie, which initially frightened her, until she eventually realized the three were basically decent, although strange. (The characters of Larry, Darryl, and Darryl also appeared in various episodes of the television series '' Coach '', which was created by the creator of ''Newhart'', Barry Kemp .) Other recurring characters included the over-the-top macho police chief Officer Shifflett ( Todd Susman ), the prim but hot-to-trot librarian Prudence Goddard ( Kathy Kinney ), the fussbudget, small-minded mayor Chester Wanamaker ( William Lanteau ) and his wild-eyed friend Jim Dixon ( Thomas Hill ). Jokes could be quite sly on the show. In one episode, members of the Beaver Lodge are watching '' Gilligan's Island '' on the TV. Michael Harris throws them out with one member protesting that he wanted to see how it ended, though the joke was that they always end the same way with the castaways not getting off the island. The sly joke was that the protester was Russell Johnson , who appeared on ''Gilligan's Island'' as the Professor. Another example of this kind of humor involved actor Jack Riley, who had portrayed the patient of Bob Newhart's character from '' The Bob Newhart Show '', where Newhart had portrayed a psychologist. In one episode, Riley (possibly playing another character, but acting exactly the same) has a brief encounter with Dick Loudon, who finds him strangely familiar-looking. Dick then speaks to the man's psychologist, who comments at the terrible mental damage done to Riley by "some quack in Chicago", referring to Newhart's character on ''The Bob Newhart Show''. "THE LAST NEWHART" The series had one of the most memorable final episodes in television history. Titled "The Last Newhart," the entire town is purchased by a visiting Japanese tycoon, who plans to turn the hamlet into a huge golf course and recreation resort. The lone hold-outs are Dick and Joanna, who keep their property thanks largely to Dick's refusal to play along with what he views as the latest demented whim of the townspeople. Everyone else takes their huge payoffs, says their final good-byes, and leave Dick and Joanna to run the Stratford Inn. Flash forward five years later. Dick continues to grimly run the Stratford, with golfballs constantly pelting the walls, Joanna playing the part of a geisha girl, and Japanese replacements for George and Stephanie who are even less helpful than the originals. The ex-townfolk abruptly show up to pay the Loudons a visit — richer and odder than before. Michael and Stephanie's daughter has grown to be a tiny clone of her mother. George has opened a new theme park dedicated to Handymen . Larry, Darryl and Darryl have each married gabby, talkative women. When their wives will not shut up, Darryl and Darryl yell out, "QUIET!" This is the only time on the show that anyone--except Larry, who always comments how talkative they are--has ever heard them say a word and everyone is astonished (even the studio audience gasps in shock before erupting in a loud ovation). Things quickly become chaotic, with the visitors cheerfully deciding to stay for an extended period at the inn. Dick vents his frustration at how unmanageable and stupid everything has become. Nobody is interested in Dick's opinion, so he announces that he is finally fed up and is leaving for good. As he is storming out the door, Dick is struck by a wayward golf ball and collapses, unconscious. The screen goes black. Then a light is turned on and viewers see Newhart in bed, saying "Honey, you won't believe the dream I just had." The other light comes on, and it's not Dick Loudon's wife Joanna, but Bob Hartley's awoken, irritated wife Emily ( husband, a dense handyman, and three eccentric woodsmen, two of whom were mute. When he reveals that he was married to a beautiful blonde in the dream, an annoyed Emily tells Bob to go back to sleep and flicks off the light on her side of the bedroom. And repeating a technique from ''The Bob Newhart Show'', in which one of the Hartleys incredulously flicks back on their bedside light and revives the conversation... Emily snaps her light back on and inquires, "What do you mean, 'beautiful blonde?!' The scene ended to the strains of the old ''Bob Newhart Show'' theme song (although this has been removed from syndicated rerun airings). After the credits, as the cat in the MTM logo meows, the typical understated Newhart "meow" voiceover is replaced by that of the two Darryls' shout of "QUIET!" In November 2005 , this episode was named by TV Guide and TV Land the most unexpected moment in TV history. BEHIND THE SCENES The show was produced by David Mirkin , (who also wrote nine episodes, and directed four), Bob Bendetson, Sheldon Bull, Barton Dean, Mark Egan, Stephen C. Grossman, Barry Kemp , Michael Loman, Richard Rosenstock, Mark Solomon, Roy Teicher, Dan Wilcox, Douglas Wyman, and Shelley Zellman. In addition, well known comedian Dick Martin was the chief director of the series for most of its run. TRIVIA
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