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.
Some of us still remember when “typing classes” had to be taken on actual typewriters
A few of us can still recall the days when “typing classes” required using real typewriters.
It is almost impossible to imagine that there was a period when typing had a tactile, almost rhythmic quality in an era when computerized screens rule our communication.
Our fingers danced across keys in a complete ten-finger ballet, not the constrained choreography meant for smartphones.
The medium for this dance was the typewriter, the mysterious device that ran on paper and ambition and required no electricity at all.
The late 1800s saw a great deal of advancement in communication technology, which is when the typewriter first came into being. Relics from this era are housed at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, where curator Kristen Gallerneaux shows that the typewriter was not an immediate hit.
Its origins were largely due to Milwaukee printer Christopher Sholes and Carlos Glidden, who were inspired by a magazine article to design what would eventually become the first typewriter to be commercially successful.
The invention of Sholes and Glidden, who called it after themselves, was a technical miracle. It struck a compromise between the precision necessary for legible typing and the need for durability to withstand users’ need to “bang away on the keys.”
The typewriter took a while to become well-known despite its inventiveness; it didn’t take off until 1874.
The typewriter was a marvel of design as much as a technological achievement. The QWERTY keyboard layout, which was popularized by the Sholes and Glidden typewriter and is still in use today due to its efficiency in minimizing letter jamming by separating frequently used pairings, was introduced.
Centuries later, this keyboard layout’s answer to a mechanical issue unintentionally influenced how we use them.
The typewriter started to change the American workplace by the late 1880s. A notable change was brought about by the invention of the typewriter, which at first was used mostly by men.
By 1910, women accounted for nearly 80% of professional typists, a significant shift in the office setting.
This change was a social revolution that redefined gender roles in the workplace, not merely a technological one.
Innovations like the Nodin typewriter were the result of the search for a quieter typing experience. Its moniker, a witty reference to its silent functioning, perfectly captured the way typewriter design has continued to advance.
Even though the Nodin is a unique find, its presence demonstrates the inventive lengths inventors were willing to go to in order to enhance typing.
We haven’t even discussed electric typewriters in our history, which added a new level of convenience and noise to the typing experience. Nonetheless, early typewriters’ tactile feedback and straightforward mechanics have left a lasting impression on those who have used them.
Many individuals still enjoy listening to the old-fashioned clickity-clack sound of the keys.
The story takes a pleasant detour and returns to the act of typing. One of these old machines is available for you to type on, thanks to the curator at the Henry Ford Museum. The sensation serves as a sharp reminder of how physically demanding typing on a typewriter is, in sharp contrast to how natural typing on a modern keyboard is.
It’s a nostalgic moment that serves as a reminder of the development of writing technology and the timeless allure of typing.
The typewriter is a link to a lost era of communication because of its intricate mechanical design and lengthy history. It is a sentimental stroll down memory lane for those who recall. It’s an invitation to those who are unfamiliar with typing to discover the tactile delights of a world where words were created physically and each letter carried weight.
The typewriter is a monument to the human need for connection, communication, and creation even as we enter the digital age.
Watch the video below to find out more about the complex and fascinating history of the common typewriter! Kindly DISPLAY this to your loved ones.
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