A couple of years after concluding his stint as George Costanza, Jason Alexander returned to our screens amid some fanfare from ABC, in his new starring vehicle Bob Patterson.
The show was created by Alexander, Michael Markovitz, and Peter Tilden. He plays America’s third more popular self-help guru, and in this clip, he meets the number two, as played by Willian Shatner.
Here he is talking candidly about the show’s genesis, and his role in producing it.
Had the network and writers chosen the intellectual route, a la NBC’s “Frasier” (its timeslot competitor), “Bob Patterson” coulda been a contender: A professional positivity freak who can’t organize his own affairs is a good setup. What’s more, it’s ripe for supporting characters, situations and fast dialogue that spotlight its star’s anxiety and compulsions. As it stands, it’s just plain stale, a half-hour filled with boob jokes and cripple jokes.
Michael Speier, Variety
In spite of everything, Alexander liked this character so much that he found a way to keep him alive. He created Donny Clay, America’s fourth best self-help guru, and has taken the show on live tours.
