No Tigers at the Circus

When Dick finds out that some inspectors are coming to see if the Inn can be considered a landmark, he gets all wound up. He wants it so badly, that when things fall apart, he drops into deep depression and hostility. He tells this story about the tigers that didn't appear at the circus because they had eaten their trainer. It had ruined his experience. Now the Inn has become like that--a disappointment. There are a couple great scenes, one where a couple comes to get a room. The second is the theme song playing on the TV while Dick watches.

I plan on reviewing all of the episodes of the first and second seasons of Newhart plus an additional four episodes in the series that I feel are worth reviewing.

This episode is called No Tigers at the Circus.

Even in these first two seasons before the show became completely unwatchable with the exception of 4 episodes after season 2, a lot of these episodes do not really give one much to talk about. That is the case with this episode.

As for the positives, Bob Newhart gives a good performance. Tom Poston gives a good performance as George Utley. The inn setting is maintained and that dependable laugh track is on hand. The main positive however, is the fantastic performance of Steven Kampmann as Kirk Devane. He is the best part of this episode and any episode in which he is included. Also, despite the fact that the script is really weak, there are some very funny bits. The best of which involves Bob telling of his visit to the circus as a child. "I want tigers! I want tigers!" The two main negatives here are the performances of Mary Frann and Jennifer Holmes. Mary just does worse than awful. Jennifer Holmes is beautiful but is given basically nothing to work with.

Next up, I'll be reviewing the seventh episode entitled The Perfect Match.

Stay tuned!

"No Tigers at the Circus" starts out as dreadful as nearly every other first season "Newhart." An unfunny mailman delivers some material to Dick (showing he's a travel writer as well as a how-to writer, though he never seems to go anywhere and he has no internet to visit places virtually).

Dick tries to get the Stratford declared a national landmark and part his mail is from inspectors whose job it is to make that decision. But which way will they flop?

I like Jennifer Holmes as Leslie but it was before the writers realized a perfect person as a maid (Leslie) wasn't nearly as amusing as a maid who thought she was perfect (Stephanie).

One big drag on this episode (and the first season) was Kirk. He was never funny and his plan for a Landmark Sandwich is as awful as everything else he did (his character picks up in the second season, especially when he starts dating a clown, but Peter Scolai was a brilluant replacement for him).

None of the elements that made "Newhart" a side-splitting classic are here. No Michael and Stephanie, no Larry and Darryl and Darryl, no Jim and Chester. No post-logical weirdness. There's nothing special about this episode in the least.

One good laugh, based on the title from Dick; and a good idea from George. Otherwise, ho-hum. This is for "Newhart" completists only.