by Abb Jones
The Reelness

Comedian Bob Newhart, long considered one of the pioneers in television comedy and best known for his deadpan delivery, pauses and stammering, died at his home in Los Angeles Thursday morning following a series of brief illnesses.

In 1972, the former accountant born in Oak Park, Illinois got his big break, playing a clinical psychologist in what would become one of the most popular sitcoms of all time, The Bob Newhart Show. It featured a cast that included Suzanne Pleshette, Peter Bonerz, Marcia Wallace, Bill Daily and Jack Riley. Incredibly, the show never won any Emmys during its 142 episodes over six years.

Newhart returned to CBS in 1982 to star in Newhart, about an author turned proprietor of an inn in rural Vermont. Newhart also had an impressive cast that included Mary Frann, Tom Poston, Julia Duffy, Peter Scolari and William Sanderson as the character Larry along with brothers Darryl and Darryl. The series ended its eight-season run in 1990 with one of the funniest show finales in television history, when Newhart awakens in bed with his first TV wife Suzanne Pleshette in their Chicago apartment, suggesting that the entire second series was just a dream. Newhart’s first Emmy win came in 2013, for a guest acting appearance on The Big Bang Theory.

Newhart was married to Ginny Quinn for 60 years, until her death in April 2023 at the age of 82. Survivors include his children, Robert Jr., Timothy, Courtney and Jennifer, and 10 grandchildren.

Newhart was 94.