NewsRadio
Original cast of NewsRadio.
Format	Comedy
Created by	Paul Simms
Starring	Dave Foley Phil Hartman (1995–1998) Maura Tierney Andy Dick Vicki Lewis Stephen Root Joe Rogan Khandi Alexander (1995–1997) Jon Lovitz (1998–1999)
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	97
Production
Running time	23 minutes (approx.)
Broadcast
Original channel	NBC
Original run	March 21, 1995 – May 4, 1999
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

NewsRadio is an American sitcom, originally broadcast from 1995 to 1999 on NBC. The show was created by executive producer Paul Simms. ABC NewsRadio is an Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio service devoted to delivering parliamentary proceedings, including Question Time, live and 24-hour news updates and information when parliament is not in session. ... Image File history File links NewsRadio Cast picture 2 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The word comedy has a classical meaning (comical theatre) and a popular one (the use of humor with an intent to provoke laughter in general). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Dave Foley (born January 4, 1963, in Etobicoke, Ontario) is a Canadian actor, best known for his work in The Kids in the Hall, NewsRadio, and Celebrity Poker Showdown. ... Phil Hartman (born as Philip Edward Hartmann) (September 23, 1948 – May 28, 1998) was a Canadian-American Emmy Award-winning actor, voice artist, comedian, graphic artist and writer. ... Maura Tierney (born February 3, 1965) is an Emmy-nominated American actress, best known for her roles on television, particularly as a cast member of the 1990s situation comedy NewsRadio and, later, the long-running medical drama ER . ... Andrew Dick[1] (born December 21, 1965) is an American comedian and actor best known for his roles in the popular sitcoms NewsRadio and Less Than Perfect. ... Vicki Lewis (born March 17, 1960) is an American actress best known for her role as the quirky secretary Beth in the NBC sitcom Newsradio. ... Stephen Root (born November 17, 1951 in Sarasota, Florida) is an American actor. ... Joe Rogan performing at a comedy club after UFC 70. ... Khandi Alexander (born September 4, 1957) is an American dancer, choreographer, and film and television actress. ... Jonathan Lovitz (born July 21, 1957 in Tarzana, California) is an American actor and comedian perhaps best known as a cast member of Saturday Night Live and for his show The Critic. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... NewsRadio was an American sitcom, originally broadcast from 1995 to 1999 by NBC. In total 97 episodes were broadcast. ... This article is about the television network. ... is the 80th day of the year (81st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 124th day of the year (125th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... This article is about a genre of comedy. ... This is a list of television-related events in 1995. ... The year 1999 in television involved some significant events. ... This article is about the television network. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Overview

The series is set at WNYX, a fictional AM news radio station in New York City populated by an eccentric station owner and staff. The show began with the arrival of new news director, level-headed Dave Nelson (Dave Foley), fresh from the heartland of Wisconsin. While Dave turns out to be less naive than his youthful appearance suggests, he never fully gained control of his co-workers. All-news radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcast of news. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Dave Foley (born January 4, 1963, in Etobicoke, Ontario) is a Canadian actor, best known for his work in The Kids in the Hall, NewsRadio, and Celebrity Poker Showdown. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area  Ranked 23rd  - Total 65,498 sq mi (169,790 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 310 miles (500 km)  - % water 17  - Latitude 42° 30′ N to 47° 05′ N  - Longitude 86° 46′ W to 92° 53′ W Population  Ranked...

The fast-paced scripts and ensemble cast combined physical humor and sight gags with smart dialogue and absurdist storylines. Plots frequently involved satirical takes on historical events, news stories and pop culture references appealed to a sophisticated, college-educated target audience. The third- and fourth-season finales took the absurdism to the extreme, setting the characters first in a news radio station in outer space, and then as crew members aboard the Titanic. In comedy, a Sight Gag is anything which conveys its humour visually, often without words being used at all. ... Absurdism is a philosophy, usually translated into different art forms, that holds that any attempt to understand the universe will fail. ... Popular culture, or pop culture, is the vernacular (peoples) culture that prevails in a modern society. ... For other uses, see Titanic (disambiguation). ...

