good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley. we're just a week away from the start of major league baseball. and for the first time in 108 years, the cubs are the defending champions. it forced bob newhart to change his act. the world's second-most cub fan was delighted. we'll talk about "newhart", which was just released on dvd. we're glad you joined us, legendary comedian, bob newhart coming up right now. ♪

♪ and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪ ♪ so pleased to welcome bob newhart back to this program. he has delighted us with his comedy for more than 50 years, and this month, the final season of his show "newhart" was released on dvd, including the

finale. here is the famous scene from the newhart series finale. >> honey. [ laughter ] [cheers and applause] >> honey, wake up. you won't believe the dream i just had. don't you want to hear about it? [cheers and applause] >> all right, bob. what is it? >> i was an inkeeper in this crazy little town in vermont. [ laughter ] >> that was one of the best endings ever. >> and my wife's idea.

>> your wife's idea. >> she came up with it. yeah. yeah. we were in the sixth year. the show went eight years, that's the eighth year. in the sixth year i was kind of unhappy with cbs. they were moving us around and putting in shows in front of us and behind us. and we were at a christmas party. and we were waiting, you had your picture taken with the guests, the people's home we at. and i said, you know, honey, i said i think this is going to be the last year of the show. and she said, she said you ought to end it in a dream sequence, because everything was so crazy. it was so surreal. the maid was an heiress. and larry, daryl and daryl who i thought were straight out of

deliv deliverance. what were they doing in vermont? so i said that's a great idea. so suzy. we told her. she says, if i'm in timbuktu, i'll be back in a new york minute. >> yeah. >> and the audience didn't know. you could tell by their reaction. >> it was a total surprise. >> they didn't even see suzy or myself. they saw the bedroom set, and they knew it was from the "bob newhart" show. and they started applauding the bedroom set. >> it was a great surprise if ever there was one. you remember talking before we came on camera here, and i was saying to you in some ways, speaking of suzanne pleshette, you're the last man standing, mary fran is gone. tom poston is gone. you're 88 this year? >> i'll be 88 in september. >> 88 in september. what -- >> still foolin' them. [ laughter ] >> still makin' them laugh.

what do you make of the fact, you're so blessed, that's my word, not yours. >> no, i feel the same way. i've been very blessed. we were talking during makeup. and we were talking about the first album. the very first album, a comedy record. >> still in chicago then. >> i was in chicago. >> still living in your parents' home at the time. >> that's right. we recorded in houston, texas. and we thought it might just go, you know, maybe 10,000 records. >> yeah. >> and it went, it just went crazy, all over the country. and it went to number one and then the number two album, i had the number one and number two album. then the number two album went to number one. so then i had the number one and number two album for like 20 weeks, but i didn't even know it. i didn't know i had the record. so my daughter, who her husband was in the music business. he, she called me up, and she

said, dad, you know you just lost a record. and i said what was that? she said well, guns and roses has had the number one and number two album longer than you had it. and i said, well, at least it went to a friend. you know. [ laughter ] axel and i, we talk all the time. >> after all these years, you mentioned a moment ago, so you're still doing, what? you got a dozen shows a year? >> i do about ten. >> about ten shows a year? >> ten, 12 shows a year. standup. >> and what does that consistent of? is it classic stuff, new stuff, a mixture? >> it's a mixture. i'll do one or two from the album. >> from the album, yes, sir. >> and then the rest is all just observations on this crazy world that we live in.

and it is true, the only way to survive is to laugh. >> to laugh, yeah. >> that's the only way. my wife and i, we're married 50 years, in january, 54 years. and someone once asked me, what's reason? i said i think laughter. >> yeah. >> has a lot to do with how long our marriage lasts. and it's true among comedians. jack benny was married to mary for a long time. george burns, buddy hackett. i mean, there's something about laughter and the longevity of a marriage. >> yeah. what do you make of the fact that stuff that you did on record 50 years ago still kills in front of an audience a half a century later? >> luck. >> yeah. >> i mean, i didn't plan it, you know. >> but the joke, i mean, you don't tell jokes, you tell stories, but the material. it says something about the

material. >> well, because it's still true. i mean, the first, i had the driving instructor. >> the funny stuff. >> then i had the submarine commander, which is about being in service. >> mm-hm. >> and that still exists. >> yeah. >> and then i had abe lincoln. you know, talking to his press agent. and i mean, that's even more prevalent than it was 50 years ago. >> yeah. trying to imagine abe lincoln talking to sean spicer. what a conversation. >> he'd get mad at him. >> which leads me to this. if you had done it, i have never seen you do it. you don't really, you don't really toil in political >> no. >> stuff. in your standup. >> no. >> why, why have you avoided that, number one, because it seems to me that nowadays, these trump jokes are writing

