Comedy legend Bob Newhart is guest starring in tonight’s The Big Bang Theory on CBS and he spoke about enjoying working on the show and even said that he’s a fan.
“I love the writing on it; it's intelligent and you can't see the jokes coming,” he said about the top-rated sitcom on TV in an interview with USA Today. He praised the writers for coming up with the role of Professor Proton, noting “they wrote to my strengths.”
“He's been a hero of mine since I was a kid, going back to his standup days in the '60s,” Big Bang creator Chuck Lorre recalled. He said that as a young writer, he would sneak onto the Bob Newhart Show sets. “I would sit there and take it in.”
He also described Newhart as “visiting royalty,” noting that when he arrived for the taping, the audience went wild.
“We've had so many people on our show who are such fine actors, but until he came on I had yet to meet somebody on our set where I felt, 'Oh my god, you exist!'” star Jim Parsons told USA Today. “As soon as he opens his mouth you found yourself familiar with his entire essence, and it takes real talent to get that across to viewers.”
While speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Newhart, 83, recalled working on the Warner Bros. lot, where Big Bang is filmed. “It was a great time. Both shows,” he recalled. “We had a great cast and great writers and that's the secret. I learned that you get great people and great writers and then you take all the credit yourself.”
Here’s a scene from tonight’s episode:
image: CBS