Who Knew? A 'NewsRadio' Firing Inadvertently Led To CBS' Sitcom Dominance!?!

[Brian Damage]

The role: Electrician character (later renamed Joe Garelli)
Who got it: Joe Rogan

In 1994, Ray Romano auditioned for the part of the radio station’s electrician and got it. Romano began rehearsing with the cast, but the producers decided to go a different route with the character and fired him on the second day of rehearsals. They felt Romano’s slow-paced delivery didn't fit within the rapid-fire style of the show. Romano went on to create and star in one of the biggest sitcoms in history, a long-running hit series whose high ratings easily eclipsed the always-struggling NewsRadio's. Romano was replaced by actor Greg Lee for the pilot and Joe Rogan took the role from then on. Rogan’s comedic style was best-suited for the series and he brought the right dynamic to NewsRadio, becoming an integral part of the cast.

If Ray Romano had held onto his part on NewsRadio, he would have been under contract with NBC for several years, keeping him from creating and starring in the much more commercially successful Everybody Loves Raymond, the show that made him a household name. At the time, being fired from NewsRadio probably seemed like a missed opportunity for him, but I'm sure he's thankful about how things worked out now. By the time Romano would have left NewsRadio in 1999, he most likely wouldn’t have been able to get a lead sitcom role, with Hollywood producers thinking of him as only a supporting actor. Just look at Rogan’s career immediately after NewsRadio. Fear Factor was his first gig after the show and it’s likely Romano would have been only able to get work as a reality show host or a supporting actor, not a lead/showrunner position.

There are many good and bad things for comedy that could have resulted if Romano stayed in the cast. While Romano's presence would have altered the perfect balance of the NewsRadio ensemble and could have weakened the show, the absence of Everybody Loves Raymond from CBS could have prevented the crop of generic family sitcoms that followed in its wake. Raymond was a huge hit — CBS's flagship comedy at the time — and the network used it to anchor a Monday night block of otherwise-awful comedy that still exists today.

CBS used Everybody Loves Raymond as a springboard to launch shows like The King of Queens, Yes, Dear, Still Standing, and yes, even Two and a Half Men, which replaced Raymond as the network's (and television’s) highest-rated comedy. In turn, Men was the springboard for The Big Bang Theory, which was used as a lead-in for $#*! My Dad Says. Everybody Loves Raymond set off a chain reaction inside the sitcom world which even impacted shows on ABC. According to Jim and George Lopez were attempts by that network to find their own Raymond which may not have existed were it not for the huge success of Romano's show. In an era where sitcoms are moving towards being more subtle, highbrow, and doing away with laughtracks, Everybody Loves Raymond is the show that inspired the only holdouts: the current CBS crop of shows that feel like they belong on the air in the '80s or '90s.

But what could be considered the worst thing Everybody Loves Raymond left us with is Kevin James's movie career. Romano gave his stand-up buddy James a big break when he cast him in a recurring role on Raymond. James had never had a professional acting job before this. James’s appearances on Romano’s show made CBS confident enough in his abilities to cast him as the lead in The King of Queens, which led to him popping up in Will Smith's Hitch, which resulted in Kevin James starring in undemanding tripe like Paul Blart and The Dilemma. Although Romano wasn't right for NewsRadio, maybe the producers would have bitten the bullet and kept him in the cast if they knew then it could have prevented Two and a Half Men, According to Jim, and Paul Blart from succeeding/existing.

On the other hand, choosing Rogan over Romano helped lift Rogan's fame, which hasn't been bad for comedy, failed reboot of The Man Show aside. Perhaps Joe Rogan's most significant contribution to comedy and those who love it is his public takedown of Carlos Mencia in 2007, which was a major contribution to the Mencia backlash that has kept him off our TV screens for almost three years now. Fingers crossed it continues. Even still, Rogan can't claim all the credit for Mencia's career slump, and the continuance of the CBS sitcom has definitely been a greater hindrance to the comedy industry than Mencia ever was.

http://splitsider.com/2011/02/the-lo...-of-newsradio/

[Adamantium]

Paul Simms, the creator of NewsRadio talks about this in the DVD commentary. He says that he was very glad when Everybody Loves Raymond became a big hit because it took guilt of having fired him away. Andy Dick also mentions (in the commentary) that when Ray Romano was working on the show, he told Andy that he felt like it wasn't working and he was worried for his job. Andy assured him that he was just being paranoid and that he wasn't going anywhere. Andy then mentions, the next day Ray was gone, lol, oops.

This worked out the best for everybody. Ray Romano got his own show that was very successful and ran for 9 years. As a fan of NewsRadio, I love Rogan's character and can't imagine anyone else in the show (not even Greg Lee from the pilot).

[Adamantium]

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

CBS used Everybody Loves Raymond as a springboard to launch shows like The King of Queens, Yes, Dear, Still Standing, and yes, even Two and a Half Men, which replaced Raymond as the network's (and television’s) highest-rated comedy.

I have a friend (well actually a co-worker) who loves Two and a Half Men and hates NewsRadio. Now I can tell him "NewsRadio made Two and a Half Men possible!!"

NewsRadio what have you done?

[Brian Damage]

I found this to be absolutely fascinating! If NBC never fired Ray Romano, there would be no ELR or King of Queens etc....

