CBS announced Friday that a new special celebrating the life of comedy icon Bob Newhart will air on the network and streaming service on Monday.
In a new Entertainment Tonight special, “Bob Newhart: A Legacy of Laughter,” set to air on CBS and Paramount+, Nischelle Turner will host the hour-long tribute to the late comedian, reflecting on his seven-decade career.
The special will feature never-before-seen interviews, including Newhart’s final interview from his Los Angeles home. Tributes will also be paid tribute to close friends and co-stars, including Jim Parsons, Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon, Jason Bateman and Michael Weatherly.
The Emmy Award-winning entertainer died after “a series of brief illnesses,” his longtime publicist, Jerry Digney, confirmed Thursday.
The beloved comedian rose to fame in 1960 with his debut comedy album, The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart, which won Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Album of the Year in 1961.
Newhart went on to write for and star in two sitcoms, “The Bob Newhart Show” for CBS from 1972 to 1978 and “Newhart” from 1982 to 1990. He was nominated for roles in those shows, but it wasn’t until 2013 that he won his first Emmy for his guest role in “The Big Bang Theory.”
He also received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2002.
The “Entertainment Tonight” special will also explore his personal life and the 60-year love story between him and his wife, Ginny, who passed away last year.
“Bob Newhart: A Legacy of Comedy” will be available on CBS on Monday and on Paramount+ for select subscribers with the Live TV add-on. Paramount+ Essential subscribers can stream the special on demand on Tuesday.