Smallscreen News

Hallmark Channel TV Marathon May 27: 40th TV Anniversary for Bob Newhart

By April MacIntyre May 14, 2012, 13:06 GMT

Bob Newhart has been entertaining the English-speaking world for a half-century and was recently Emmy-nominated as “Best Supporting Actor in a Movie or Mini-Series” for his turn in TNT’s “The Librarian.”

Bob Newhart has been entertaining the English-speaking world for a half-century and was recently Emmy-nominated as “Best Supporting Actor in a Movie or Mini-Series” for his turn in TNT’s “The Librarian.”

Newhart is also being feted by Hallmark Channel for the 40th anniversary in 2012 of “The Bob Newhart Show” (Hallmark Channel plans a 12 hour marathon Sun,, May 27, beginning at 10AM).

Bob recently was inducted into the Illinois Broadcasters “Hall of Fame,” and as he celebrates his 50th anniversary in show business he’s kicked off the year with a calendar-packed series of live concerts in both the U.S. and Canada.

Newhart’s enjoyed a lifetime of TV stardom, numerous accolades, including the coveted “Mark Twain Prize,” and a starring role in two of TV’s biggest comedy hits.

In 2009, the NAB, the National Association of Broadcasters, presented the veteran entertainer with its “Hall of Fame” Award at a gala in Las Vegas, the site of some of Newhart’s biggest stand up triumphs, performed alongside friends such as Frank Sinatra.

TNT’s THE LIBRARIAN: THE CURSE OF THE JUDAS CHALICE, starring Bob, Noah Wyle and Jane Curtin, recently premiered on DVD, and talk of a fourth “Librarian” film for Turner/TNT is in the works.

Background

Signed to a record contract by Warner Bros. in 1959, a comedy recording of his early stand up act hit a nerve and became a huge best seller in 1960, winning multiple Grammy® awards, including “Album of the Year” and “Best New Artist,” simultaneously sitting atop the number one and two positions on the Billboard charts for many weeks, a record only broken by the hard rock band, Guns ‘N Roses.

Newhart was nominated for a 2006 Grammy® award for the spoken word version of the book and appeared alongside host Conan O’Brien at the Emmy® Awards, becoming a part of TV history as the man who kept the awards show from running past three hours.

“I guess the American public didn’t feel threatened by me,” says Newhart, who still plays to sold out concerts across the country.

“The Bob Newhart Show” (via Mary Tyler Moore’s MTM Productions) ran on CBS TV from 1972-78, followed by the successful “Newhart” series, also originally on CBS.

PBS recently saluted Newhart’s career in an “American Masters” presentation, and his first ever book, the hardcover edition of “I Shouldn’t Even Be Doing This,” was a New York Times bestseller.  A recent guest appearance on TV’s top drama, “NCIS,” drew more critical acclaim and Newhart was an early inductee into the TV Academy’s “Hall of Fame.”

Since 1962, Mr. Newhart has appeared in 14 feature films, including “Elf,” “In and Out” and “Catch 22” and provided character voices for major animated films.  

        The paperback edition of his best seller, “I Shouldn’t Even Be Doing This” (Hyperion Books), is currently in bookstores. (www.bobnewhart.com)