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Thursday, 20 November 2008
Bob Newhart and Other Tales

Over a spot of decent wine recently my good pal Bob Fanning (ex-lead guitarist & vocalist with The Chosen Few) and I were reminiscing about Bob Newhart. As the wine flowed we fell into imitating some of his classic routines.

 

Remember Walter Raleigh telephoning to introduce tobacco? So you shred it up Walt, put it in some paper don’t tell me Walt – you put it between your lips then what do you do, Walt? You set fire to it! Then what Walt? You inhale the smoke! Walt, we’ve been a little worried about you lately , you’re going to have a tough time Walt getting people to stick burning leaves in their mouth. Possibly the greatest single comedy routine I’ve ever heard. Full Text

 

Well, it inevitably led to the conclusion that whatever the generation, whoever the comic funny will always be funny.

 

Not for the first time in my life I found myself between jobs. I wasn’t just resting; I was virtually in a coma. Then my agent came up with a part for me in the 80’s TV crime series Hard Cases. A vacant two-storey office premise on the edge of Nottingham had been taken over by the studio and temporarily converted into a police station with a neon sign outside and police cars parked on the forecourt. Very early one morning the full cast of men & women in police uniform were lounging around in the reception area waiting as the crew prepared the office interior for filming. Some sat on chairs reading newspapers while others lay dozing on the floor and staircase. Believing he had stopped off at a legitimate Police Station a lorry driver appeared in the doorway and asked for directions. Knowing the city I told him whilst he just stared bewildered around him. He never questioned what must have appeared to him to be the human remnants of a heavy night. He left, bemused, without saying anything

 
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