Bob Newhart Tribute Special to Air on ‘Entertainment Tonight’

CBS announced Friday that a new special honoring the life of comedy icon Bob Newhart will air on the network and its streaming services on Monday. 

The new “Entertainment Tonight” special, entitled “Bob Newhart: A Legacy of Laughter,” is set to air on CBS and Paramount+. Nischelle Turner will host the one-hour tribute to the late comedian, reminiscing on his career spanning seven decades. 

The special will feature never-before-seen interviews, including Newhart’s last from his home in Los Angeles. Other close friends and costars will pay their respects, including Jim Parsons, Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon, Jason Bateman and Michael Weatherly.

The Emmy Award-winning entertainer died after a “series of short illnesses,” his longtime publicist Jerry Digney confirmed on Thursday.  

The beloved comedian made a name for himself in 1960 with his debut comedy album “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart,” which won him Best New Artist and Album of the Year at the Grammys in 1961.  

Newhart then wrote and starred in two sitcoms on CBS, “The Bob Newhart Show” from 1972-78 and “Newhart” from 1982-1990. He was nominated for the shows, but did not receive his first Emmy Award until 2013, winning for his guest star spot on “The Big Bang Theory.”

He was also honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2002. 

The “Entertainment Tonight” special will also highlight his personal life and his 60-year love story with his wife Ginnie, who died just last year.

“Bob Newhart: A Legacy of Laughter” will be available to watch on CBS Monday and on Paramount+ for some subscribers with live TV add-on. Paramount+ Essential subscribers will be able to stream the special on demand Tuesday.