TVXOHOF - CELEBRATING DON KNOTTS AT 100

From Wikipedia:

Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924 – February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on the 1960s sitcom 'The Andy Griffith Show', for which he earned five Emmy Awards.  

He also played Ralph Furley on the highly rated sitcom 'Three's Company' from 1979 to 1984. He starred in multiple comedic films, including leading roles in "The Incredible Mr. Limpet" (1964) and "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" (1966). In 2004, TV Guide ranked him number 27 on its 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time list.

Had he still been alive, Don Knotts would have turned 100 years old today.  Because of all the attention given him by all of my “sitcompatriots” on Facebook, I thought I should just check to see if he qualified for membership in the Television Crossover Hall of Fame as a member of the League of Themselves.  (You KNOW I inducted him years ago as Barney Fife!)

I found that not only did he have a fictional televersion worthy of membership, but that Don Knotts was a multidimensional, exisiting in the Toobworlds of other dimensions, including The Tooniverse and Claymatia.

As a tip of the hat to such a pivotal character in the Toobworld pantheon, here is my salute to TV’s Don Knotts….

DON KNOTTS

THE TONIGHT SHOW with JOHNNY CARSON
5 EPISODES (1964-1974)

O’Bservation:
Both Johnny Carson and ‘The Tonight Show’ (and Jay Leno as well) are also members of the Hall of Fame, so Don Knotts appearing on the couch is a plus, especially since the talk show has a strong fictional televersion, as seen in episodes of ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’, ‘Seinfeld’, ‘Cheers’, and ‘The Lucy Show’.

Plus, there's the work he did on the show before Carson stepped in.  Working with Steve Allen, Knotts often played the Nervous Man in the Street.

THE DON KNOTTS SHOW

22 EPISODES (1970–1971)

O’Bservation:
Variety shows and talk shows are not normally given much weight toward a candidate’s induction into the Hall.  They’re good for flavoring and adding heft to the tally.  But when a member of the League of Themselves is the headliner of their own variety show or talk show, then it should be acknowledged.  Just the other day we did so for Bob Newhart with his memorial membership when it comes to variety shows, and Johnny Carson stands as the Colossus whose command of the ‘Tonight’ show had an impact on the pop culture of Toobworld.  So that’s why ‘The Don Knotts Show’ should be cited.

THE MERV GRIFFIN SHOW
2 EPISODES (1972, 1974)

O’Bservations:
I mentioned this in the Newhart tribute – ‘The Merv Griffin Show’ has a fictional televersion with its discarded studio set being reassembled in Kramer’s apartment in ‘Seinfeld’.

THE HOLLYWOOD SQUARES

(1974–1977)

O’Bservation:
‘Hollywood Squares’ is a member of the TVXOHOF.

THE MUPPET SHOW

DON KNOTTS (1977)

O’Bservation:

In Toobworld, the Muppets and most onscreen puppets are alive, so any human guest in their music hall could count on that appearance in their TVXOHOF tally.

NASHVILLE NOW

MAYBERRY REUNION (1991)

O’Bservation:

Knotts was reunited with George Lindsay (Goober), Hal March (Otis), Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou), and Jack Prince who played Rafe Hollister.  Music was provided by The Dillards (AKA The Darlings.)

THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW REUNION (1993)

O’Bservation:
The show we saw on our TVs was real life in Toobworld.  But it was mentioned quite often in other TV shows as a TV show.  That show starred the televersions of not only Don Knotts, but Andy Griffith, Ron Howard, etc.  (It wasn’t the first Hollywood came calling to make a TV show about Mayberry within the TV Universe.  We saw an attempt made in the TAGS episode “TV Or Not TV”.)  So we saw those televersions get together and reminisce about that show within a show.

The same holds true for the previous entry from 'Nashville Now'.

8 SIMPLE RULES
COME AND KNOCK ON OUR DOOR (2003)

O’Bservation:

Every so often we get a case like this – Don Knotts showed up as a dream version of his televersion.  It still counts because in order for a character to dream about a real person, that real person has to exist in Toobworld.  So while we didn’t get to see the “real” Don Knotts, his appearance in that dream verifies he existed in that corner of Toobworld.

