NewsRadio

"Newsradio" is possibly the freshest comedy left on television in 1998. The chemistry between the cast members remains at a high level, even after the unfortunate passing of Phil Hartman. To this point of the fifth season Jon Lovits has stepped in and done a great job as Max. I salute NBC for not giving up on this fine show just because it's not in the top twenty each week. Someone at the network obviously still feels there should be SOME quality programing on television.

I can't believe I'm the first person to write about this gem! I didn't discover it until after Phil Hartman had been killed and the show was in it's final year. A friend forced me to watch the late-night reruns; I was and am forever hooked.

The writing is the kind of inspired lunacy that flourished briefly in the 1930's--smart sharp and deliberately, hilariously dumb. Packed full of pratfalls, zingers, visual puns, inside jokes, sharp satire and side steps into the downright surreal.

All the actors were great, but especially Phil Hartmen (true genius); Dave Foley; Andy Dick (poor guy) and a generally underestimated, marvelous Steven Root. Maura Tierney, Vicki Lewis and Khandi Alexander all shine but it's the guys who really get the guffaws.

Nearly every episode has classic moments, but the corkers are The Titanic ; The Space Station; Mr. Jame's Balloon Flight; Bill McNeal in Bellvue (?); The Secret of Management and The Halloween Party.

While Phil Hartman was alive he and Jon Lovitz paired up in a few episodes and were wonderful foils for eachother, but after Hartman's death, no matter how hard Lovitz and the rest of the crew tried, the show just wasn't the same.

If you haven't watched this show do it. It's one of the last bastions of real laughs left on television and one of the rare cases where you can honestly say "thank God for reruns."

***Note Hartman's picture on 'Dave's' desk til the very end.

I have to say, I really didn't get into this show until A&E started showing it in reruns. I really miss the fact that there are no new shows that will ever come because NBC didn't have the foresight to place it on its Thursday night lineup. In that time slot it would have easily outpaced such dogs as Veronica's closet even without Phil Hartman (I raise my glass to you sir).

While Phil Hartman was truly the glue to the show, it did start to make a recovery after the writers and Lovitz started to make some sense of what to do with his character (I think it might have been good to use him as his original role as a mental patient).

I think Steven Root's character was possibly the greatest TV boss in history. He was nuts! If you think that his character was little unrealistic for a multi billionaire, just look at the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban. I was glad to see him again in the movies in "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"

The writing was always fresh. The actors were all perfect for the role's they played (I am NOT an Andy Dick fan, but he even worked in this show). The humor was sometimes understated, sometimes slapstick, but always funny.

Dave Nelson (Dave Foley) is the new director of a New York news radio station owned by the eccentric Jimmy James (Stephen Root). Lisa Miller (Maura Tierney) is the producer and romantic lead. Joe Garrelli (Joe Rogan) is the fixer. Bill McNeal (Phil Hartman) and Catherine Duke (Khandi Alexander) are the news readers. Beth (Vicki Lewis) is the irreverent secretary and Matthew Brock (Andy Dick) is the wackiest of them all.

This is a great group of lovable wacky cast. Not since WKRP has there been a sillier group to operate a fictional radio station. This group however excels in slapstick wacky humor. Everything is done to a ridiculous extreme, and it's easy with comedians like Andy Dick and Phil Hartman at the top of their games.

Then on May 28, 1998, Phil Hartman was killed by her wife in a murder suicide while he slept. With this act, not only Phil was killed but also the show. The show lasted one more season with Jon Lovitz as a replacement. But he could never erase the sadness of Phil's death or replace the magnitude of Phil's talent.

A true classic, one of the funniest shows in the history of television. It's a shame that Phil Hartman passed away, which basically was the beginning of the end. I can understand why they tried a fifth season, but it wasn't the same. Newsradio was smart, funny and had an amazing cast from top to bottom. A&E airs reruns daily from 8-9 am, and 2-3 pm. Definitely worth a look, you'll not be disappointed.