There are 97 episodes of NewsRadio (see list of NewsRadio episodes). Reruns continued in syndication for several years before disappearing in most markets, but the show recently returned on Nick at Nite, TBS network and TVTropolis in Canada. The program became available in syndication to local stations starting in July 2007 through The Program Exchange. NewsRadio was an American sitcom, originally broadcast from 1995 to 1999 by NBC. In total 97 episodes were broadcast. ... Nick-at-Nite (sometimes spelled Nick @ Nite, by its current logo) is the evening programming block broadcast over Nickelodeon Sunday–Thursdays from 9 PM–6 AM and Friday–Saturdays from 10 PM–6 AM Eastern and Pacific Standard Time. ... TBS also stands for Tokyo Broadcasting System, a Japanese television network. ... The Program Exchange is a company that specializes TV programs of childrens entertainment like The Bullwinkle Show, Sailor Moon, Garfield and Friends and others. ...

The show was filmed in front of a studio audience at CBS Studio Center in Studio City, CA CBS Studio Center is a television and film studio located in the Studio City district of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley. ...

Cast

Regular cast

• Dave Nelson (Dave Foley) is the station's sarcastic, coffee addicted, and long-suffering news director. A former Boy Scout and 4-H Club member, Dave is a talented tap dancer, knife thrower and ventriloquist. Other staff members and, specifically, Bill often mocked Dave for his various talents and youthful appearance. He is a science fiction geek, a former arcade game addict and collected Buzzcocks albums during his youth. His favorite TV show is Green Acres while his favorite movie is Logan's Run. In the third season it was revealed that he is Canadian. There was a rumor that 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. According to Paul Simms, this is a coincidence. 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]
• 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"). She abruptly decided to go into news radio while eating a cheesesteak. Before this decision, she wanted to be a forest ranger, although in an earlier episode she said she was a political science major. 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 exam well out of college. Her extensive crime record, which includes breaking and entering and carjacking, is a direct result of her ambitious desire to excel. This caused her to spend a total of two months in juvenile detention. Lisa's favorite movie is Ingmar Bergman's Persona. She doesn't watch TV, which she thinks is ruining society, and instead prefers to read classic literature such as Anna Karenina and listen to NPR.
• Bill McNeal (Phil Hartman) is a co-news anchor for WNYX. Bombastic, egocentric, and insubordinate, Bill is frequently a thorn in the news director's side. But despite his abrasive personality, Bill does have a streak of genuine kindness. As news director, Dave, and Lisa both struggled to deal with Bill. His relationships are often unorthodox or contentious. This is especially evident when Bill wistfully describes seemingly painful or sad childhood memories as "good times, good times." In the second season, his real name was revealed to be Evelyn (pronounced "Evil-In", as in Evelyn Waugh) though he used his middle name as his primary name on any official documents. As a result of Hartman's death between the fourth and fifth seasons, Bill's death is addressed in the first episode of the fifth season, where Bill is revealed to have died of a sudden heart attack. Dozens of references are made to Bill's hypothetical death prior to Hartman's death; in both fantasy episodes, however, every character dies except for Bill and Matthew.
• Catherine Duke (Khandi Alexander) is the second of WNYX's news anchors. As an African American and minority at the station, Catherine secretly wishes there were more minorities on the staff. She is often bitter rivals with co-anchor Bill McNeal, partly due to an office affair they had earlier, casting doubt on the wisdom of Dave and Lisa's relationship. She also has a great hatred of others celebrating her birthday, which is usually ignored by both Bill and Matthew. Catherine leaves the station for a job in London during the fourth season. She makes a brief appearance in the fifth season premiere for Bill's funeral. The role of Catherine was played by a different actress, Ella Joyce, in the pilot episode. Alexander took over the role in episode 2.
• Jimmy James (Stephen Root), the station's eccentric, extroverted billionaire owner who often helps his co-workers learn life 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), but usually gets Dave to make any decisions or announcements that will be unpopular with the staff. 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. He has been banned from the White House after calling Rosalyn Carter "hotlips", stealing a couch from the Lincoln Bedroom and peeing in the Rose Garden after drinking too much Billy Beer. He shows signs of being infatuated with Dave's mother. The name "Jimmy James" came from the Beastie Boys song "Jimmy James".[3]
