TMC
08-13-2022, 05:11 PM
https://www.looper.com/963497/the-best-episodes-of-newsradio-ranked/
BY WILL FANCHER/AUG. 12, 2022 5:56 PM EDT
In the 1990s, NBC produced a slew of hit sitcoms as part of their "Must See TV" primetime lineup. Some of the biggest shows of the era, like "Seinfeld" and "Friends," have gained new generations of fans thanks to streaming platforms, but many others have languished in the memories of Gen-Xers and geriatric millennials due to incomplete or inconsistent streaming availability. One of the best of those semi-forgotten shows was "NewsRadio," which ran on NBC for five seasons from 1995 to 1999.
Chronicling the wacky adventures of a New York City AM radio station, "NewsRadio" was both old-fashioned and ahead of its time, using cinematic techniques that would become the norm with the rise of single-camera comedies in the following decade while also thriving on screwball comedy rhythms and the energy of a live studio audience. However, despite critical acclaim (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/newsradio), the show was neither a popular hit nor an awards magnet like "Seinfeld," and NBC constantly shuffled it around the weeknight schedule. That lack of institutional support frustrated creator Paul Simms, who vented to Rolling Stone in a bracingly honest 1997 interview (https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/news-radio-no-news-is-bad-news-240819/) – which was then turned into a storyline for the show.
Since its 1999 cancellation, the show aired in syndication and was released on DVD, but had never had all five seasons available to stream at the same time until 2022. Now available in its entirety on Amazon Prime and the Roku Channel, let's take a look at the best 15 episodes of this hidden '90s gem.
BY WILL FANCHER/AUG. 12, 2022 5:56 PM EDT
In the 1990s, NBC produced a slew of hit sitcoms as part of their "Must See TV" primetime lineup. Some of the biggest shows of the era, like "Seinfeld" and "Friends," have gained new generations of fans thanks to streaming platforms, but many others have languished in the memories of Gen-Xers and geriatric millennials due to incomplete or inconsistent streaming availability. One of the best of those semi-forgotten shows was "NewsRadio," which ran on NBC for five seasons from 1995 to 1999.
Chronicling the wacky adventures of a New York City AM radio station, "NewsRadio" was both old-fashioned and ahead of its time, using cinematic techniques that would become the norm with the rise of single-camera comedies in the following decade while also thriving on screwball comedy rhythms and the energy of a live studio audience. However, despite critical acclaim (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/newsradio), the show was neither a popular hit nor an awards magnet like "Seinfeld," and NBC constantly shuffled it around the weeknight schedule. That lack of institutional support frustrated creator Paul Simms, who vented to Rolling Stone in a bracingly honest 1997 interview (https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/news-radio-no-news-is-bad-news-240819/) – which was then turned into a storyline for the show.
Since its 1999 cancellation, the show aired in syndication and was released on DVD, but had never had all five seasons available to stream at the same time until 2022. Now available in its entirety on Amazon Prime and the Roku Channel, let's take a look at the best 15 episodes of this hidden '90s gem.