NewsRadio

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<b>NewsRadio</b>, a situation comedy about a fictional New York radio station, aired on NBC between 1995 and 1999. Starring <b>Dave Foley</b> (<i>Kids in the Hall</i>) and <b>Phil Hartman</b> (<i>Saturday Night Live</i>), the show was well-liked by critics and was initially popular with viewers, but eventually fell victim to a combination of low ratings and network politics.<p>As with most sitcoms, the plot is uncomplicated. Dave Nelson (Foley) moves from Wisconsin to New York to become the news director at WNYX. Dave tries to run the station while dealing with a variety of odd characters, including arrogant anchorman Bill McNeal (Hartman), reporter/producer/love interest Lisa Miller (<b>Maura Tierney</b>), and billionaire station owner Jimmy James (<b>Stephen Root</b>).<p><b>The Cast of Characters</b><hr><font color="cyan">Dave Nelson</font>: Dave has the unenviable task of keeping the station running smoothly, and his employees do not make the job very easy. He is mellow, unassuming, and gets teased for looking like a little boy. Dave Foley has toned down his performance from his years on The Kids in the Hall - on Kids he was a loony among loonies, while on NewsRadio he is the calm in the middle of the storm.<p><font color="cyan">Bill McNeal</font>: Bill owns the golden voice that keeps people listening to WNYX. He also owns the egocentric personality that makes life impossible for Dave and the rest of the staff. Phil Hartman has always been a funny and talented actor, and he shines on NewsRadio.<p><font color="cyan">Lisa Miller</font>: Lisa is arguably the most intellegent employee at WNYX. She is hard-working, competitive, and often obsessive. Lisa can do anything required of her, including Dave's and Bill's jobs.<p><font color="cyan">Jimmy James</font>: The very eccentric Mr. James owns WNYX, in addition to coutless other enterprises. He loves to participate in the day-to-day activities of the station, usually distracting the staff with wild stories and unintelligible advice. Incidentally, Jimmy James was named after the first song on the Beastie Boys album <i>Check Your Head</i>.<p><font color="cyan">Matthew Brock</font> (<b>Andy Dick</b>): Matthew is the office freak. Incapable of performing his duties as a reporter, he instead spends his time falling down, running into things, and trying to keep his job. If you have ever seen an interview with Andy Dick, you know that he is not much different in real life - he is just plain weird.<p><font color="cyan">Beth</font> (<b>Vicki Lewis</b>): Beth, who apparently has no last name, is the secretary at WNYX. She specializes in wild fashions and avoiding her secretarial duties. She also has a lovely singing voice and a severe lack of spending money. Beth was also named after a song, in this case the eighth song on the Kiss album <i>Destroyer</i>.<p> <font color="cyan">Joe Garelli</font> (<b>Joe Rogan</b>): Joe works as the station's electrician and general fixit-guy. He hates purchasing equipment for the station, preferring to make his own parts instead. Joe also has a strong belief in conspiracy theories, especially when they involve aliens.<p><font color="cyan">Catherine Duke</font> (<b>Khandi Alexander</b>): Catherine serves as the on-air talent opposite Bill. She is competent, professional, and a rather snappy dresser. She also has an intense rivalry with Bill, often leading to childish pranks and name-calling. Unfortunately, Khandi Alexander was never given much screen time, and she left the show during the fourth season.<p><font color="cyan">Max Louis</font> (<b>Jon Lovitz</b>): Max joined WNYX as the new anchorman during the final season of NewsRadio, following the departure of Bill McNeal (see below). Although he appears confident, and at times acts as arrogant as Bill, Max is in fact a very insecure person. This may explain why he had thirty-seven jobs in the twenty years prior to signing on with WNYX.<p>NewsRadio was never the same after Phil Hartman was found dead, shot by his wife in May 1998. Hartman was the backbone of the show, and without his support, it was unable to survive. He was killed between the fourth and fifth seasons of NewsRadio, and Jon Lovitz took his place for the fifth season. It is hard to blame Lovitz for the show's demise, considering that it had been on thin ice for several years, even with Hartman's presence. Lovitz was funny at times, but the show's writers didn't seem to know what to do with him, and he failed to fit in. Replacing Phil Hartman was an impossible task, and he will always be missed.<p>NewsRadio should have been a hit television show. It had great actors, excellent writing, and a favorable debut timeslot on NBC's Tuesday night lineup (between <i>Mad About You</i> and <i>Frasier</i>). The show did well at first, generally placing in the top twenty. But then NBC began playing The Timeslot Shuffle, moving the show at least six times. NBC moved NewsRadio to Sunday, to Wednesday, to a different time on Wednesday, back to Tuesday, back to Wednesday, and finally to Tuesday one more time. Fans couldn't keep up with the changes and gradually lost track of the show. The final move came in May 1999, when NewsRadio was officially cancelled.

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