• Beth (Vicki Lewis) is Dave's quirky secretary, whose work mainly consists of eavesdropping, getting coffee for Dave, and being the coolest person in the office. She wears crazy, often ridiculous outfits, and perpetually chews gum. She is Dave's office confidante, and reluctantly advises both him and Lisa throughout their relationship. Her last name is never revealed; in "Freaky Friday", she claims she doesn't even have one. The name "Beth" came from the Kiss song "Beth".[4] There was strong fan speculation during the last season that Beth would be revealed to be 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.
• Matthew Brock (Andy Dick) is a news reporter and official "office weird guy". Clumsy and simple-minded, the child-like Matthew causes the most havoc in the office. He idolizes Bill, who in return calls him "Spaz" and makes him the butt of often cruel jokes. (At one point, Dave tells Matthew: "Bill is not a god." Matthew replies, "Time will tell.") In addition, he is a bit of a health-nut with his vegetable addiction, a desk covered in vitamin bottles, and being very anti-smoking. When Bill dies, Matthew keeps insisting he faked his death to live his dream of starting a new life abroad but a letter Bill left behind makes him face the truth. The staff is easily annoyed with him, but they nonetheless think of him as a kind of little brother. 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 Garrelli (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. He is rowdy and immature, and will frequently try to start fights for no apparent reason. His last name is the subject of a running gag: whenever it is mentioned, someone looks perplexed and says, "Your last name is Garrelli?" He is a self-proclaimed ladies man, yet is too shy to approach his true love, Catherine. He has never set foot outside of New York City. The character of Joe was originally named Rick, and was played by another actor, Greg Lee, in the pilot episode. Greg Lee tested horribly, however, and the writers replaced him with Rogan. 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 commented on the Season 1 DVD commentary that his particular brand of slow speech contrasted horribly with the fast-paced hectic arena of a New York talk radio station.
• Max Lewis (Jon Lovitz) is Bill McNeal's replacement in the final season, an old colleague of his whose odd mannerisms and personality-changing compulsions kept him moving between literally dozens of radio jobs before winding up at WNYX. The eccentric Max has a thing for redheads named Beth and puppies named Daisy. He considers himself to be extremely weird, due to, among other things, his button collecting, putting peanut butter on everything he eats, and still wearing clothing his mother knitted for him as a baby. Max 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). Dave Foley (born January 4, 1963, in Etobicoke, Ontario) is a Canadian actor, best known for his work in The Kids in the Hall, NewsRadio, and Celebrity Poker Showdown. ... For the Boy Scouting program within the BSA, see Boy Scouting (Boy Scouts of America). ... The 4-H youth organization, administered by the United States Department of Agriculture Cooperative Extension System, was founded in 1902 by A. B. Graham in Clark County, Ohio, and now serves over 9 million members in almost 100,000 clubs from kindergarten through high school and various other programming. ... Knife throwing is an art, sport, or variously an entertainment technique, involving an artist skilled in the art of throwing knives, the weapons thrown, and a target. ... Ventriloquism is an act of deception in which a person (ventriloquist) manipulates his or her voice so that it appears that the voice is coming from elsewhere. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... The word geek is a slang term, noting individuals as a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, especially one who is perceived to be overly intellectual.[1] Formerly, the term referred to a carnival performer often billed as a wild man whose act usually includes biting the head off a live... Centipede by Atari is a typical example of a 1980s era arcade game. ... For the panel game, see Never Mind the Buzzcocks. ... This article is about the television series. ... Logans Run is a 1976 science fiction film based on the novel of the same name by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. ... For other uses, see World Trade Center (disambiguation). ... The Rockefeller family, the family of John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937) (Senior) and his brother William Rockefeller (1841-1922), is an American industrial, banking, philanthropic, and political family of German American origin that made the worlds largest private fortune in the oil business during the late 19th and early... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Maura Tierney (born February 3, 1965) is an Emmy-nominated American actress, best known for her roles on television, particularly as a cast member of the 1990s situation comedy NewsRadio and, later, the long-running medical drama ER . ... An operant conditioning chamber (usually Skinner box) is a laboratory apparatus used in experimental psychology to study animal cognition. ... Cheesesteak with Cheez Whiz The cheesesteak, known outside the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area as the Philadelphia cheesesteak, Philly cheesesteak, or steak and cheese is a sandwich principally of thinly sliced pieces of steak and melted cheese on a long roll. ... A Park Ranger is a person hired to protect and guard parkland, forests (then called Forest Rangers), or other rural or wilderness areas. