The Bob Newhart Show finale was honored by Craig Ferguson during his farewell to the The Late Late Show Friday.
In a surprise twist, Bob Newhart was revealed to be Secretariat the Pantomime Horse all these years as he got Friday’s The Late Late Show finale under way in a Newhart-style ending.
As the 52-year-old host chatted with Geoff the robot, he wondered who it might be inside the horse costume.
“Lift up your head, let’s see who you really are,” he hollered to Secretariat, who was hanging out in his stall. As Secretariat complied and took off the head of the costume, it was revealed to be Newhart.
“What are you doing here?” Ferguson asked.
“Hey, guy, it’s YOUR dream,” replied the Newhart, referring to the classic final scene from his sitcom.
Ferguson woke up from his dream in bed beside Drew Carey, wondering if the past 10 years had been a dream all along, spoofing the sitcom’s ending when Newhart woke up with Suzanne Pleshette beside him.
Before you say "later" to @CraigyFerg's Late Late Show, check out @kentucker's tribute: http://t.co/HrFdqdipw6 pic.twitter.com/AuzBwC0EyB
— Yahoo TV (@YahooTV) December 20, 2014
.@CraigyFerg #LateLateShow finale includes Newhart nod: http://t.co/v6C2Ic2Ddo pic.twitter.com/r1K93kPX9W
— TheWrap (@TheWrap) December 20, 2014
Ferguson’s only guest for the evening was Tonight Show host Jay Leno.
“Just two guys with nothing to do,” said Ferguson.
“They may take our talk shows,” Leno added, “but they will never take our freedom!”
Did you watch @CraigyFerg sign off the #LateLateShow after 10 years? http://t.co/WdB8t0al3R pic.twitter.com/xHyqZB30Tw
— Variety (@Variety) December 21, 2014
Ferguson ended the show thanking his viewers.
“The people that made this show are you,” he said. “You came to a show that was like, let’s be honest, a bit of a fixer-upper, and it kind of stayed that way.”
Craig Ferguson Wakes Up in Bed With Drew Carey on Final 'Late Late Show' (Video) http://t.co/v6C2Ic2Ddo pic.twitter.com/hamCeEpT2r
— TheWrap (@TheWrap) December 20, 2014
The Scottish-born host, who became an American a few years back, marveled at the impact the show has had on him.
“I think that what was more overwhelming, more than anything else in the experience of doing this show, was making a connection with a country, which I became a part of, which is astonishing to me,” he said.
“Even in the course of this show, I became an American… officially, and particularly for my friends at the IRS, I am now a fully-fledged American. … I wanted to do this show and now we’ve done this show, and if you will indulge me in whatever I am doing now and come to whatever I do next, I’d be very grateful, because my kids are still young.”
