Bob Newhart, the well-loved comedy legend known for starring in two famous sitcoms, has passed away at the age of 94.
His publicist, Jerry Digney, confirmed that Newhart died after a few short illnesses, according to Variety.
Newhart was a TV icon for many years, starring in two classic shows, The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart. In his later years, he also had memorable roles in the movie Elf and the TV show The Big Bang Theory.
Bob Newhart was born on September 5, 1929, in Oak Park, Illinois. He got his degree from Loyola University Chicago and served as a Staff Sergeant in the US Army during the Korean War from 1952 to 1954.
After the war, he worked as an accountant and an advertising copywriter. During this time, he developed his comedy routines. He became famous for his deadpan, soft-spoken style, playing the “straight man” in phone conversations, reacting to absurd situations.
This act made him a hit on the stand-up comedy scene and led to his hugely successful live comedy album, *The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart*. The album was the first comedy record to reach #1 on the Billboard Charts and became the 20th best-selling album of all time at that point.
It was also the first comedy album to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, and Newhart won the Grammy for Best New Artist. He continued to release successful albums throughout the ’60s and ’70s.
Newhart became a television staple and had his own variety show, *The Bob Newhart Show*, in 1961. Although it only ran for one season, it won the Emmy Award for Best Comedy Series.
His first sitcom, also called *The Bob Newhart Show*, was more successful, running for six seasons on CBS from 1972 to 1978. The show followed Newhart’s character, Chicago psychiatrist Dr. Bob Hartley, in his work and home life.
Newhart struck gold again with his second sitcom, *Newhart*, where he played Vermont innkeeper and talk show host Dick Loudon. This show ran from 1982 to 1990.
*Newhart* had one of the most memorable finales in TV history. It ended with Newhart’s character from *The Bob Newhart Show* waking up in bed next to his former co-star Suzanne Pleshette, suggesting that the entire *Newhart* series was just a dream.
Later sitcom vehicles like Bob and George & Leo had less success, running for just one season, but Newhart remained a fixture of television, with recurring roles on ER and Desperate Housewives.
He also had a memorable recurring role on the hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory as former science TV host “Professor Proton.” He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for the role — the long-overdue first-ever Emmy Award for the TV legend.
Later sitcom vehicles like Bob and George & Leo had less success, running for just one season, but Newhart remained a fixture of television, with recurring roles on ER and Desperate Housewives.
He also had a memorable recurring role on the hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory as former science TV host “Professor Proton.” He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for the role — the long-overdue first-ever Emmy Award for the TV legend.
Rest in peace to the comedy legend Bob Newhart, who gave us so many laughs and two classic sitcoms in his incredible career.
Please share this story in memory of Bob Newhart.
My Blood Froze When I Opened My Husband’s Drawer the Day after Moving in with Him
Freya was excited to start her new life with George at his family’s fairy-tale-like estate. Shortly after moving in, Valerie, the maid, gave Freya a cold stare and later tipped her off about George’s secret life with a message on Freya’s phone: “Check your husband’s drawer. The top left one, specifically. Then RUN!”
Inside the drawer, Freya found love letters and a key. The letters were written by George to a woman named Elena, revealing a deep past love and plans for a future together. The final letter was dated just three days before George proposed to Freya. The key led Freya to a dusty attic filled with photographs of George and Elena, including an ultrasound image of their unborn baby.
“Elena is my sister,” Valerie revealed. She explained that George had abandoned Elena when he learned their baby had Down syndrome, seeing them as a burden. George’s sister confirmed that the attic was his favorite room.
Freya, with Valerie’s support, confronted George’s family. “Is this true?” George’s father demanded. George’s silence was damning. The family fallout was swift; George was disinherited, and his inheritance was redirected to support Elena and her child.
Freya was granted a divorce and received assets meant for George. She used the funds to start a foundation for children with disabilities, managed by Valerie and supported by George’s mother. Freya turned her heartbreak into a mission to help others, ensuring a positive outcome from a devastating revelation.
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