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The Best Episodes of The Bob Newhart Show

Every episode of The Bob Newhart Show ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Bob Newhart Show!

The Best Episodes of The Bob Newhart Show

The Bob Newhart Show is an American situation comedy produced by MTM Enterprises, which aired 142 original episodes on CBS from September 16, 1972, to...

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  1. 8.8/10(250 votes)

    #1 - Over the River and Through the Woods

    S4:E11

    It's a stag Thanksgiving for Bob when Emily flies off to join a family reunion, leaving Bob to share the holiday with his male buddies.

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    Director:James Burrows
    Writer:N/A
  2. 8.3/10(121 votes)

    #2 - Death Be My Destiny

    S5:E19

    Bob strikes out against a friend's fear of falling, but succumbs to the same phobia himself when he is subjected to a harrowing elevator experience.

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    Writer:N/A
  3. 8.3/10(123 votes)

    #3 - Happy Trails to You

    S6:E22

    Bob gives up his psychological practice in Chicago to become a professor at a small college in Oregon.

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  4. 8.1/10(103 votes)

    #4 - 'Twas the Pie Before Christmas

    S6:E12

    Bob finds himself with unhappy and hostile patients who refuse to attend his Christmas party when they are mistakenly informed of a rate increase at the height of the Yuletide season. One patient is moved to hire a pie-throwing service.

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    Director:Dick Martin
    Writer:N/A
  5. 8.0/10(308 votes)

    #5 - Fly the Unfriendly Skies

    S1:E1

    Bob invites Emily to join his fear of flying group on a trip to New York City. Much to Bob's surprise he finds that Emily also has a fear of flying and refuses to go. After a conversation with Howard she decides to go only to back out after boarding the plane.

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  6. 8.0/10(152 votes)

    #6 - Mister Emily Hartley

    S2:E8

    Bob suffers an inferiority attack when a test reveals that Emily's IQ is higher than his.

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    Director:Jerry London
    Writer:N/A
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    The 20 WORST Episodes of The Bob Newhart Show

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  8. 8.0/10(129 votes)

    #7 - T. S. Elliot

    S2:E14

    Bob's patient Elliot Carlin parades all his phobias and insecurities as he prepares to ask Carol Kester for a date. He then finds it even harder to accept her answer—which is ""yes.""

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  9. 8.0/10(146 votes)

    #8 - An American Family

    S3:E11

    Emily's plans for a wonderful turkey dinner go downhill when Bob's mother and Emily's father begin insulting one another the night before Thanksgiving.

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    Director:Peter Bonerz
    Writer:N/A
  10. 8.0/10(123 votes)

    #9 - The Ceiling Hits Bob

    S3:E24

    Bob becomes the ""oldest permanent psychologist in Chicago"" when the ceiling in his office collapses and he has to set up shop wherever he can find the space.

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    Director:Alan Rafkin
    Writer:Jay Tarses
  11. 8.0/10(115 votes)

    #10 - Caged Fury

    S5:E2

    The Hartleys miss their friend's gala Fourth of July Bicentennial party celebration when they become trapped in a storage locker.

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    Writer:N/A
  12. 8.0/10(104 votes)

    #11 - A Day in the Life

    S6:E6

    Bob's impulsive decision to leave town for a week is received with disastrous emotions by his patients, who seemingly can't make it without him.

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    Director:Dick Martin
    Writer:N/A
  13. 7.9/10(131 votes)

    #12 - Mutiny on the Hartley

    S2:E9

    Bob decides to meet the rising cost of living by raising his rates. But the members of his therapy group revolt when he picks the most inappropriate moment to tell them.

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    Director:Peter Baldwin
    Writer:Jay Tarses
  14. 7.9/10(120 votes)

    #13 - My Business is Shrinking

    S3:E20

    With his confidence fading as fast as his list of patients, Bob decides to follow Emily's advice and see a psychiatrist about his problem.

