I love the old standup routines with him talking on the telephone — well before he had his sitcom. Loved the sitcom too, the first one (didn't watch the second one). Sad to see him go and glad he lived so long.
Here's the NYT obituary: "Bob Newhart, Soft-Spoken Everyman Who Became a Comedy Star, Dies at 94/He was a show-business neophyte when he stammered his way to fame in 1960. He went on to star in two of TV’s most memorable sitcoms."
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R.I.P.
I grew up roaring at his albums. Then Vaughn Meader. Bob was so real.
My Back Pages.
RIP to a very funny man. His first TV show and Mary Tyler Moore’s were must watches on many Saturday nights back in the day.
You missed out on Larry, Daryl and Daryl.
Here’s a bit of personal trivia, but it’s timely with Newhart’s death.
Back in 1993, I spoke at 13 IBM 100% Corporate Sales performance events (2,000 people each). Bob Newhart was the MC at all of the sessions, and introduced me every time.
Got to know him a bit. Interesting guy with a funny, dry sense of humor. Did not suffer fools gladly, i.e., he did not put up with stupid inane people (of which there were many in IBM management at the time).
RIP, Bob.
First Bob, now Lou Dobbs. Will there be a third?
...the first one (didn't watch the second one).
Too bad, you missed on of the greatest finales in TV history.
Oh no!
Newhart was an amazing comedian. Hilarious white bread. So underplayed.
Defusing a bomb.
My wife and I saw him in concert in 2019 at few thousand seat venue at a local college. Still very funny, timing remained laser sharp, and he made it a very nostalgic evening with an entertainer who had been in our lives for 45+ years. RIP Bob.
He was great. I don’t pretend to know what happens when a person dies, but I like to imagine God has a sense of humor, and instead of pearly gates, he finds himself waking up in a Chicago apartment with Susan Pleshette.
I really enjoyed his stuff.
God bless him.
National treasure...
Great comedian in a narrow lane.
Let me be the first to mention his US Army service, and the interesting factoid that his first movie role was in "Hell is for Heroes."
Bob Newhart was always on the comedy channel on United Airlines jets between San Francisco and Newark NJ in the 60s, when I won my 100,000 mile club baggage tag.
I wasn't wild about his second sitcom, but it did have perhaps the best ending of any sitcom ever. I'm sure it has been mentioned already.
He was one of my heroes. So funny, so human. Not many entertainers are universally beloved, but he was close to that.
Worth watching the short documentary about the long friendship between Bob and Don Rickles and their wives, families.
Bob and Don: A Love Story
Newhart roasts Rickles
That hurts. He was my friend at a brief time in my youth when I had few of them.
Newhart once told this story: A fellow comedian said to him - at least you have a profession to fall back on if comedy doesn’t work out. Bob looked at him in horror - I was an accountant!
Not all rebels look like James Dean.
RIP Bob Newhart.
I will really miss him. He was my favorite. I loved his tv shows. He had that dry sense of humor, and I loved it. RIP Bob Newhart and thanks for the laughs!!
NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...
...the first one (didn't watch the second one).
Too bad, you missed on of the greatest finales in TV history.
7/18/24, 5:04 PM
Exactly. That was my all time favorite finales.
I absolutely loved his dry, don’t crack a smile delivery. Where can we watch his old shows now?
His variety show in the early 60s won the Best Comedy Emmy and a Peabody Award in it's only season.
When his first sitcom started, Bob was 43 and his wife was played by a 35-year old. His second sitcom, Bob was 53 and his wife was 39. His third sitcom, Bob was 63 and his wife was 40. For his last sitcom, Bob was a 68-year old widower.
His best sitcom episode is probably The Bob Newhart Show's "Death Be My Destiny," in which his Dr. Bob Hartley tries to get over a near-death experience.
It was very nice that he got his late swan song in the very popular Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon.
He headlined five series: The Bob Newhart Show (variety), The Bob Newhart Show (sitcom), Newhart, Bob, and George & Leo. His full name was George Robert Newhart.
Bye, Bob.
It's funny that you picked the tobacco bit. There was a 1971 movie that he did with Dick Van Dyke called, Cold Turkey. It was all about a town where they could win a $25 million cash prize from a large tobacco company if the whole town could refrain from smoking for 30 days. Bob played the guy from the tobacco company who kept trying tempt people to start smoking again because they would forfeit the prize if one person lit up before the 30 days ended.
My favorite comedian.
