Comedian and Actor Bob Newhart Dies at 94

Newhart experienced a meteoric rise that most comedians dream of, going from a no-name to headliner almost overnight. Skipping the typical dive bar phase, his wildly successful comedy records catapulted him to fame. In 1961, his album “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart” made history by becoming the first comedy album to summit the Billboard Top 100. That same year, he won a Grammy for Album of the Year and another for Best New Artist.

These albums and performances opened doors for an iconic television career. While his first series, a variety show called “The Bob Newhart Show,” only ran for a single season starting in 1961, it won him a Golden Globe for Best TV Star. This show solidified his place as a national celebrity. Newhart continued his success with a sitcom, also named “The Bob Newhart Show,” which began in 1972. This sitcom ran for six seasons, amounting to 142 episodes.

Newhart didn’t stop there; he beat the odds again with “Newhart,” another sitcom that ran for eight seasons starting in 1982. The show’s finale remains a landmark in meta-comedy. Even though another series, “Bob,” didn’t quite capture an audience in the early ’90s, Newhart transitioned seamlessly to guest appearances, earning critical acclaim.

His guest roles on “ER” and “The Librarian” earned him Emmy nominations. Moreover, his portrayal of Arthur Jeffries on “The Big Bang Theory” landed him an Emmy win for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 2013. He also received two further nominations in 2014 and 2016 for the same role.