Bill Daily, 1927-2018

[J.T.B.]

I know this news is a couple of months old but I didn't hear about it for almost a month, and then I thought I should make a thread about it but got busy and never got around to it. But to me he deserves a thread.

To me, Bill Daily was a legend, one of the funniest guys on TV ever. But he really only had two big roles: Roger Healey on I Dream of Jeannie and Howard Borden on The Bob Newhart Show. Both had to be among the first sitcoms I was aware of, "Jeannie" in reruns and "Newhart" in first run. He was probably the first person that made me realize that actors were real people who could be on more than one show. I may have seen him on a Love Boat or something here and there, but really he's a TV hall of famer just on those two roles.

Healey was silly but could be a little devious in the early Bob Hope sort of way. Howard was my favorite, a sort of charming combination of childlike innocence and knowing world-weariness. Daily decided to play him as fast talking, to contrast with Newhart's slow delivery, his speeches came out as if he had a head full of non-sequiters and couldn't get them out fast enough. How did he play that? How many actors could have played that?

Daily's son said that his dad had made a decision to be happy in life, and he was, and good for him. RIP Bill Daily.

 

[Admiral2]

The thing that always struck me about both Roger Healey and Howard Borden was that they were both men with highly technical jobs (astronaut and airline navigator) who seemed like utter morons when they weren't at work.

I didn't know he had passed away. RIP, Mr. Daily.

 

[Gary Mitchell]

Rest in peace Mr. Daily.

 

[Mysterion]

Always a big fan of The Bob Newhart Show in the '70s, and it's great supporting cast including Bill Daily as Howard. The episode where Bob, Howard and Jerry end of sitting in Bob's apartment getting drunk and ordering Chinese food is one of the funniest things ever.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

The thing that always struck me about both Roger Healey and Howard Borden was that they were both men with highly technical jobs (astronaut and airline navigator) who seemed like utter morons when they weren't at work.

I didn't know he had passed away. RIP, Mr. Daily.

Outside of Big Bang Theory, many sitcom characters are portrayed like that.

 

[marillion]

This was big news here in Albuquerque as he was a long time resident here. From all accounts a really nice guy. He was also an honorary initiate of my fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon. He was initiated at my chapter here at the University of New Mexico. It was before my time at the house, but some of the older brothers who were there said he got a real kick out of it and was always happy to lend a hand with some of our philanthropic endeavors. RIP, brother Daily.

 

[Galileo7]

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RIP

 

[Admiral2]

Outside of Big Bang Theory, many sitcom characters are portrayed like that.

But not quite in the same way.

For instance, the Governor in Benson and the Mayor in Spin City come across as buffoons outside of their jobs, but their jobs don't require guiding a passenger jet through the sky or piloting a million dollar spacecraft in orbit. Those jobs require unique orders of "Idiot Savant" magnitude.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

But not quite in the same way.

For instance, the Governor in Benson and the Mayor in Spin City come across as buffoons outside of their jobs, but their jobs don't require guiding a passenger jet through the sky or piloting a million dollar spacecraft in orbit. Those jobs require unique orders of "Idiot Savant" magnitude.

Good point. Hell, politicians in general aren't burdened with too much "smarts".

Mike Brady proves your theory, and he was only an architect.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Aw, I never heard about this. It should have been bigger news.

Bill Daily was hilarious and likeable-- he and his characters were somebody you really wanted to have in your circle of friends. He essentially played the same character in both Jeannie and Bob Newhart: The affable and loyal friend or neighbor who seemed scatterbrained but had a hidden level of uber-competence, who loved women and was loved by them in return (how could they not?). The world (and television) could use more people like him.

RIP, Bill Daily.

 

[publiusr]

I loved him and Debralee Scott from Match Game

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