NewsRadio

NewsRadio was an excellent and clever show, yet it was cancelled while shows like Suddenly Susan (which when you really think about it rips off NewsRadio) got to continue. What's with that? Granted, the series never recovered from the loss of Phil Hartman, but NewsRadio was still good and way better than other shows on NBC or any other networks. The cast was great, especially Phil Hartman. Jon Lovitz was not as good as Phil Hartman, but he was a good replacement and funny. My favorite episode would be the one where Bill gets a piano and sings hilarious songs about the government and Dave keeps trying to stop him. Hilarious. NBC, cancelling this series makes you the dumbest network in the world without a doubt. And with a network like Fox around, that saying something.

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.

Newsradio was a fish out of water. In a time of oversexed young white sitcoms, Newsradio relied on brilliant writing, expert character development, and excellent plots to drive it along. No gimmicks needed. Each character had a role to fill, and they filled it well. All of the cast members are excellent, with no misfires. Everyone has classic episodes they like to talk about.

Still, as excellent as this is, there are a few minor flaws. For one, Khandi Alexander never got as much screen time as she deserved, and this is no doubt why she left the show. She tried to be a Bill McNeal foil, but Dave served that function already. She seemed like an excellent actress, and her character seemed to be geniune, but nothing ever seemed to happen--in fact, I cannot readily recall any episode where the plot line was based on her save for her departure and maybe some of the Joe-Catherine romance episodes.

I like Jon Lovitz, and, unlike others, I found him to be just as capable as Phil Hartman to be in Newsradio. I believe that his performance did, in fact, grow as the last seasoned progressed (watch his hire date vs. some of the later shows--his character certainly changes). He did serve better playing off of other characters, such as Beth and (surprisingly) Lisa, and the few shows that center on him are indeed subpar. Still, some of the best episodes (in my opinion) are in the last season (the apartment hunt, Matthew's 30th birthday, Joe Jitzu), so Lovitz's appearance couldn't have changed the show that much.

Some shows just didn't work. Some of the very early ones are heavy on the Dave/Lisa romance, and did use just as many sex-related jokes as other sitcoms of the time. Some shows try to cram three plot lines in one episode, and Newsradio needs time to develop. Some rely way too heavily on Andy Dick's slapstick or Jimmy's over-the-top schemes. And some just don't make sense (the Dilbert episode did little for me).

All this, however, is little detriment to the show at large. I would much rather watch reruns of Newsradio than any new sitcoms out there right now. I can't say I blame NBC for cancelling it--pure business reasons; the show wasn't making money for them--but creatively, they blew it.

Newcomers may want to watch a few episodes before they cast judgement. It took me a few episodes to really enjoy it. It requires that you know the characters before it becomes interesting and funny.

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.

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.