Based on that dream, a television series was developed which used the living situation of Chrissy Snow, Janet Wood, and Jack Tripper as the basis for the plotlines.  Whether the series reflected their "reel-life" situation, it is unknown if Ralph Furley was represented nor if he was played by the televersion of Don Knotts.

Because of how he showed up in the dream, it's O'Bvious Paul knows of TV's Don Knotts and that he starred in the Toobworld televersion of 'The Andy Griffith Show'.  That's because Dream Don Knotts quoted Barney Fife.

(The dream also had subtext in that Paul had deep homosexual fears....)

LAS VEGAS

HIT ME! (2005)

O'Bservation:
Vanessa was desperate to replace a lime green leisure suit which one of her “whales” wore while gambling because it was lucky.  Unfortunately it got ruined by spilled wine.

Don Knotts' home
Livin' Las Vegas

Luckily the King of Bad Fashion Sense, Don Knotts, was living in Vegas and he had an exact match to the "72" suit.

Inside that house, Knotts had his five Emmy Awards on display.

Meanwhile, over in The Tooniverse….

THE NEW SCOOBY-DOO MOVIES

THE SPOOKY FOG OF JUNEBERRY (1972)

Mystery Incorporated meet up with Don Knotts and together they solve the mystery of the strange happenings plaguing the desert town of Juneberry.

O’Bservation:

Aside from being pen-and-ink instead of flesh-and-blood, the life of Don Knotts in The Tooniverse is O’Bviously radically different from his life in the main Toobworld

JOHNNY BRAVO

1] JOHNNY BRAVO GOES TO HOLLYWOOD (2004)

Johnny heads to Hollywood to play the lead in a big time Hollywood movie with Don Knotts, Alec Baldwin, Jessica Biel, a dinosaur and a Hobbit.

Johnny Bravo is offered a role in the upcoming film "Lunch Lady S'urprise" and will get to star with Don Knotts, Jessica Biel, a Hobbit and Alec Baldwin. When his part gets written out of the script, he tries desperately to squeeze a few more seconds out of his 15 minutes of fame.

O'Bservation:

There is no name listed for that Hobbit in the IMDb.  So as far as I'm concerned, he was playing Tobold Hornblower.  (Although he looks like Danny Partridge.)

2] JOHNNY MAKEOVER (2004)

Johnny Bravo becomes the target of Don Knotts, 'Weird Al' Yankovic and the Blue Falcon for their reality show "Cartoon Makeover". The trio attempts to completely revamp him to make him a huge hit for the new youth generation but their tactics only make things worse for Johnny.

And on the Stop Motion Toobworld…..

ROBOT CHICKEN
OPERATION RICH IN SPIRIT (2005)

O'Bservation:

In a spoof of the "Friday the 13th" franchise, the Crystal Lake camp counselors were action figure versions of Don Knotts and Phyllis Diller.

And finally, on a Toobworld where everybody dies before their original incarnation does….

JOYS! (1976)

Someone arranges a star-studded party at Bob Hope's home and then begins murdering the guests. Over fifty of the greatest living comedians are called to a party at Bob Hope's house, where each of them is systematically killed (and their bodies thrown in Hope's pool!). Hope and the rapidly shrinking cast try to discover who is the mysterious killer known only as "Joys."

Here’s to you on the 100th anniversary of your birth, Mr. Knotts!

A TVXOHOF TRIBUTE - HI, BOB!

BOB NEWHART, LEGENDARY COMEDIAN, DEAD AT 94

By Dan Heching and Todd Leopold, CNN

Bob Newhart, whose stammering, deadpan unflappability carried him to stardom as a standup comedian and later in television and movies, has died, according to a statement from his longtime publicist Jerry Digney. He was 94.

Digney said Newhart died in Los Angeles on Thursday morning after a series of short illnesses. He called the star’s passing an “end of an era in comedy.”

Over the course of five decades, Newhart’s popularity rarely waned, whether it was as the recording star of the comedy album “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart” (the first comedy album to win the Grammy for album of the year), the lead in two top-rated television sitcoms, or a supporting actor in movies including “Catch-22” (in which he played the timid Maj. Major), “Cold Turkey” and “Elf.”

