“Holidays With the Hartleys” continues.
On December 25, 1976, CBS aired “Making Up is the Thing to Do,” a “Bob Newhart Show” episode in which Chicago psychologist Bob Hartley schemes to reunite his newly separated parents at Christmastime.
As Bob (Newhart) explains to his receptionist Carol (Marcia Wallace) and her husband Larry (Will Mackenzie), he plans to invite each parent to Christmas dinner and not tell them the other will be there.
LARRY: Sounds like a good idea, Bob.
BOB: Well, the holidays have a way of bringing people closer together. They generate warmth. You know, they kind of remind you of the ties that bind.
LARRY: Yeah. When’d they separate?
BOB: Thanksgiving.
On Christmas Day, Bob’s parents Martha and Herb (Martha Scott, Barnard Hughes) arrive and begin fighting, driving away the Hartleys’ other guests. When Bob and wife Emily (Suzanne Pleshette) begin arguing, Martha and Herb realize they were foolish to separate and go home and patch things up.
After the seniors Hartleys depart, Bob and Emily begin laughing – their fight was only a ruse! They kiss and wish each other a merry Christmas.
See for yourself: “Making Up is the Thing to Do” isn’t (legally) available online or on video.
On TV
Here’s the prime-time lineup for Saturday, December 25, 1976:
8: “The New Original Wonder Woman” (ABC), “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” (CBS)
8:30: “The Bob Newhart Show” (CBS), “Emergency!” (NBC)
9: “Starsky & Hutch” (ABC), “All in the Family” (CBS), “Camelot” (NBC)
9:30: “Alice” (CBS)
10: “Most Wanted” (ABC), “The Carol Burnett Show” (CBS)
The Record
For the week of December 19, 1976:
Top novel: “Sleeping Murder” by Agatha Christie
Top song: “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be All Right)” by Rod Stewart
Top movie: “King Kong”
In the news: Santa brought Amy Carter a phone
Captions: Bob is saddled with Christmas presents at the office (top); Emily sides with Martha and Bob sides with Herb during the Christmas dinner argument (middle); and Bob and Emily revel in the success of their ruse (bottom).
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