The Newhart finale, aired on May 21, 1990, is one of TV’s most iconic endings. The show, running eight seasons from 1982 to 1990, starred Bob Newhart as Dick Loudon, a New York writer managing the Stratford Inn in Vermont with his wife, Joanna.
In the final episode, titled "The Last Newhart," Dick grows frustrated with the quirky locals and small-town chaos. A Japanese tycoon buys the town to create a golf resort, and while Dick and Joanna refuse to sell the inn, the townsfolk cash out and leave.
Five years later, Dick runs the inn alone, surrounded by eccentric new staff, with the town transformed into a golf course. The episode ramps up the absurdity, culminating in Dick being struck by a golf ball. Then comes the twist.
Dick wakes up, not as Dick Loudon, but as Dr. Bob Hartley, the psychologist from Newhart’s earlier series, The Bob Newhart Show (1972–1978). He’s in his Chicago bedroom with his wife, Emily, played by Suzanne Pleshette.
Dick/Bob describes a bizarre dream about running a Vermont inn, revealing the entire Newhart series was a dream in Bob Hartley’s mind. Emily, exasperated, tells him to avoid spicy food, and they go back to sleep as the Newhart theme plays over The Bob Newhart Show credits.
This meta twist, suggested by Newhart himself and inspired by Dallas’s dream season, stunned viewers and is often hailed as one of the greatest TV finales for its cleverness and nostalgia. The secrecy was tightly guarded, with Pleshette’s cameo a surprise to most of the cast. The final scene was filmed on the preserved Bob Newhart Show set, and a humorous nod has Bob suggesting Emily wear a negligee, echoing a running gag from the earlier show.
