bob newhart: i didn't want to do the standard family show. i'm sure he has girlfriends but he denies it. bob: well, of course... todd's 13 now. mark tinker: the fact that so many people in hollywood were hitting the couch, probably opened the doors for the setting of the show. bob newhart: i enjoyed the oddity of the people. bob: what seems to be your problem, stan? stan: bob, you have no idea what it's like to be incredibly good looking. bob newhart: i go into my office and there's a ventriloquist. guy: well doctor, frank here wants to break up the act and go on out on his own. caryn james: the bob newhart show is kind of a model for how to do the workplace comedy. you bring together all these eccentric types and it works so brilliantly because of bob newhart's voice. jerry: hey bob! they're flipping the coin, you're going to miss the whole thing here! bob: right. honey, i know you put a lot of thought and effort and energy into this dinner tonight. emily: bob, are you going to ask me if you can eat in front of the television set? bob: event

because it's bob newhart.phenomenon that i've noticed is that if you grew up watching someone on tv and they were special to you, they become -- they're godlike. then you meet super-famous people your age later in life. they can't resonate with you the same way. >> jimmy: right. >> you know what i mean? >> jimmy: same with athletes, too. >> some of the biggest stars in the world, best athletes in the world. but i still think about the 1975 boston red sox. i still think about bob newhart and what he meant to me. his records, his show. so he and ginni would come to that party, and it was really incredibly meaningful to me to get to know him. and he was -- and you were there when he was there. >> jimmy: bob's family asked you to speak at his funeral service, correct? >> yeah. and -- they asked me to speak at his funeral, which you need to know, in case anyone's not familiar, bob newhart was famous for doing a telephone bit. it's how his career really started. you'd just hear his part of the conversation on the ph

in fact, i have a great photo here of you, steve, and bob newhart.unny. it is so funny. carl reiner directed that. >> carl reiner directed it. the wonderful part is i used to ride in the car in the morning with him to go to work. and they'd be writing the movie in the car. >> jimmy: really? >> yeah. and especially -- i remember one morning the scene where i'm -- i'm supposed to be -- i'm asleep, and he's next to me going, "you know, i've only known you two weeks, but it really feels like two years because the first hour really felt like ten hours, and the second day really felt like three weeks." and he went through this whole thing in his head. and that happened in the car. going to work. >> jimmy: really? >> yeah. >> jimmy: i remember him picking out a thermos for you, for you, and yeah. i mean, that's -- boy, to work with those two guys. >> i know. >> jimmy: you and steve to me were the most -- this is the couple that i was like, oh, my god, would these people please adopt me and take me away from this family? [ laughter ] >> was that when you wer

. >> jimmy: you were there with bob newhart. >> i was. >> jimmy: how long did you guys do that show?with -- don rickles would come over. >> jimmy: oh, that's great. >> with his life. and steve and eydie would come over. that was exciting. >> reporter: was that dieting for you to be in the middle of all that, and did don make fun of you? >> a little bit. >> jimmy: a little bit. did you want him to make fun of you? >> no, i was afraid. you didn't want don rickles to -- >> jimmy: one of my all-time favorite movies was "the jerk" which you made with steve martmar martin. [ cheers and applause ] i have a photo here. if you pay attention, steve's just missing your face with that fork. this movie, did you ever go back and batwatch "the jerk"? >> not really, no. [ laughter ] >> jimmy: oh, man, is it funny. carl reiner directed that. >> carl reiner directed it. the wonderful part is i used to ride in the car in the morning with him to go to work. and they'd be writing a movie in the car. >> jimmy: really? >> yeah. and especially -- i remember one morning the scene where i'm -- i'm supposed to