Bob McKay (Bob Newhart) is a long-suffering greetings card artist in Chicago. He complains about the health food from his wife (Carlene Watkins). His adult daughter Trisha (Cynthia Stevenson) is painfully single. When his old comic book character gets revived, he has a second chance to pursue his dream.
The show struggled to gain traction during its full run of the first season. Newhart is doing fine and Stevenson is great. Watkins is too young to be Trisha's mom. The two actresses are only ten years apart and it's noticeable. The office doesn't have the goods. Cygan is rather generic as the overbearing boss. Chad has a little fun with Trisha. The funniest moments come from a pre-Friends Lisa Kudrow. She and Albie are a good pairing. It's tough when a guest star with three episodes at the end of the season is the funniest aspect of a show. They needed Kudrow right from the start.
The first season went poorly. The second season got a complete retooling. Bob is a sitcom legend and I can see the network saying let's give him more help. The family stays the same. The home is changed. I think the cat is different. Bob goes back to the greetings card company after Mad-Dog gets shut down. He is given the job of the new president on the first episode. The new cast includes Jere Burns and Betty White. Eight episodes were made and only five were aired. While the change is not illogical story-wise, it basically dumps the first year and the main aspect of the show. I must think that the few fans left over from the first season would feel untethered by the show. They are adrift at sea when Mad-Dog is such a big part of the show. Bob could have drawn Mad-Dog from his home and keep a few characters from the first season. They could have done Caroline in the City with Chad and Albie. This retooling is too big and too abrupt.
