Statue immortalises Newhart

A statue has been erected to veteran American comic Bob Newhart in Chicago.

The bronze figure shows him as Dr Robert Hartley, the character he played in The Bob Newhart Show which ran from 1972 to 1978.

Newhart, 74, said he viewed the statue, near the offices which featured in the show’s opening credits, as a "tribute to the writing and to the cast".

The life-size bronze sculpture was commissioned by cable channel TV Land, which airs the show’s repeats. It depicts Newhart's character sitting in a chair next to an empty sofa.

Newhart sat on the sofa at the unveiling and said: "Ooomph!  This may come as a surprise to you, but bronze is not as soft as it looks.”

Published: 28 Jul 2004