TV's Best Fictional Newsrooms (MSN)

[Brian Damage]

http://tv.msn.com/tv/broadcastnews-1


WJM-TV ("The Mary Tyler Moore Show")

Mary Tyler Moore had one of the loveliest smiles in the history of television -- a broad, sunshiny grin that comforted and nurtured, playfully mocked and punctuated a witty zinger. And what could be a more wholesome setting than WJM-TV, where she produced the local six o'clock news for Minneapolis -- arguably the most wholesome city in the world. But in the turbulent 1970s, Moore's Mary Richards was young, unmarried and professional -- a startling combination. Mary Richards had to deal with the egos of her male peers (Murray Slaughter, the self-loathing reporter, and Lou Grant, the managerial blowhard), but she always muddled through with resourcefulness, earnestness and that winning gleam. Katie Couric, take notes.

[Brian Damage]

WKRP ("WKRP in Cincinnati")

Put a buttoned-up gentleman and an aging hippie in a studio together and what do you get? Pit a dictatorial station owner against a well-meaning straight man, and what happens? For a decade, WKRP was a mishmash of conflicting personalities. Using every stereotype in the sitcom playbook, "WKRP in Cincinnati" employed a blonde-bombshell secretary and a pre-shock DJ named Johnny Fever (Howard Hesseman) -- putting the broad in broadcasting. And, like WJM-TV, the receptionist was the highest-paid employee.

[Brian Damage]

"FYI News" ("Murphy Brown")

Aggressive, sarcastic and vengeful, Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) was the perfect TV reporter, shoving her way into press meetings and belittling anyone who got in her way. At "FYI News," Brown was an ex-smoker, ex-alcoholic, unexpected mother and lived with a younger man -- her housepainter, Eldin. Her colleagues were just as ragged: meek Miles Silverberg, therapy-obsessed Frank Fontana, airheaded Corky Sherwood and stony anchor Jim Dial -- a news team that spent the day reporting, griping, fighting for attention and ultimately making up at Phil's Bar. Fondly remembered as the "topical" newsroom, the neurotic FYIers discovered real-life purpose in 1992, when Vice President Dan Quayle attacked Murphy Brown as a poor role model (not for her sadistic pranks, but for being a single mother). Brown fought back with a moving news segment and a pile of potatoes dumped before Quayle's doorstep. Small wonder Murphy couldn't keep a secretary -- and smaller wonder "Murphy Brown" is such a beloved vintage sitcom.

[Brian Damage]

The Miami Record-Dispatch ("Dave's World")

Dave Barry worked alone, but his inspirations were everywhere: his cool-headed wife, his angst-ridden older son, his adorable younger son and his oddball friends. Life was weird enough in suburban Florida that the Miami Herald humorist never had to make anything up -- hence his catch phrase: "I am NOT making this up!" Based on the actual books of the actual life of Dave Barry, Florida funnyman and bumbling middle-class dad, "Dave's World" revealed how the columnist's daily rituals can shape his writing -- especially rituals that involve playing the guitar badly, driving too early in the morning and digging a forest of marijuana plants out of newly purchased real estate. Joyous and off-kilter, Dave's world was truly another planet.

[Brian Damage]

WNYX ("NewsRadio")

Very little about "NewsRadio" had to do with reporting the news. Instead, the WNYX team seemed more interested in Dave's clandestine affair with Lisa, Bill's crushing jabs and disgusting personal habits, Matthew's posh new desk and Joe the Handyman's biceps. The "NewsRadio" team was about as interested in breaking news as "Night Court" was interested in justice, but their surreal fun reached new heights in later years: orbiting the Earth as an extra-terrestrial radio station, then sinking into the Atlantic as an alternative Titanic. WNYX never broadcast a substantial story, but "NewsRadio" made up for it in one-liners.

[Brian Damage]

"Sports Night"

The staff of "Sports Night" didn't last long, but like the real-life "Sports Center," this show packed a wallop. Witty, fast-paced and not particularly interested in sports, "Sports Night" replaced gridiron with relationship grit. Filmed much like "The Office," with being-there cinematography and semirealistic dialogue, "Sports Night" was punchy and unpredictable -- especially when the producers started shaking off an unnecessary laugh track. The series quietly vanished after two seasons so that lead writer Aaron Sorkin could take on politics with his "West Wing," but the DVD collection still scores.

[Brian Damage]

"The Daily Show"

Since its first airing, "The Daily Show" has billed itself as a "fake" news program. But like all satire, between the jokes and jibes, there lie kernels of honest commentary. Jon Stewart plays a goofy, wisecracking version of himself -- a real-life man who truly cares about America and the world. His interactions with a crack-team of reporters (emphasis on the "cracked") slash through the dizzying nonsense of sound bites and "action news." Steven Colbert, Samantha Bee and John Oliver are rigid caricatures of on-the-spot reporters, and their interviews are brutally edited for comic effect, but "The Daily Show" offers an alternative, often poignant take on major issues. When he interviews an important guest, Stewart tends to drop the act -- and, unlike his late-show contemporaries, his questions can cut into tender meat and reveal surprising answers. It may be a "fake" news show, but its Peabody Award is quite real.

[catlover79]

I totally would've liked to work in the WJM newsroom or for WKRP. They had wacky but fun employees, and both workplaces were a family environment.

[comedyfreak]

WJM for me, Murray would be a scream to work with. Love those Ted jokes.

[TJL]

Dave's World?

Really?

[Brian Damage]

Originally Posted by TJL

Dave's World?

Really?

You know with every list there is always one choice that makes you go...HUH?!? LOL

[TVFactFan]

Murphy Brown wasn't added?

[Brian Damage]

Originally Posted by TheAnalyzer

Murphy Brown wasn't added?

It was.

[Scoobiedoo30]

Mary Tylor Moore