TV Quote of the Day (‘The Bob Newhart Show,’ In Which Bob Flashes an Unlikely Bit of Machismo)

Emily Hartley [played by Suzanne Pleshette]: “Bob, that boy just winked at me.”

Dr. Robert “Bob” Hartley [played by Bob Newhart]: “You want me to beat him up?”— The Bob Newhart Show, Season 2, Episode 17, “The Modernization of Emily,” original air date Jan 12, 1974, teleplay by Charlotte Brown, directed by Peter Baldwin

In the Seventies, my two favorite sitcoms were All in the Family and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Whenever I happened to watch their later mainstay in CBS’ Saturday night lineup, The Bob Newhart Show, I would chuckle but not guffaw, as I did with its two powerhouse lead-ins.

Since then, I have gone back and watched episodes of this six-season series, and its gentle, understated tone has worn well with time, reflecting the sure comic instincts of its star.

After six nominations, Bob Newhart finally won an Emmy Award, at age 84, with his hilarious guest appearance as “Professor Proton,” a former science TV show host turned children's party entertainer, on The Big Bang Theory.

The entertainment industry lost one of its greats yesterday with the passing of Newhart. His comic style— deadpan, mild-mannered, without an ounce of meanness—reflected, by all accounts, the personality of this beloved star.