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Political Science is the field concerning the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behaviour. ... For other uses, see SAT (disambiguation). ... Breaking and entering is defined as the crime of illegally entering a residence or other enclosed property using any amount of force (even pushing open an unlocked door). ... A Carjacking scene from the film Reservoir Dogs. ... A youth detention center, also known as Juvenile Hall is a prison for people under the age of 18. ... Persona is a movie by Swedish director Ingmar Bergman, released in 1966, and featuring Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann. ... This article refers to the novel by Tolstoy. ... NPR logo For other meanings of NPR see NPR (disambiguation) National Public Radio (NPR) is a private, not-for-profit corporation that sells programming to member radio stations; together they are a loosely organized public radio network in the United States. ... Phil Hartman (born as Philip Edward Hartmann) (September 23, 1948 – May 28, 1998) was a Canadian-American Emmy Award-winning actor, voice artist, comedian, graphic artist and writer. ... “Anchorman” redirects here. ... Evelyn Waugh, as photographed in 1940 by Carl Van Vechten Arthur Evelyn St. ... See fantasy for an account of the literary genre involving the development of common or popular fantasies. ... Khandi Alexander (born September 4, 1957) is an American dancer, choreographer, and film and television actress. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Ella Joyce (born Cherron Hoye in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Detroit, Michigan) is a theater actress. ... A television pilot is the first episode of an intended television series. ... Stephen Root (born November 17, 1951 in Sarasota, Florida) is an American actor. ... A billionaire is a person who has a net worth of at least one billion units of currency, such as United States Dollars (USD), Pounds or Euros. ... This page deals with micromanagement in business management. ... Watergate redirects here. ... W. Mark Felt, on the set of CBSs Face the Nation in 1976. ... Hijackers inside flightdeck of TWA Flight 847 Aircraft hijacking (also known as skyjacking and aircraft piracy) is the take-over of an aircraft, by a person or group, usually armed. ... A 1972 FBI composite drawing of D. B. Cooper D. B. Cooper is the name used to refer to a famous airplane hijacker who, after receiving a ransom payout of $200,000, leapt from the back of a Boeing 727 as it was flying over the Pacific Northwest. ... For other uses, see White House (disambiguation). ... White House portrait Eleanor Rosalynn Smith Carter (born August 18, 1927) is the former First Lady of the United States. ... Redecoration of the Lincoln Bedroom in a more historical nineteenth century style was completed in 2005. ... See: The White House Rose Garden. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Beastie Boys is a hip hop musical group from New York City, consisting of Michael Mike D Diamond, Adam MCA Yauch, Adam Ad-Rock Horovitz and the official DJ for the group Michael Mix Master Mike Schwartz. ... Jimmy James is a 1992 rap song by The Beastie Boys released as the third single off of their third album, Check Your Head. ... Vicki Lewis (born March 17, 1960) is an American actress best known for her role as the quirky secretary Beth in the NBC sitcom Newsradio. ... For other uses, see Secretary (disambiguation). ... Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in 1972 (see 1972 in music). ... Beth is a song by Kiss that was originally released on their 1976 album, Destroyer. ... Andrew Dick[1] (born December 21, 1965) is an American comedian and actor best known for his roles in the popular sitcoms NewsRadio and Less Than Perfect. ... A journalist is a person who practices journalism. ... Joe Rogan performing at a comedy club after UFC 70. ... A piece of transparent duct tape, left, and of silver duct tape, right. ... A conspiracy theory is a theory that defies common historical or current understanding of events, under the claim that those events are the result of manipulations by two or more individuals or various secretive powers or conspiracies. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Greg Lee (born March 3, 1962 in Hebron, Nebraska) is an American actor, voice-actor, singer, and comedian. ... Raymond Romano (born December 21, 1957 in Queens, New York) is an Emmy Award-winning and Golden Globe-nominated, American actor and comedian best known for his starring role on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond. ... Look up Wit in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Wit is a form of intellectual humor, based on manipulation of concepts; a wit is someone who excels in witty remarks, typically in conversation and spontaneously, since wit carries the connotation of speed of thought. ... Jonathan Lovitz (born July 21, 1957 in Tarzana, California) is an American actor and comedian perhaps best known as a cast member of Saturday Night Live and for his show The Critic. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... ¡Three Amigos! is a 1986 comedy western film, produced by George Folsey, Jr. ... This article is about the American television series. ...