[Brian Damage]

Originally Posted by Adamantium

I have a friend (well actually a co-worker) who loves Two and a Half Men and hates NewsRadio. Now I can tell him "NewsRadio made Two and a Half Men possible!!"

NewsRadio what have you done?

[Adamantium]

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

I found this to be absolutely fascinating! If NBC never fired Ray Romano, there would be no ELR or King of Queens etc....

Yeah, that's one of those things I've alway known about (being such a big NewsRadio fan) but I've never really thought about how if they hadn't fired Romano, not only would there not be an Everybody Loves Raymond but no King of Queens either.

[Adamantium]

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

Yeah, in case you didn't know NewsRadio is my favorite sitcom of all-time, while Two and a Half Men is my least favorite sitcom of all-time (right down there with "The Nanny" and "George Lopez"). I'm not a complete comedy snob, I can appreciate a show with dumb humor, I've just never laughed at a single episode of "Men."

[Brian Damage]

Originally Posted by Adamantium

Yeah, that's one of those things I've alway known about (being such a big NewsRadio fan) but I've never really thought about how if they hadn't fired Romano, not only would there not be an Everybody Loves Raymond but no King of Queens either.

What are your thoughts about Rob Schneider replacing Phil Hartman instead of Jon Lovitz? That was something I never knew almost happened too.

[Brian Damage]

Originally Posted by Adamantium

Yeah, in case you didn't know NewsRadio is my favorite sitcom of all-time, while Two and a Half Men is my least favorite sitcom of all-time (right down there with "The Nanny" and "George Lopez"). I'm not a complete comedy snob, I can appreciate a show with dumb humor, I've just never laughed at a single episode of "Men."

I am with you, although I actually like 'Two And A Half Men' but I hate, deplore The Nanny and George Lopez.

[Adamantium]

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

What are your thoughts about Rob Schneider replacing Phil Hartman instead of Jon Lovitz? That was something I never knew almost happened too.

I may have liked that. Rob can be a funny guy. At the time I wasn't a big fan of Lovitz on the show. However, now, it's been so many years later, I've just accepted that that's what happened and I'm okay with it. Lovitz wasn't horrible in the show. I think they didn't know how to write for him but his character got better as it went along. What I didn't like is that Jon Lovitz played to separate characters as a guest star before joining the show (as a different character).

I think the show would still have been cancelled when it was no matter who replaced Phil Hartman. NewsRadio ended it's run as #75 in the ratings, higher than 3rd Rock from the Sun and I believe Suddenly Susan and both of those shows came back. I think NBC was just done with the show, since, let's face it it was a low-rated show (in it's third season the lowest rated show on NBC).

[Adamantium]

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

What are your thoughts about Rob Schneider replacing Phil Hartman instead of Jon Lovitz? That was something I never knew almost happened too.

Patrick Warburton almost replaced Phil Hartman, too. That's who NBC wanted. Instead, Warburton made five guest appearances as Johnny Johnson, Jimmy's nemesis turned love interest for Lisa (Maura Tierney).

[Brian Damage]

Originally Posted by Adamantium

Patrick Warburton almost replaced Phil Hartman, too. That's who NBC wanted. Instead, Warburton made five guest appearances as Johnny Johnson, Jimmy's nemesis turned love interest for Lisa (Maura Tierney).

very interesting...

[ajgenard]

There are so many what-ifs in the entertainment industry that it can make your head 'splode if you try to comprehend an alternate history. The decisions behind large successes and failures always bring out these questions and this article is a nice look at both ends of the spectrum.

Originally Posted by Adamantium

Patrick Warburton almost replaced Phil Hartman, too. That's who NBC wanted. Instead, Warburton made five guest appearances as Johnny Johnson, Jimmy's nemesis turned love interest for Lisa (Maura Tierney).

I wasn't aware of that. I'm assuming they cover this as well on the commentaries for the NewsRadio DVDs which I have only sparingly listened to (I actually think they have too many commentaries - listening to one from a later episode it was clear they ran out of things to discuss LOL). At any rate that is a shame. Patrick Warburton was comedy gold as the corporate pirate turned homeless wino. Easily the brightest spots of the last couple seasons. While I like Jon Lovitz, the character was really weak.

[Adamantium]

Originally Posted by ajgenard

There are so many what-ifs in the entertainment industry that it can make your head 'splode if you try to comprehend an alternate history. The decisions behind large successes and failures always bring out these questions and this article is a nice look at both ends of the spectrum.



I wasn't aware of that. I'm assuming they cover this as well on the commentaries for the NewsRadio DVDs which I have only sparingly listened to (I actually think they have too many commentaries - listening to one from a later episode it was clear they ran out of things to discuss LOL).

I forget where I got that information from. It may be on the DVD, I don't remember. It's one of those things I had heard years and years ago that I just don't remember the original source.

I think they had too many commentaries, too. Especially (and I forget the examples) since they tend to give contradictory statements in the later seasons commentaries. If I ever have a commentary marathon, I'll be sure to make a list of them.

[robyrob]

admittedly I have never been a big fan of Ray Romano, but I could never see him fitting in on News Radio - Joe Rogan was pretty much perfect with the character.