Part 1 of a 5-part seriesIn the late 1950s, Bob Newhart left a job in accounting to become a copywriter for a Chicago-based film and TV production company.
During idle hours, Newhart and a coworker would entertain one another by pretending to make long phone calls about absurd topics.
They began to tape-record the calls and send the tapes to local radio stations, hoping for a gig.
After the coworker left the firm, Newhart continued to make the recordings on his own. He would portray only one end of the phone conversation, playing the "straight man" while implying what the "funny man" was saying.
Within a year, Newhart was discovered by Warner Brothers Records and his career in professional comedy was underway.
