The Best Episodes of The Bob Newhart Show

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.

Director: James Burrows

Writer: N/A

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.

Director: Michael Zinberg

Writer: N/A

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

Director: Peter Bonerz, Michael Zinberg

Writer: Glen Charles, Les Charles, Lloyd Garver

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.

Director: Dick Martin

Writer: N/A

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.

Director: Jay Sandrich

Writer: Lorenzo Music

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

Director: Jerry London

Writer: N/A

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.""

Director: Peter Baldwin

Writer: Gerry Renert, Jeff Wilhelm

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.

Director: Alan Rafkin

Writer: Jay Tarses

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

Director: Michael Zinberg

Writer: N/A

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.

Director: Dick Martin

Writer: N/A

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.

Director: Peter Baldwin

Writer: Jay Tarses

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.

Director: Peter Bonerz

Writer: N/A

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.

Director: Alan Rafkin

Writer: Arnie Kogen

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.

Director: Peter Bonerz

Writer: Jay Tarses

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.

Director: James Burrows

Writer: Jay Tarses

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.

Director: Jay Sandrich

Writer: Carl Gottlieb

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.

Director: Peter Baldwin

Writer: N/A

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.

Director: Peter Baldwin

Writer: Lorenzo Music

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

Director: Jerry London

Writer: Peter Meyerson

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

Director: Peter Baldwin

Writer: Jay Tarses

Emily decides to update her image with a kicky new wardrobe that she says is youthful and Bob says is childish.

Director: Peter Baldwin

Writer: N/A

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.)

Director: Peter Baldwin

Writer: Jay Tarses

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

Director: Dick Martin

Writer: Michael Zinberg

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

Director: Alan Rafkin

Writer: N/A

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

Director: Jay Sandrich

Writer: N/A