No Sideshow Bob

National Review Online ^ | July 19, 2005 | Catherine Seipp

[Cincinatus]

Bob Newhart is a true original genius of comedic television. Like a lot of great performers (e.g., John Wayne, James Garner), he "acts" by being himself and reacts as the one sane man in an insane universe. His 1970's series is one of the very best of all television sitcoms.

[al baby]

and it was clean

[wrathof59]

An alumnus of Loyola University of Chicago.

[TheBigB]

An absolute master of comic timing. I remember my favorite-ever line on the old Bob Newhart Show was when his and Emily's air conditioner was broken. There's a "dark shot" when you know they're in bed, and Emily's voice says, "Bob, are you hot?" And Bob, after a masterful delay, answers, "In what sense?"

[VRWCmember]

I used to love his telephone monologues where you just heard his end of the conversation, but you could tell by his comments what the other person was saying. He made those SOOOOO funny.

[msjhall]

Still, he gamely went back out on stage. “I just said, ‘Which one would you like to hear again?’”

Classic Newhart. What a great comedian.

[dfwgator]

Did you see him on MAD TV, when he played the five-minute psychologist. One of the most hillarious skits I've seen in years. Some neurotic lady talks about how she always fears being buried alive in a box, when she is done. Bob just simply says, "STOP IT!!! JUST DON'T DO IT." But she won't stop talking about her neuroses, to which Bob would always retort, "STOP IT!" But you've just got to see it if they show it on Comedy Central.

[Phlap]

"My real name is ... Corn Bread Maxwell!!"

Every Newhart fan knows what I mean

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Still completely buttoned down.

[manic4organic]

Best deadpan expression, ever.

[Uncle Fud]

My favorite comedian of all time.

The group therapy sessions on "Newhart" were convulsion-inducing funny, both Bob and the writers knew that the way to write for Newhart was to put him in a room filled with oddballs and just let him react. (This was forgotten in a couple of his later sitcom attempts and led to dismal results).

I still use his classic "King Kong" routine in my training lectures to point out the value of thinking for oneself instead of blindly following the book.

[katana]

The ending to his second series (it was all a dream) really was one of the most perfect moments in television comedy history. And I am pretty sure he didn't mind doing one more scene waking up next to Suzanne Pleshette.

[FlJoePa]

I loved his "Siamese Cat" bit. He talked about having to take his Siamese Cat to the Vets to get "fixed"...

He called him "Nutty George." lol

At the end he said the cat just sat on top of the television and stared at him.

[Uncle Fud]

Every Newhart fan knows what I mean

"You set fire to it, Walt!!!"

[Martin Tell]

OK, it's PBS. But I know what I will be watching tomorrow night.

Anyone remember the "Hi Bob!" drinking game?

[Restore]

"Provalone means to be FOR valone. Likewise antipasto means to be against pasto."

[Cat loving Texan]

The Bob Newhart show was great but so were his comedy albums. His tobacco bit is one of the funniest things I have ever heard. For those unfamiliar, he is taking a phone call from sir Walter Ralleigh on his shipment of tobacco to England. "Ah Wally, we've got pleanty of leaves around London already this time of year. Its not that kind of leaf. Let me see if I've got this straight, you take these leaves, roll them up in paper and set them on fire?"

[Millee]

I like the episode where Bob & the guys got drunk and ordered the "Moo-Goo-Goo-Goo!" Very funny show!

[RexBeach]

And "ice-ah box-ah" means "refrigerator."

Not to worry, I am a paisan.

Ciao, amico!

[discostu]

Newhart is one of the anchor points of bridging the generation gap between my mother and I, as long as I can remember I've found him hilarious, probably didn't get all the jokes when I was little, but the ones I did get killed.