Baby Bob
| Baby Bob | |
|---|---|
 Series premiere print advertisement | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Michael Saltzman |
| Written by | Steve Baldikoski Bryan Behar Jared Bush Norm Gunzenhauser Stephen Lloyd Tom Palmer Michael Saltzman Dan Signer |
| Directed by | Robby Benson John Fortenberry Rob Schiller |
| Starring | Adam Arkin Joely Fisher Holland Taylor Elliott Gould |
| Voices of | Ken Hudson Campbell |
| Composer | Jon Ehrlich |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 14 (3 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Michael Saltzman |
| Producers | Steve Baldikoski Bryan Behar Stephen C. Grossman |
| Cinematography | Ron Vargas |
| Editors | Skip Collector Tucker Wiard Michael Wilcox |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies | Scribbler's Pillow Viacom Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | March 18, 2002 – July 4, 2003 |
Baby Bob is an American sitcom that aired on CBS as a midseason replacement in March 2002. The Baby Bob character had previously been on television since February 2000, appearing in commercials for FreeInternet.com.[1] While actual infants played Bob, the effect to make him look like he was talking was achieved through computer editing.
Synopsis
The series centered on first-time parents Walter Spencer (Adam Arkin) and his wife Lizzy (Joely Fisher), and their six-month-old baby Bob (voiced by Ken Hudson Campbell). After discovering that their son can talk like an adult, Walter decides that they must keep it a secret. Lizzy, however, wants to show off Bob's talking skills, especially to her mother Madeline (Holland Taylor), who constantly brags about her other grandchildren. Supporting cast members included Elliott Gould as Walter's father Sam and Marissa Tait as Bob's babysitter Teala.
Reception and cancellation
The series was panned by critics but premiered to strong ratings and placed 15th in its first week.[2] Baby Bob wrapped its first season, consisting of six episodes, in April 2002 with CBS planning a second season of thirteen episodes. However, CBS decided to shift its programming budget for the new series My Big Fat Greek Life and cut the second season to eight episodes. The second season of Baby Bob remained unaired for over a year until CBS aired the episodes in summer 2003.[3]
After the show's run ended, the Baby Bob character returned to television in a series of commercials for Quizno's.[4]
In 2002, TV Guide ranked Baby Bob number 14 on its '50 Worst TV Shows of All Time' list.[5]
Cast
- Joely Fisher as Lizzy Collins Spencer
- Adam Arkin as Walter Spencer
- Holland Taylor as Madeline Collins
- Elliott Gould as Sam Spencer
- Ken Hudson Campbell as the voice of Bob Spencer
- Marissa Tait as Teala
Episodes
Season 1
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | "First Words" | March 18, 2002 |
| 1-2 | "Mommy & Me" | March 25, 2002 |
| 1-3 | "The Tell-Tale Art" | April 1, 2002 |
| 1-4 | "The Other Side" | April 8, 2002 |
| 1-5 | "House of the Rising Son" | April 15, 2002 |
| 1-6 | "Talking Babies Say the Darndest Things" | April 22, 2002 |
Season 2
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 2-1 | "Rush Lim-Bob" | June 6, 2003 |
| 2-2 | "Don't Pass Me By" | June 13, 2003 |
| 2-3 | "Reality Bites" | June 20, 2003 |
| 2-4 | "Boys Will Be Girls" | June 27, 2003 |
| 2-5 | "Footloose, Infancy Free" | July 4, 2003 |
| 2-6 | "You Don't Know Jack" | Unaired |
| 2-7 | "Vegas Baby" | Unaired |
| 2-8 | "Let's Go to the Videotape" | Unaired |
References
- ^ Freeinternet.com Scores User Surge
- ^ Jasik, Mike (2002-03-27). "Puzzling success of CBS's 'Baby Bob'". medialifemagazine.com. Archived from the original on 26 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-15.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Sullivan, Brian Ford (2003-05-23). "'BABY BOB' RETURNS TO CBS". thefutoncritic.com. Retrieved 2009-04-15.
- ^ Schneider, Michael (2007-03-01). "ABC developing 'Cavemen'". variety.com. Archived from the original on 26 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-15.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ TV Guide Book of Lists. Running Press. 2007. p. 180. ISBN 0-7624-3007-9.