Bob Newhart's co-star, Suzanne Pleshette, dies at 70 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

PZelda · 01-20-2008, 05:01 PM

I can't believe it!! I adored Suzanne Pleshette a lot.

http://ca.reuters.com/article/entert...38398020080120

Suzanne Pleshette of "Newhart" fame dies at 70
Sun Jan 20, 2008 2:27pm EST

By Alexandria Sage

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Suzanne Pleshette, best known as the feisty but level-headed wife of Bob Newhart on television's 1970's hit "The Bob Newhart Show," has died at age of 70, friends said on Sunday.

Pleshette died of respiratory failure at her Los Angeles home on Saturday, friends and associates told local media. She had received chemotherapy for lung cancer in 2006 and had appeared at a "Bob Newhart" reunion in September in a wheelchair.

The raven-haired Pleshette, trained for the stage in New York, became a regular on television shows in the 1970s and 1980s and most recently appeared in a recurring role on NBC's "Will & Grace."

But she was best loved as the no-nonsense Emily Hartley, foil to the wry Bob Newhart, on "The Bob Newhart Show" from 1972 to 1978.

With her saucy wit, throaty voice and flair for comedy, Pleshette was the antithesis of the traditional staid American television wife and the on-screen dynamic between the two leads guaranteed the show legions of fans.

Born January 31, 1937, in New York City, Pleshette attended Manhattan's High School of the Performing Arts and Syracuse University and went on to train at the Neighborhood Playhouse under acting great Sanford Meisner.

Her film debut came in 1958 with the Jerry Lewis comedy "The Geisha Boy" and Pleshette went on to appear in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" and films like Western "A Distant Trumpet," romantic drama "Rome Adventure" and comedy "The Ugly Dachshund."

Pleshette appeared on Broadway in 1961, replacing Anne Bancroft as Annie Sullivan in "The Miracle Worker."

The actress garnered two Emmy Award nominations for her work on "The Bob Newhart Show" as well as a nod for her leading performance in the 1991 television movie "Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean."

Pleshette was married three times, most recently to comic actor Tom Poston, who appeared in the original Newhart series and returned to play handyman George Utley on the 1980s revival sitcom "Newhart." Poston died in April 2007.

Pleshette's first marriage was to actor Troy Donahue. Her second was to businessman Tom Gallagher, who died in 2000 from lung cancer.

Reuters/Nielsen

dawsongirl · 01-20-2008, 05:18 PM

Drop those cigs, kids.

JoPol_wannabe · 01-20-2008, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dawsongirl

Drop those cigs, kids.

Ditto

HuntingtonM15 · 01-20-2008, 05:28 PM

The last I heard she had been getting better, so it was a bit of a shock.

friendsfan77 · 01-20-2008, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HuntingtonM15

The last I heard she had been getting better, so it was a bit of a shock.

Wow, I didn't know she was getting better. I'm even more sad about it now.

Nighthawk76 · 01-20-2008, 07:05 PM

catlover79 · 01-20-2008, 07:05 PM

I totally loved her - she and Bob were the perfect TV couple. God bless her!!

Dean Winchester · 01-20-2008, 07:07 PM

I so did not see her death coming

RIP, at least she is back with her husband Tom Poston

Mr. Television · 01-20-2008, 07:25 PM

Man Saturdays in the 70's watching her and Bob and the rest of the CBS Saturday lineup...so many of the stars I grew up with are passing by.

Nighthawk76 · 01-20-2008, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walking Tall

Man Saturdays in the 70's watching her and Bob and the rest of the CBS Saturday lineup...so many of the stars I grew up with are passing by.

Was the Bob Newhart Show on the same night as All in the Family, Sonny? I know that AITF was on CBS on Saturday nights.

catlover79 · 01-20-2008, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crazy for Blair

Was the Bob Newhart Show on the same night as All in the Family, Sonny? I know that AITF was on CBS on Saturday nights.

All In the Family, Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart Show, M*A*S*H and Carol Burnett made up CBS' Saturday night lineup in the early-mid 1970s. Those are all terrific shows - and I'm glad that they are on DVD as well.

Do you like the Bob Newhart Show, Mike? I love it - it was a creative, funny show with a stellar cast and fantastic writers.

Mr. Television · 01-20-2008, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crazy for Blair

Was the Bob Newhart Show on the same night as All in the Family, Sonny? I know that AITF was on CBS on Saturday nights.

Yea AITF led off Saturday nights. The Bob Newhart Show came on for most of it's run at 9:30 after Mary Tyler Moore and before Carol Burnett. Those really were the days.

catlover79 · 01-20-2008, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walking Tall

Yea AITF led off Saturday nights. The Bob Newhart Show came on for most of it's run at 9:30 after Mary Tyler Moore and before Carol Burnett. Those really were the days.

