TV Icon Bob Newhart Dies at 94

One of television’s funniest stars, Bob Newhart, has passed away at the age of 94. Beloved for his iconic roles on two immensely popular sitcoms, Newhart died on Thursday. According to his publicist, he passed away at his Los Angeles home following a series of short illnesses, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Born in 1929, Newhart had an unconventional start in show business. After serving in the Korean War, he worked various less glamorous jobs, including a stint as an accountant and a copywriter in the advertising world. For fun, he and a friend began recording elaborate sketch routines, which eventually caught the attention of a radio DJ who helped Newhart get signed to Warner Bros. Records. This contract led to Newhart’s first foray into the entertainment industry as a stand-up comic. His debut album, 1960’s The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart, won a Grammy for Album of the Year. The album was a commercial hit and featured Newhart’s signature dry humor and comic delivery.

Television soon beckoned Newhart, though his initial attempts were not immediately successful. His first foray, a variety program also titled The Bob Newhart Show, only lasted a single season. However, after numerous guest appearances on shows like The Tonight Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, he got a second shot at a CBS sitcom in 1972. This Bob Newhart Show featured Newhart as a psychologist navigating the complexities of his patients and home life. The show became a hit, running for six seasons throughout the 1970s.

In 1982, Newhart returned to television with another successful sitcom, Newhart. In this series, he played a writer who runs a small town hotel in Vermont. The show lasted eight seasons and over 180 episodes, including one of the most memorable finales in TV history. In the final episode, Newhart’s character, Dick Loudon, is struck on the head by a golf ball. When he wakes up, he isn’t Dick anymore; he’s Bob Hartley, his character from The Bob Newhart Show. The series revealed that the entire run of Newhart was an elaborate dream of Bob Hartley. This twist delighted the studio audience and remains a legendary TV moment.

While Newhart is primarily remembered for his two hit sitcoms, he also had numerous memorable roles in both film and television. For children of the 1980s and ’90s, he is well-known as the voice of Bernard in Disney’s The Rescuers and its sequel, The Rescuers Down Under. His television appearances included roles in shows like Desperate Housewives, ER, NCIS, and Hot in Cleveland, among others.

Newhart also made several appearances on The Big Bang Theory as Professor Proton, a beloved star of a science-based television show that the main characters admired as children. His portrayal of Professor Proton earned him an Emmy award. In addition to his Emmy, Newhart won several Grammy awards for his comedy albums.

Ultimately, it is likely that Newhart will be most fondly remembered for his sitcoms and his unique, stammering, low-key comic delivery that enchanted audiences across generations.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter