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- Other Thoughts:
May 28th, 1998, when Phil Hartman, one of the most versatile, underrated comic improvisationists ever, was senselessly, tragically murdered. Unbelievable. The show must not go on.
The death of MR. Hartman. He was the glue of this show and the show mst not go on.
When Phil Hartmen died. He was the MAN.
I believe this is one of the best shows on tv, and having David Foley from Kids In The Hall I believe is what makes the show.
To add insult to injury...Jon Lovitz???????
This show can never hold a candle to WKRP in Cincinnati.
Phil Hartman's tragic death. So sad.
The moment Jon Lovitz entered the cast -- as a different person than he had appeared as before (the guy who was going to jump off the ledge).
When Phil died, the whole show died for me.. Phil added the edge to the show, that made it extra funny, and he was just such a central actor, he was the focus of the show for me... When the show continued without him, I couldn't enjoy it anymore without Phil.. It jumped the shark!!
Dude, this website is Bogus, and you sir are totally Bogus! The problem- not made with Garelliware web software. Newsradio never jumped your little piece of crap shark. In conclusion: Rocket Fuel Malt Liquor, DAMN!!
This show has been through so many changes, but has ALWAYS been hilarious. When Lisa and Dave did it, when Catherine and Joe started dating, when Phil Hartman died, when Catherine left, and when Max was hired at WNYX, the show always remained funny. NBC really missed out on what could've been one of the biggest sitcoms of the decade.
For ripping off the great WKRP in Cincinnati, you deserve to have been cancelled.
Unlike others, I didn't really hate Jon Lovitz's performance on the show; he was getting better as the season went along. But the show wasn't the same without Phil. The only really bad thing about this show was that it was set in New York--I really think writers and producers should get off their lazy asses and look at a map rather than set 90% of all shows in NYC. As for a previous comment, I don't think this show was a copy of WKRP (which was far better), but I have the same question of NewsRadio that I had of WKRP, how come they only have a couple of members of the on-air staff? At least if they mentioned their high portion of syndicated on-air personalities, it would have made sense. WKRP only seemed to have a morning and a night time DJ. Fraiser's radio station seems to be the only one with several on-air personnel. It doesn't make sense. Especially on NewsRadio when they'd be leaving for the night, and all of the lights would be off--do they go off the air at night time in the biggest market in the country? Isn't there anyone to at least make sure the syndicated programming is running properly? And it's NYC, so why would there even be syndicated programming there? Am I the only one disturbed by this?
NBC never the gave the show a chance, they kept moving the show around. It is impossible to follow the show when it keeps getting moved around. I think NewRadio tried every day except Saturday. Phil Hartman's death was tragic, but did NOT signal the end of the show (his picture did appear in every episode this past season, you had to look for it). I really wish NBC would reconsider the cancellation of this show. It was a different comedy which had a following (although it was hard to remember which night NBC had moved it to). I am sure some really STUPID show which tickled some NBC exec's butt will take its place and flop this coming season, then maybe we can get NewsRadio Back (or maybe a Kid's In The Hall show??)
Newsradio jumped before Phil Hartman died (of course, the show did die when he did). Newsradio jumped when Catherine (Khandi Alezander) left the show. She provided a spark and had an attiude with the other cast members that was lost when she left.
When his coke-head wife pulled the trigger, and Phil Hartman died, this show was similarly doomed. Even on the bad episodes, Phil always held it together. We shall never see his like again. And for those of you who are counting, Lovitz was 3 separate characters (all annoying): Max, the ledge jumper, and the guy in the psycho ward.
Vicki Lewis is sooooooo hot. And the show is good too. A funny and strange sitcom, one of the few I'll admit to watching without feeling shame.
This show was hilarious!! How could America not appreciate this show? How could NBC not appreciate and promote this show but they promote **** like Veronica's Closet and Friends? Cretins.
Newsradio jumped when Catherine (Khandi Alexander) left the show. That opened the show up to the broad humor (Andy Dick's weekly pratfall, Bill's more bizarre behavior)that made the show more silly than clever.
When Phil Hartmann was murdered & Jon Lovitts was brought in as a replacement. Not Lovitts' fault, the character sucked. Fantastic ensemble comedy. Chemistry of the ensemble was lost with Phil Hartmann's death. Again, NOT Lovitts' fault, his character just did not mesh with the group. They already had one weirdo in Matthew, another quirky character was redundant.
Phil Hartman's murder was tragic and senseless. He made this show what it was, and it never recovered from his loss.
There's nothing I like better than getting together with my dose noofus, cracking an ice cold bottle of Rocket Fuel Malt Liquor, and watching this show. I refuse to watch the episodes with Lovitz (nothing against him) so as not to tarnish the brilliance of the original cast.
I loved this show and missed a ton of episodes because I couldn't figure out what day it was on! If a fan has trouble watching it, how likely is it that a casual viewer will get hooked? NBC execs are morons. (That's why "Friends" is still on.)
It's easy to blame the show's failure on the death of comic genius Phil Hartman. But that kind of hero worship is unfair to everyone else involved on one of the funniest sitcoms of all time. This show never jumped the shark, and could have been a great long-running series. Blame NBC executives who, after throwing the show around the primetime lineup like a hot potato, used Mr. Hartman's death as an excuse to cancel it. If you don't believe me, watch some of the post-Phil episodes in syndication. It was, is, and always would have been funny.
This very competant ensemble show, after being dogged by repeatedly by NBC, completely fell apart after phil's death and was just a disgrace with whatever character Lovitt was trying to play.
Newsradio, one of the greatest sitcoms committed to film, jumped the shark upon it's first airing. The show was cursed. There are no two ways about it. In its finest moments, it competed with the genius of "The Simpsons." However, unlike "The Simpsons," it was wrought with problems. First and foremost, as someone else pointed out, was NBC's crack scheduling staff. I, too, tried watching the show religiously, but couldn't find it for a full third of its run. Only now, when it's in syndication at 1:00 am, do I know where to find it. That's pathetic. Then, of course, there was Cathrine's leaving, the death of Phil, the third incarnation of Lovitz (not Lovitz's fault, but still), Andy Dick's repeated scrapes with incarceration, etc. We were fortunate to have it, and even more fortunate to not be in it.
this show didn't jump, it was pushed.... all over nbc's prime time schedule. it is amazing it lasted 5 seasons. a very, very funny show, with a horrible laugh track. I still love this series and am watching a rerun while typing this. I miss Phil Hartman a whole lot.
Simply, when Phil Hartman left the show (involuntarily) and the moment Jon Lovitz took his place. The chemistry just wasn't the same (which is why all shows jump the shark). Wasn't a big fan of the show while it was on the air, but have become a big fan in reruns. (Won't watch Lovitz reruns though. Simply not funny). But I do believe that if you look at this show with an open mind, it is indeed funnier than WKRP (which I also like).
Newsradio rocks, it is quite different from WKRP in cincinatti, I like Newsradio much better.
Never jumped. It was one of the strangest, funniest shows out there. I was sad when Phil Hartman died, and Lovitz didn't add that much to it, but Dove Foley is one of my favorite comedic actors, and the entire cast did a great job. Even with Bill gone, Mr. James was still a crazy ol' billionaire, Dave was still the neurotic news directors, Lisa was still the nuerotic wannabe news director, and Matthew was- well, Matthew. One of the best sitcoms I've seen, and I salute it to a long life in syndication.
You guys all suck! WKRP was a terrible show...one of those shows you cringed at when it came on..like cheers. Newsradio is no ripoff and it never jumped. Dave Foley kicks ass.
Newsradio is still one of the funniest shows on tv but after Phil Hartman died and they started the new season with him having a heart attack and all the staff talked about how much they missed him was crossing the line into reality too much.
We definitely believe that "News Radio" jumped the shark, when Phil Hartman died. Phil was the pulse of the show. We all miss him.
Newsradio remained on the cutting edge of office humor right until it's final episode. Both Phil Hartman and Dave Foley can be credited with the show's high quality. It's ashamed Phil Hartman died, but I don't think the show was given a fair chance to recover from the loss. Jon Lovitz wasn't horrible as Max, and had there been another season, perhaps his character would have had more of a chance to grow on the audience. It was unfair of NBC to cancel such a funny show when almost every other sitcom on television is bland and formulaic. I'm glad that I can still watch the show in syndication, and I hope that it stays on the air for a long time. I don't watch that much television and I usually hate sitcoms, but NewsRadio had an edge that just about anyone who has ever worked in an office can relate to.
When Katherine Duke left it stared to slip a little.
This show kicked ass. Gazizm, my Desnufians
Twice, actually. When Phil Hartman died, they should've ended the show. Then to add insult to injury, they brought Jon Lovitz, only the most annoying actor in history, into the cast.
Newsradio was on the cutting edge of office humor and it remained funny until the last episode. Phil Hartman, Dave Foley, and Stephen Root were excellent in the show, and it's ashame that the show was cancel because of Phil Hartman's death. Jon Lovitz wasn't so horrible, and the scripts remained pretty funny. Indeed, Jon Lovitz probably would have grown on the audience after another season. Sure Phil Hartman was a great loss, but the show was on its way to recovery when NBC yanked it off the air. Sitcoms like Friends and Fraiser are bland and predictable. Indeed, just about every other contemporary sitcom sucks. Newsradio was very witty, funny, and underrated. It's a shame that lame shows like Friends and Frasier continue to flourish and spoon feed their audience while a great show like Newsradio came to a tragic end. No one could have ever replaced Phil Hartman, but the show was still pretty funny and it had a lot of potential. Phil Hartman was a very talented and gifted comedian, and it's a shame that his life came to an early end. I'm glad that Newsradio can still be seen in syndication, but it's a shame that such a brilliant show was so underrated.
Never jumped... Even after Phil Hartman died ::sniff:: they were classy about his memory. Show is a riot.
See, as brilliant as Phil Hartmann was, I feel that the show would have been strong enough to survive had he left under normal circumstances. The ensemble was amazing; the writing impeccable. Replaced by Lovitz, not replaced, it could have worked. I just think the show could not survive the sadness.
It started going down hill after jon lovitz joined the cast. no offense to him or anything, it was just after his death and i don't think they should have let the show go on after he died, but that's just my opinion.
The show did start to get bad after Phil Hartman's death but I don't think that is the real reason why it jumped the shark. There is a sitcom death queen. I can't remember her name, but if you've ever seen "Townies," "Conrad Bloom," or "M.Y.O.B." you will see her. Every show she's been on has been cancelled. I bet "M.Y.O.B." will be cancelled shortly because of the sitcom death queen.
NewsRadio died a slow death. It started going down hill (or should that be 'over the shark'?) once Khandi Alexander left, but you could already see the end in sight once Jimmy's boring nephew Walter joined the cast. Horrible character! Finally when Max (Jon Lovitz) Lewis joins the cast...it's all out shark jumping!!! Max is a non-character who only leeches off of other characters plots (i.e. Dave and Lisa want the same apartment? So does Max. Lisa falls in love with Johnny? So does Max. Matthew needs self defense lessons? So does Max.) On top of that, it was like the writers didn't even know the original characters anymore. Lisa marrying an evil wino on a whim? C'mon. There's even a episode in that last season in which Dave tells Mr. James 'Green Acres' isn't his favorite TV show! What the heck was THAT about?!?
Never. Even though Jon Lovitz wasn't that great, the five or six episodes in the fifth season with Johnny Johnson were nothing short of brilliance. This is the only show that had so many time slot changes that I've ever made it a point to find it and watch it whenever it was on. Quite possibly after a few years in syndication, people will finally begin to realize that this was one of the greatest shows ever made. Gazizza my dilsnoofis.
It jumped after Phil Hartman's death. It wasn't the same without him.
It wasn't really the lack of Phil Hartman that killed the show, but the addition of Jon Lovitz. That's not so much an insult to him as that his character was forced. Hartman was gone, so they needed to add somebody, if only for realism because somebody was needed for his job. A new character upsets the chemistry, and things go down hill. And what was up with Lisa getting married and all that, anyway?
I really don't want to jump on the bandwagon but I'd have to agree that when Jon Lovitz came on to replace Phil Hartman because he died the show really jumped the shark. It wasn't exactly when Hartman died because the few episodes following the death like Dave giving the eulogy and the will reading were funny but when Lovitz came on to fill the void it jumped. It was teetering when hartman died but didn't jump until Lovitz came on.
The show never did "jump the shark" it just wasn't quite as good with out Phil Hartman. And another thing WKRP Cincinnati was nothing compared to newsradio it doesn't even deserve to have correct spelling
when bill died and max took his place was when the show jumped the shark. even though i like jon lovitz and his character max, bill was the best. he was always making jokes or doing something funny or crazy. max is funny and always crazy but no one will ever replace bill. and in mathew's own words any who tries to replace him is a "stupid fool".
The show never recovered from Phil Hartman's death. The actors had a special rhythm and the writers were able to accomodate this. Jon Lovitz tried, but he could not fill Hartman's space.
Jon Lovitz had like three different parts. First he was going to jump off a ledge, then he's in a mental asylum, then he joins as a new character (Replacement for Phil Hartman (sniff..)) What's up with that? Then when they brought in Angela "Plan B" and she fired Matthew, well that just sucked! I was happy when he was rehired by a pity vote from the talent show crowd. I like how the show went off though, with everybody moving to the country for an easy life with Mr. James (My favorite character) and Dave stays behind only to find Matthew hiding under the desk. Matthew, the one person Dave wanted to get rid of, ends up being the only employee left. Two of my favorite episodes were the theme episodes. The Titanic and Space Station episodes were very good. And the episode where Katharine leaves (Sad though) was funny with everyone blaming themselves and then Jimmy James' compilation of everyone's story rolled into one! "I'm fixin' for another homo-erotic adventure on the 'Big Muddy'"... NewsRadio was truly one of NBC's good ones that died prematurely.
Even though I always loved the show, it was not very realistic. The show started with tons of people around the office, to having just about 7 people altogether, and in most cases the electrician is not going to be called into staff meetings, am I right? I liked Jon Lovitz but he played three separate characters on the show, I mean you can't really do that. But anyway I loved the show and all the characters.
NewsRadio was the most intelligent show on television. Until the tragic death of Phil Hartman. What happened? The writing went down hill all of a sudden. My favorite show of all time, but I can't watch any episode after Hartman's death.
Phil Hartman's death, entry of inadequate Jon Lovitz to replace him.
i dont think this show jumped the shark. Dave Foley is one of the best comedic actors out there in my opinion. My brother and i got into the show just after hartman died. We watched reruns and then i figured out that the show was still on the air. One of my Favorite episodes. Matthew spends 8 billion dollars on the phone bill. God that was funny as hell. And Mr James (tell uncle jimmy all about it!) threw blinds through the break room window and then matthew dove through dave's window. Hilairous. And this was when max was on the show. The reason they chose lovitz is because lovitz was on snl with Phil, and they did alot of projects together.
Obviously with the death of hartman, the show was dramatically peaked, though the downward slide DID NOT continue. I broke down in tears when i heard about it on the news, and i could barely watch the show after. Max really sucked at first, especially because he was so much better in his other two roles on the show, but he fit into his own role eventually. The show did have some excellent episodes at the very end, when Putty joined the cast as the evil John Johnson? That was slap-nuts funny. Who was that *** who said that Vicki Lewis was hot? In a tv show with Khandi Alexander and Maura Tierny you have the nerve to say that?
phil was one of the funniest motherf**kers on tv. he made the show worth putting everything else off to watch it. now i only watch it when i have nothing better to do
News Radio jumped the shark when Phil died. It sucked the life out of everyone: the actors, the writers, and the producers. I can't watch the last season; it's like watching a wake. The writing lost focus and the punchline deliveries lost their crisp luster. For the record, I too couldn't find NewsRadio during its run because of all the schedule jumping, but have come to love it in syndication. The first four seasons, it was more consistently funnier than Seinfeld ever was.
This show could have been good, but had a lot of problems. As all of you guys said, Hartman's death (He never got the recognition he deserved), Andy Dick being in jail, and Catherines leaving hurt the show. But what really hurt the show was the f*** ups at NBC are NOTORIOUS for being freaking morons. They move shows around without telling you their new timeslots, dump great shows for bulls*** like friends. Its because of stupid things like that that gave channels like UPN and FOX a chance to gain some power. The chemistry was also screwed up as others left. Catherine was the mean sarcastic one, although not too mean. And Phil was the one who took advantage of the weird one like Matthew. Although Joe did too, it wasn't as much as Phil did. But both NBC and ABC are notorious for taking a good show and moving it around and dumping it, then giving a long line of bad shows like 10 episodes for like 8 weeks. I remember a time when TGIF friday had a new show in one time slot every 2 weeks. NBC you gotta get your act together before you go under.
Newsradio has to be one of the finest sitcoms ever to be produced. This show appealed to a more educated audiance because it wasnt slapstick comedy that even a four year-old can understand. This show was more of an aquired taste. It would have been the best of its kind this decade if NBC hadnt of screwed them over. Newsradio will live on with its fans in syndication!
Nobody seems to have yet mentioned the spot where, I think, NewsRadio jumped the shark. I have called it a "They Did It" situation because it is the precise opposite of, say, the Moonlighting scenario; that is, the show jumped the shark when Dave (Dave Foley) and Lisa (Maura Tierney) broke up. The show's strength was its lighter-than-air sense of absurdity, and the sweetness of Dave and Lisa's relationship provided some ballast, plot continuity, and contrast to the quirks of the other characters and their interactions. The problem is that when they broke up, the show started to turn sour- characters seemed annoyed with each other (just one example Jimmy making Lisa boss in Dave's absence to "teach her a lesson"), and irritating to watch, and the breakup introduced a strain of pain and vindictiveness that sank the whole mousse. Then, when Phil Hartman died, it was clearly all over: Jon Lovitz personified all that had become wrong with the show, a whiny and unappealing replacement for Hartman (a genius). Sad.
When Phil Hartman died, the show was left without one of their biggest key players. It's a shame because when it happened everything was still as sharp and clever as it was in the beginning.
Newsradio really jumped the shark when Jon Lovitz tried to fill in the hole Phil Hartman left. The S/Matthew episode was good, though.
I think that if Catherine was still around when Phil Hartman died, the show could have survived. She was pretty cool, and I would have liked to see her not putting up with Max's crap.
What a shame. A very funny and fresh show with great characters. Bill died and so did the show.
This show suffered devastating blows, but never actually jumped. Khandi Alexander was brilliant as Catherine and her loss was difficult, NBC did its best to shove this show into the shark tank with all the schedule changes, and then there was the desperately tragic death of Phil Hartmann. The first episode filmed after Hartmann's murder is the one that comes to mind first when I think of this series--it didn't overdo the tragedy, and it was funny without being tasteless. The original cast was best, but the replacements did a nice job too--this show will be greatly missed.
If--by any chance--there is an executive from NBC, ABC, CBS, or Fox reading these words, please bring this show back! (Look at the responses. Almost all of them are positive.) Even without Phil Hartman, NewsRadio is far better than Friends or Big Brother or whatever ridiculous show replaces it.
Being in Australia, I never got to see the season after Phil died, but in all the episodes I saw it certainly never jumped. They never repeat them so I'm just glad I actually taped some of them to enjoy forever. I think this is the greatest sitcom ever. Its only rival is Seinfeld at its very best. Phil is missed, as is the show.
Even thought the show changed with the death of Phil Hartman, I wouldn't say that it jumped the shark. The last season was a different show, but it was still hilarious.
when phil hartman died, and that ass jon lovitz joined the cast, though the show did tend to change its theme from a news radio to jimmy james being hypnotized into the 60's, what kinda bozo came up with that stupid idead?!
Jimmy stole everyone! It was sooooooooo sad, in the last episode, when Dave is watching everyone go down in the elevator. That was a terrific show. I don't think it jumped when Phil Hartman died, even though that was terrible, but they did get an awesome addition to the show, Jon Lovitz.
Note from an American on KITH: I genuinely liked it. It was very funny, much more than SNL. I, unfortunately only caught it on late nite CBS at the time and it was still funny. I have since seen the older ones...even funnier. Didn't jump the shark because they killed the shark (by letting go at peak) before the shark killed them. No, Foley was not as good on New Radio, but he was *not* intended to be the real star of it, the late Phil Hartman was. He was, however, still very funny...
never jumped! newsradio, for the record, is NOT a take-off of WKRP. it is completely different. newsradio was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of show, with the world's greatest ensemble cast (INCLUDING SOME of the shows lovitz was in). i will forever miss newsradio!
The freshest, smartest, funniest, darkest, BEST thing NBC's dared to put on in years. A solid ensemble cast and intelligent writing helped to distinguish it from the various "Friends" knockoffs floating about polluting the airwaves. Phil's death was indeed a blow to the heart of the show, but nothing hurt it more than NBC's inability to understand that if you change a show's time slot every week, people can't watch a show regularly, since they won't know when to watch. Dumbasses. The writing did seem to have some trouble getting itself off the ground in the last season, but this show never actually jumped any sharks. When they were cancelled, they were actually on the verge of a complete retool. Huge shame it didn't happen. Man, I really miss this show.
Newsradio was one of the most clever and funny shows on TV in recent years. It was never the same after Phil Hartman was killed.
NewsRadio had a chance to survive Phil Hartman's death, but they blew it. They foolishly replaced Bill McNeal with a whiny Matthew-like character in Max Lewis. The other characters played off of Bill's arrogance so beautifully -- they needed to get some of that back if the show was going to stay funny. Instead we got Dave's constant exasperation with Matthew AND Max, and that got old pretty quick. The only bright spot of the last season was Patrick Warburton's Johnny Johnson character (even though his romance with Lisa was way out of left field). Oh well... thank goodness for the 70-some episodes we have of one of the best-written sitcoms ever.
For those of you who are comparing this show to WKRP, you haven't watched an episode of WKRP lately. Have you?
This show is in syndication only now, and I am finding the reruns to be the best comedy on television right now. Sure, the ones with Jon Lovitz (sic) are weaker than the ones with Phil Hartman. But they remain so much better than the majority of comedies today.
I never was a big fan of this show until I saw the syndicated reruns. I've seen a good share of episodes from both the Phil Hartman and Jon Lovitz eras. I know most people have said this already, but after Bill was gone, the show wasn't the same. Jon Lovitz is a funny actor, but his character wasn't part of the original concept, so he didn't quite fit in with the rest of the cast. I think that the reason this show went off the air was because the actors, as well as NBC, didn't think the show was working, either. I read that Andy Dick didn't like working with Jon Lovitz during the last season. I recently found an old newspaper from 1997, and there was an article about "NewsRadio" that talked about how good the writing was, how great the chemistry between the actors was, how well they did the ensemble genre, etc. Joe Rogan even said that the show was going to be a classic. Sad how one man's death can change all that. I didn't always like everything that was in this show, but it had some very funny moments. It's hard to believe a show like this only went for four years. The last episode was clearly intended to be the last episode, so it wasn't like so many other shows with short runs, where it just got cancelled before it became important enough for them to make a special series finale. I'll bet it would have gone on longer if Phil Hartman had been on it.
Phil Hartman died, and Jon Lovitz was just annoying in his place. This show was GREAT before that.
NewsRadio didn't need Jon Lovitz. Whether it was intentional or not Lovitz was perceived to replace Phil Hartman and it was unfair to him as well as Hartman fans. Stephen Root as Mr. James remains one of the funniest characters ever created on a TV show...dare I say close to Louis DePalma.
NewsRadio just wasn't the same after Phil Hartman died Jon Lovitz was great and he tried but I can't even watch episode 77 without crying for hours.
I would like to say it never jumped, but we all know that when Phil Hartman was murdered, it was hard to keep laughing, especially when we had to suffer through Jon Lovitz's tired old, jumped in like 1990, schtick. Bill McNeil was the one and only "Real Deal". Sniffle.
This show jumped when it took place far into the future. I am a huge fan of this show, but this definitely had to be a jump the shark moment if there ever was one.
Well, it didn't jump the shark. Was the last season as good as the previous ones? Probably not, but there wasn't a major spiral, either. Given another year, I think the show could have been back to its highest level of creative output. Still, anyway you put it, this was a smart and sly show which always remained true to itself. Still, I can't help but wonder if Phil Hartman could have saved the show from cancellation.
While some cracks started to appear in the show following the departure of Ms. Alexander and the tragic and untimely death of Mr. Hartman, I can't really say that the show ever really jumped. "News Radio" was a classic workplace sitcom with a brilliant cast, and I will miss it for a long time.
Right from the get-go. Yet another sitcom where none of com comes from the sit! Perhaps once a season they did a show that had something vaguely to do with radio. It's a crime that A&E thinks this show is worth showing.
Newsradio NEVER jumped the shark. I'll admit, when Jon Lovitz joined the cast, it struggled a little. But that was only when the 5th season originally aired - in PRIMETIME. But if you catch the 5th season in syndication, you will see that the writing remained the same. And you will also see that Jon Lovitz eventually grew into Max. I love this show. I mean it, I am in love with this show. It's possibly the greatest show ever. No other show matches its humor and wit. The whole cast is awesome. It hurt when Catherine left, but thank god for reruns. Each character was brilliant on their own, but when they came together - pure comedy. I have never seen an entire episode of WKRP, but I do remember it as that stupid old show that was on late night reruns. Newsradio is no comparison. I can't even think about the fact that Phil is gone. He is and will always be the funniest man in the world to me (see "The Sinatra Group" on SNL. ) Newsradio is a blessing to anyone who truly appreciates comedy and sarcasm. NOTE: to the person who wrote that the show was dumb because the cast were the only people who spoke in the office, listen to this. There is an episode where Jimmy is charting Dave and Lisa's work. He realizes that they work their best when they are going out (aka fighting all the time.) Jimmy has a chart that shows their minute-by-minute progress. When they ask him how he knows the minute-by-minute, he says he has spies checking them out. But when he realizes the gig is up, he calls them all to leave. That's when every single extra on the set leaves the office. It was possibly one of the funniest moments on TV - only to be matched when Jimmy leaves his "balls" in Lisa's office. Newsradio is the bomb forever. And Phil, I miss you so much. Salud, my good sir!.
For a show that never got any respect from NBC NewsRadio fought the hard fight for nearly 5 years of being moved around!Shame really. In It they lost 2 cast members but the show never lost the funny wit and Its cast kept the show going after Hartman died.Lovitz wasn't Phil but he did add some energy to the shows 5th year! The one who posted that NewsRadio copied WKRP Is wrong.WKRP had Its crazies and Radio has Its. Dare I say NewsRadio was better than WKRP?It was because the show just was funnier.BYE NEWSRADIO!
The world will truly miss Phil Hartman, he was one of the best comedic actors of our time, and will always be remembered fondly.
I happened to first catch this show in reruns, beginning w/the Jon lovitz episodes, and without that prejudice, and with all due respect to Phil Hartman, they all Totally Rocked! One of the finest ensemble casts ever!
NewsRadio jumped the shark after Jon Lovitz joined the cast. No one could do it better than Hartman. Now I'm off to go by the zoo and shoot some goats.....
Jumping the shark implies a change made to the show, voluntarily or not, by decision. Whether the end result is good or bad the change is usually the result of somebody's bright idea. The tragedy of Phil Hartman's death crippled 'Newsradio' and handicapped 'The Simpsons'.
Jump the Shark? No crizzapy way, my dosenoofus. Came real close with Max tho. Hmmm, lets have Jon Lovitz play a short, whiny hapless character! Too much of a stretch? Excellent ensemble cast otherwise, except for the evil Andy Dick. What a horribly unfunny person. Friend of mine saw him live at some college, and told me about how he totally was nowhere even approaching funny to anyone except himself, and ended up leaving stage early, and got in trouble with the promoters. Cmon, it doesn't take a great comic genius to do the inevitable, totally non-spontaneous Desk-fall/Phone-cord-trip/tracking-paint/cut-self-horsing-around-in-entryway-with-Joe/. Kudos to the sublime humorsmith Phil Hartman, may he rest in peace. The on-again/off-again relationship between the ever-funny Dave Foley and the alluring Maura Tierney. (Insert cat growl sound here) Still shoot one liners from the show around the office... "No, you don't understand - Throwdini" "Rocket Fuel Malt Liquor - DAMN!" "Matthew, my funny, honey, bunny." "It's like the Romulans on Star Wars. There we're no Romulans on Star Wars. Geek Check!"
A lot of people say that it was Phil's death. Phil's death really didn't start it all. I think the beginning of the end was Dave and Lisa's break up. Just like what someone else said, that started it all. With Dave and Lisa together, the show was a lot more funnier and the chemistry was unbelievable. One of my votes for best TV couple. But anyways, after their break up(not the first one but the one after that one), Catherine left. Or was it that Catherine left first...well I'm confused but anyways, that was another factor. I miss her slapping everyone's face. And she was such the smartass to the arrogant Bill McNeal(which was geniously played by Phil Hartman). This show was so snubbed out of the Emmys, it wasn't funny. Then, the final final blow was Phil's death. I remember hearing of his death and being shocked for being a fan of his on SNL and Newsradio. I wondered what would happen to Newsradio. I must add that the season premiere of Newsradio was really sad and I read somewhere that Dave wasn't even fake crying while reading that. Dave Foley was great as well. I knew him from Kids in that Hall and I must admit he's kinda cute but anyways, Jon Lovitz made a valiant effort but the show just wasn't the same. I think everyone knew that the show wouldn't go on afterwards. And I think Dave and Lisa should've got back together. In the later episodes, you could, in a way, see that they both still loved each other and if this series contintued, probably would've gotten back together. I wish that my stupid TV station would show Newsradio on at like 10:30 again or at 5:30. It's on now before I get home from school(yes I'm still in school). This show has achieved, in its 4 or 5 seasons, classical status. May Newsradio live forever on A&E. Thank goodness for that channel
Newsradio NEVER jumped the shark. I understand it's hard to agree with me after Phil Hartman's death, but hear me out. This show, from day one, had a unique approach with its brilliant sarcasm. It is by far the best television I have ever seen. Bill's death (duly overshadowed by Phil's death) was definitely a turning point, but the writing still remained as clever as day one. At first, Jon Lovitz seemed a bad choice as a replacement. They brought in a soft oddball (Max Lewis) as an opposite of Bill - the most magnificent bastard of them all. But as the season went on, Lovitz settled in and became a great part of the show. And what made Jon Lovitz coming on the show easier to take was the fact that he was one of Phil Hartman's best friends. They played together exclusively in two earlier episodes (The Jumper and The Asylum - "Goodbye, friend.") Bringing in Putty from Seinfeld as Johnnie Johnson was also a good move to balance things out. Every character throughout the entire run was great. Bill's adequadequacity was always my favorite, but I can honestly say that no one person overshadowed another. I give the writers credit for creating such a masterful 22 minutes of TV every week. And to answer previous postings about how ridiculous it was that the cast were the only "active" staff members at WNYX: There was an episode about how Dave and Lisa only worked their best when they were in a relationship (aka fighting all the time.) Mr. James ("James James, the man so nice they named him twice") charted the quality of their work minute by minute. When they ask how he got all his information, he tells them he has informants working in the office. Knowing the gig is up, he calls the informants out to leave. That's when every single extra on the set leaves the office. It was probably one of the greatest moments of the show. They were making fun of the fact that you never hear a word from anyone else. Brilliant! I will say until the day I die that Newsradio is the best show to ever come on TV. I miss Phil Hartman everyday, but I am grateful to be able to see his genius on the reruns of both NR and SNL. Salud, my good sir!
NewsRadio never jumped the shark. Even after Phil Hartman (my favorite comedian) was killed. Jon Lovitz is a very funny actor and did very well. NewsRadio with Jon Lovits was much better than any other show at the time. Max Lewis wasnt nearly as good as Bill McNeal but he was still great. As for NewsRadio being a ripoff of WKRP in Cincinnati. That accusation is completely Bogus. WKRP is also one of my favorate shows. I've seen every episode at least 3 times and I have to say NewsRadio is nothing like it and it is much funnier and better. There are four major reasons why NewsRadio had its plug pulled. One: NBC Executives are idoits. I cant believe they still have "Friends" on that show went stail years ago. Same with "Fraiser" I remember when it was funny and not some boring soap opera. Now its a show about boring Niles and Daphini. NBC people have there heads way up there butts. TWO: Phil Hartmans tragic death. THREE: Andy Dick (Mathew) said he dident want to do the show any more. I dont know how the show could have gone on without him as well without Phil. Still it still would have been the best show on T.V. FOUR: NBC Executives again. The hurt the show badly when they kept moving it around. I really wish this show was still on. Reasons that it still should be on. ONE: Maura Tierny, Khandi Alexander, and Vicky Lewis are hot. TWO: The cast was great. That was one of the main strongpoints of the show. It had the best casting ever. All of the actors worked together and filled there rolls perfectly. THREE: So us hardcore fans could see what happened in New Hampshire.
Newsradio never jumped the shark. I agree, it was tragic when Phil Hartman was lost, but an incredible ensemble cast and terrific group of writers carried on. Plus, this show was famous for sending off it's dearly departed. The last episode with Khandi Alexander and the tribute to Phil Hartman were both excellent, funny and touching at the same time. I agree, Jon Lovitz was not an adequate replacement for Phil Hartman, but instead of trying to make him one, the writers did a fantastic job of delving further into existing characters, and developing them further. The developed great plotlines around Dave, Matthew, Joe and Jimmy in the last season. And Patrick Warburton was fantastic in his recurring role. Seasons four and five might have been the most cleverly written. Consistently, this was one of the funniest sitcoms of the 90's, behind the Simpsons. Maybe it's good NBC never knew what to do with it, so it never got watered down. It was the best ensemble cast in a comedy ever, with consistently great guest stars. My one gripe was that they never dealt with Walt's departure at the beginning of season five. By the way, WKRP is another great show, but Newsradio is far from being a rip off. Each is a distinctively excellent show!
Having never been a Phil Hartman fan from his days in SNL, I suddenly realized what an impact a single Actor in an ensemble Cast. His voiceovers in the Simpsons speak for themselves. The man's voice is legendary and can not be duplicated in our lifetime.
It's not so much Phil Hartman's death that killed the show, as much as the addition of Jon Lovitz to the cast. I watched a couple of the episodes with him in it, and his character just never really sat well with me. Sadly the remainder of the remaining hysterically funny original cast just couldn't overcome the insipidly stupid character of Max. Then there was Lisa's marriage to Johnny Johnson. Completely ridiculous, and totally out of character for the intelligent but neurotic Lisa. That was the last episode I ever watched. I don't even know how the show ended because even when I watch it in syndication, once they start showing the episodes with Max, I find something else to watch.
This show was my favorite show on TV and one the funniest shows I ever watched, I still watch the reruns on A&E, but after Phil Hartman passed away the show suffered tremendously. It went from extremely witty hummy with some of the usual dumb physical humor, to extremely boring, over the top stupidity with Jon Lovitz on board. Everything was too much, no more just good writing humor involved like I thought they use to have. Also,a little side note, when Khandi Alexander left the show, what a gorgeous woman she was, those outfits she wore, WOW!!
although the show took a serious hit when phil died...i do think it was still great after that...especially once they added johnny johnson...and i don't think lovitz hurt it really.
Newsradio is the best sitcom I've ever seen. It never jumped the shark. I miss Phil Hartman tremendously. He was a true genius. Jon Lovitz pales in comparison, but then again, so does everyone else on the planet! I think it is important to remember that the reason Lovitz was chosen to "replace" Phil was out of respect for their friendship. They were truly great friends and Lovitz wanted the show to go on. As much as we all miss Phil, and as great a character as Bill MacNeil wa, I think it is worth noting that the "Jumbo Jimbos" episode, and "Smatthew" were both after Phil was murdered! There were a lot of genuinely funny moments after Phil died. Also, Vicki Lewis is the hottest, sexiest creature ever to appear on a TV screen! I miss Newsradio a lot. The Dave Nelson/Oliver Douglas type character is one I can really relate to!
I never understood why this show was as highly regarded as it was. A great misuse of Kid In The Hall Dave Foley and a tragic misuse of the late, great Phil Hartman. On paper the premise looked good, but I found it almost unwatchable. Maura Tierney, I must admit is very good on ER (and very nice to look at as well)
When they dared replace the comic genius of Phil Hartman with The Critic, John Lovitz. When a man like Phil Hartman dies, you don't replace him. The Simpsons haven't replaced his characters, and NewsRadio would have been wise to trudge on in his absence.
Like most, I feel the show JTS when Phil Hartman died, but not for the reason of his dying. When he died, the writers forgot that he was a part of a great ensemble cast. They tried to overcompensate by making the other characters flaws too out in the open and annoying. Tonight I watched an episode that epitomized this, when Max lies on his resume. They made Matthew annoying beyond all annoyances, Beth became way too annoying in her devotion for Max, and Lisa was acting obnoxious as a fast food employee. Had the writing stayed as good as the earlier episodes, the show might have survived.
This show is so very Godly. It never jumped the shark, ever. Even if it had aired for a few more seasons, I doubt it would have jumped. Phil Hartman, God rest his soul, was a GENIUS. A GENIUS. I don't think they replaced John Lovitz with Phil Hartman so much as they replaced Bill McNeil with Max Lewis. At the station, they had to replace Bill. He actually had an on-air job. So they got Max Lewis. I thought Max was hilarious, and he wasn't just like Matthew. Jimmy James was funny, but I have to say, my favorite character is Joe the Electrician. That part where he makes something with duct tape, and someone remarks, "This is just wires and duct tape!" he says something like, "No, I made that duct tape my self. The store bought stuff is too expensive." I like the episode where he makes a stun gun for Bill, and Bill doubts the factthat it works, and he accidentally stuns himself.
I think that we can all agree that Phil was one of, if not the funniest actors to work on the small screen. I watch these shows at 1:00 in the morning and can't help but la out loud. I do not watch the shows after Phils death out of respect to the dead. However I think that the show JTS when Jimmy hired that efficiency officer. The show where Matthew got fired. I almost have to turn the channel and watch COPS. I don't but I almost do. That is when the show started to go south. I love this show, but if you go back and watch them in no specific order you can tell the new ones from the old ones. The complaint box episode and when Dave hides Phils cane in his office are very funny. They are all really funny. Just thinking about it I can't wait to get home from work and watch it. Oh yeah for the people who think that News Radio is only a copy of WKRP, if by a copy you mean they both take place in a big city and on a radio station, then you are right. By this rational The Bob Newhart show and Frasier are carbon copies of each other. They both take place in a city and they are both psychiatrists.
NewsRadio (and a tear comes to my eye just thinking about how much I miss it) started jumping when Khandi Alexander left, and completed the jump when Phil Hartman died. Might have survived if Khandi had been there to support Jon Lovitz ... but we'll never know. Sad because Lovitz was such a good guest star
When Phil Hartman died. If the show had been given one more year, and moved to rural New England like it was supposed to, it might have lived for a few more years and really become a classic. But, it didn't. Oh, and to the above poster- the 'sitcom death queen' actress is named Lauren Graham (she played 'Andrea Planbee' late in NewsRadio's run).
NBC purposely killed this show and they know it. Even before Phil Hartman's death, they jerked this show around. I never knew when it was on. They did this to many shows, yet "Suddenly Susan" seemed to be easy to find on "Must-See Thursdays". Oh how they tried and tried to make us, the viewers watch this show. First there were the FAKE testimonials...."...Brooke Shields is funny!" and the famous...NBC's newest hit!. I know "The Single Guy" gets **** on the most when people criticized NBC's newer Thursday shows. But to not put this show and Just Shoot Me on Thursdays and coddle "Suddenly Susan" is unforgivable. I mentioned in one of my other postings (Veronica's Closet) that Someone better have been fired over this show. It's insulting to con the viewers with the old..."the ratings weren't up to snuff" line when the Jackoffs at NBC jerked the show around. But please bring back "Jenny" - NBCs BIGGEST HIT!!!
Jumping the shark implies that the show got really bad at a specific point - this never happened. Sure the show changed without Phil, but it was still better than most other crap on T.V. Yes, Max Louis wasn't all that great, but most classic sitcoms have at least one annoying character you can't stand. The episode where Bill died is one of only two sitcoms episodes ever to make me choke up (the other being Henry Blake's death on MASH of course). This is one show that should be in the elite category of "Never Jumped," but too many people are voting for Death, then say it was still an okay show after the death. If it was still okay, then it didn't JTS, it just went up the ramp and came back down. Oh, and for those who said it's a WKRP rip-off, how do you figure? Just because they're at a radio station? Well, so is Frasier, guess that's a rip-off of WKRP as well. Your arguments make no sense. Anyway, long live NewsRadio, NBC rot in hell with Friends and Will and Grace.
One of the most underrated sitcoms of the last decade. I thought the first episode without Phil Hartman where they dealt with his death was done exceptionally well and somehow managed to retain the show's usual brand of humor while mourning his passing. Unfortunately, this should have been the series finale because (a) WNYX wasn't the same without Bill McNeil and (b) that particular show, while sad, was actually well-written and performed and it would have been best to end the series on that note.
I don't think NewsRadio ever jumped. It was witty, intelligent, and a joy to watch. It makes me sad that NBC ignores great shows like NewsRadio and Wings, but gives all their attention to crap like Friends, Frasier, and Will & Grace. NBC has jumped the shark for me.
In an age when we are daily assaulted by vomitous toothless pablum on network television, one of the things I admired about NewsRadio was its willingness to do dark humor. Epitomized by this "Titanic" episode exchange- JIMMY: Well, I guess Joe was right about the ship (building?) sinking. DAVE: Really, sir? When did you finally realize this? JIMMY: That would be when Joe drowned. The episode ends with nearly everyone dead, Dave giving up the ghost when he can't find any coffee. Likewise the spaceship episode, when Matthew kicks out the plug of the stasis vaults. I realize this is cruelly ironic, what with real-life-type death affecting the show as it did.
This show was so high quality. Phil hartman is my alltime favorite comedian, and I will admit, even after his death, it was still funny (not as funny as before, but it never jumped the shark). The episode after Phil's death was very well done, I was laughing and crying at the same time. Kudos to newsradio, I hope I see a show like it again!
The show was still legendary in Phil Hartman's last season. His death single handedly destroyed this show.
I must confess... I watched not a single episode after Mr. Hartman's death, even though I really liked a lot of the other characters, particularly Joe Rogan and Dave Foley. It was Phil's "adequacivity" that really tied it all together. His "adequataquatulance" will forever me missed.
No offense to Jon Lovitz, I thought he was great on SNL and even better on The Critic, but Phil Hartman's character was so paranoid and full of himself, the show was never the same after poor Phil passed on. I hope you and Chris Farley are giving God the greatest laughs he's ever had, Phil.
I wonder how the show would have done with David Spade instead of Jon Lovitz (big fan of Lovitz). The show could not avoid the Jumping of the Shark after Phil Hartmans death. But maybe it could have lasted a little longer?
This show definitely jumped the shark when Phil Hartman was taken away from us. After the episode written to say farewell to Phil (Bill), the writers seemed to have forgotten that the show took place AT A RADIO STATION. Why bring in a plot line involving Jimmy James as a suspected D.B.Cooper and Johnny Johnson organizing a hostile takeover of the company (while trying to marry Lisa when everyone clearly wanted Dave to get up on dat ass permanently)? A fantastic show that died a grizzly death...
Dear morons at NBC, What the hell is your problem? You can this show just b/c it wasn't trendy like Friends or Suddenly Susan. Come on. You say it had a bad ratings, YOU never gave it a chance. A show as a great as Seinfeld would have never had a chance if it had a different time slot every week. Granted the show wasn't perfect, but it still is one of the best sitcoms of all time. The writing is sharp and the chemistry between the characters is outstanding. Simply put outstanding.
Newsradio started to jump when Catherine moved on. And it started the fall of the cliff when Lisa and Dave broke up the second time. They were SUCH a CUTE couple. And like everyone else said it finally jumped when the great Phil Hartman died. that episode was very touching especially when Catherine comes back for his funeral.
This was one of the stupidest shows ever aired!! How this, 3rd Rock from the Sun and Just Shoot Me stay or stayed on the air as long as they did is beyond me!! Does anybody really believe that anyone would have an affair with Dave Foley??? What a wimp!!!
The show jumped when Dave and Lisa broke up. It was sad they were really a good couple. But the producers are sooo stupid they made Dave act phsyco or "Pure evil". Then Lisa just had to marry evil johnny. Now that was "Pure evil".
to a small degree it wasn't the same after katherine left. what a woman! but phil hartman's passing left a hole that no replacement actor could fill. he was just too unique to replace.
This show jumped the shark when Dave an Lisa broke up. They were such a cute couple and their chemistry was great. The show was funniest when they were together, but the worst thing the show execs could have done was get lisa married. That took away all the sexual tension away from them.
This show was PUSHED over the shark after Phil Hartman died, and with good reason. NewsRadio was brilliance from the pilot to the first episode of its last season. NBC added the annoying Max character, dumbed down the writing, and dropped the pace to nil in order to justify ending a show which, though possessing a genius remaining ensemble cast, still just wasn't "right" without Bill McNeil. Face it, NO ONE could ever have tormented Dave in that special way that Bill did.
Up until Phil Hartmans death this was one of tvs funniest shows.Every year I had to sweat it out as talk of canceling the show was going on.For some reason Newsradio was never a huge ratings success but those of us who watched it faithfully were treated to one of the best sitcoms of the 90s.
As much as the death of Phil Hartman injured the show, it recovered. The final season, while different, was still funny. Remember, it was an ENSEMBLE cast. I liked Lovitz. Yes, he was different from Phil Hartman but anyone would be. I think it was better for the show to take a new character in a new direction, rather than creating a Bill McNeil-impersonation that wouldn't live up to the original. They struck gold with that character once. They were right not to try it again. I enjoyed Lovitz's character after a few episodes (and seeing Lovitz on TV reminded me what good chemistry he and Hartman, old friends, had on SNL and Lovitz's 2 previous guest appearances on Newsradio playing different characters. Plus, how could anyone notlove the Johnny Jonson episodes: "But you're evil!" "That's no excuse for bad sportsmanship." Great show from beginning to end.
The most critically overrated show in televison history. Like M*A*S*H*, NewsRadio attempted to make trivial matters with some grand plan of haughty irony. Matthew gets a new desk! Let's think of all sort of mannerisms and what the desk represents to the character! How bout Phil Simms quit thinking he is still writing for the National Lampoon and just be funny.
"NewsRadio" did jump the shark after Phil's death, but there were too many funny moments and clever episodes to write the show off. The three dancing Matthews...the alien autoposy...Max and his human windmill...Stinkbut...Phils death inevitably caused the show to go from an "A" to a "B". Lovitz was forced into the same situation as Shemp Howard when he replaced Curly Howard of the 3 Stooges, or when Stanley Clements replaced Leo Gorcey of the Bowery Boys. It was the case of a talented comic actor having impossibly big shoes to fill. Let's give Paul Simms credit, he didn't go lame on us. Bill could have easily been written off as having retired, or as being fired. Simms did not have another actor play the role of Bill, which would certainly have alienated the fans. Simms did not have Lovitz play the exact same type of character as Bill. As always, Simms respected the intelligence and taste of his audience. Getting Lovitz to replace Hartman was especially effective, since in the show, he and Bill were good friends, which was true in real life as well. Max going on the air and saying farewell to Bill, then, was especially poignant. Yet the show never became maudlin in spite of the tragedy, and it was touching how Dave kept a photo of Bill in his office. The ensemble acting, the snappy writing, the quirky and total original characters, the fast pace and editing, all helped to make "NewsRadio" one of the all time greats, not up there with "Mash" or "Honeymooners" but certainly in the same league as "Taxi" or "Odd Couple." And why this show was never nominated for an emmy as best comedy series is beyond my comprehension. But then, this is the same group that never gave an emmy to Jackie Gleason either. Go figure.
NewsRadio jumped when they decided to carry on without Phil Hartman. I've nothing against Jon Lovitz, but Phil was just irreplaceable. The show lost an indescribable edge once he was gone.
News Radio never jumped the shark. Phil Hartman's crazy wife ripped the heart out of the show when she murdered him. They did what they could w/o him but it could never be the same. Who keeps comparing it to WKRP? The only thing they have in common is that they're both set in radio stations. WKRP dealt with "issues", which is never funny. Newsradio kicked that show's ass in every aspect. It never dealt with any serious issues, (good thing, because when a sitcom does,you might as well lump it in w/lameass shows like Full House or The Hogan Family, etc...) it was just a zany sitcom with diverse psychotic characters. Thanks to the TV gods for reruns!
Phil Hartman was delightfully and surrealistically arrogant. To watch him strut and bellow in his absurdly self indulgent manner was truly amusing. Jon Lovitz is a completely different type; an unabashed buffoon. Talented yes, but not interchangeable with Phil Hartman in the slightest.
Yesterday, Feb. 27th, A&E ran the last episode. Today, they ran the first. Having seen the whole series in syndication, AFTER the network first-runs, I can say that this show NEVER jumped. No way, no how. Obviously, the show was dealt a serious blow when Phil was murdered, but it kept going, and in my honest opinion, it never stumbled. You can't compare Lovitz to Hartman, because they were two completely different characters. Lovitz did replace Hartman. Lovitz was his own man. Max wasn't as much as a high-profile character as Bill was, but I think it worked out. Stephen Root was superb throughout, and the rest of the cast remained true to their roles. And Maura Tierney--WOW was/is she cute! I agree with the above poster that it is truly appalling that this show never got an Emmy. Some things will NEVER make sense.
The show did lose some of its appeal when Phil Hartman died but it never jumped the shark. The alien autopsy episode of the last season - hilarious. There were some bad storylines (Johnny Johnson, the efficiently expert Gilmore Girl, Matthew getting fired, and Jon Lovitz having three characters) and the future and Titanic episodes were out there too, but the show rellied on its well-developed characters. Matthew Brock, Joe Garelly, Bill McNeil and James James (the man so nice they named him twice) are four of the greatest characters EVER. This show really deserved a better chance. Best episodes...Jon Stewart as Matthew's twin brother, the kids visiting the station, Matthew gets a big brother and visits the Penguins (not the penguin from "Sudden Death" who beats ass), alien autopsy, rocket fuel malt liqour...Damn!,Jimmy James book "Macho Business Donkey Wrestler", Lisa's Boston accent, and the last one was still good. Joe's never left New York cause 93.7% of all alien abductions occur outside NYC. As it is now trendy to be a Simpsons geek, I assume the title Newsradio geek. Nooch
Despite the huge impact it had on the show, Mr. Hartman's death didn't kill the show. The show was indeed impossible to watch because no one knew when it would be telecast. The show was hilarious, but now and then I tired of Andy Dick's character, or at least the way he was written. I am a huge fan of Jon Lovitz, and I don't think his addition killed the show, either. The show was funny from beginning to end, as the boss seemed to get crazier as time wore on, and the fact that, with all the odds against it, it managed a hard-fought five seasons on NBC primetime is a feat in and of itself. I also think that WKRP in Cincinnati (an excellent series), while in a somewhat similar setting (a radio station) was no more like NewsRadio than Adam-12 was like Hill Street Blues (both cop dramas). Very different flavors to the shows. And finally, it's not terribly rare for a character in a bit part at one point in a series to become a more significant and different character later. In Barney Miller, Ron Carey was first seen in 1975-76 as a criminal who dug a tunnel into a jewelry store. Next season, he's Officer Leavitt, constantly pestering the detectives at the 12th Precinct. They should have given Lovitz's character more of a connection from the jump scene to the nut house scene (not too difficult), and they could have written around his appearing in 1998-99. Crazy twin, maybe? Naahh.
It was never the same with Phil Hartman's death. Jon Lovitz couldn't follow him.
When Phil Hartmen died. It was never the same after Bill McNeil left the show. They probably should have just ended the show then, but no...Jon Lovitz (so sad).
When Phil Hartman died, so did the heart of this off-beat comedy. Jon Lovitz cowardly "Max" did not fit in with the rest of the characters, no one could take the place of the arrogant and self serving Bill McNeil.
This show jumped the shark in three phases. When Dave and Lisa broke up, I felt that the characters began behaving a little strangely... the writing got a little sloppy, I think. Then, the big blow was the death of Phil Hartman. Without Bill, the show should probably not have continued. But... they did. And the final blow (Jon Lovitz) came shortly. It wasn't just Lovitz, it was also the writing there towards the end. All of the characters were (usually) empty shells of their former selves.
this show is overrated. Phil Hartman was a great guy I'm sure, and it's sad he was murdered, but he wasn't all that funny. His Bill Clinton imitation was fifth rate at best, comparing to Dan Akyroyd's Jimmy Carter way back when, which wasn't funny either. (Chevy Chase doing Ford was the best and he didn't even try to imitate any of Ford's mannerisms except for falling - now that's brilliant!) And the show NewsRadio sucked, except Andy Dick, he ruled, and always rules: I LOVE DICK!!!!! So let's not hype this show any longer, or make it a "classic" just because an innocent man was murdered. Phil Hartman always played the same role - an aloof weaselly nerdish dweeby guy in a business suit. He was mediocre at best, and so was NewsRadio.
Okay, I'll rise to the previous poster's bait. Not only is NewsRadio a definite classic TV sitcom of the 90s, but Phil Hartman was one of the most gifted comedic actors of his generation. Granted, Clinton wasn't his best impression, but he did a respectable, oftentimes hilarious job. NewsRadio is a smart funny alternative to most of the moronic drivel on the air. It actually gave sitcoms a good name. Unlike crap like "Suddenly Susan" and the like. A great cast, great smart writing in the tradition of classic sitcoms like "The Dick Van Dyke Show", "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", and "Taxi". You don't like it, go watch trash like "Two Guys, A Girl, and a Pizza Place".
I have seen almost all of News Radio in re-runs, so I can’t comment on problems with the original airing on NBC. I thought it was a great show—all the characters were awesome and the writing, with the exception of a few really bizarre episodes, was great as well, intelligent and almost always funny. It could have jumped the shark when Catherine left, she was a wonderful character, but I don’t think it did; however, her departure left a hole that never seemed to be filled. I also don’t think it jumped when Phil Hartman died--there was nothing the people in charge could do about that, and I thought his send-off was tasteful, well-written, and touching. Lovitz did what he could with the weird character he had, and I think it would have gotten better if it had gone on longer. Like others have said, though, to use an actor who had already been used twice as three different characters was pretty ridiculous--I know Lovitz and Hartman were friends in real life, but even using him the second time, when Hartman was still alive, was pushing it. I loved how Dave was from Wisconsin, being from the Midwest myself I can totally relate to a lot of the jokes about him. "Who wants to go to college in California? Winter in Wisconsin is the best seven months of the year!"...possibly one of the best lines ever written for a TV show. Mr. James was freaking hilarious, the actor who played him did such a great job. The whole cast (with one exception, see below) had such great chemistry, timing, everything...I don’t think there’s anything I would change (with one exception, see below). Joe’s quirks and paranoia were definitely one of the highlights of the show as well. I do have two serious gripes about this show, and they are Matthew and the final episode. I COULD NOT STAND MATTHEW! He was the most annoying freaking character ever to grace any television show, the fact that the show was still watchable DESPITE him shows just how great everything else about the show was. Don't even get me started on Andy Dick...and it has nothing to do with the fact that he is obviously gay, only the fact that he is utterly annoying, insipid, and talentless. Matthew started out fairly normal, but then his character kept getting more and more bizarre. I also thought the final episode was a cop-out. It’s like they just gave up and said, the show is ending anyway so we’ll depress the crap out of the fans by having them all desert the station but Dave and Matthew.
As regards the final episode... From what I read or heard somewhere, the final episode wasn't intended to be the series finale. I think Paul Simms' plan for the next season was to move the show's location from NYC to Jimmy's radio station in the country. Like Dave would eventually cave in and move there along with the rest of the staff. Could've been interesting. Thanks to NBC's preference for "Suddenly Susan" we'll never know.
Never jumped, and regarding the recent posting which faulted Phil for always playing a weaselly nerdish dweeby guy in a business suit; your right in the sense that that was the type of character he usually played. The same way Don Knotts always plays bumbling, nervous types. The same way W.C. Fields always played a crotchety drunk. The same way Jack Benny always played a vain skinflint. If you didn't find Phil humorous, to each his own. But you can't fault a comic actor for finding his/her niche/comic persona and then rolling with it. Had he lived, Phil could have very possibly gone on to playing more varied roles, in an interview he had said that he would love to play an all out villian, or a romantic lead. So cut the guy some slack, okay?
I found the episodes where Jimmy James was accused of being D.B. Copper to be the point of the writers must have been running out of Ideas add to that, the Evil Johnny Character... and it was all just a waste of time Losing Phil Hartman was tragic But I think Jon Lovitz would have grown on me He had his moments
Although Phil Hartmann's wife killed the show, the episode when Matthew was the dentist brought on the shark. I could never look at Matthew, or the casts' reactions to Matthew's behavior, the same way after I saw him operating on the girl. Radio is his passion? Just too strange.
NBC jts by moving it all over the week. I love to watch it in syndication; same time, all the time.
When Phil Hartman died. With all due respect to Jon Lovitz - I like the actor, and thought his character was a decent one, and getting better - Phil was the show! Hearing of his death put a damper on my honeymoon (not for too long, it was my honeymoon afterall). As for those complaining about the show being a ripoff of WKRP, I loved both shows, and saw no resemblance, other than both being set in a radio station. I guess Boston Public a ripoff of Saved by the Bell because they were both set in schools? Thats ridiculous. Rate the show for what is was, and this was a good show during the Phil Hartman years. Besides, name me a show you like, and I can name you where they ripped it off from.
This show was great and never got any attention. They kept moving it around and making it hard to find. The episode with Jon Lovitz on the ledge is one of the funniest shows ever.
Never jumped, and I agree with the above posting that the episode with Lovitz as the guy on the ledge is one of the funniest episodes of any sitcom ever. This episode moves at such a fast pace that it actually leaves the viewer breathless. The editing is superb. Hilarious episode. Someone calls out, "Was anybody here ever a boyscout?" and they all look at Dave. "Mr. James, you don't have any business' in Siberia." "Oops." Phil and Lovitz hanging over the ledge. Just hilarious. So what are your favorite episodes, gang?
I have videotaped most of the NewsRadio episodes and watched them a few times each. IN retrospect, I don't think this show jumped the shark when Hartman died or when Lovitz joined the cast. Lovitz isn't quite as funny as Hartman was, and his character Max didn't fit into the scheme as well as Bill McNeal did. But had the show begun with Lovitz instead of Hartman it still would have been a great show -and it was after the change in personnel. What killed this show was Lisa's wedding to Johnny Johnson, before he went to prison. It was, first off, ridiculous in its own right. Secondly, it irrevocably altered the romantic tension between Dave and Lisa, which was the centerpiece for a lot of the comedy in the show's first few years. With Dave more or less out of the running for Lisa, you didn't care quite as much about him or Lisa. Also Johnny Johnson was kind of overbearing -he took a lot of jokes away from characters who were more subtly funny. The show was a lot less sarcastic when Johnny was around.
Phil Hartman was killed. When I heard that it was the end for me because he was the central character that everyone else played from. Jon Lovitz has down to a tee the few characters that he does but none of them could have ever been strong enough to replace Hartman.
I would like nothing better to say that this inspired, loony comedy never jumped, but it did. And as much as I like Jon Lovitz, there was no replacing the actor Phil Hartman or the character of Bill. The ensemble of this program was a true gem of casting. It followed the MTM, WKRP and Barney Miller structure of placing a normal person (Dave) in a room with a bunch of lunatics. It's a structure that can work well, and Newsradio did it right. However, when a key protagonist and catalyst leaves a show, it's like losing a card in a Bicycle deck and replacing it with a Tarot card hoping nobody will notice. Sorry, you might as well throw the whole deck out. Phil, you were a genius. And like Led Zeppelin who quit when John Bonham died because it could no longer be the same group, this show should have paid Phil Hartman the same respect. As the final season proved, he deserved it. Coo-coo-cachoo.
Never jumped, and whats especially interesting about the series is that in the beginning, Dave was normal and rational, albiet somewhat uptight. If you watch the episodes in order, you can slowly but surely see him unravel, especially in the fifth season. Check out the episode when he decided he was going to fire someone, you can sense he's become unbalanced. Previously, he wouldn't have considered firing anyone no matter how much they got on his nerves. It's as if working with all those quirky people caused him to start losing it.
NewsRadio never EVER jumped the shark! Yes, it declined ... it declined sharply from the perfect chemistry of the cast when Khandi Alexander and Phil Hartman were still around. But nevertheless, it was the absolute greatest show of ALL-TIME! The most well-written, unique, clever show I've ever seen. The cast worked SO well together and the abnormal plots added to how much I loved it. Even when Khandi Alexander left, nothing else could even compare. Who among you can say they saw the episode where the guy killed himself with the copy machine and didn't laugh their ass off? It was just greatness! Bill McNeal was a godly character .. and Phil Hartman dying was the worst thing that happened to the show. They did the best they could to recover and bringing in Jon Lovitz was a great idea ... but there's no way they could fill the void left in Phil's death. Still, it was not JUMPING the shark. It was still the funniest show on TV, still better then everything else you could find out there. Lovitz' character was just what the show needed if there was no Bill McNeal ... still, I can't count the amount of times I'd see a post-Hartman episode and be saddened when I think about how much better it could've been if Bill McNeal had been there with his cocky attitude and presence of greatness about him. If him and Dave had been able to continue their never-ending feud, if Matthew had still been there to act as his lap-dog ... I'd see an episode like the Johnny Johnson take-over ep (which I LOVED, by the way!) ... and I'd see the Radio Ink magazine in the background of Dave's office with Bill's picture on it in tribute .. and you just HAVE to wonder how Bill McNeal would deal with a guy like Johnny Johnson. And its so depressing to know you couldn't see a possibility like that. Still, even with Jon Lovitz ... it was still an extremely hilarious, clever, and just GREAT show! It should still be on the air ... and if it was, it still would have never jumped.
This show was awesome (though it wasn't the same after Phil died)! The cast had the most incredible presence together, the interaction is unparelled. Everyone alway talks about Bill, but "James James. The man so nice they named him twice" was the best character (and that line is classic). His billionaire antics make for great comedy. I'll never forget him running away from Dave him his 'Evil Keneeval' balloon flight suit when he and Joe were faking him flying around the world. Hilarious! "Tell old Uncle Jimmy all about it!"
I never watched this show when it was on primetime. Watching it now in syndication makes me regret that. Newsradio is not in the same league as a show like Cheers, but most of the episodes I've seen (from seasons three and four) have made me laugh or at least chuckle. As for what killed the show, I can't say for sure since I haven't seen the last season. I imagine that Phil Hartmann's tragic death had a lot to do with it. Some of the fan base probably bolted and the NBC executives probably panicked as well. I can close this off with three observations. First, I don't think Dave and Lisa had all that much chemistry. Second, the character of Bill was a funny but not absolutely vital part of the show. Finally, the silver lining of Newsradio's demise is that the producers of ER were smart enough to snap up the incomparable and very cute Maura Tierney into that show's cast where I think she actually does a much more demanding role. The fact that Tierney was one of the stars of NewsRadio is what made me decide to watch it in the first place. Now, I'm a belated fan of the show itself. Go figure.
Brilliant show, albeit poorly scheduled. Matthew is the funniest TV character ever! And let's not forget James James, the man so nice they named him twice. Even losing Phil Hartman couldn't sink NewsRadio, even though it came close. But hey, the Johnny Johnson episodes were genius! So many great moments, so many great episodes (including my favorite: "Sinking Ship"), so many great characters, so many great actors, ah, good times...
This show truly was a brilliant effort...it had wonderful characters, from Jimmy James to Dave Nelson to Catherine Duke to Joe Girelli...and yeah I left a few out but everyone was solid. However, the moment that my favorite comic of all time passed away...NewsRadio lost Bill McNeal, which it really never recovered from. I do not care overall for Lovitz' work, and until now, I have not seen much of his stuff on this show, as I was unable to watch once Phil was gone, but am trying to now. Perhaps later I will say it never jumped...but for now I have to say it did when Hartman died. But for years, the show was utterly uproarious. From Bill trying to quit smoking to Jimmy trying to deal with the Japanese, and when Jimmy attempted to sell the station and Joe started manipulating the electrical system...great episodes throughout. I am NOT a huge Andy Dick fan by any stretch of the imagination...but Matthew Brock was one amazing character to watch on screen. Every show has to have it's Cosmo Kramer or Lowell Mather. No question about it, Maura Tierney and Khandi Alexander are two of the most gorgeous women on any sitcom EVER...and both of their characters served a role. Dave Foley is highly underrated, worked beautifully throughout this show as well as KITH and other efforts, and to me...Phil Hartman, Dave Foley, and Stephen Root made this show a "Can't Miss" from week to week. I disliked the theme episodes, as I ALWAYS do in any show, and also did not get into the show where Bill was in the mental asylum...with Jon Lovitz once again ironically. I also never got into Lisa as News Director...maybe that was just me, I was happy to see Dave get his job back, whether he wanted it or not. Well...I guess that's my two cents...maybe it didn't jump the shark, but it certainly was not the same once Phil passed away. Excuse me...I've got to go down some Rocket Fuel Malt Liquor...DAMN!!!!!!!!
Personally, I'm torn. NewsRadio certainly did go downhill after the death of Phil Hartman, however I can't really blame the cast or writers on that--it was truly unforseeable. Since the writers were caught with their pants down, I'm just going to discount the final season right here. As such, I don't really think the show ever truly jumped.
NewsRadio never jumped. I'm not a huge Lovitz fan but I think he did a good job. The episodes with Puddy were excellent. I didn't like the Titanic and Space episodes but I don't think a couple of bad episodes equates to shark jumping. My favourite moment was when Bill punched out Steve who was brought in by the efficiency expert to replace Dave.
NewsRadio was priceless for its entire run. To have gone on despite the death of Phil Hartman is testament to this show's high quality. It also airs every day, back to back episodes, on A&E. Not bad for a sitcom. In my opinion NewsRadio never "jumped".
When "NewsRadio" debuted, it was a scathingly funny, perfectly executed sitcom with an air-tight cast, and it stayed that way until around its final season, which is a pretty impressive track record. Then it jumped the shark big time, and the culprit was weak and lazy writing devoid of punchlines. Nothing more, nothing less. It did not jump when Katherine left -- in fact, it may have gotten a little better. I liked the actress who played her (Khandi Alexander), but the character was such a stuck-up bitch it was hard to care what happened to her. Towards the end all she did was abuse the guys and chew everybody out while wearing tops which conveniently displayed her ample airbags -- whoa, edgy. The show also did not jump when Phil Hartman was tragically and senselessly murdered. In fact, the one silver lining on that otherwise unspeakably dark cloud was that the episode where Hartman's character Bill was killed off was probably this show's last moment of greatness. It was as witty as the show was in its heyday, yet poignant and touching without veering into melodrama, and that's no small feat. No, the show jumped before these two things took place. It was when the writers developed what I call "the 'Drew Carey Show' syndrome", in that they stopped coming up with actual jokes and decided that easy, overtly-sexual innuendos and gawdy gimmick episodes would be enough to keep the show above the pack. It didn't work for Drew (will someone cancel that show, dammit?) and it didn't work here. Particular low-lights that come to mind are the "future" episode which showed the radio team running the station in the later 2K's (absolutely laughless) and the "Titanic" episode, which I only caught tail-end but from what I could tell was equally lousy. I missed most of the Jon Lovitz episodes and the series finale -- it was just too painful to see what this once impeccable, intriguing, "thank God there's something to watch besides 'Suddenly Susan!'" sitcom had become.
The apalling and sad real life death of the brilliant, beloved Phil Hartman and his character Bill is as easy and as clear an example of shark jumping that exists. The jump actually came after the funeral episode, which was wonderful and featured the return of Katherine. After that, the cast and crews hearts were clearly no longer belonged to the show and it became a shadow of its former, hilarious self.
Newsradio never jumped the shark. The show was always funny. I agree that after the loss of Phil Hartman the show did take a small turn for the worse, and everyone blames that on Jon Lovitz. If you actually watch the episodes with him you will see that he gave a great performance and was very funny. Jon Lovitz was not the reason for the shows down fall the reason was the untimely death of Phil Hartman. I think the show did extremely well carrying on after Phil's unfortunate death, and that if it weren't for NBC the show could've carried on. May it remain in syndication forever.
NewsRadio was hurt by the death of Phil Hartman, yes. The problem was they added Lovitz, who, while funny, didn't fit into the humor of NewsRadio. They already had one clown. Lovitz was too whiny, his style of comedy is slower and more verbal... The show was still more than watchable and very funny after that. The deathblow was when Lisa married Putty from Seinfeld. The whole show was about the sexual tension between all the characters. Lisa had *some* sexual tension with all the characters, particularly Dave...marrying her off was destroyed the screwball sex comedy they had...and with the loss of Catherine and Bill, it was just too much...it also signalled that the writing staff had gotten a lot worse and didn't understand what had been put together over the prior 4 years(supposedly the creator and chief writer was busy, and anyway NBC wanted this stupid wedding and probably forced it on them cause they didn't get the show).
This is one of my favorite alltime comedies of the nineties and it should have been much more of a classic than it was. As a fan of WKRP too, it was quite different than its predecessor. The show started to jump when Catherine left and completely jumped with the death of Phil Hartman. I didn't think one person leaving could impact an ensemble comedy like that so thoroughly. It wasn't Jon Lovitz fault, It was an impossible job to come into and afterwards the chemistry just wasn't the same. Plus, I couldn't even really bring myself to pay attention to the after Phil episodes. I think part of the problem was that Phil's death was so tragic and unexpected that people just wanted to move on and forget this little show.
This show did in fact survive the death of Phil Hartman and the joining of Jon Lovitz who was uncharacteristically reserved in his role of Max only to be trashed by that ‘only one method’ actor Patrick Warburton (AKA Puddy from Seinfeld) in no doubt some TV executives attempt to squeeze every ounce of mileage from their flagship show. His awful rehash of his Puddy persona was like an anchor that not only sent this great show rolling down the ramp it prevented News Radio from even clearing the sharks as the show did not last much longer after he graced it.
Never Jumped. Although Phil Hartman's death was a great blow to the show, the addition of Jon Lovitz was an ok (although I think a lazy choice on the networks part). When this show first aired, I thought it to be just another mid 90's NBS workplace cookie cutter show. But the excellent ensemble cast, quirky and surreal take on life made it stand out. Boo to NBC for never really supporting the show-at least the final episode stayed true to the surreal sense the show always had.
It was obviously never the same after the great Phil Hartman died. But it was starting to slip, mainly when the only-mildly-amusing Joe Rogan started getting more and more airtime, and showing off his physique as a substitute for actually being funny. Once Lovitz came aboard (he's a funny guy, but a one-trick pony) the whole thing got pretty bad. Maura Tierney rarely had anything to do, and Matthew and Beth got really, really annoying and over the top (the scene with her CDs spilling out of the cabinets leaps to mind). It should have ended with the episode with Bill's funeral.
This show was DOA when Phil Hartman died and Jon Lovitz joined the cast. I gave my vote for the downhill slide the show took when Khandi Alexander left. But in fact, I think the show jumped the shark when a few episodes before Katherine left they brought in a Consultant played by Lauren Graham. Part of the show revolved around, Andy Dick being the spaz, Dave Foley trying to ascert his authority to the New York station, and Maura Tierney trying to show she was the co-manager. With Andy Dick fired (by the way I still hated him) and the Dave and Lisa roles in the office switched, the show took a dramtic change that completed a full 180 when Katherine left the show.
One of the funniest shows ever, an incredible cast, and some of the best writing a sitcom could ask for. Phil Hartman's death was tragic, but the show went on and continued to be hilarious until Patrick Warburton went and stole Lisa's heart. The show was still funny, but the "romance" between the two sent a bad vibe through the multiple episode storyline of the two almost getting married. Dave and Lisa weren't dating at the time, but the two were never shown in a serious relationship until Warburton entered the picture, and accepting Lisa's interest in him just wasn't fun or funny.
Why, why, WHY did they decide, first of all, to continue the show after Phil Hartman's death...... Second of all, why did they replace him w/ Jon Lovitz, who had already been on the show twice before [as different characters, no less]....... Ugh. Just thinking about that last season makes me angry.........
It jumped when Phil Hartman died. Though I watched the show from beginning to end, and enjoyed it thoroughly after Hartman's death, it just wasn't the same without him. The show wasn't about Dave, it was about the place Dave worked and those crazy coworkers, particularly Bill McNeal. It was a classic show straight through, but went downhill after Hartman.
I discovered NewsRadio in the winter of 2001, and since then I have been an on and off fan. The show is very entertaining, and why NBC didn't do keep it on baffles me. I do hear the airing was mixed around allot, so that upsets me. My humble opinion is that the show didn't have a chance to jump the shark. Sure, Khandi Alexander leaving and Phil Hartman dying were set backs, but the cast kept going on strong and funny. I praise the show for it's uniqueness, individuality, and brilliant characters. I came to respect Phil Hartman and Dave Foley. And Maura Tierny. Now, there were a few problems with the show. Jon Lovitz honestly annoyed me on the show. I mean, I'm glad they replaced Hartman, but Jon Lovitz was not the most suitable for the role. He wasn't particularly hilarious on SNL either. Near the end, Dave Foley, I noticed, gained allot of weight and got really rosy cheeks. He lost his innocent, sarcastic attitude and became rather crude. Joe Rogan's character became ignored and kind of became a pretty boy. Andy Dick as Matthew...let's see. His character was no longer as the spaz with light tampering that made you laugh. But he became to office nerd, and you felt kind of sorry for him, still being funny as hell though. Stephen Root's character geniusly stayed the same throughout the whole series, Maura Tierny too. (I wonder Root he contributed to this). Khandi Alexander's character was lost for a long time. It was before she left that she became defined as the bimbo with an attitude. Vicki Lewis was very funny as well. I still shake my head when Stephen Root's nephew came on, making the show slightly like a soap opera. That's my opinion.
I honestly think this show deserves a special pass into the never jumped category. The circumstances of its demise are so intimately tied to the tragic death of Phil Hartman (and the overwhelming majority of opinion presented is that without that event the show had not jumped) that some exception should be made. It is less that the show jumped than it was actively thrown over the shark by an act of God.
Excellent, high quality television "sitcom." NBC screwed it by changing its schedule seven times, but it had the best ensemble cast anyone could dream of. Even after Phil Hartman's tragic murder, the show was still good. It should definitely be released on DVD
Losing Phil Hartman and having Jon Lovitz fill in...signaled the decline. There were still some inspired moments in the final season (particularly the D.B. Cooper / Batman 2-parter), but then the additional stuff with Johnny Johnson and the other stuff just had lost all the magic. In its prime, though, NewsRadio was one of the best ensemble sitcoms of all time.
When Phil Hartman died. That wasn't the fault of anyone on the show. In respect of his memory, the show was only a small part of a very prolific career as a comic actor. His passing was made even more tragic by the manner of his death and the fact that he was too young to die. The producers should have stopped the show right then and there out of respect to the man's memory. Shame on them.
That Newsradio is one of the best sitcoms of all-time isn't in dispute, but during it's final season there was a precipitous decline in quality coinciding with Phil Hartman's death. I have noticed popular acclaim for the episode dealing with this, but to me it was a huge disappointment. It was too sentimental, wasn't in the spirit of the show, and was inconsistent with what had been previously established about the characters. Phil Hartman was a prince among men, but his alter ego Bill McNeil was a self-centered, egotistical, overbearing, blowhard who drove those around him crazy, and a huge outpouring of grief from the staff was unlikely. He had shown no affection for his coworkers before and never would have left those sentimental notes. The episode would have been better if it was in the spirt of an earlier episode dealing with death, i. e. that guy who committed suicide via tie-in-the-copy-machine. The final season wasn't funny "ha ha", it was more funny "boo hoo, that totally sucked", with that over-cooked ham rehashing his tired Saturday Night Live shtick. Max was nothing but Master Thespian plus Liar Guy. "No! That's not the ticket!" If the final season taught us anything, it is that Lovitz ACTING!!! is only tolerable in small doses. The absurd and annoying Johnny Johnson plot killed a major theme of the show: the relationship between Dave and Lisa. Oh, well. The Phil Hartman seasons will go down in history. DAMN! They're crezappy!!!
It went downhill when Phil Hartman passed away and so did Bill McNeal, so they had Jon Lovitz on and then the series ended.
As unspeakably tragic as Phil Hartman's death was, the show actually survived his passing rather well, and it could very well have lived on a few more seasons had NBC been wiser. Granted, the quality of Bill McNeal was his acerbic attitude, something that the writers chose not to replicate with Jon Lovitz. Instead, they made Max a giant ball of insecurity, and I don't think he ever really fit in. I had the oppertunity to watch the last season in full on A&E a few years ago, however, and i must say there were at least two or three classics in the bunch. First, Matthew goes through a "mid-life" crisis and goes punk (nevermind that he's listening to Stryper and Glen Campbell). Dave first offers to loan him all his Buzzcock records, but sends Matthew away in disgust when he realizes what Matt considers "punk" ("I don't mind you dressing up like that, but when you start to bring crap like Bon Jovi into the office...."). Second, Mr. James decides to sell an apartment to either Dave, Lisa or Max, but he uses an Internet poll to determine who gets it. The funny parts come when the rest of the gang decide to do their own recreation of the "Alein Autopsy" video. Matthew as the alien ("Now..we dance") was great. Finally, the finale (where everybody but Dave leaves to join Mr. James in New Hampshire) was a little bittersweet, but appropriate considering the usual tone of the show. I still miss Phil Hartman, and I wish Newsradio would be released on DVD.
Never. Although Jon Lovitz could never replace Phil Hartman, NewsRadio remained a great show all the way to the end.
People saying that "Newsradio Jumped the Shark" when Phil Hartman died are just plain missing the point. Jumping the shark has more to do with a show becoming too self-conscious, self-aware, taking stupid risks, becoming silly etc. It is a function of the writers going out on a limb with gags and gimmicks that don't go over well with the audience. Phil Hartman's death might have basically ruined the show, but this was not jumping the shark per se.
