Bob Newhart's Funniest Jokes On The Tonight Show That Still Hold Up Today

Bob Newhart's Funniest Jokes On The Tonight Show That Still Hold Up Today Bob Newhart never reached for a laugh. That was the whole trick. While other comedians pushed toward the punchline, Newhart pulled away from it — delivering the most absurd lines with the mild concern of a man reading a slightly disappointing weather report. Johnny Carson understood the technique perfectly. He used it himself. Which is why their chemistry worked unlike almost any other guest pairing in Tonight Show history. Tonight Newhart explains why German people find American humor confusing — specifically why naming a bald man Curly makes no logical sense. He describes playing to 14 people in Australia, then 9, then none. His wife wanders into the wrong kind of massage parlor in Sydney. And he presents the worst routine he ever wrote — a bit about the first civilian to visit Mars that died every single night for years. He kept it in the act anyway. Because the premise was good. Even if the audience never agreed. This is what happened when two comedians who both refused to oversell a joke sat down together. Nobody reached for anything. And that's exactly why it worked. #bobnewhart #JohnnyCarson #latenighttv