themselves. >> yeah. he's, well, you lose half your audience. that's one reason. [ laughter ] >> okay. >> i never got into that. >> yeah. >> i didn't feel that was my role. >> yeah. >> to convince people of the way i felt. >> mm-hm. >> i mean, because they like me or television series or they enjoy my albums, that's no reason to vote for a person i'm going to vote for. i just never felt that was my -- >> yeah. i want to circle back to this "newhart" series, and the series, of course, before that. those series are still playing on tv somewhere it seems. i watch the bob newhart, i love that me tv channel. i watch it all the time. to what do you attribute the

fact that again those shows, like the jokes on those records are still playing and people are still laughing at the material? >> well, people tell me that. you know, they, they just, they go back to that time in their life, and it was very sfepecialo them. the world wasn't nearly as crazy as it is today. politically, it wasn't nearly as crazy as it is today. and they just go back to those, to that time and a wonderful time in their life. plus great actors. i mean, a great cast and great writing. >> yeah. >> i mean, that was, my secret was to get a great cast and great writing and then take all the credit myself. [ laughter ] >> and it worked. >> do you watch, do you watch anything today? comedy stuff on tv? >> "modern family."

>> yeah. >> "this is us." of course "big bang theory." >> you're involved in that, yeah. >> and i kind of avoid watching the one-camera comedy shows. they're sterile. as you can tell on that, that was a live audience. and everybody, i mean, mary tyler moore and "all in the family" and us, every show did a show in front of a live audience, because you got that feedback. and the writers had to write better. today some of them walk through the door and say hi, and there's a huge laugh. what's funny about "hi"? i don't know. >> i take your point. if you, just imagine with me for a second, how do you figure that you would fit in, how do you figure you would do, this may be

an unfair question, if you were starting your comedy career now, versus 50 years ago? >> i'd probably sell about 20,000 records, i think. instead of 1.5 million. >> why do you say that? >> there's a different, well, i've had to adjust to it on "the big bang theory." it actually started with "laugh-in." i was playing vegas, the desert inn and sands, and i was doing my record material. and i noticed when "laugh-in" came on, like the attention span of the audience became shorter and shorter and shorter. >> mm-hm. >> and so i had to compress the original down to, you know, where the audience was. and it's even more true today. i mean, we would, suzy and i had a scene where we both took up an i.q. test. and it must have taken a minute

and a half to set up, set up the joke. and the story was, it was a beautifully-written joke. but, yeah. we took an i.q. test. and i, i said to suzy, i said, money, you never told me what, what, how i did on the i.q. test, and she said, well, bob, i don't think it's that important that you know. i said, honey, i mean, you know, i have four more years of college than you. she said, well, yours was 119. i said that's good. she said that's gifted. i said, that's gifted. well, what was yours? and she says i don't know. honey, don't, i had four years of college. don't, she said mine was 122. i said, well, mine was 119, and yours was 122, which is a

difference, which and she said, three. [ laughter ] >> we love it. >> but that took us a minute. >> yeah. >> you don't have that kind of time now. the audience, their attention span is just less. it's bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. joke, bang. jo joke, bang. >> how difficult was it to adjust to that style given the way of' done you've done it all years. >> you have to. you just have to. >> your style is to set it up, to massage it and lather it until you get it. >> in today's world, if you want to survive in it, you have to adjust to, you know, jack benny was one of the great adjustors to time.

>> yeah. yeah. you feel it out. you're still doing it. it's been a great conversation so far, but now we get to the fun stuff. >> all right. >> so when you were here last year -- >> what was this? >> as soon as that came out of my mouth, i said, i'm walking into that joke, chin up, booty out. yeah, you can't talk to these comedians, man, especially legends like bob newhart. what i was trying to get at, mr. newhart, when you last sat in that chair, the chicago cubs were not the world champions that they are. and now they get to start a new season in just a few days. >> that's right. >> with that distinction, you have been a life-long cubs fan. where were you, just take the time, sit it up. where were you, how did you process it, how did you feel about it? you've been living with this your whole life. >> i was 16 years old in chicago. >> mm-hm. >> and the cubs won 1945.

the cubs won the national league pennant. and they had this big parade down lasalle street, and we were all riding in convertibles and waving. i was a 16-year-old kid waving at bill cavaretta. and that was 70, 71 years ago. that was in 1945. now 1945 was the end of world war ii. and most able-bodied men were off to war. which was the last time the cubs won the national league pennant. [ laughter ] all the able-bodied men were off to war. [ laughter ] so i waited exactly one year, and then i got to see the cubs

win the pennant. the tweeting started, i was at home, i was watching. it was a dodger game. >> mm-hm. >> and the cubs were down like bottom of the eighth. and the dodgers were ahead 5-3. 5-3. >> mm-hm. >> so the cubs are up. now the guy's got on base, you hit a home run, the cubs are ahead, 6-5. now bottom of the ninth. and they bring in chapman, right, 105 miles per hour he throws the ball. he strikes out the side. so i sent a tweet to one of the people i knew in the cub organization. i said, look, i'm 87 years old. i can't take this, you know. [ laughter ] will you please have them score more runs? [ laughter ] so they talked to the cub players, and they said, bob,

