Bob Newhart Once Revealed the Biggest Advantage of Live Studio Audiences; It Influenced ‘Newhart’
Bob Newhart spent years on television. His hit sitcom The Bob Newhart Show was enough to make him a household name. His second hit Newhart ensured he became a legend. Many years after the controversial Newhart finale aired, the famed actor sat down to discuss the creation of television shows and the filming process. During a sitdown interview with the Los Angeles Times, Newhart revealed the biggest advantage of filming in front of a live audience. The live audience even informed decisions about his famed series, Newhart.
Bob Newhart revealed a studio audience can make a show better
Bob Newhart believes in filming a show in front of a live studio audience. The practice fell out of fashion eventually. That is something that Newhart lamented during a 2008 interview. In 2008, he told the Los Angeles Times that one of the main advantages of the filming style is the immediate feedback that a live audience offers. For shows that are filmed live, the cast and crew don’t need to wait for the show to air, often months after filming, to see whether or not a joke landed, a character was popular, or if fans enjoy the direction of the season.
Newhart suggested that Larry, Daryl, and Daryl, the three brothers who appeared regularly in Newhart, were kept on the series thanks to the live audiences’ feedback. When it was clear the audience loved the characters, the show elevated them to regulars. Larry, Daryl, and Daryl quickly became fan favorites on the quirky show.
Newhart said the studio audience led to better writing and better performances, too. Seeing how the audience reacted allowed writers to explore themes and see their jokes land in real time. That can only help the creative process, one would think.
Several other beloved TV shows filmed in front of studio audiences
Newhart is certainly on to something. Some of the most beloved shows of the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s were filmed in front of studio audiences. Seinfeld and Friends were both filmed in front of a studio audience. Some 300 fans were on hand for each episode of Friends. The same was true for Seinfeld.
The Golden Girls, Cheers, and Frasier all invited fans in to watch the filming of episodes, too. A live audience can sometimes make the job more difficult. The Golden Girls star, Estelle Getty, was so frightened by the studio audience that Rue McLanahan once described her as having a black cloud over her during every taping day. Still, several stars have said that studio audiences made their jobs more enjoyable.