He remains best known for the television shows, “The Bob Newhart Show” (1972-78) and “Newhart” (1982-90), both of which were built around his persona as a reasonable man put-upon by crazies.

The actor and comedian was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1993, and has had his material added to the collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. He won the Kennedy Center’s 2002 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

Newhart is survived by four children, Jennifer, Courtney, Timothy and Robert, and numerous grandchildren, according to his publicist. His wife of 60 years, Virginia “Ginnie” Newhart, passed away last year.

Newhart is already represented in the Television Crossover Hall of Fame with his classic character of Dr. Bob Hartley.  To honor his passing, today we honor him as a member of the League of Themselves.  Next year they will be joined by Newhart's character of Judson from the "Librarian" TV movies and 'The Librarians', the TV series follow-up. 

And I'm hoping Chuck Lorre, with the blessings of the Newhart children, can bring back Professor Proton, his character from 'The Big Bang Theory' and its prequel, 'Young Sheldon,' to the 'Young Sheldon' sequel, 'Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage'.  All that would be needed would be Newhart's voice with some previously unused take of Professor Proton's dialogue.  (Or it could be a reused line.  It is on TV, after all; TV is full of repeats!)

If so, that would be four different faces we'd see for Bob Newhart in the TVXOHOF.  And that could be a record.  (I'm not even sure if the Hall has a Threepeat.)

In the meantime....

BOB NEWHART

Here are the shows which qualify him for membership as a member of the League of Themselves....

THE BOB NEWHART SHOW

31 EPISODES (1961-1962)

O'Bservation:
No, not that one.  This is the first one, which was a variety show to cash in on his sudden fame from his record album.  Luckily, we have other shows to help his fictional televersion qualify for membership because normally variety show appearances don't count towards membership goals, even if it's the star.  But I'm sharing it here to show the beginnings of Toobworld's Bob Newhart.

FRACTURED FLICKERS

BOB NEWHART (1964)

Bob Newhart pickets on behalf of dead comedians who aren't being paid when the show uses clips of their films.

O'Bservation:

At the end of their scene together, Hans Conreid tells Newhart that they reserve the right to turn his appearance on the show into a Fractured Flicker... at a later date.

When Newhart asks how much later, Conreid replies "Twenty four hours after you passed away, Bob...."

ROWAN & MARTIN’S LAUGH-IN

1] GUEST STARRING KATE SMITH, VINCENT PRICE, AND RICH LITTLE (1968)

"If Tess Trueheart married Gene Lockhart,
then divorced him and married Bob Newhart,
then divorced him and married George Burns,
she'd be Tess Truheart Lockhart Newhart Burns."

"Ohhhh... THAT Henny Youngman!"

2] GUEST STARRING CONNIE STEVENS (1969)

Bob Newhart:

I went to a Gay '90's party and everyone there was either, eh, gay or ninety.

Bob Newhart:
You probably think I'm, I'm a little strange, eh, standing here talking into a phone that's not connected, but there's a, there's a logical explanation. I'm... I'm talking to Shelley Berman.

O'Bservation:
As I expected when I saw these first two episodes were from the same season, all of Newhart's bit were filmed at the same time and then inserted when needed.

3] BOB NEWHART (1970)

Bob Newhart comes on to play Adam to Ruth Buzzi's Eve and try to make a Burbank 12 Days of Christmas.

Bob Newhart:
Overcrowding is getting so bad in prison nowadays, that even solitary confinement has four to a cell.

Bob Newhart:
Well, I haven't had so much fun since the day I shaved a naughty word on the back of my cat.

References:

Catch-22 (1970)
Ann Elder mentions that Bob Newhart is in this movie.

Cold Turkey (1971)
Lily Tomlin mentions that Bob Newhart is in this movie.

