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NewsRadio

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This article is about the sitcom. For the Australian radio station, see ABC NewsRadio.
NewsRadio
Cast of NewsRadio. Not pictured: Jon Lovitz.
Created byPaul Simms
StarringDave Foley
Phil Hartman
(1995–1998)
Maura Tierney
Andy Dick
Vicki Lewis
Stephen Root
Joe Rogan
Khandi Alexander
Jon Lovitz
(1998–1999)
Country of originUSA
No. of episodes97
Production
Running time23 minutes (aprox.)
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseMarch 21, 1995 –
May 4, 1999

NewsRadio was an American sitcom, originally broadcast from 1995 to 1999 on NBC. It was created and executive produced by Paul Simms. All together, 97 episodes were made (see list of NewsRadio episodes). It began airing on cable programming block Nick at Nite on July 17th, 2006.

The series is set at WNYX, a fictional New York City news radio station, and begins with the arrival of Dave Nelson (Dave Foley), a level-headed Wisconsinite, as the new news director to manage the wild eccentricities of the station owner and staff. The initial premise is similar to that of WKRP in Cincinnati, but NewsRadio quickly became a different animal.

NewsRadio's scripts were usually fast-paced and often absurd. There was often a strong reliance on physical humor and sight gags to balance out the smart (and sometimes political) dialogue. Creator Paul Simms has said that the show's target audience was college-educated 30-somethings; this allowed any number of throwaway references to pop culture, literature and history, a trend which has continued in such niche series as Arrested Development.

The extreme absurdity and farce was taken a step further with the third- and fourth-season finales, which removed the characters from the contemporary office setting and placed them in oddly different locales: first in outer space and then aboard the Titanic.

Despite the fact that the show was critically acclaimed and had an extremely loyal fanbase, NBC moved the show an unusually high number of times, often to inhospitable timeslots. Ratings for the show remained acceptable until it was moved in an attempt to establish a block of sitcoms on Wednesday nights in fall 1996. Ratings fell almost immediately. NewsRadio spent the remainder of its life on the brink of cancellation.

NewsRadio was officially canceled in May 1998 after its fourth season, but the decision was reversed a day later, with an order of 22 episodes for Season Five. Just a few days later, focal cast member Phil Hartman was murdered by his wife; his absence would ultimately serve as the straw that broke the show's back. Staff and cast morale never fully recovered, and NBC left the series "on the bubble" until the day the final Season Five episode aired, which was months after production had wrapped.

Cast

  • Dave Nelson (Dave Foley) is the station's long-suffering and sarcastic, coffee-addicted, micromanaging news director from Wisconsin. Dave considered a career as a professional tap dancer before going into radio. A Boy Scout and 4-H Club member, Dave is also a talented knife thrower and ventriloquist. He is a science fiction geek and a former arcade game addict. Dave's favorite show is Green Acres, an older television show that NewsRadio makes numerous references to. His favorite movie is Logan's Run. Dave is the rock of the office, listening to people's problems whether he wants to or not. He's (secretly, until the third season) Canadian.
  • Ambitious and intelligent Lisa Miller (Maura Tierney), with whom Dave has an intermittent relationship, is promoted and demoted within the show's run, serving as reporter, on-air personality, producer and news director. Lisa's parents raised her in a regimented environment (which Dave called a "Skinner Box") and didn't allow her to watch TV. She abruptly decided to go into news radio while eating a cheese-steak sandwich. A ridiculous overachiever, Lisa is able to perform complex mathematical calculations without the use of a calculator and also went so far as to retake her SAT's well out of college. Her extensive criminal record is a direct result of her ambitious desire to excel.
  • The station's news anchors are the bombastic, egocentric Bill McNeal (Phil Hartman) and the unflappable and motherly, but nonetheless sassy Catherine Duke (Khandi Alexander). The two characters were often bitter rivals, partly due to an office affair they had earlier, casting doubt on the wisdom of Dave and Lisa's relationship. Khandi Alexander left the show during the fourth season, and Phil Hartman died between the fourth and fifth seasons.
  • Jimmy James (Stephen Root), the station's extroverted billionaire owner who often helps his co-workers learn new lessons, places strange bets with his rich friends and is desperately looking for a wife. Despite his divergent business interests, he seems to enjoy micromanaging WNYX (despite the fact that most of his decisions are made seemingly at a whim). He is seen as a loving father figure by everyone in the office, often in spite of his eccentricities, which are bizarre even by the staff's standards. Jimmy knows many secrets about his staff but also has a few of his own. He claims to have been Watergate informant Deep Throat, and was once prosecuted by the federal government, who accused him of being notorious skyjacker D.B. Cooper.
  • Beth (Vicki Lewis), is Dave's perpetually gum-chewing, crazy outfit-wearing, red-headed secretary, whose work mainly consists of eavesdropping, getting coffee for Dave, and being the coolest person in the office.
  • The clumsy and not very bright Matthew Brock (Andy Dick) is a news reporter and official office weird guy, relentlessly called "Spaz" by his idol Bill. (At one point, Dave tells Matthew: "Bill is not a god." Matthew replies, "Time will tell, Dave.") Despite his apparent dimness, it is revealed in the fourth season that Matthew is a skilled dentist who gave up his practice because radio was his "passion."
  • Joe Garelli (Joe Rogan) is the station's electrician and all-around fix-it guy. He builds all the things he needs, rather than purchasing them (including his own homemade duct tape), and espouses various conspiracy theories. His last name is the subject of a running gag: whenever it is mentioned, someone looks perplexed and says, "Your last name is Garelli?"
  • Max Louis (Jon Lovitz) is Phil Hartman's replacement in the final season, an old colleague of Bill's whose odd mannerisms and personality-changing compulsions kept him moving between literally dozens of radio announcing jobs before winding up at WNYX. The eccentric Max has a thing for redheads named Beth and puppies named Daisy. He is unrelated to two earlier characters Lovitz had played on the show.

