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Bob Newhart, sitcom star and deadpan comedy legend, dies at 94

Bob Newhart, the legendary standup comedian and actor, has died at 94 after a series of illnesses, his publicist confirmed.

Obviously, we cherished his delivery of a line as well: the pauses, the stutters, the sudden bursts of exasperation as this gifted man – who always occupied the sane, quiet center – finally got pushed over the edge. Comic justice was done when he finally received the TV Academy's highest honor in 2013 for his portrayal of Professor Proton on "The Big Bang Theory," a recurring role that introduced Newhart to a new generation of sitcom fans. Newhart was Bob Hartley, a Chicago psychologist with a smart, gorgeous wife, Emily (Pleshette); a thriving practice featuring memorable patients (one feared geese); and an orbiting circle of offbeat friends and colleagues played by, among others, Bill Daily, Peter Bonerz, Marcia Wallace and Tom Poston.

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