Cast appearances

The only actors to appear in all 97 episodes are Dave Foley, Stephen Root, and Andy Dick.

Joe Rogan appeared in every episode except the pilot, which was produced before he was cast, and Season 4's "Monster Rancher".

Maura Tierney missed Season 3's "Twins" because she was busy filming Liar Liar. This section has been identified as trivia. ...

Vicki Lewis missed Season 3's "Sleeping" because she was busy filming Mouse Hunt. She missed Season 4's "Jackass Junior High" and "Sinking Ship" because she was busy filming Godzilla. From: DreamWorks Nathan Lane Lee Evans In MouseHunt Christmas 1997 ... Godzilla is an American science fiction film directed by Roland Emmerich and starred Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo, Hank Azaria, Michael Lerner and Kevin Dunn. ...

Phil Hartman appeared in every episode through the first four seasons; he died before production began on Season 5.

Recurring characters

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. During the last season, Patrick Warburton had a recurring role as Johnny Johnson, Jimmy's nemesis and Lisa's love interest (and eventual husband). A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who is not a main character, but appears from time to time during the series run. ... Norman Gene Macdonald (born October 17, 1963) is a Canadian actor and comedian. ... Patrick J. Warburton (born November 14, 1964) is an American television actor and voice artist. ...

Several other actors appeared in multiple seasons playing different characters, notably Lovitz, David Cross, Toby Huss, David Anthony Higgins, Dave "Gruber" Allen and Bob Odenkirk. David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an Emmy-winning American comedian, writer and actor. ... Toby Huss is a U.S. actor. ... David Anthony Higgins (born December 9, 1961) is a comedic actor from Des Moines, Iowa. ... David Gruber Allen (born 1958, is an American television and film actor. ... Robert Bob Odenkirk (born October 22, 1962) is an American actor, writer, director and producer. ...

Tone Lōc and Toby Huss played security guards Lorenzo and Junior in two Season 2 episodes. The characters were based on the security guards at the studio where NewsRadio was shot. Tone Loc redirects here. ... Toby Huss is a U.S. actor. ...

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 is sometimes referred to as Planbee after Matthew misunderstands her being Jimmy's "Plan B" for the office. She was intended as a possible replacement for the departing Alexander, but focus groups disliked the character, who disappeared before Alexander left, and without explanation. It is worth noting that on a season 4 commentary, 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. All of the changes introduced during Graham's time on the show would be reverted by midseason to the way things were before her arrival. Lauren Helen Graham (born March 16, 1967) is a Golden Globe-nominated American actress. ... This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers, and should be edited to rectify this. ... A focus group is a form of qualitative research in which a group of people are asked about their attitude towards a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging. ...

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 Bill's actions in several episodes). Brad Rowe (born May 15, 1970 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American film and television actor who began his career in movies such as Invisible Temptation and Billys Hollywood Screen Kiss (which launched the career of Sean Hayes). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Steve Susskind had a recurring role as Milos the Janitor, appearing in three episodes in the second season. Steve Susskind is a screenwriter who has done some notably films such as Monsters Inc. ...

Guest appearances

An inordinate number of guest characters had the last name Johnson, and there were multiple guests named Dr. Mandel.

When Alexander appeared as Catherine Duke in the fifth season opener (in which the McNeal character was killed off to coincide with Hartman's death), she was credited as a recurring character.

Kevin McDonald, Foley's former castmate from The Kids in the Hall, made a guest appearance as the knife-wielding Throwdini in the episode "Stupid Holiday Charity Talent Show" during Season 4. For other persons named Kevin McDonald, see Kevin McDonald (disambiguation). ... For the Chicago rap group see Kidz in the Hall. ...

