BOB NEWHART, LEGENDARY COMEDIAN, DEAD AT 94
Bob Newhart, whose stammering, deadpan unflappability carried him to stardom as a standup comedian and later in television and movies, has died, according to a statement from his longtime publicist Jerry Digney. He was 94.
Digney said Newhart died in Los Angeles on Thursday morning after a series of short illnesses. He called the star’s passing an “end of an era in comedy.”
Over the course of five decades, Newhart’s popularity rarely waned, whether it was as the recording star of the comedy album “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart” (the first comedy album to win the Grammy for album of the year), the lead in two top-rated television sitcoms, or a supporting actor in movies including “Catch-22” (in which he played the timid Maj. Major), “Cold Turkey” and “Elf.”
He remains best known for the television shows, “The Bob Newhart Show” (1972-78) and “Newhart” (1982-90), both of which were built around his persona as a reasonable man put-upon by crazies.
The actor and comedian was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1993, and has had his material added to the collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. He won the Kennedy Center’s 2002 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Newhart is survived by four children, Jennifer, Courtney, Timothy and Robert, and numerous grandchildren, according to his publicist. His wife of 60 years, Virginia “Ginnie” Newhart, passed away last year.
Newhart is already represented in the Television Crossover Hall of Fame with his classic character of Dr. Bob Hartley. To honor his passing, today we honor him as a member of the League of Themselves. Next year they will be joined by Newhart's character of Judson from the "Librarian" TV movies and 'The Librarians', the TV series follow-up.
And I'm hoping Chuck Lorre, with the blessings of the Newhart children, can bring back Professor Proton, his character from 'The Big Bang Theory' and its prequel, 'Young Sheldon,' to the 'Young Sheldon' sequel, 'Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage'. All that would be needed would be Newhart's voice with some previously unused take of Professor Proton's dialogue. (Or it could be a reused line. It is on TV, after all; TV is full of repeats!)
If so, that would be four different faces we'd see for Bob Newhart in the TVXOHOF. And that could be a record. (I'm not even sure if the Hall has a Threepeat.)
In the meantime....
Here are the shows which qualify him for membership as a member of the League of Themselves....
THE BOB NEWHART SHOW
O'Bservation:
No, not that one. This is the first one, which was a variety show to cash in on his sudden fame from his record album. Luckily, we have other shows to help his fictional televersion qualify for membership because normally variety show appearances don't count towards membership goals, even if it's the star. But I'm sharing it here to show the beginnings of Toobworld's Bob Newhart.
FRACTURED FLICKERS
Bob Newhart pickets on behalf of dead comedians who aren't being paid when the show uses clips of their films.
O'Bservation:
When Newhart asks how much later, Conreid replies "Twenty four hours after you passed away, Bob...."
ROWAN & MARTIN’S LAUGH-IN
then divorced him and married Bob Newhart,
then divorced him and married George Burns,
she'd be Tess Truheart Lockhart Newhart Burns."
2] GUEST STARRING CONNIE STEVENS (1969)
Bob Newhart:
Bob Newhart:
You probably think I'm, I'm a little strange, eh, standing here talking into a phone that's not connected, but there's a, there's a logical explanation. I'm... I'm talking to Shelley Berman.
O'Bservation:
As I expected when I saw these first two episodes were from the same season, all of Newhart's bit were filmed at the same time and then inserted when needed.
3] BOB NEWHART (1970)
Bob Newhart comes on to play Adam to Ruth Buzzi's Eve and try to make a Burbank 12 Days of Christmas.
Bob Newhart:
Overcrowding is getting so bad in prison nowadays, that even solitary confinement has four to a cell.
Bob Newhart:
Well, I haven't had so much fun since the day I shaved a naughty word on the back of my cat.
References:
Ann Elder mentions that Bob Newhart is in this movie.
Cold Turkey (1971)
Lily Tomlin mentions that Bob Newhart is in this movie.
O’Bservation:
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
O'Bservation:
INSIDE ENTERTAINMENT (1987)
The crew visits the red carpet to report on the 97th Annual Golden Calf Awards. Also, Dolly Parton and Madonna are interviewed, [and] ‘The Bob Newhart Show’ is mentioned during an interview with Bob Newhart.
O'Bservation:
I've never quite made up my mind about this series. I'm not sure if it should be placed in the Skitlandia dimension, or should its characters be considered citizens of Earth Prime-Time? If I place it in Skitlandia, that's another Newhart incarnation in his Multidimensional status. Tempting....
IT’S GARRY SHANDLING’S SHOW
THE LAST SHOW (1990)
Garry’s worried that he’s going to die, because this is the last episode ever, so he calls a friend, Bob Newhart. But it’s too late, Garry’s dead.
O'Bservation:
Real Life imitates Television - Garry Shandling would precede Bob Newhart in death....
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
References:
"Saturday Night Live" Bob Newhart/The Amazing Rhythm Aces/Bruce Cockburn (TV Episode 1980)Bob Newhart mentions he hosted once before, 15 years earlier, during his monologue.
The Bob Newhart Show (TV Series 1972–1978)
"Newhart" - The Last Newhart (TV Episode 1990)
O'Bservations:
This sealed the deal for Suzanne Pleshette to join the TVXOHOF as Emily Hartley. Dr. Bob was already in, thanks to a guest appearance in an episode of 'Murphy Brown'. (He would get one more notch on his belt, with a cameo on Svengoolie's show.)
So, technically, in Toobworld, Bob Newhart did not appear as an SNL host a second time. This was Dr. Bob Hartley dreaming that he was Bob Newhart. And it was during the Rikki Lake sketch that Dr. Hartley's true subconscious was bale to shine through.
MAD MEN
NEW AMSTERDAM (2007)
Self (archive sound recording, uncredited)
Newhart was also multidimensional in the TV Universe....
THE TOONIVERSE
THE SIMPSONS
Troy McClure:
Next in our cavalcade of celebrity mourners, Bob Newhart.Bob Newhart:
Um... see, to... to tell you the truth, um... I was just... I'm just killing time here. I was waiting for a-a... . well, a-a different... different funeral to start.
Troy McClure:
I'll handle it. Bob Newhart, everybody!
Many of the writers were big fans of Bob Newhart and everybody wanted to see him record his lines. Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein decided to shut down production so that the whole writing staff could go to the recording studio. The episode was recorded in a big room so everyone had to be really quiet. It took Newhart two and a half minutes to record his first take, and, as no one was allowed to laugh during that time, there was an "explosion" of laughter in the room when he finished.
After the audio recording of the script by the cast, the episode ended up being too long. Josh Weinstein said one of the reasons for it was that Bob Newhart talked very slowly and they had to cut out more than half of his recorded lines.
Welcome to the Television Crossover Hall of Fame, Mr. Newhart. Wherever you are, I hope you enjoyed this tribute....
And you have to admit, the TV Crossover Hall of Fame is a better place to wind up than some other places I can think of....
Exactly....
Here's hoping you get the record for the most incarnations in this place....
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