R.I.P. Bob Newhart. He was 94. Such a funny guy. I loved his humor. So many accolades. Started out as a stand up. Great routines where he was on the phone, and you only heard his side of the conversation. Explaining how baseball is played. In later years he incorporated the phone routines into his sitcoms. His best selling record won album of the year.
His first sitcom, The Bob Newhart Show, where he played a mild-mannered psychologist living in downtown Chicago, married to Susanne Pleshette. Used to be a drinking game for the many times someone who say “Hey Bob!”
Then the Newhart sitcom, where Bob ran a bed & breakfast in Vermont and wrote self help books. He was married to the beautiful Mary Frann, with a spoiled heiress as the lazy maid, her preppy boyfriend who spoke in iambic pentameter, goofy handyman George Utley, and the three squirrel-hunting woodsman brothers Larry, Darrell, and Darrell (only Larry spoke).
The final scene of the Vermont show is one of the all time classic show endings. Bob wakes up from a wild dream – with Susanne Pleshette in bed next to him. The entire innkeeper show had been a dream. Pleshette told him to go back to sleep. Bob mentioned that in the dream he had a beautiful wife. “What?” asked Pleshette. Bob then told her to go back to sleep. The whole thing was a spoof of the hit drama Dallas, who famously jumped the shark with a dream scene of their own.
Newhart played Will Ferrell’s father in the movie Elf.
Just saw a Conan O’Brien bit during the Emmy Awards, with Newhart enclosed in an airproof booth with three hours of air, so the show wouldn’t run over.
When he hosted Saturday Live (twice – 15 years apart), Norm McDonald wrote a skit in homage to Newhart’s classic routines.
Bob began his career as an accountant, quitting only after his comedy took off. His success elevated him to among the Hollywood elite, hanging out with Dean Martin, Don Rickles, Johnny Carson, and the other comedy legends of his era.
Tony Korey. Great guy. Hated that I missed the service yesterday in Kennesaw. Did you know that he wrote two novels? John Condra sang at the service. I saw the photo of all the SPdL people. Didn’t recognize several. Looked like your old neighbors the Perrys were there. Connie Morris. Kelly Curran. Maybe Jennifer Giraldeau. Tommy Statham. Deidre Eaton. Artist Nancy Shippen.
Left work yesterday at 430. Stopped by Kroger for one item and bought Tums, cheese slices, shredded cheese, ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, crackers, and ice cream. Ate the leftover BBQ for supper. Watched two movies.
Had physical therapy at 7 am this morning for an hour. While I was doing squats (an exercise I rarely do) I felt some sort of muscle pull in my right abdomen. It hurts. Made it to the office but went home sick at lunchtime.
Did you hear Colin Montgomerie complaining about Tiger taking up a spot in the British Open field? Many thought Colin was jealous. Tiger said he had an exemption until he was 60 years old (another 10+ years), and Tiger intends to come back every year. We’ll see.
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