Other guest stars inluded John Ritter, Dennis Miller, Janeane Garofalo, Bebe Neuwirth, Ben Stiller, French Stewart, Scott Adams, Jon Stewart, Tiffani Amber Thiessen, and, in a non-speaking cameo, Ron Jeremy. Celebrities appearing as themselves included Chuck D, Al Roker, Bob Costas, Jerry Seinfeld, James Caan, Adam West, George "Goober" Lindsey and metal band Anthrax. This article is about the American actor. ... Dennis Miller (born November 3, 1953) is an American Emmy Award-winning comedian, political commentator, television personality, and talk radio host. ... Janeane Garofalo (born September 28, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, political activist, writer and former co-host on Air America Radios The Majority Report. ... Bebe Neuwirth Beatrice Bebe Neuwirth (born December 31, 1958) is an American theater, television, and film actress. ... Benjamin Edward Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an Emmy-winning American comedian, actor, film producer and director. ... Milton French Stewart (born on February 20, 1964) is a American actor, best known for his role as Harry Solomon on the 1990s sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun. ... Scott Raymond Adams (born June 8, 1957) is the creator of the Dilbert comic strip and the author of several business commentaries, social satires, and experimental philosophy books. ... Not to be confused with John Stewart ,Jon Alan Stewart or John Stuart. ... Tiffani-Amber Thiessen Tiffani-Amber Thiessen (born January 23, 1974 in Long Beach, California, USA to Frank Thiessen and Robyn Ernest) is an American television and film actress. ... Ron Jeremy (born Ron Jeremy Hyatt on March 12, 1953) is an American pornographic actor currently residing in Long Island, New York. ... Carlton Douglas Ridenhour (born August 1, 1960), better known by his stage name Chuck D, is an American rapper, composer, actor, author, radio personality and producer. ... Al Roker (born August 20, 1954) is an American television broadcaster, best known as the weather anchor for NBCs Today show. ... Robert Quinlan Costas (born March 22, 1952) is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s. ... This article is about the comedian. ... James Langston Edmund Caan (born March 26, 1940) is an American Academy Award, Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated American film, stage and television actor. ... Adam West (born William West Anderson on September 19, 1928) is an American actor who is best known for playing the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne on the TV series Batman (which also had a film adaptation). ... George Lindsey (born December 17, 1935) is an American character actor. ... This article is about metallic materials. ...

Guest stars Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, Bob Odenkirk, John F. O'Donohue and David Cross all worked on The Ben Stiller Show with Andy Dick. Benjamin Edward Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an Emmy-winning American comedian, actor, film producer and director. ... Janeane Garofalo (born September 28, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, political activist, writer and former co-host on Air America Radios The Majority Report. ... Robert Bob Odenkirk (born October 22, 1962) is an American actor, writer, director and producer. ... John F. ODonohue is an American actor and former police officer who is perhaps best known for his role as Sgt. ... David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an Emmy-winning American comedian, writer and actor. ... The Ben Stiller Show was a sketch comedy television show that aired on Fox from September 1992 to January 1993. ...

Guest stars in Season 4's "Chock" episode, David Cross, Bob Odenkirk and Brian Posehn all worked together on Mr. Show. Each of them appeared separately in earlier episodes of NewsRadio. Cross guest starred as Mr. James' weird nephew in Season 2's "Houses of the Holy", Odenkirk appeared as the doctor in "The Injury", and Posehn asked questions at Mr. James' book signing in Season 4's "Super Karate Monkey Death Car". David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an Emmy-winning American comedian, writer and actor. ... Robert Bob Odenkirk (born October 22, 1962) is an American actor, writer, director and producer. ... Brian Posehn (born July 6, 1966) is an American actor and comedian, known for his roles as mail clerk Kevin Liotta on Just Shoot Me! and as a cast member of HBOs Mr. ... Mr. ...

Relationship with network

Despite critical acclaim and an extremely loyal fan base, ratings for the show were inconsistent. NBC moved the show 11 times, often to inhospitable timeslots, making it difficult to maintain an audience. After stabilizing the show on Tuesday nights, ratings did well, only to plummet when the show was moved in the fall of 1996 in an attempt to establish a block of sitcoms on Wednesdays. The show spent the remainder of its life on the brink of cancellation.

A factor in the show's treatment may have been the uneasy relationship between the show's producers and the network. 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"-type 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". This article is about the TV series. ...

Another instance of network interference was an October 10, 1995 promotional gimmick NBC planned in order to capitalize on the success of the 1994 film Four Weddings and a Funeral. As a twist on the title of the film, NBC planned for three of its Tuesday night sitcoms to have funerals as the central plot and the fourth to feature a wedding; NewsRadio was given one of the funeral episodes. Rather than fulfilling NBC's directive in a straightforward manner, the writing staff wrote "Rat Funeral", an episode in which the WNYX staff befriend a rat, then mourn its death. Four Weddings and a Funeral is a 1994 British romantic comedy film directed by Mike Newell. ...

