A master in the art of understatement, Bob Newhart began his stand-up career with routines that simulated a phone conversation, with the audience only able to hear Bob's side. In 1960, he released "The Buttoned-Down Mind of Bob Newhart," the first comedy album to reach the top of the LP charts. Newhart's popularity in nightclubs and at college skyrocketed, propelling him to his first TV series, a variety show entitled "The Bob Newhart Show."