Bob Newhart has spoken publicly about the first 2 seasons of the show being rough. Part of the problem was the character Kirk, who was cast as a foil for Dick, similar to Mr Carlin in the Bob Newhart Show. Unfortunately, Kirk came off as unlikable and selfish despite attempts to humanize him by bringing on his grandmother and giving him a new wife. Throughout the second season, Bob Newhart seems unable to hide his dislike for the character. Instead of comic frustration, he appears downright angry and disgusted with Kirk in most of their scenes together. Steven Kampmann would leave the show at the end of the second season. He would go on to work as a writer on another MTM show, WKRP in Cincinatti.