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    Director:Alan Rafkin
  15. 7.9/10(127 votes)

    #14 - Death of a Fruitman

    S4:E3

    Bob's patients observe tradition by planning a surprise party to honor the fourth year of the group's therapy sessions. When an unseen member, a Mr. Gianelli, threatens to turn the party into a disaster, Bob kicks him out of the group. His decision meets with instant group approval until Mr. Gianelli dies under a ton of zucchini.

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    Director:Peter Bonerz
    Writer:Jay Tarses
  16. 7.8/10(238 votes)

    #15 - Tracy Grammar School, I'll Lick You Yet

    S1:E2

    It's Vocation Day in Emily's class, and Bob feels left out when he's not invited. At the last minute, he's asked to fill in, but Emily's worst fears are confirmed when Bob fails to excite the kids' interest.

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  17. 7.8/10(176 votes)

    #16 - Bob and Emily and Howard and Carol and Jerry

    S1:E12

    Howard "floats" into Bob's office on Cloud Nine after having a tooth pulled. He is so poetic that Carol tells Emily, "I want him." Emily agrees to help Carol get him, and the two have an up-and-down romance.

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    Director:Peter Baldwin
    Writer:N/A
  18. 7.8/10(186 votes)

    #17 - His Busiest Season

    S1:E14

    Christmas becomes a sad memory for Bob's group therapy session, and it's evident that "'tis not the season"" for everyone to be jolly. Bob decides to invite the group over for Christmas Eve.

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  19. 7.8/10(153 votes)

    #18 - Somebody Down Here Likes Me

    S2:E4

    Rev. Dan Bradford seeks professional advice from Bob then makes a startling announcement in his Sunday sermon.

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  20. 7.8/10(147 votes)

    #19 - I'm Dreaming of a Slight Christmas

    S2:E15

    Christmas Eve is almost spoiled when Bob is trapped in the office because of a power failure.

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    Director:Peter Baldwin
    Writer:Jay Tarses
  21. 7.8/10(129 votes)

    #20 - The Jobless Corps

    S2:E18

    Depressed after losing his job with the airline, Howard accepts Bob's offer to join his ""out of workshop,"" a special therapy group for the unemployed. (Bob extends the invitation at Emily's insistence when Howard's attempts to help her around the apartment begin driving her up the wall.)

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    Director:Peter Baldwin
    Writer:Jay Tarses
  22. 7.8/10(133 votes)

    #21 - Bob Has to Have His Tonsils Out, So He Spends Christmas Eve in the Hospital

    S4:E15

    Christmas Eve finds Bob in the hospital with tonsillitis and an impending operation. Meanwhile, his friends are all suffering from an attack of Christmas-itis.

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    Director:James Burrows
    Writer:Jay Tarses
  23. 7.8/10(109 votes)

    #22 - Desperate Sessions

    S5:E21

    Bob is held hostage in his office by a friendly bank robber.

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  24. 7.7/10(167 votes)

    #23 - The Man with the Golden Wrist

    S1:E17

    Bob refuses to wear the beautiful gold watch Emily gave him for his 40th birthday after he learns just how expensive it was.

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    Director:Alan Rafkin
    Writer:N/A
  25. 7.7/10(152 votes)

    #24 - Last TV Show

    S2:E1

    Bob's therapy group insists that he accept an invitation for the group to conduct one of its weekly sessions on television.

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    Director:Jay Sandrich
    Writer:N/A
  26. 7.7/10(146 votes)

    #25 - Backlash

    S2:E3

    One of Bob's more masculine patients enthusiastically slaps him on the back—and, unfortunately for Bob, it throws his back out. Even more unfortunately, Bob and Emily were supposed to be going to Mexico for a vacation.

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    Director:George Tyne
    Writer:N/A

Best Episodes Summary

"Over the River and Through the Woods" is the best rated episode of "The Bob Newhart Show". It scored 8.8/10 based on 250 votes. Directed by James Burrows and written by N/A, it aired on 11/22/1975. This episode scored 0.5 points higher than the second highest rated, "Death Be My Destiny".