TV Legend Bob Newhart Wins an Emmy!

He has a Peabody, a Golden Globe, a Grammy, a Critics Choice Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And he's been nominated for an Emmy Award seven times. He's had four TV shows with his name in the title -- 1961's "The Bob Newhart Show," a variety hour and the one that won the Peabody and the Golden Globe; the MTM sitcom broadcast from 1972 to 1978 also called "The Bob Newhart Show," where he played a Chicago psychologist named Bob Hartley who had goofy patients and a lovely wife played by Suzanne Pleshette; "Newhart," another half-hour comedy, where he played a guy named Dick Loudon, who ran an inn in Vermont, from 1982 to 1990; and plain old "Bob," a show about a cartoonist that lasted one season and change in 1992 and 1993. Newhart famously joked that after those four, the only thing left to call a show of his was "The."

Three times, Bob Newhart was nominated by Emmy voters for his leading role on "Newhart," and then for a guest appearance on "ER" and as a supporting actor in the miniseries "The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice." Way back in 1962, he was nominated for writing that original "Bob Newhart Show." But he came away empty every time.

Now, at the age of 84, Bob Newhart has finally won his Emmy. This time it was for a guest appearance on "The Big Bang Theory," where he played Professor Proton, the host of a children's science show many years ago. After finding out that Professor Proton, their childhood hero, is available for personal appearances, "Big Bang" characters Sheldon and Leonard hire him just to hang out with them. Newhart's Emmy was handed out at the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy ceremony last night, which honors guest actors along with variety specials and interactive programs, animation and reality shows, documentaries and informational programs, voiceovers, art direction, costuming, casting, makeup, editing and cinematography.

The other guest actors honored were Carrie Preston ("The Good Wife") and Dan Bucatinsky ("Scandal") in the drama categories, and Melissa Leo ("Louie") as the other comedy winner.

Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn were named Outstanding Host(s) for "Project Runway," while "Undercover Boss" got the award for Outstanding Reality Show, "South Park" won for the fourth time as Outstanding Animated Program, and HBO's Liberace biopic "Behind the Candelabra" racked up eight wins, taking home trophies for art direction, casting, costumes, hairstyles, makeup (prosthetic and otherwise), editing and sound.

You can check out all the winners (and pictures and news and interviews and other fun stuff) at the Emmy site here. And tune in on Sunday, September 22 to see the rest of the Primetime categories awarded. Neil Patrick Harris will be your host once again.

Memorial Weekend Mary-thon. Plus Bob-athon, too.

It's really hot here. Which may mean you're outside, sucking in the heat and humidity. Or it may mean you prefer to stay inside and catch some TV. If the latter is your preference, you're in luck.

I'm a little late warning you about this, but "Mary Tyler Moore," one of the best all-time sitcoms in the history of the universe -- the one that inspired on Oprah and countless other career-type women of the 80s, and also spun off into one of my all-time favorite dramas in the history of the universe ("Lou Grant") -- is in the midst of its marathon right now, on the Hallmark Channel.

"Mary" started at 9 am central time, with the episode wherein Phyllis (Cloris Leachman) finds out that her husband is stepping out with Sue Ann Nivens, the Happy Homemaker, played by Betty White, of course. And coming up in four minutes is the classic Veal Prince Orloff episode, with Henry Winkler as Rhoda's date at an ill-fated dinner party with too little veal. Go turn on your TV now. I'll wait half an hour till you're done with that one.

The marathon finishes up with the 8:30 pm episode, "I Was a Single for WJM," where Mary goes to a single bars for purely professional reasons. That one has Penny Marshall and Arlene Golonka, which is not a name you hear much anymore.

And Hallmark will be doing the same 9-to-9 (Central time) schedule tomorrow for another fabulous MTM show, "The Bob Newhart Show," tomorrow. That one opens at 9 am with "The Last TV show," where Bob (reluctantly) lets his group therapy session happen on public TV, and ends with "A Matter of Principal," which focuses on Emily as a teacher, not something that happened that often, when she refuses to let a kid into an advanced class when she knows it was really his dad who wrote his great report.

So... What are you waiting for? Go turn on the TV before it's too late for all the Mary and Bob goodness.