A picture of McNeal/Hartman remained as part of the set in the news director's office during the final season. Lovitz, who had gotten his start with Hartman in The Groundlings and also worked with Hartman in the 1986 movie ¡Three Amigos! as well as Saturday Night Live, later said he agreed to do the show out of love for his friend, saying, "I'm doing this for Phil." When the show was canceled, Andy Dick became very vocal about off-screen feuds with Lovitz on the set (which oddly mirrored Matthew's initial reluctance to accept Bill's replacement).

Recurring characters and guest appearances

The only recurring character to appear in more than one production season was Jimmy's lawyer, Roger, played initially by Norm MacDonald, but replaced with NewsRadio writer Drake Sather in subsequent episodes when MacDonald was unavailable.

Several other actors appeared in multiple seasons playing different characters, notably Jon Lovitz, David Cross, Toby Huss, David Anthony Higgins, and Bob Odenkirk.

An inordinate number of guest characters had the last name Johnson.

Tone Lōc and Toby Huss played security guards Lorenzo and Junior in two Season Two episodes. The characters were based on the security guards at the studio where NewsRadio was shot.

Patrick Warburton played a notable recurring character during the show's last season, Johnny Johnson. Johnny was a nemesis of Jimmy James and later a love interest for Lisa Miller.

A pre-Gilmore Girls Lauren Graham had a four-episode run as Andrea, an efficiency expert who shakes up the office (firing Matthew, demoting Dave, and promoting Lisa to news director). She was intended as a possible replacement for the departing Khandi Alexander, but Graham tested terribly with audiences, and her character disappeared before Alexander left, and without explanation (it is worth noting that, on a season 4 commentary, Maura Tierney gives the hiring of Graham as a possible explanation for Alexander's departure, which contradicts the idea that Alexander intended to leave before Graham appeared on the show.) She is sometimes referred to as Planbee after Matthew misunderstands her being Jimmy's "Plan B" for the office.

Brad Rowe had a four episode run as Walt, an office intern with a crush on Lisa, causing more worry for Dave. Intended as a regular for Season Five, the character disappeared without explanation after "Sinking Ship" (most likely due to the fact that his character was often used as an impetus for Phil Hartman's character's actions in several episodes).

Steve Susskind had a recurring role as Milos the Janitor, appearing in three episodes in the second season.

Kevin McDonald, a former castmate of Foley from The Kids in the Hall, made a guest appearance as the knife-wielding Throwdini.

Other guest stars (often playing themselves) have included John Ritter, Chuck D, Al Roker, Bob Costas, Scott Adams, Jerry Seinfeld, James Caan, Jon Stewart, Ben Stiller, Bebe Neuwirth, Dennis Miller, Adam West, Janeane Garofalo, Tiffani Amber Thiessen, George "Goober" Lindsey and thrash metal icons Anthrax.

Guest stars Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, David Cross, and Bob Odenkirk all worked together with Andy Dick on The Ben Stiller Show.

