Give him brevity or give him death
Comedy great Bob Newhart delivered yet another memorable bit during the 58th Emmy Awards in 2006, one where he found himself “trapped” in a glass case with only three hours of air. If the ceremony ran long, he would suffocate. The 92-year-old, still very much alive, says show host Conan O’Brien came up with the premise. “Conan has been a good friend for a long time, and he called me up with the idea .... If the academy wanted [my death] on their minds, then the show would run over three hours,” says Newhart, whose hit series “The Bob Newhart Show” celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. “It seems like yesterday,” he says looking back on the beloved sitcom. “Its success is a tribute to the writers. We used to say on set if you don’t have good writing, all you have is actors bumping into each other. So if anyone wants to steal my secret, that’s it. Get good writing and good people and you’ll laugh.”