The Comedian, Sitcom Star Passed Away Yesterday at Age 94
7/19/24 – – Bob Newhart, the everyman accountant who gained fame as an innovative stand-up comic in the 1960s, passed away yesterday at age 94. His deadpan personality translated into starring roles in hit TV sitcoms in the ‘70s and ‘80s.
Thinking back on his understated brand of humor, it’s hard not to long for a time when laughs and civility sometimes came in the same package.
Newhart is best remembered for the characters he played in “The Bob Newhart Show” (1972–1978) and “Newhart” (1982–1990): Dr. Bob Hartley, a Chicago psychologist, and Vermont innkeeper Dick Loudon. Dr. Hartley faced daily challenges with his idiosyncratic patients and office staff. Loudon interacted with interesting guests and neighbors, none more perplexing than local handymen Larry and his brothers Daryl and Daryl.
The final episode of “Newhart,” which aired on May 21,1990, was one of the most watched and critically acclaimed finales in TV history. Newhart’s wives in his series were played by Suzanne Pleshette (in Chicago) and Mary Frann (in Vermont). After a wealthy visitor to the Vermont inn announces that he is buying the entire town, Bob wakes up back in Chicago in bed with Pleshette, realizing that his life in Vermont was all a dream.
The surprise ending, cleverly tying the two shows together, was kept a secret right up to hours before the taping of the last program.
America fell in love with Newhart after listening to his 1960 hit record album “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart.” Using a phone as his only prop onstage, Newhart let us in on one side of some hilarious phone conversations. In one, a publicity agent calls Abraham Lincoln to review his delivery of the Gettysburg Address:
“You what? You typed it! Abe, how many times have we told you — on the backs of envelopes. I understand it’s harder to read that way, but it looks like you wrote it on the train coming down.”
In bold contrast to the material of today’s comics, Newhart’s harshest words on his pretend phone calls were: “Same to you, fella!” He made us laugh without using the F-word or wandering into politics.
The best way for me to celebrate Bob Newhart’s life is to share his hypothetical phone conversation between Abner Doubleday, pitching his idea for a new game called baseball, and a representative of a game marketing firm. It’s titled, “Nobody Will Ever Play Baseball”:
Hello, Olympic Games. What can I do for you, Mr. Doubleday?
You’ve got a game. How many couples?
Eighteen people? That’s a hell of a lot of people.
The idea, I mean, is two or three couples come over to the house, they get a little smashed.
You can’t play in the house either? See, Mr. Doubleday, you have two things right there against you.
Alright, tell me more.
You got nine guys on each side . . . and you’ve got a pitcher and a catcher.
And they throw this ball back and forth.
And that’s all there is to it?
A guy from the other side stands between them . . . with a bat.
I see. And he just watches them?
He swings at it. He may or may not swing at it. Depending on what?
If it looked like it were a ball.
What’s a ball, Mr. Doubleday?
You’ve got this plate, ah ha, and as long as it’s above the knees and below the shoulders . . . go ahead, I’m listening . . . it’s a strike.
Three strikes and you’re out, and three balls . . . not three balls, four balls.
Why four balls, Mr. Doubleday?
Nobody’s ever asked you before.
Or he may hit it. If he hits it, what happens?
He runs as far as he can before someone catches it.
As long as it stays what?
As long as it stays fair.
And what’s fair, Mr. Doubleday?
You’ve got these two white lines?
Is this a rib? Is this one of the guys in the office?
Mr. Doubleday, that’s the most complicated game I’ve ever heard of in my life.
Forget it.
If you come up with anything with two or three couples, you be sure to let us know.
All right, Mr. Doubleday, I’ll be talking to you. Bye.
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