"Where can we watch his old shows now?"
A lot of episodes, especially of "Newhart", are on YouTube.
There's an over-the-air channel called "Catchy Comedy" (formerly Decades) that is going to marathon episodes from his sitcoms this weekend, starting at noon Saturday ET.
https://www.catchycomedy.com/schedule/2024-07-20
As newlyweds in the Fall of 1973 I recall my wife and I spending every Saturday night in our little apartment with a big bowl of popcorn and watching the greatest single night lineup of TV shows ever produced, all on CBS: All in the Family, MASH, Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, and Carol Burnett.
The best phone calls are with him mom at the Poconos, and with Bob acting as the Empire State Building night watchman the night King Kong came to play.
Lyssa, you made me tear up.
I was just reading about Walter Raleigh (yes, really) who of course gave his name to the city in NC. He was a huge advocate for tobacco use, clears your sinuses, who knows what health benefits. One of his close friends, working the same line, died of a weird cancer like nose. So yes, Newhart's bit on this was dead. You do what? Set fire to it and suck the smoke into your body?
I probably still think Newhart in Chicago was the best sitcom ever. Some things in common with Seinfeld--only adults, no kids and very few signs of "seniors," little or no hugging, and "nobody gets better"--no salutary lessons learned. But I never liked the Seinfeld series very much. Newhart in Vermont: the wedding of Michael and Stephanie; Bob/Dick goes to a dude ranch; the three brothers grew on me.
The Mrs. Grace L. Ferguson Airline and Storm Door Co.
"Abe, the 'four-score and seven' is meant to be a grabber. Just read it as Charlie wrote it."
☹️
"only adults, no kids"
The writers got the idea of having a baby in the final season. Newhart read the script, gave it back and said, "This is terrific - who are you gonna get to play Bob."
Bus Drivers School.
(Yes I'm old) I still crack up when I recall his bit about Sir Walter Raleigh phoning England to explain that he just bought a load of tobacco.
"... instead of pearly gates, he finds himself waking up in a Chicago apartment with Susan Pleshette..."
Not a fan of Chicago. But that would be pretty close to heaven to me. I found Ms. Pleshette to be extraordinary.
OK, second favorite bit was him trying to not be embarrassed in an ice cream shop. Great White Whale, Great White Whale. No one can eat a Great White Whale..."
Thank you Saint Croix for the clips. Both ggreat.
"Too bad, you missed on of the greatest finales in TV history."
I've heard about it a million times, and the reason it was great was because everyone preferred the other series and was delighted to be back in bed with Bob and Suzanne. Personally, I didn't want to see him with another sitcom wife.
As St Croix noted, his best friend was Don Rickles. They traveled the world together with their wives. That had to be the funniest stuff in the world. We’re basically down to Carol Burnett now.
I have his original album, The Buttoned Down Mind of Bob Newhart, that my dad bought. I listened to it many times. I'm quite sure some of my ability to make a dry quip came from that study. It was recorded live in Houston at the Tidelands nightclub/hotel, which was next to the, then, nascent, Houston Medical Center.
I liked both of his main series. He was essentially the same guy in both, semi-incredulous at how life evolved around him. That was completely separate from his professions, psychiatrist and retired businessman/quaint inn owner.
I was always happy to see him on the Tonight Show. The best visits were when he gave us the latest episode of the Newhart/Rickles world tour. Occasionally they were on together and they would tell their story in their respective personas - priceless.
He appeared in quite a few TV shows not mentioned. He always delivered a terrific performance.
His Saturday Night Live skit as a therapist who charged $5 for the first five minutes should be viewed as a training aid to adults everywhere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvujypVVBAY
"I'm going to say two words to you right now. I want you to listen to them very carefully, then I want you to take them out of the office and incorporate them into your life.... STOP IT!"
Sorry to hear this, but I'm glad bob made it to 94. Unlike Althouse, I watched the 2nd show and not the first. But later saw some of the episodes on DVDs.
Newhart was unusual in that he could do standup and was a succesfull Sitcom star. He wore well. He was also good on Carson.
https://youtu.be/AhPnpcbDcaM?si=pm2yyrfphKW-1xzx
My favorite episode from the first were the shows with Tom Poston who was "The peeper". The two sing "Sonny boy".
Oops, I see I missed the right thread for my piece about Newharrt's (and my!) Jesuit high school in Chicago. Reading the posts backward, I saw the second, Shakespeare-oriented one first and posted there instead.
--gpm
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