For over six decades, Bob Newhart was the most reliable comedic actor working. His deadpan, employed with unparalleled mastery on projects ranging from The Bob Newhart Show to Elf and, in recent years, The Big Bang Theory, was a guarantee: He was going to deliver a line in a way that was going to make you howl.
But for all that reliability—that guarantee—his greatest tool may actually be the element of surprise. For proof of that, look no further than what I consider one of the greatest TV comedy moments of all time: the final episode of Newhart.
Newhart died Thursday at age 94. I hate that it takes moments like this to inspire a look back at a person’s career and talent. The wonderful thing about Newhart, however, is that, because of his longevity and the sheer magnitude of his comedic gifts, we’ve never stopped celebrating him. And me personally: I’m frequently going back and revisiting this clip.
