Moo Goo Gai Pan

The 36th Anniversary:  The Bob Newhart Show aired 142 original episodes on CBS from September 16, 1972, to April 1, 1978. Comedian Bob Newhart portrayed a psychologist having to deal with his patients and fellow office workers.

During the show's fourth season (of six), on November 22, 1975, Episode #83, "Over the River and Through the Woods", was broadcast.  But few who watched that episode will now recall the official title. What they will remember is

Moo Goo Gai Pan

The episode starts when Bob balks at going to spend the holiday with Emily's family at a reunion.  He'd rather stay home, he insists.

But Bob's loneliness gets the better of him, and he spends Turkey Day with Howard, Jerry, and even Mr. Carlin - drinking, watching football, drinking, avoiding playing games, and drinking.  Their drunkenness culminates with a now classic scene in which Bob stammers his way though placing a phone order for Chinese food.

That scene has, apparently, been pulled from almost every free Internet video site known to Google - Abq Jew searched and searched!  (It is, of course, available on DVD.)   So - if you're so old that you can't remember, or if you came of age after The Bob Newhart Show, this interview with Bob about Moo Goo Gai Pan sets up the scene (and gives some of it away).

But wait!  Abq Jew's persistence paid off!  So now, on its 36th anniversary, here is the scene that even TV critics say may be the best American sitcom scene ever.  Courtesy of The Daily Beast: