Bob Newhart Was One Of A Kind, Here’s Why

We lost a legend yesterday.  Bob Newhart died at his Los Angeles home after a "series of short illnesses."  He was 94.  Newhart was the king of deadpan comedy, over a career that spanned more than SIX DECADES. Losing Bob Newhart is like losing a part of my childhood. I remember watching his original show on CBS back in the 70's as a kid, The Bob Newhart Show. Even then, I knew that he was very different from other comedians. He wasn't loud or brash, he was quiet, reserved and above all, nice. How many comedians of today can you say that about? The bulk of them are trying to be loud or whacky and edgy, Bob Newhart was none of those. The Buttoned Down Mind Of Bob Newhart Bob worked in Chicago in the 50’s as an accountant and was probably the last person you would have thought would end up being one of the most successful sitcom stars ever. His first comedy album was called the Buttoned Down Mind Of Bob Newhart and it was a smash back when comedian sold lots of albums of their live performances. From that success his career took off and he found himself on many tv shows of the 60’s including working with the likes of Carol Burnett. Despite everything he's done over those years, he's probably best known these days as Papa Elf from the Will Ferrell movie "Elf" . . . a role he once said, quote, "outranks, by far, any role I may have ever played." Bob was also the star of "The Bob Newhart Show" from 1972 to 1978 . . . and then "Newhart" from 1982 to 1990. He's also appeared on shows like "Desperate Housewives", "The Big Bang Theory", "ER", and "Hot in Cleveland". Bob was best friends with Don Rickles . . . whose comedy style couldn't have been more different from his.  Judd Apatow made a documentary about their friendship that you really should watch. Rickles passed away in 2017.