O’Bservation:

Eventually, ‘Laugh-In’ will make it into the Hall because its existence was acknowledged in other TV shows.  Chief among these was a dream sequence in an episode of ‘Mad About You’.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

BOB NEWHART/THE AMAZING RHYTHM ACES/BRUCE COCKBURN (1980)

O'Bservation:

Within the universe of Earth Prime-Time, this is the ONLY time that Bob Newhart hosts SNL.  Dr. Bob Hartley sees this episode and stores it away in his memory cells, to be resurrected during the dream in which he is hosting the late-night comedy show... as Bob Newhart.

NOT NECESSARILY THE NEWS
INSIDE ENTERTAINMENT (1987)

The crew visits the red carpet to report on the 97th Annual Golden Calf Awards. Also, Dolly Parton and Madonna are interviewed, [and] ‘The Bob Newhart Show’ is mentioned during an interview with Bob Newhart.

O'Bservation:
I've never quite made up my mind about this series.  I'm not sure if it should be placed in the Skitlandia dimension, or should its characters be considered citizens of Earth Prime-Time?  If I place it in Skitlandia, that's another Newhart incarnation in his Multidimensional status.  Tempting....

IT’S GARRY SHANDLING’S SHOW
THE LAST SHOW (1990)

Garry’s worried that he’s going to die, because this is the last episode ever, so he calls a friend, Bob Newhart.  But it’s too late, Garry’s dead.

[From VHS History at WordPress]

O'Bservation:
Real Life imitates Television - Garry Shandling would precede Bob Newhart in death....

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

BOB NEWHART/DES'REE (1995)

References:
"Saturday Night Live" Bob Newhart/The Amazing Rhythm Aces/Bruce Cockburn (TV Episode 1980)

Bob Newhart mentions he hosted once before, 15 years earlier, during his monologue.

The Bob Newhart Show (TV Series 1972–1978)

Bob Newhart plays Dr. Bob Hartley during Ricki Lake sketch.

"Newhart" - The Last Newhart (TV Episode 1990)

Bob Newhart wakes up next to Susan Pleshette again at the end of this show.

O'Bservations:
This sealed the deal for Suzanne Pleshette to join the TVXOHOF as Emily Hartley.  Dr. Bob was already in, thanks to a guest appearance in an episode of 'Murphy Brown'.  (He would get one more notch on his belt, with a cameo on Svengoolie's show.)

So, technically, in Toobworld, Bob Newhart did not appear as an SNL host a second time.  This was Dr. Bob Hartley dreaming that he was Bob Newhart.  And it was during the Rikki Lake sketch that Dr. Hartley's true subconscious was bale to shine through.

MAD MEN 
NEW AMSTERDAM (2007)
Self (archive sound recording, uncredited)

Newhart was also multidimensional in the TV Universe....

THE TOONIVERSE

THE SIMPSONS

BART THE FINK (1996)

Troy McClure:

Next in our cavalcade of celebrity mourners, Bob Newhart.
Bob Newhart:
Um... see, to... to tell you the truth, um... I was just... I'm just killing time here. I was waiting for a-a... . well, a-a different... different funeral to start.
Troy McClure:
I'll handle it. Bob Newhart, everybody!

Many of the writers were big fans of Bob Newhart and everybody wanted to see him record his lines. Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein decided to shut down production so that the whole writing staff could go to the recording studio. The episode was recorded in a big room so everyone had to be really quiet. It took Newhart two and a half minutes to record his first take, and, as no one was allowed to laugh during that time, there was an "explosion" of laughter in the room when he finished.

After the audio recording of the script by the cast, the episode ended up being too long. Josh Weinstein said one of the reasons for it was that Bob Newhart talked very slowly and they had to cut out more than half of his recorded lines.

Welcome to the Television Crossover Hall of Fame, Mr. Newhart.  Wherever you are, I hope you enjoyed this tribute....  

I think you'll like it here in the TVXOHOF; a lot of old friends you'll find here - Don of course, and Sullivan, Johnny & Ed.  Plus others in the incarnations for which they were best known - Carol Kester Bondurant, Mr. Carlin, Larry, Darryl, and the other Darryl, and of course, Emily.

And you have to admit, the TV Crossover Hall of Fame is a better place to wind up than some other places I can think of....

Exactly....

Here's hoping you get the record for the most incarnations in this place....