On its face this crossover is simple enough. But when you factor in all the other different crossovers that tie in to these two shows and the group reality they create... well then you're headed for a nice sized headache.

   Even though these shows were for a short time both on the air at the same time, this crossover actually happened seven years after Newhart went off the air on Coach's series finale.

   Coach started out as a show about College coach Hayden Fox who worked for Minnesota State University and his relationships with his daughter, his girlfriend and his fellow coaches. By the last episode Hayden and his girlfriend Christine were married and Hayden and his friends were all working as coaches for the Orlando Breakers, a NFL expansion team. The finale had Hayden and the gang going back to Minnesota for a visit. In the end, Hayden ended up quitting his job and returning with Christine and his new son to Minnesota and all the other characters ended up with their lives going off in different directions.

   The crossover happened when Hayden and Christine returned to the cabin Hayden owned and had called home while in Minnesota. They found three odd woodsmen taking up squatters rights at the cabin. They were a guy named Larry,his brother Darryl and his other brother Darryl. Larry was the only one who talked and all three of them had been regular characters on Newhart. The reason for the crossover: Barry Kemp was the producer on both shows.

   Okay, on its surface very simple. Characters from one Barry Kemp show turn up on another Kemp show in a quick surprise cameo, its very funny, the end. But hold on...

   One of the points of this web site is to point out how multiple crossovers can lead to very different shows being linked as part of the same reality. For example, M*A*S*H and The X-files are connected by crossovers and so part of the same world. They are actually part of the same grouping as Coach and Newhart... sort of. Here comes the part that will give you a headache.

   The last episode of Newhart established that the entire run of the series and all its characters were all the dream of Doctor Bob Hartley, Bob Newhart's character on his earlier show The Bob Newhart Show. That being the case, this crossover would mean that the show Coach was also part of Bob's dream. Not only that, Coach also crossed over with Grace Under Fire, The Drew Carey Show and Ellen. And Drew Carey crossed over with Home Improvements and N.Y.P.D. Blue and Home Improvement crossed over with Soul Man and Buddies. That would mean all of theses shows are part of Bob Hartley's dream. Wait, it gets worse.

   The Bob Newhart Show had a crossover with St. Elsewhere establishing them as being part of the same reality. The final episode of St. Elsewhere? It established that the entire series had been the daydream of an autistic child. So that means that this autistic child not only dreamed St. Elsewhere and the myriad shows it crossed over with, he also dreamed Doctor Bob Hartley dreaming a myriad other shows. This is the point where I have an aneurysm and blood drips out of my nose. But wait. I have a way out of the madness.

   Okay, the first and simplest way out would be to stop applying strict logic to a situation that demands you to not apply ANY degree of logic. But what fun is that?

   The more fun way out is this. The Bob Newhart Show had a reunion show that was staged as just another episode of The Bob Newhart Show, studio audience and all. The episode picks up where Newhart left off. It is the morning after Bob Hartley dreamed the entire Newhart series and he is still weirded out by it. By the end of the show he is not quite as bothered and starting to get passed it. As he goes to leave his office and go home, the doors to the building's elevator open and reveal there are three repairmen inside working on it. They are the same actors who played Larry, Darryl and Darryl. He gets freaked out and decides to take the stairs. And there lies the solution. Maybe these guys WERE Larry Darryl and Darryl and it was this Larry, Darryl and Darryl that Hayden and Christine encountered. Thus all the other shows connected with Coach become part of the Bob Newhart Show reality and not part of his dreams.

   Larry, Darryl and Darryl were never what you would call ordinary. They seem to defy logic and reality. They were strange backwoods loners who were also good friends with celebrities. They could make it snow! I think they just exist in all realities, like a force of nature. Thus they are able to be part of Bob Hartley's dream world and his real world.

   Of course all the shows are still part of an autistic kids imagination. But then... so are we! Sorry. Just wanted to freak you out.

Other Coach Crossover Links
Coach and The Drew Carey Show
Coach and Ellen
Coach and Grace Under Fire

Other Newhart Crossover Links
Newhart and The Bob Newhart Show

Click here to return to main Crossover List

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