"Those were the days, my friend..."

Nighthawk76 · 01-20-2008, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

All In the Family, Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart Show, M*A*S*H and Carol Burnett made up CBS' Saturday night lineup in the early-mid 1970s. Those are all terrific shows - and I'm glad that they are on DVD as well.

Do you like the Bob Newhart Show, Mike? I love it - it was a creative, funny show with a stellar cast and fantastic writers.

How do you know it was on Saturday nights, Monika? You're even younger than me.

I actually don't like Bob Newhart. I don't like either the Bob Newhart Show from the 70's or Newhart from the 80's. My dad really likes Bob Newhart though. He has the Bob Newhart show on DVD.

Mr. Television · 01-20-2008, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

All In the Family, Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart Show, M*A*S*H and Carol Burnett made up CBS' Saturday night lineup in the early-mid 1970s. Those are all terrific shows - and I'm glad that they are on DVD as well.

Do you like the Bob Newhart Show, Mike? I love it - it was a creative, funny show with a stellar cast and fantastic writers.

You can also put The Jeffersons in there too. It was really a great lineup. I even enjoyed the short lived sitcom Doc which starred Bernard Hughes and was on Saturdays too.

01-20-2008, 05:01 PM	#1
PZelda Two Valeries! <3 Forum Addict Join Date: Jul 15, 2002 Location: I'm STILL missing NYC. :( Posts: 78,223	Bob Newhart's co-star, Suzanne Pleshette, dies at 70 I can't believe it!! I adored Suzanne Pleshette a lot. http://ca.reuters.com/article/entert...38398020080120 Suzanne Pleshette of "Newhart" fame dies at 70 Sun Jan 20, 2008 2:27pm EST By Alexandria Sage LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Suzanne Pleshette, best known as the feisty but level-headed wife of Bob Newhart on television's 1970's hit "The Bob Newhart Show," has died at age of 70, friends said on Sunday. Pleshette died of respiratory failure at her Los Angeles home on Saturday, friends and associates told local media. She had received chemotherapy for lung cancer in 2006 and had appeared at a "Bob Newhart" reunion in September in a wheelchair. The raven-haired Pleshette, trained for the stage in New York, became a regular on television shows in the 1970s and 1980s and most recently appeared in a recurring role on NBC's "Will & Grace." But she was best loved as the no-nonsense Emily Hartley, foil to the wry Bob Newhart, on "The Bob Newhart Show" from 1972 to 1978. With her saucy wit, throaty voice and flair for comedy, Pleshette was the antithesis of the traditional staid American television wife and the on-screen dynamic between the two leads guaranteed the show legions of fans. Born January 31, 1937, in New York City, Pleshette attended Manhattan's High School of the Performing Arts and Syracuse University and went on to train at the Neighborhood Playhouse under acting great Sanford Meisner. Her film debut came in 1958 with the Jerry Lewis comedy "The Geisha Boy" and Pleshette went on to appear in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" and films like Western "A Distant Trumpet," romantic drama "Rome Adventure" and comedy "The Ugly Dachshund." Pleshette appeared on Broadway in 1961, replacing Anne Bancroft as Annie Sullivan in "The Miracle Worker." The actress garnered two Emmy Award nominations for her work on "The Bob Newhart Show" as well as a nod for her leading performance in the 1991 television movie "Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean." Pleshette was married three times, most recently to comic actor Tom Poston, who appeared in the original Newhart series and returned to play handyman George Utley on the 1980s revival sitcom "Newhart." Poston died in April 2007. Pleshette's first marriage was to actor Troy Donahue. Her second was to businessman Tom Gallagher, who died in 2000 from lung cancer. Reuters/Nielsen
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01-20-2008, 07:05 PM	#7
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	I totally loved her - she and Bob were the perfect TV couple. God bless her!!
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

01-20-2008, 07:25 PM	#9
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,133	Man Saturdays in the 70's watching her and Bob and the rest of the CBS Saturday lineup...so many of the stars I grew up with are passing by.
	__________________ Sonny

01-20-2008, 05:18 PM	#2
dawsongirl Member Forum Icon Join Date: Jan 04, 2001 Posts: 53,128	Drop those cigs, kids.

01-20-2008, 05:28 PM	#4
HuntingtonM15 That Bothers Me Moderator Forum Star Join Date: Jun 20, 2003 Location: Metro Detroit Posts: 11,060	The last I heard she had been getting better, so it was a bit of a shock.

01-20-2008, 07:05 PM	#6
Nighthawk76 Rachel Berry Forum Celebrity Join Date: Feb 28, 2003 Location: Illinois Posts: 23,254

01-20-2008, 07:07 PM	#8
Dean Winchester Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 28, 2003 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 14,803	I so did not see her death coming RIP, at least she is back with her husband Tom Poston