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by Jerry Whorebach 06/24/2008, 3:37pm PDT |
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Newhart was an outstanding entry in a genre pioneered by Green Acres: the absurdist fish-out-of-water sitcom. Not to be confused with your typical fish-out-of-water sitcom, such as The Beverly Hillbillies, the absurdist variety is characterized by an eccentric yet classically sensible protagonist, suddenly thrust into the mouth of madness.
In Green Acres, stuffy NYC attorney Oliver moved to the country to live his boyhood dream of becoming a farmer, only to discover that everyone in the country shares a perception of reality that can only be described as batshit insane. The show's charm came from watching Oliver bluster and speechify in a vain attempt to maintain control of the situation, and his eventual grudging acceptance of whatever surreality was foisted upon him that week.
Newhart followed a similar formula, with nebbishy NYC author Dick gaping and stuttering his way through the similarly-bizarre practices of rural vermont. News Radio turned the formula on its head, sending a wide-eyed Canadian boy named Dave to manage a dysfunctional radio station in the heart of some alternate-universe NYC, where fortunes are made and lost on the AM dial. For his part, Dave played it deadpan and sarcastic, but still with a hearty helping of incredulousness.
Anyway, what all these characters have in common is an anxious yet easy-going nature, an inclination to meekness, and a generally understated personality that makes them easy to sympathize with, or at least makes it easy to laugh at their comically-oversized misfortunes. Norm McDonald, to his credit, displays precisely none of those character traits. He is aggressive, proactive, and borderline-cruel, and while we love him for it, he's perhaps not the best candidate for this kind of show. |
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Okay, weird. :( [NORM MACDONALD] by Creexuls, a monster >:3 06/23/2008, 6:32pm PDT 
Why isn't anything working for him these days? This should be good, but it isn't NT by I need clarification 06/24/2008, 11:01am PDT 
Well to start it's CG. NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 06/24/2008, 11:44am PDT 
And so are those lame beaver commercials he does for the phone company... NT by a pattern is emerging! 06/24/2008, 12:20pm PDT 
Like, he's trying to get work/money? :( by Creexuls, a monster >:3 06/24/2008, 12:46pm PDT 
I'm talking about his last show and last few movies, too. What happened? NT by I need clarification 06/24/2008, 1:45pm PDT 
Which few movies? NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 06/24/2008, 1:58pm PDT 
Exactly NT by I need clarification 06/24/2008, 2:01pm PDT 
Wasn't his last show Newhart? I only saw a couple episodes, but... NT by I know Newhart when I see it. 06/24/2008, 2:35pm PDT 
As Caltrops' foremost fan of Newhart, I can only speculate Norm was miscast. by Jerry Whorebach 06/24/2008, 3:37pm PDT 
I think the show's creator (Norm MacDonald) perfectly cast Norm MacDonald... by Fussbett 06/24/2008, 3:51pm PDT 
See also: The John Laroquette Show by Fullofkittens 06/24/2008, 5:04pm PDT 
He wasn't even his first choice! by Jerry Whorebach 05/28/2024, 10:57am PDT 
I mean Screwed or Dirty Work? Because Dirty Work is one of the greatest works o NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 06/24/2008, 5:30pm PDT 
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