 But you have to go back to the fact that the Bob Newhart show had aired for six seasons on the same network from 72 to 78. Now, on that Bob Newhart show, Suzanne Plachette played his wife, the vivacious, sometimes brash, wonderfully sarcastic Emily. Way out of his league. Way out of his league. Even Mary Fran, who played his wife in the Newhart show, way out of his league. They worked that angle of things very, very well. And Mary Fran played the wife, Joanna Plachette.