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Ginnie Newhart was comedian and actor Bob Newhart’s wife for 60 years, and she is credited with the idea for the iconic series finale to “Newhart.”
Ginnie Newhart’s legacy
Newhart told the story of how she and her husband met in the early 1960s, set up on a blind date by comedian Buddy Hackett. After on-and-off dating, they were married on January 12, 1963. The daughter of character actor Bill Quinn, Newhart had some small acting roles, and she appeared on celebrity game shows including “Tattletales” and “Super Password.” She conceived the idea for the iconic season finale to her husband’s 1980s sitcom, “Newhart” – in a surprising twist, his character wakes up in bed with his wife from his previous sitcom, the 1970s hit “The Bob Newhart Show,” implying that the entire second show had been a dream.
On falling in love with her husband
“He cared… There was no phoniness. He genuinely cared whether I was happy or unhappy.” —from a 2005 interview for American Masters
Tributes to Ginnie Newhart
Full obituary: The Hollywood Reporter