Additional character, episode and series info

  • The show was sold into syndication at the end of its fourth season with an atypically low amount of episodes—75. Traditionally, shows don't reach syndication until 100 episodes are produced, and NewsRadio never reached this, with its series finale clocking in at number 97.
  • The only actors to appear in all 97 episodes are Dave Foley, Stephen Root, and Andy Dick.
  • The name "Jimmy James" came from the Beastie Boys song "Jimmy James".
  • The name "Beth" came from the KISS song "Beth".
  • As the series progressed, the writers made a conscious effort to incorporate elements of the actors' real-life personalities into those of their characters. This is especially true of Lisa and Joe, the characters played by Maura Tierney and Joe Rogan, respectively.
  • The character of Joe was originally named Rick, and was played by another actor, Greg Lee, in the pilot episode. Greg Lee tested horribly, and the writers felt it best to replace him with a pre-"Fear Factor" Joe Rogan.
  • A pre-Everybody Loves Raymond Ray Romano was originally cast to play Joe, but was fired because his style of verbal comedy did not mix well with the fast-paced repartee of the rest of the cast. The writers have stated that his particular brand of slow speech contrasted horribly with the fast-paced hectic arena of a New York talk radio station (Season 1 DVD commentary).
  • The role of Catherine was played by a different actress, Ella Joyce, in the pilot episode. Khandi Alexander took over the role in episode 2.
  • There was a rumor that Dave Foley's character, Dave Nelson, was named after the Twin Towers. The towers were once called "David" and "Nelson" in reference to the Rockefeller brothers who initially championed the project [1], and Dave was sometimes seen in the opening credits with the towers in the background. However, the story is entirely false and coincidental. Paul Simms says "I named this character Dave because I wrote it with no one else but Dave Foley in mind. Nelson is my mother's maiden name." [2]
  • Many episodes in the second season begin with a short comic situation ending with Andy Dick falling over or knocking something over just before the NewsRadio title sequence. According to DVD commentary, NBC ordered a halt to this because they found it tiresome. Like usual, the writers had Andy falling in every single episode, most notably when Andy broke his wrist in the "Crazy Santa" Christmas episode ([3])
  • The last nine episodes of season two (2.13-2.21) are named after Led Zeppelin albums, though not in order of their release. All of the albums except for Led Zeppelin III have an episode named after them. In addition, episode 3.13 is named "Led Zeppelin Boxed Set." None of the episode titles have any connection to the episodes' contents.
  • In addition to the actors' personalities influencing the show, many plots were derived from the quirks of the writing staff; many stories (particularly those revolving around the breakroom's food supply) won't make sense otherwise, atypical to non-entertainment workplaces.
  • The writers and producers were vehemently against NBC's notes and would often falsely set up situations that the network had requested.
    • After the pilot was shot, NBC had pushed for a "Sam & Diane" relationship between Dave and Lisa, but Paul Simms opted to have the characters sleep together in the second episode and have tension come from the aftermath.
    • Later, NBC ordered a wedding to be incorporated into the show to boost ratings, and in response, the show "Our Fiftieth Episode" featured a B-story in which Jimmy tries to force Joe and Lisa into a fake on-air marriage, which Lisa outright refuses. The show would later relent in its final season, and Lisa married Johnny Johnson in an episode that became NBC's "Spotlight of the Week."
    • Another instance was a 1995 promotional gimmick NBC planned capitalizing on the success of the 1994 film "Four Weddings and a Funeral," wherein three of NBC's Tuesday night sitcoms would have weddings as the central plot, and one would feature a funeral; NewsRadio was given the funeral episode. Rather than bow to NBC's directive, the writing staff wrote "Rat Funeral," an episode in which the WNYX staff befriend a rat, then mourn its death.
  • Similarly, a major point of contention between NBC and the show was NBC's insistence that the show include story arcs, which the producers were vehemently against, preferring shows that were self-contained. On the occasions when they did use arcs, they would usually become bored and end up dropping them with little or no explanation. One example is a late third season arc in which Lisa decides she wants to have a baby with Dave but doesn't want to get married; after being introduced, the idea is given passing mention in a couple of episodes, then promptly abandoned without explanation. (Later, in the fourth season episode "Look Who's Talking", the idea would suddenly be brought up again, with Lisa explaining that the window has passed.)
  • Dozens of references are made to the hypothetical death of Phil Hartman's character, Bill McNeal, prior to the actor's death. In both fantasy episodes, however, every character dies except for Bill and Matthew.
  • There was strong fan speculation during the last season that Beth would be revealed as Jimmy's daughter, but this never materialized. In the third season DVD commentary, the writers revealed they had been planning to have Jimmy adopt Beth as his daughter (presumably the genesis of the rumor), but never followed through with it.
  • One episode, "The Injury", was produced early in the second season, but did not air until the summer following the third season, due to excessive use of the word "penis." The writers admit that they were trying to see how many times they could use the word on-air in response to NBC's relaxing of standards for other shows. The episode remained in the censorship offices for nearly two years, and the number of times the word was used was cut down in the footage to three. "The Injury" appears on both the Season 2 and Season 3 DVD releases, but does not include two additional uses of the word that showed up only in the syndicated airings.
  • An early third season episode, "Review", features Matthew becoming obsessed with the comic strip Dilbert, and quitting his job when he feels unappreciated by his coworkers. Dave has a friend pretend to be Dilbert creator Scott Adams to talk Matthew into returning. Adams does appear in the episode, though not as this character; he plays the man standing in line behind Dave and Joe in the episode's opening scene.
  • In episode 1 season 3 "President" Jimmy James admits to eating special brownies once but it was at an office party by accident, a reference to the controversy over whether President Bill Clinton had tried marijuana.

Careers after NewsRadio

Several cast members of NewsRadio have gone on to lead successful careers in acting, either on TV or film.

See also

Wikiquote has quotations related to NewsRadio.
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