Never jumped, and regarding the posting which said that Bill never showed affection for his co-workers. What about when he told everyone that Dave was the best radio station manager that he ever worked for? Or how Bill cried when Matthew got fired? Bill showed affection for his co-workers in his own warped way.
I think the show was still funny after Phil died because of the strong cast. Dave Foley, Maura Tierney, and Stephen Root are some of the best sitcom actors to ever grace our television screen. The real JTS for me was when Johnny Johnson and Lisa married. I could never figure out why they did that. I never liked the idea of Dave and Lisa breaking up since they made such a great couple but when Lisa married Johnny that was just plain wrong. I can't believe someone hasn't posted this yet.
THIS SHOW JUMPED WHEN LISA MARRIED JOHNNY!!! SCREW NBC FOR FORCING THAT WEDDING ON THEM!!!!!!!!
I got a kick out of the Max Louis episodes I taped, even though I felt a profound sense of melancholy stemming from the tragic nature of Bill McNeal's absence. Still, I laughed and enjoyed myself immensely. It stands as a testament to the quality of the show that the producers and the cast were able to carry on even after Phil Hartman died. If anyone jumped the shark, it's NBC--they have a history of jerking their best shows around: STAR TREK, Freaks and Geeks, and now NewsRadio. NBC's only saving grace is Law & Order, as far as I'm concerned--as far as sitcoms go--Will and Grace, Suddenly Susan, etc.--the execs at NBC can kiss my ass.
May 28 1998 when Phil Hartman died, he was this show, I mean the other people on the show where good especially Mr.James(Stephen Root) and it is probably one of the most underated shows of all time and it was better than some of the shows NBC has had on, but when Phil Hartman died this show jumped the shark, Jon Lovitz was not nearly as good as him no matter how hard he tried.
As much as I hate to put down a really great show for events totally beyond its control, there's no denying that "Newsradio" was never the same after the tragic murder of Phil Hartman. The "Newsradio" cast and crew put together a very touching tribute to Phil Hartman, and Jon Lovitz tried his best to fill the void left by Phil's death, but "Newsradio" was never the same. As great a show as "Newsradio" was, it really should have ended after the Phil Hartman tribute episode.
Newsradio was a classic sitcom about life in the radio business of NYC. Well written show, I'm actually quite surprised it aired on NBC (it didn't have that "NBC" style of humor like Friends). The tragic death of Phil Hartman really sunk the show, but nonetheless somehow Newsradio kept itself above the shark tank.
I think Jump The Shark should institute a whole new category for shows like NewsRadio... "Hide and Seek". It's really the best way I can think of to describe the way they jumped - being jerked around the schedule so often that even their most devoted fans (speaking as a card-carrying Rockin' Ranger of the Junior Jimmy Brigade) just give up trying to find them and watch something else!
Phil Hartman's murder cast a pall over the show for the rest of it's run, but it never jumped the shark as far as I'm concerned. I've never been the biggest Jon Lovitz fan, but he did a creditable job under horrible circumstances. I can think of no other show that brought me more joy and laughter than NewsRadio. So many memorable lines: "Nobody cares how beautiful the souffle is if the appetizer is turds in a blanket", "Nice ass, fresh meat!", "Yep, yep, yep, yep...all my sweet bitches hard at work". What a great show it was. In closing, I'm Bill McNeal on crack, I like boys.
If there is a book on funny, the gang at WNYX wrote it. One need only watch the complaint box episode in order to fully understand what a cleverly written show it is. "I try to be good hard worker man, but refrigamator so messy - so, so messy..." CLASSIC! We miss you Phil.
When Jonathan Lovitz comes to a show as a special guest star,forget it. When he was a guest before Phil Hartman's death, he was funny for that episode. Lovitz character as a replacement for Phil Hartman killed the show. A sitcom is great when all of the characters are hilarious on their own, despite the genre. News radio's characters all were funny on their own and meshed nicely with the comic genius of Hartman. Lovitz comes in and bombs. The show could have survived without Hartman, but probably not. The producers should have the let the last year play out without the addition of Lovitz and that guy from Seinfeld. Lovitz could not tie the shoes of Hartman when it came to effortless and genuine comic genius.
I'm voting for "Never Jumped," but the truth is that NewsRadio Jumped the Shark more often than any show I can remember. But it was spectacular Shark Jumping, wasn't it? The DB Cooper story line, Johnny Johnson, Mathew being tortured by gnomes, the security door episode, Evil Dave, Mathew and Jimmy James in the homo-erotic Huck Finn dream sequence, Jimmy 's heart attack - and the two geatest examples: The amazing Titanic and Space epidsodes. NewsRadio jumped every shark they could. I firmly believe that they'd have hired Ted McGinley at some point had the show continued - and even that would have worked. Where other shows in the past would jump by coming up with some lame "stunt" show that only exposed the fact that they had run out of ideas - NewsRadio clearly had lots of ideas. They seemed to like pushing the envelope - and as such, they Jumped the Shark willingly and gleefully every chance they could. P.S. Phil Hartman dying didn't ruin the show. He was missed. You can't take a guy that brilliant off a show and not lose something. But the show kept going, and the episodes stayed funny. Largely becuase the entire cast was perfect - special mention to Stephen Root for creating one of television's greatest characters.
Well, actually it didn't. The death of Bill McNeil was not a writer's ploy, but something necessitated by a real life tragedy. That said, I feel they dealt with the suddenly absent Bill VERY well. This was one of the BEST shows ever to be on TV, and definitely one of the most underappreciated. NBC SCREWED the cast, crew, and writers by repeatedly changing time slots, so that even seriously dedicated viewers like myself missed episode after episode. There was not a single member of the cast who was dispensable, it was a rare potion, perfect chemistry amongst seven extremely talented actors. Unfortunately, after Hartman's death, it was just hard not to choke up while watching the show, not to miss its past glory. Like I said, they handled it very well, but there just was no good way to go on. Still, I'm glad they tried, they gave us a little bit of closure. By the way, Jon Lovitz was actually on the show more than once before. He played a crazy in the episode where Bill commits himself. He also plays a jumper on a ledge Guess that COULD be the same character, but I doubt it.
One of the very best, well-written sitcoms of all time! The ensemble cast was awesome -- but don't you just HATE Maura Tierney on ER? She'll always be funny Lisa Miller-Johnson! But the show dumped when Phil Hartman was murdered. To this day, it makes me sad to think about it. Despite the NBC execs best efforts to sink it, it managed to stay afloat. Here's hoping that the entire series is released on DVD! "I read your book, you magnificent bastard!"
The show truly died when Phil Hartman died. RIP And it is a combination of facts that led to this. First Hartman was one of great comedians of his age. His characters on Saturday Night Live were great, whether it was Clinton, or Frankenstien, or Caveman Attorney. Or look at him on the Simpsons, Hi, I'm Troy McClure, you might have scene me on . . ." . Bill McNeal, was just a great character, from his vanity to his paranoia to his interactions with the rest of the cast, especially Dave and Matthew. It was difficult for writers to go on with out him. Which leads us to the next problem. The Second problem is that the writers know how to replace the character of Max. The writers of NR, could not do what the writers of Mash did. Mash was able to put new characters into the same roles of older characters and made for new interactions: Foible of Hawkeye: from Ubermilitary, wimp, new money, hack of a doctor Frank to A man who does not want to be in the camp or Army, old money, who is the equal of Skill in medicine of Hawkeye in Medicine; Colonel: From bumbling, Womanizer, non-army Blake to grandfatherly old army, Potter; Hawkeye's cohort: Married womanizer Trapper to married monogamist hippie BJ(okay bad example). The basic premise though is they were able to cast different characters into already existing shoes, and created new situations for the dramacom. While Max was supposed to replace the shoes of Bill, he crammed his feet into Matthew's shoes. To replace the old venerated newsman (at least how Mr. James saw him) who was very cocky, the should not have replaced him with someone from the mental wing; the should have instead replaced him someone young and cocky looking right at you David Spade. While Lovitz was eventually able to step into his shoes, it just wasn't the same interactions. It must be said though the other characters were great, and my three favorite episodes revolved around Mr. James: 1)When he was going around the world in 78(?) days in the hot balloon, and was in fact in the basement(?) of the office; 2) When he was running for office, just to meet a woman to marry; 3) D.B Cooper; it was cooky enough to work for Mr. James, so nice the named him twice. Also to those saying the show jts when Catherine left, I disagree, I never found her as a major character, don't recall episodes revolving around her, and felt she always had the least amount of line. Finally the Third thing that killed the show was the constant time slot jumping, if it could hade giving NR or Just Shoot Me, the same permanent time slot it gave shows like the Brooke Shields Show, or Caroline in the City, they would had platinum on their hands, and not the gold they let slip through their fingers.
They should have left well enough alone. It was like Mary Tyler Moore would have been without Ted Knight. It wouldn't have survived. The cast sans Hartman was great (except for maybe Joe Rogan, the show's waste of space) but couldn't do it without him. Until the last day every show made me think of how horribly he died. Just like 8 Simple Rules makes me think of John Ritter. That can't work in comedy. But I'll watch it in reruns forever.
No dispute that Hartman's death hurt the show, but I think that post-Hartman NewsRadio was almost as good as previous episodes...especially the one where Matthew decided to go punk.
The tragic loss of Phil Hartman. Lovitz made an effort, the show had talent, Patrick Warburton as Johnny Johnson was a welcome addition, but the memory of Bill McNeil haunted the show. Very sad.
The man was one of the greatest straight men of all time. His and Dave Foley's interactions were key to the show’s success for me. Their struggles for dominance and the convoluted mind games they would play on each other still make me chuckle. Though I could fill pages of memories from the show I will limit my choice to this. Phil's opening scene that ends up with him in the mental ward. Watching him stop to grab a coffee and end up being chased by the cops had me rolling. Or watching Bill testify in front of Congress while doing his best Clinton impersonation. Priceless. His foray into musical satirist, and running around the building with the piano while a hatchet man (or woman in this case) is in the office. All the core characters gelled well and contributed greatly to the show but even they admitted at times they would sometimes just stop and watch while Dave and Bill improved their way through some of their scenes. I wished the show had continued but alas it didn't. And as far as Jon Lovitz, his replacing Phil was his third character on the show. He was a jumper in one show and in another he was in the nuthouse with Bill. As far as replacing Bill he was destined to fail. He could have developed into someone but he wasn't given the chance.
When Phil Hartman died, the show lost one of its pillars. He was one of the unique personalities that made the show's comedy so balanced. Once he was gone, so was the balance, and so was his spark that usually would ignite the confrontations within the office. Jon Lovitz was close to Phil Hartman in history, but not in style, so NewsRadio lost its footing after his addition. Its usual fast-paced physical comedy could not be achieved without Phil Hartman. Also, without Phil, the writers seemed to lose their guidance and the fifth season saw them taking strange turns with the plot, from smart/silly to just plain silly (Matthew drinking smart juice, Lisa gets married to an unlikable character, etc).
The addition of Johnny Johnson, and Lisa's subsequent marriage to him, was clearly a ploy to cash in on the Jimmy James name game. True fans of this otherwise absolutely brilliant show saw straight through it. NewsRadio is still one of the greatest and highly underrated sitcoms and ensemble casts in television history.
NewsRadio was...adn will always be one of the very best shows ever written and put on screen. The characters are just so great, this is the only show in which I have three favorite characters : Dave, Jimmy James and of course the always remembered Bill McNeal (the amazing and late Phil Hartman)...The other characters were awesome too and the interaction was brilliant, very funny show...sometimes I think it's better than Seinfeld (being that my favorite show). I got some episodes on tape and...I have used so many quotes from this show..."Internet? Internot" "Speedos, speed-don't" Bill: "Speedo freedom or should I say speedom!" "Super karate monkey death car" MATTHEW:"I can't believe I threw up on James Caan" BILL."I can't believe he just laughed" MATTHEW:"I can't believe he didn't punch me" BILL:"I can't believe he did punch me." DAVE:"Greed has never been one of your vices, sir" JIMMY hangs up phone)"I'm sorry, what?" DAVE:Greed is good, money is everything, i love Big Bird, please make the call" ROCKET FUEL MALT LIQUOR, DAMN! "I'm Bill McNeal..I'm on crack..I like boys" BILL:"Dave, have you ever lost something that was very valuable to you?" DAVE:"Yeah, when I was about ten we had this dog..." BILL:"I was talking about a massive sum of cash". DAVE:"Looks like you've been hoisted in your own petard" BILL:"Hey, he can be slow-witted but there's no need for name-calling". NewsRadio shall live forever, R.I.P. Phil Hartman.
Phil's death did bring the show to its demise...however the show was already on its way. e.g. the Space show and the Titanic show although these were funny, it showed a strained writing staff. I love this show and thought that even after john luvitz came to the show(and he sucked) NewsRadio was worth watching late at night.
