Thursday Thread: Bob Newhart and the Art of Astonishment 💔
A dispatch from the mountains... Some days I think we are ALL Bob Newhart.
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Hello, Lovelies, How the hell are you?
Greetings from the woods where I’ve just gotten over the most horrendous flu.
Seriously, it was like The Shining of flus (RIP Shelley) and then… waking up to all this catastrophic national weirdness… just thinking about JD Vance saying, “We are effectively run in this country by a bunch of childless cat ladies.” and here’s me, tenting my fingers, surrounded by kittens, thinking, “Not yet…” Surviving life in the US now feels like constantly knowing the right things to be afraid of.
One thing I am not afraid of is Bob.
For over 60 years, Bob Newhart’s presence as a working comedic actor was constant. He was the go-to guest, co-host, headliner, film, and sitcom star. His deadpan demeanor, employed with unprecedented mastery on projects spanning from Newhart to Elf and, in more recent years, The Big Bang Theory, was a done deal: He was going to deliver a zinger in a way that was destined to make you guffaw. Never a miss.
But for all of his deadpan consistency—his greatest gift was his penchant for astonishment. For evidence of that, look no further than the last episode of Newhart—one of the top comedic moments of all time.
(Note to self: I am SO this guy…)
Newhart died tonight at age 94. We always celebrated his longevity and reliability throughout his career. Now, the world is less reliable without him.
Before Newhart, which ran from 1982 to 1990, the star enjoyed massive success on The Bob Newhart Show, which aired six seasons from 1972 to 1978. On The Bob Newhart Show, actress Suzanne Pleshette played Bob’s wife, the sarcastic, sometimes bawdy, and vivacious Emily. On Newhart, Mary Frann played his wife, Joanna, with whom he ran a Vermont inn populated by eccentrics.
Thinking about his hundreds of sketches—from Stop It to Out of Control Air Traffic Controller—my favorite will always be his time on Newhart with “Larry and the Daryls”. Because YES I am completely nostalgic for a Vermont that’s never existed, one that’s not actually cold or requiring incessant snow blowing. One that’s full of ridiculous characters…
But tell us deliriously deadpan reader, what was your favorite incarnation of Newhart? Your much-loved sketch, or show?
Another fantastic interview with him about his personal life.
Have at it! We’d all love to remember a few we never knew about :) – xoxo, gotham girl
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I've never watched his shows consistently to be familiar with everything, but I do remember the deadpan zingers followed by his Resting Deadpan Face. LOL
Bob Newhart was a such a gem. I was fortunate to grow up watching him because my mom was a fan. He was great at whatever he did but I think I'd have to agree with Chris below that "The Bob Newhart Show" was my all-time favorite.