would you mind -- [ laughter ] i do an impression, i say 105 miles per hour, i do an impression of benny against chapman. okay, come on, baby. let's see what you got. bang! i mean, see what you got, baby. [ laughter ] he hasn't thrown it yet, what the -- [ laughter ] >> so how then did you process, so that's the dodgers series. anwent and i went to two of those games, all right. how did you process the final round where these guys are in chicago, have a couple chances to close it out and they can't. how did you handle that? >> not well. [ laughter ] >> no, i tweeted every time the ku cubs won. they sent me a "w" flag, and

would wouwe would take a picture with the flag in the background. but i was sure when the cubs were down two games, i said it's over, okay. and then they went to cleveland, and they won it. and there was, it was incredible. >> remarkable fashion. >> yeah, and they, i'm waiting for the day when they say, we've got to break up the cubs, you know? [ laughter ] like the yankees, break them up. everybody knows they're going to win. >> yeah. that would be some day. >> that would be some day. >> is it true, either i heard or read somewhere that you were quite an athlete in your day. >> well, you wouldn't think so. >> yeah. [ laughter ] >> i heard some laughter. apparently they think so here. football, played football. >> yeah. >> running back.

and the, in high school and then college. i thought i'd get a scholarship, but i had, you know, on the fake handoff into the line, you know. >> yeah. >> i'd yell out "i don't have it"! [ laughter ] i didn't want to get all right. >> i'm sweatin', man, you got me laughin' so hard. i'm sweatin'. we got the air conditioner on, fan blowing, i'm just sweatin'. you're killing me. [ laughter ] >> now i play in the celebrity sportswriters, at dodgers stadium. first time i played in, they put me in right field. chuck connors, remember. >> yeah. yeah. yeah. >> he was a first baseman for the cubs.

and my father-in-law, bill quinn, he was a bartender on rifle men. so i'm playing right field. and i don't want to embarrass him in any way. so i'm playing right field. nothing's hit, and i'm very happy nothing's hit toward me. [ laughter ] somebody, the ball starts tailing off, coming to right field. so i'm running like hell. and i see it. and i dive. and i'm like this on the grass. i'm sliding along in the grass like this. and i stop. the ball landed about there. [ laughter ] and i'm on, i'm here. looking at the ball. [ laughter ] so now -- [ laughter ] now i'm pitching. they let me pitch. >> right. >> which is a thrill. i never thought i'd be on a major league mound.

>> mm-hm. >> and you know, 15,000 people, there's a cub, a dodger game afterwards. >> right. >> but people would show up. so i'm there, and i'm on the mound. and you got to, it's hardball. you got to, it's not softball. so i figure, okay, i'm going to give them my heat. >> give them the heat, bob, give them the heat. >> i start out with my heat, with my fastball. my fastball's around 46, 47 miles per hour. [ laughter ] >> it's gone as high as 48, but 46, 47. now it started out, i started out, the only pitch i had was a changeup. >> right. >> and they said, well, you've got to get another pitch, otherwise you can't have a changeup. [ laughter ] i said, okay. i'll have another pitch. so then i get the screwball.

that's my best pitch, throw it like that. >> mm-hm. >> that's about 22, 23 miles per hour. and my sinker, which i call it a sinker, but it just ran out of velocity. [ laughter ] just dropped, but i call it a sinker. [ laughter ] but sometimes it would sink four or five feet in front of the batter. so that's my, my career in sports. [ laughter ] you're a graeat audience. >> i'm dying over here. growing up in chicago, you could have fallen in love with the bulls or certainly, you know, the bears. >> yeah. >> why baseball for you? >> well, my dad was a cubs fan. he was a white sox fan. and so i, being a rebel, i

naturally gravitated toward the cubs, and i found the white sox were very dull. as a team. compared to the cubs. because they'd, they'd have nellie cox, you know, work or walk. and then al paricio. and nellie would score and they'd win 1-0, you know. just boring team, you know. but with the cubs, you never knew, you know, well, like in the world series. >> you never know. >> you have no idea. >> all right, i'm done with this. my god, look at this, it's embarrassing, gee, my makeup, it's like stop the camera, this is horrible. it's over now, it's okay. and i apologize for just sweatin' like a pig in slop, but

bob newhart, this is kind of what happens, that's why you're not comin' back next week. >> all right, okay. >> making me look bad on camera. >> the final season of "newhart" is on dvd. the new season, the world champion chicago cubs, the team of bob newhart. you are welcome back anytime, sir, but not next week. that's tavis tonight, thanks for watching. ago alwa as always, keep the faith. ♪ for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. i'm tavis smiley. join me next time for david alan grier next time, w'll see you then. ♪

and by contributions to your pbs station by viewers like you. thank you. ♪

-today on "america's test kitchen," julia and bridget share the secrets to foolproof oatmeal cookies. adam reviews prep bowls with bridget. lisa reviews the best pie carriers, and elle makes julia outstanding ultra-nutty pecan bars. it's all coming up right here on "america's test kitchen." "america's test kitchen" is brought to you by the following -- fisher & paykel. since 1934, fisher & paykel has been designing