Bob Patterson – Nostalgia Central

2 0 0 1 (USA)
9 x 30 minute episodes

Seinfeld veteran Jason Alexander starred in the titular role as a self-help guru, revered by thousands of followers for his seminars, books and tapes on self-actualisation.

As a result, America’s #3 motivational speaker is forced to continually mask the shambles that his life really is.

A big factor is his beautiful ex-wife (Jennifer Aspen), who left him and now wants to live with him again, but on a strictly platonic basis this time.

Bob’s manager, Landau (comic Robert Klein), wants him to re-enter the dating scene, though Bob worries about how he looks next to towering musician and TV personality John Tesh (who appears as himself) in an infomercial.

Meanwhile, Bob’s klutzy new secretary, Claudia (Chandra Wilson), is a black woman in a wheelchair who may or may not be incompetent, but can’t be fired.

She’s a one-joke character, but she’s there to make it clear that whoever Bob Patterson is, he ain’t no Frasier.

The debut episode received mediocre ratings and quickly dropped from there.

An effort to salvage the show by moving it to a different night failed and, although ABC produced nine episodes, it aired only five before finally cancelling the show.

Bob Patterson
Jason Alexander
Jeffrey
James Guidice
Janet
Jennifer Aspen
Landau
Robert Klein
Claudia
Chandra Wilson
Vic
Phil Buckman