Ok, most people believe that NewsRadio jumped when Phil Hartman was murdered, and others believe that it was when Jon Lovitz joined the cast. Now, I started watching NewsRadio by accident just flipping through the channels and seeing Dave Foley from Kids in the Hall on tv again. The season I saw was the last one, with Jon Lovitz, and I thought it was the funniest thing I'd ever seen. Then I started watching the show from the beginning in syndication with Phil Hartman and thought that it was STILL the funniest thing I'd ever seen. NewsRadio never jumped, because it was never given a chance by NBC. I think that if they made a 6th Season, the show would probably lose Matthew (Andy Dick's character) for the sheer fact that Andy didn't want to be on the show anymore because of Phil's death. The way they ended the series, with Matthew and Dave being the only two staying in Manhattan would have been carried out into the first three episodes of season 6, with Dave eventually leaving and Matthew staying behind with his cats. Anywho, NewsRadio never jumped.
"NewsRadio" is one of televisions brightest stars. A truly classic series. Those who have written saying that "NewsRadio" was a rip-off of "WKRP In Cincinnati" are simply wrong. It's like saying that "CSI" is a rip-off of "Dragnet" because they're both about police detectives. Both "NewsRadio" and "WKRP" were about the goings on at a radio station, they were both fantastic shows, and they both had fantastic ensemble casts. One other thing that both "NewsRadio" and "WKRP" had in common is the fact that both shows were ceremoniously ignored by the networks on which they aired. CBS had little hope in "WKRP" when it first premiered. The CBS execs were shocked when it received great ratings. So what did they do with the show? They moved it to another night. Then a little later, they moved it to ANOTHER night. Does this sound familiar? Both CBS and NBC had top-notch quality shows that they continued to ignore and which they continued to throw all over their prime-time schedules throughout the durations of both shows. Interesting that. While Khandi Alexander's departure from the series was unfortunate (Oh, those legs! Those legs! And an incredible actress, too) as she wanted to go on to more dramatic parts, the series handled her leaving easily. Phil Hartman's death was much more hard on the show. His character had been much more developed than Alexanders. Hartman's death was obviously hard on the viewers and his co-workers as well. However, the series did continue successfully without him. Even with the introduction of Jon Lovitz's character, the show was still of high quality - much higher in quality than the majority of other prime-time programming of the time. This series could have continued for a number of seasons had NBC placed it into the one time period where it would have met with great success - Thursday nights after the then prime-time leader, "Seinfeld". NBC was looking for a program to put in after "Seinfeld" which could hold viewers and which would have been a replacement for "Seinfeld" once it retired. NBC tried many shows, but never found the perfect show. "Will and Grace" comes nowhere near the ratings "Seinfeld" used to get. Had NBC execs recognized the quality of "NewsRadio", then the show would have continued and NBC would have continued to be the leader in televsion ratings. So no, "NewsRadio" never jumped the shark! (Although it had the chance - literally! - at the conclusion of the "Titanic" episode. They could have had Bill and Matthew sitting together on that little piece of floating debris they were on. Then they see a bigger piece of floating debris which they decide to hop over on to. As they do, a shark fin comes along through the water, right between the two pieces of debris. Therefore, both Bill and Matthew would have jumped the shark to get to the other piece of debris!)
Obviously, this show jumped when Phil Hartman was tragically murdered. There was nothing the show could do but kill off his character and it left a huuuge void. Jon Lovitz, who I think is pretty damn funny, couldnt do anything to help after that. It was not the same show and it was doomed. I kind of thought they should have just ended it after his death rather than try and keep it going. Very sad...
My vote for the best sitcom of the 90's. But, when Phil Hartman died, the show was never the same. It almost jumped when they did the future episode, and the titanic episode, but Phil's departure led to Jon Lovitz showing up as his third character on the show. (1. Suicide jumper, 2. Looney bin smoker) Lovitz was the anchor that dragged the show to a cold, watery death.
Never jumped. Regardless of the bait (Jimmy James' faux around-the-world balloon trip, Matthew's stint in the restaurant, or the infamous DB Cooper episodes) the shark wouldn't bite. At it's worst it was still much, much better than the other NBC crap-du-jour. Only the Simpsons was more innovative at the time. And as for those of you comparing NewsRadio to WKRP...get a life! Bottom line is WKRP left the air, there was some dead space in-between, and then we got to enjoy NewsRadio. God bless the writer that invents the next incarnation! WKRP is for the Hamptons. NewsRadio I like, I keep. Suddenly Susan et al displease me. Thanks, Phil, you magnificent bastard!
Until the real life tragedy that doomed this show, it was one of the most consistently hilarious sitcoms I have ever had the pleasure to experience. Phil Hartman's murder doomed this show, but I do NOT agree that it's because Phil Hartman single-handedly MADE the show, as some suggest. It was a wonderful ensemble cast with incredible chemistry, and almost every character was hilarious! Bill gave us just as many laughs as Dave, Matthew, Jimmy, Beth and Joe, and Lisa was a wonderful yet quirky "straight man" (Catherine, sad to say, was a bit of a weak link). But Bill's absence, and the effect of Hartman's murder on the cast, destroyed their chemistry (it goes without saying that Jon Lovitz did not fit, but that was hardly his fault). The first episode of the last season was inspired, and must be viewed as the pinnacle at the precipice for this wonderful show. Had Phil Hartman not died, I think that the space station episode and the Titanic episode may well have been this show's shark jump, but since they occured just before Hartman's death, we'll never know.
It wasn't Jon Lovitz's fault that this show went in the toilet. Who could replace Phil Hartman? Kudos for making a valiant effort.
NEWS RADIO without a doubt jumped the shark with the tragic death of Phil Hartman. He was the glue that held this show together and without him, the show was never the same despite expert writing and a better than average cast of comedic actors.
I ADORE Newsradio! It was most definitely the number one sitcom EVER in my humble opinion. It's the only sitcom that I can watch any given episode (yes, even the ones tainted by Jon Lovitz) and laugh til I can't breathe. A lot of people are saying the Phil Hartman death/Jon Lovitz joining the cast combo are what caused the show to jump the shark. I disagree, because, even though the show did show a bit of a decline after Phil's untimely and tragic death, and the character of Max Lewis never seemed to fully integrate into the cast, a lot of the 5th season episodes are just as hilarious as the earlier seasons. IF the show jumped the shark at all I would have to say it did after Lisa married Johnny (which, thankfully, was only a few episodes before the series finale)! What the hell was that??? For one, Lisa would NEVER do anything so stupid, and for two, that completely eliminated whatever was left of the Dave/Lisa relationship (which I think was one of the things central to the show's success). I can't completely blame the show's creaters for this though. I think they were under increasing pressure from NBC to do something drastic to increase ratings. What better way to do this (in the warped brain of a TV exec) than a wedding? I applaud the writers for trying to do this in a true Newsradio style (absurd and completely out of left field), but it just didn't work. Johnny was funny during the DB Cooper episode arc, but as Lisa's husband? I don't think so. But even at it's worst, Newsradio was consistantly better than any other sitcom out there. Long live NR!!! The DVD of seasons 1 and 2 is coming out tomorrow, and I plan to be at the store bright and early to purchase it so I can FINALLY rewatch some of the funniest show in existence!
This show never jumped the shark! Sure, Phil Hartman was a comic god to most of us TV sitcom aficionados and it hurt the show when he left but the writing was still great in the final season. I do think the Johnnie Johnson storyline (with the funny giant Warburton)were weaker episodes but they're still quite funny in parts. And sure Jon Lovitz was annoying and whiny (is there anyone doesn't think so? maybe that's his thing) but did us NewsRadio fans just want some B-Grade Phil Hartman egomaniac rip-off character to replace him? I was glad that they replaced Hartman with a totally different dynamic. That's why the show worked for me: the writing and producing took chances to be funny and went in different directions. This was a show with a loaded cast: Dave Foley playing it understated most of the time but still being capable of some hilarious madcap moments when called upon (pure Evil, addicted to the white noise machine, security door paranoia, "I'm going fire someone today"). Wonderful comic actor Stephen Root's Jimmy James balancing the high-powered billionaire persona with his crazy eccentricities yet keeping his character well-defined. Andy Dick playing his character as both annoying and lovable at the same time and really getting to shine in the last season (SMatthew, as a poseur punk protesting turning 30). And of course Phil Hartman. Maura Tierney and her enduring sullen little girl personality that every man probably thinks is his own little secret. Even the other less remarkable actors Vicki Lewis, Joe Rogan and Khandi Alexander (less so) were fairly well integrated into the show.
When Andy Dick started performing pratfalls every week. Also, they changed Beth from the sarcastic know-it-all to a ditsy airhead. The abbreviated first season had some of the best sitcom episodes ever (the second episode where Dave and Lisa hook up, the smoking episode and the big bonus episode). While the show remained decent through its run, it's ashamed it lost its edge. Sometimes it's bad to peak too soon.
when phil hartman was murdered, the show did rebound with the bill mcneil tribute show. the fact that the tears were real was truly moving, but the problem with the show in general was that each season had to have a running theme. first was the secret romance, followed by the romance revealed, followed by the efficiency expert, by the end ,the evil johnny story line didn't fly. The romance between johnny and lisa was good, but destroying jimmy james' empire was contrived. If they had ended with the tribute they could have put the show to bed with dignity.
I think that this show jumped not at the death of Phil Hartman (though that did put it on life support and was a catylist for the event) but when Jon Lovitz replaced him. I mean really... Let's face it, no one could fill Mr. Hartman's shoes.
Not only did this show lose all its steam when Phil Hartman died, the writing was dumbed way down when Lovitz came aboard. He was incredibly annoying, Andy Dick, Joe Rogan and Vicki Lewis became more annoying, and it was tough to watch talents like Dave Foley, Maura Tierney and Stephen Root trying their best to salvage that dreck. The great thing about the show with Phil Hartman was what makes Everybody Loves Raymond funny (at times): Bill McNeal was the central character, an arrogant jerk, so everyone was taking shots at him. And he gave as good as he got. My favorite examples of each are when his cane is missing ("Where's my cane? I'M TALKING TO YOU PEOPLE!!") and when the sound engineer rearranges the words to Bill's baseball promo ("This is Bill McNeal on crack. I like boys."). It was a great show for a while; I agree with everyone who says Phil's farewell episode should have been the end of the series.
The show never jumped. Yes, it got a bit annoying with the arrival of Jon Lovitz, but that only let Dave get evil and Plan B show up. Jimmy is probably the funniest character. Never Jumped.
At the start of the 4th season they added a new character, Andrea the efficiency expert. Would have been fine for one episode but it went on and on. The character was annoying and more than borderline crazy. This was before Catherine left and Phil Hartman was killed.
After the end of the first season the Newsradio team brought in a new director and a few new writers. Although only subtle changes were made (not as much music when changing scenes, shorter scenes, scene to scene wipes); but, those little subtleties got you caught up in the story. Even in the first season, when the story was getting uninteristing, it still drew the viewer in with their undistracting scene changes, interisting characters and witty lines. Where have they gone?
The only time(s) when it arguably "jumped the shark", were during the "fantasy episodes", such as the later season spoof of "Titanic". By the way, who was that "Walt" character? Why was he even there? Was he a "place holder" for the MIA/AWOL Vicki Lewis? This show was immensely BETTER than "WKRP"? For starters, the humor was far more intellectual and sophisticated. Such good things happen when you AVOID the cliched "rock and roll" setting...and set the stories on REAL broadcasting (i.e. news and talk). This show rewarded the class of viewers who THINK, as opposed to those who laugh along with all the other sheep, at the mention of anything connected to the "rock and roll" and "drug" industries. Saying this show was a "rip off" of "WKRP" is ridiculous. Why is it a "Rip Off"? Simply because it is set in a radio station? By that reasoning, EVERY cop show is a rip-off of every EARLIER cop show. The late Mr. Hartman gets his well-deserved praise ...but don't overlook Stephen Root, and Dave Foley, the perfect "straight guy" to the "kooks". The funniest moment: when the window/wall in Mr. James' office is broken. Mr. James step through the window at the same moment that Bill McNeil steps through it in the opposite direction. They exchange a "Morning Ralph" "Morning Fred" greeting. A very obscure reference to the "sheep dogs" in a classic Warner Brothers' "Looney Tunes" cartoon! (Actually...references to these caroons were fairly common in this series...like I said above...the show rewarded the THINKING viewer.)
The slutting up of Beth. C'mon, the brand new hair and the suddenly exposed midriff didn't come off as a really lame attempt to catch people's attention? The ensemble was still funny, but they were rapidly running out of ideas. Incidentally, I TOTALLY agree about the 'future' episode.
In the first two seasons, the characters were smart, witty geeks. By the third season, with some success behind them, the writers turned all the characters into the cool kids, except for Andy Dick who became the last geek standing.
Phil Hartman. But the show was a copy of WKRP without the humour or heart. There were some great TV character actors who kept the show together, but at no point did you love them or even give a **** about them. The writers were not very clever. There was no subtlty in writing that left some things up to the audience to discern. There was nothing written that made you pity or want to find out more about them. Basically they were just a bunch of shallow catty backstabbers out for themselves. That gay Andy Dick was an absolute waste of airtime, but the show had run its course by the time of Hartmann's murder. They should have seen the obvious and ended the show when he died.
A good show, but watching NewsRadio in reruns, it is laughable that they actually cast Dave Foley in a role that was supposed to be heterosexual. The scenes with him and Lisa lusting after each other and having "sexual chemistry" fall incredibly flat and all the acting lessons in the world couldn't make those scenes even halfway believable.
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10-02-2013, 06:29 PM
NewsRadio Boned the Fish When...