Another 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.) This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

NBC would also on occasion display displeasure with the content of episodes. For instance, many episodes in the second season begin with a short comic situation ending with 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. 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.

NewsRadio was briefly canceled in May 1998, after its fourth season, but the decision was reversed a day later, with an order of 22 episodes placed for a fifth season. A few days after the renewal, Phil Hartman was murdered by his wife. His absence cast a pall over the fifth season and NBC left the series "on the bubble" until the day the final episode of the fifth season aired, months after production had wrapped. Phil Hartman (born as Philip Edward Hartmann) (September 23, 1948 – May 28, 1998) was a Canadian-American Emmy Award-winning actor, voice artist, comedian, graphic artist and writer. ...

Additional information

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• 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 last nine episodes of season two 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.

• In 2000, Dick, Tierney, Lewis, and Root reunited on the King of the Hill episode "Movin' On Up".

• In 1999, both Dave Foley and Stephen Root appeared in the same mini-series From the Earth to the Moon. Foley appeared as Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean, and Root appears as NASA flight director Chris Kraft.

• In 2007, Andy Dick guest starred in the ER episode "Crisis of Conscience", reuniting him with NewsRadio co-star Maura Tierney.

• Although the location of the WNYX offices was stated in the show as being on the corner of 59th Street and Madison Avenue, the building used for exterior shots was 1450 Broadway, on the corner of 41st Street. The exterior of the building has been changed in recent years.

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... For the bands 1969 self-titled debut album, see Led Zeppelin (album). ... Led Zeppelin III, the third album by English rock band Led Zeppelin, was released October 5, 1970 by Atlantic Records. ... This article is about the television program. ... Movin on Up is the 76th episode in the FOX animated television series King of the Hill. ... Dave Foley (born January 4, 1963, in Etobicoke, Ontario) is a Canadian actor, best known for his work in The Kids in the Hall, NewsRadio, and Celebrity Poker Showdown. ... Stephen Root (born November 17, 1951 in Sarasota, Florida) is an American actor. ... From the Earth to the Moon is a twelve-part HBO television miniseries (1998) co-produced by Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Tom Hanks, and Michael Bostick detailing the landmark Apollo expeditions to the Moon during the 1960s and early 1970s. ... Alan LaVern Bean (born March 15, 1932 in Wheeler, Texas) is a former NASA Astronaut. ... Christopher Columbus Kraft, Jr. ... ER is an Emmy-winning American serial medical drama created by novelist Michael Crichton and set primarily in the emergency room of fictional County General Hospital in Cook County, Chicago, Illinois. ... Madison Avenue is a north-south avenue in the borough of Manhattan in New York City which carries northbound one-way traffic. ...

Episodes

• List of NewsRadio episodes

NewsRadio was an American sitcom, originally broadcast from 1995 to 1999 by NBC. In total 97 episodes were broadcast. ...

DVD releases

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment have collected the original broadcast episodes of NewsRadio and released them in 3 disc season sets, with the last set released on March 20, 2007. Along with the episodes they have included multiple audio commentaries with the writers and actors, as well as creator Paul Simms, as well as other "special features", including "gag reels" featuring cast (and sometimes writer) bloopers and One Man NewsRadio featurettes, in which writer/director Joe Furey recreates scenes from the show playing every part from the show. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the home video, DVD, and UMD distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... On a DVD (or laserdisc), an audio commentary is a bonus track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, who talk about the movie as it progresses. ... A blooper usually describes a short sequence of a film or video production which contains a mistake made by a member of the cast or crew. ...

is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A blooper usually describes a short sequence of a film or video production which contains a mistake made by a member of the cast or crew. ... On a DVD (or laserdisc), an audio commentary is a bonus track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, who talk about the movie as it progresses. ... February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

External links

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NewsRadio

• NewsRadio Episode Guide
• NewsRadio & The Comedic Art
• NewsRadio FanFic Archive
• Dave McAwesome's NewsRadio Episode Guide
• Full episodes of "NewsRadio" free at AOL Video
• NewsRadio Art