>>> 8:39. BACK WITH OUR ONGOING SERIES,
"TODAY LIVING LEGENDS." AL SPENT SOME TIME WITH A
LEGEND, IS RIGHT. BOB NEWHART.
>> WE LOVE BOB. MY GOD.
I GOT TO SIT DOWN WITH HIM AND SHARED A FEW LAUGHS AND A
CONVERSATION ABOUT HIS ROLE AS A COMIC ICON PAST AND PRESENT.
♪♪ >> THIS WENT TO NUMBER ONE ON
THE BILLBOARD CHARTS. THIS WENT TO NUMBER TWO.
>> Reporter: FOR CLOSE TO SICK DECADES, COMEDIAN BOB NEWHART
HAS MADE LAUGHING EASY. >> AMERICAN 715.
YOU HAVEN'T SEEN UNITED 209 UP THERE ANYWHERE, HAVE YOU?
>> Reporter: FROM HIS HIT SITCOMS -- TO GUEST APPEARANCES
ON SHOWS LIKE "THE BIG BANG THEORY."
>> WHY ISN'T IT EVER ANGIE DICKINSON'S BEDROOM?
>> Reporter: NEWHART'S COMEDY HAS BEEN FOR EVERYMAN.
HOW DOES A 30-YEAR-OLD ACCOUNTANT BREAK INTO STANDUP
COMEDY? >> I WASN'T A GOOD ACCOUNTANT.
AND PEOPLE WERE TELLING ME, YOU'RE FUNNY.
YOU OUGHT TO GO TO NEW YORK. SO, I SAID, I'M GOING TO GIVE
THIS A SHOT. AND THEN, I JUST ABOUT WAS READY
TO GO BACK TO ACCOUNTING. AND I GOT THIS RECORDING
CONTRACT. >> Reporter: THE BUTTON-DOWN
MIND OF BOB NEWHART WOULD WIN ALBUM AND NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
AT THE 1961 GRAMMYS. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME A COMEDIAN
HAD WON EITHER. >> IT WAS CRAZY.
IT EXPLODED. >> Reporter: ALMOST AN INSTANT
COMEDY CLASSIC. >> MOST COMEDIANS, MOST
STANDUPS, SPEND 20 YEARS IN THE
TRENCHES. I HAD TO LERNL AT THE TOP, WHICH
WAS TOUGH. >> Reporter: YOU BECAME KNOWN AS
THE GUY -- WE DIDN'T HEAR THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PHONE CALL.
KING KONG. >> YOU DON'T CARE WHAT I DO.
JUST GET THE APE OFF OF THE BUILDING.
THIS MAY COMPLICATE THINGS A LITTLE.
HE'S CARRYING A WOMAN IN HIS HAND, SIR.
>> THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE TELEPHONE CONVERSATION IS THAT
THE AUDIENCE IS SUPPLYING HALF OF IT.
THEY APPLAUD AND THEY REALLY ARE APPLAUDING THEMSELVES.
>> Reporter: IF YOU HAD TO START TODAY, DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD
MAKE IT? >> THE TIMING IS MUCH DIFFERENT
TODAY THAN WHEN I STARTED OUT. FOR INSTANCE, "THE BOB NEWHART
SHOW," SUSIE AND I HAVE A WONDERFUL SEEN.
>> 129, THAT'S GOOD, RIGHT? >> THAT'S VERY GOOD, BOB.
THAT'S ALMOST GIFTED. [ LAUGHTER ]
WHAT'S YOURS? >> OH, IT'S NOT IMPORTANT.
>> DON'T BE EMBARRASSED. I HAD FOUR MORE YEARS OF COLLEGE
THAN YOU HAD. I'M A Ph.D.
>> BOB, IT'S 151. >> IT TOOK 1:30 TO SET THAT LINE
UP. AND IT WAS WORTH IT.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN TAKE 1:30 TODAY.
BOB NEWHART" SHOW AND "NEWHART," YOU BROKE THE MOLD, UP UNTIL
EVERY SITCOM I EVER WATCHED, IT WAS A HUSBAND AND A WIFE AND
THEY HAD THE KIDS. YOU GUYS DIDN'T DO THAT.
>> THAT'S NOT THE KIND OF TV SHOW I WANT TO DO.
SUSAN AND I HAD HER OWN LIFE. SHE WAS A CAREER WOMAN.
IT WAS DIFFERENT. >> Reporter: YOU HAD THIS
REMARKABLE CAREER. WHAT ADVICE HAVE YOU GIVEN YOUR
KIDS AND GRANDKIDS? >> JUST HAVE FUN.
DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. ESPECIALLY NOW.
WE LOST DON. YOU FIND OUT ALL THE AWARDS.
THEY'RE NOT ALL THAT IMPORTANT. >> DON IS MY BEST FRIEND.
WHICH JUST GIVES YOU SOME IDEA THE DIFFICULTY I HAVE IN MAKING
FRIENDS. >> Reporter: BOB AND DON RICKLES
HAD A FRIENDSHIP THAT LASTED OVER 50 YEARS.
WHAT WAS IT ABOUT HIM? >> I DON'T KNOW.
WE HAD A GREAT TIME. OUR WIVES GOT ALONG.
WE TRAVELED TOGETHER. I HOPE EVERYBODY HAS ASS CLOSE
FRIEND AS WE HAD. >> Reporter: DO YOU KNOW WHAT
YOUR LEGACY, HOW YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED?
>> I HAD A MARRIAGE THAT'S LASTED 54 YEARS, WHICH I CREDIT
A LOT WITH LAUGHTER. PEOPLE COME UP TO ME AND SAY,
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE LAUGHTER.
AND I SAY IT WAS MY PLEASURE. IT WAS MY PLEASURE.
>> JUST AMAZING. HIS WIFE, JENNY, WAS A DELIGHT,
AS WELL. SHE HAD COME IN WITH THE
INTERVIEW. THEY HAD A LIFELONG LOVE AFFAIR
WITH THE RICKLES, AS WELL. >> I LOVE THIS SERIES.
>> I DO,