Judd Apatow Returns to Talk Rickles, Newhart and Norman Lear

Judd Apatow is known for making long movies, from comedies like ‘Funny People’ or ‘This Is 40’  that balloon past two hours to documentaries on his comedy heroes like the two-part, four-hour films about Garry Shandling and George Carlin. So it was somewhat of a shock when he dropped a 20-minute short last month about the lifelong friendship between Don Rickles and Bob Newhart. “I’ve changed,” he jokes. “All my movies are going to be shorts now, no matter the genre.” In this bonus episode—his third appearance on the show—Apatow breaks down what made those two stylistically opposed icons a perfect off-stage pair. He also weighs in on how the art of roasting has evolved over the years, shares memories about his friend and mentor Norman Lear and explains why he thinks Lena Dunham’s ‘Girls’ is finally being fully appreciated more than a decade after its premiere. 

Watch ‘Bob and Don: A Love Story’ at newyorker.com

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