The NewsRadio Story - Chapter 1: Making the Pilot (1994) - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Adamantium · 06-14-2016, 01:42 PM

About this... I'm telling the NewsRadio story because I think it's an interesting one. I don't have the talent or time to write a novel-sized version of the story so I'm doing it like this. Also because not everyone has the time or interest in reading a long drawn out novel-sized book on NewsRadio. I love TV but I'm not a fan of reading books. So this is something I would be willing to read (if I wasn't the author).

I'll post a new chapter once I finish it. The chapters range in size of what they have to tell. For example, this first one, being just about the pilot is a rather small chapter. The next one will focus on the six episodes that (combined with the pilot) make up the first season. The others will be about full seasons, so they will be a bit longer. Anyways, enjoy...

Chapter 1: Making the Pilot (1994)

29 year-old Paul Simms, fresh off the HBO comedy series The Larry Sanders Show made a deal with Brillstein/Grey at Sony to shoot a pilot for a sitcom he created called NewsRadio. The show was first pitched to ABC, who passed, so it was taken to NBC, who saw the workplace comedy as a potential companion piece to their hit sitcom Frasier. Three characters were written with certain actors in mind. First there was Dave Nelson, the News Director at WNYX. Paul Simms wanted Dave Foley for the role. Dave had just finished working on a popular sketch comedy series called The Kids in the Hall and was interested in the sitcom. However, he had already taken a job on a pilot for CBS. Paul Simms was panicked, thinking that he actually wasn’t going to get Dave Foley to play Dave Nelson. Luckily for them both, Foley was fired from the other pilot and went to join NewsRadio. Someone at CBS started spreading negative words about Foley in an attempt to keep him from getting work. It failed and everybody involved was happy to have Dave Foley as the star of NewsRadio.

Second was Bill McNeal, the pompous anchorman for WNYX. Simms wanted Phil Hartman to play the part. Hartman had finished an incredible eight season run on Saturday Night Live the year before and at this point had a deal with NBC to create, write and star in his own series. Despite that, when NBC President Warren Littlefield presented Hartman with the NewsRadio script, he read it and loved it. Phil Hartman decided to give up on having his own series and agreed to play the part of Bill McNeal.

Third was Matthew Brock, the overly-sensitive reporter at WNYX. For months, whenever Andy Dick ran into Paul Simms at an LA bookstore, he’d ask Simms to put him in something, in other words a Hollywood project of some kind. Paul finally had a project up and running and offered Andy the role of Matthew. All Andy knew about the show was that it was going to star Phil Hartman, Dave Foley and himself. He was in, since he loved both actors from their previous work. As for Andy Dick, he also came from sketch comedy, having starred in the short-lived FOX series The Ben Stiller Show.

Other main characters to be cast for the pilot were Jimmy James, the billionaire owner of the station; Beth, the secretary with an odd fashion sense; Rick, the handyman; Lisa Miller, a reporter who felt she was next in line to be News Director; and Catherine Duke, the co-anchor.

Vicki Lewis, a Broadway actress, who also made some guest appearances on such comedy shows as Seinfeld, Murphy Brown and Home Improvement was cast in the role of Dave’s secretary, Beth. Ella Joyce had just finished her run on the FOX sitcom Roc when she was cast as co-anchor Catherine Duke. Stand-up comic Ray Romano got the part of the WNYX handyman, Rick. Stephen Root, a character actor, auditioned for the role of station owner Jimmy James. He almost didn’t get to audition because he was younger than what they had in mind. However, he went in and read for the role the only way he could, playing Jimmy as a bent guy. Out of all the people auditioning for the role, Root was the only one to play the character that way. That’s what got him the part.

Famous sitcom director James Burrows was at the helm for this pilot and despite that, there were two major problems. First up, Ray Romano just wasn’t working out, so Paul Simms had to fire him. Greg Lee filled in as Rick. Lee was best known for his PBS show Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? The second major problem was that the role of Lisa Miller, a crucial character, was yet to be cast and it was a day before the pilot was to be shot. A few actresses came in and Paul Simms had to choose. He went for a walk and came back with the decision to cast Maura Tierney. She had done some sitcom work including 704 Hauser, which was an All in the Family spin-off, using the same house as the iconic ‘70s sitcom. Tierney had also just been fired from a pilot where she was going to play Ralph Macchio’s wife.

The cast was in place and the pilot was shot in early December of 1994. In the episode, Dave Nelson arrives at New York City from Wisconsin to become the new News Director at WNYX. However, once he gets to the station, owner Jimmy James informs Dave that his first task as News Director is to fire the man he’s replacing (played by Kurt Fuller). Along the way, Dave meets the rest of the staff and has to prove he’s up for the job.

James Burrows called it the fastest pilot he had ever shot. Just before Christmas, NBC decided to pick up NewsRadio for six more episodes, planning to air them in March, April and May of 1995. However, a couple of changes would have to be made before shooting the next episode. Greg Lee was just a fill-in, so the handyman role still needed to be recast and Ella Joyce was also to be replaced as Catherine Duke.

FanOfJim · 06-17-2016, 10:40 PM

Thanks for this!

Though, as a fan of NewsRadion, I personally would make the time to read giant novel sized books on the show.

Adamantium · 06-18-2016, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FanOfJim

Thanks for this!

Though, as a fan of NewsRadion, I personally would make the time to read giant novel sized books on the show.

I would also read a novel sized book on NewsRadio and I hate to read, haha. And if I had talent and time, I'd go for it but I don't. So I'm going for the short-story version.

I've read parts of the Phil Hartman book as well as the Showrunners book which featured among others Paul Simms. It was made during the fifth season and it followed him as he worked on a pilot for a new series (which ultimately wasn't picked up), while also working on a Phil Hartman-less season of NewsRadio.

06-14-2016, 01:42 PM	#1
Adamantium TVAdam No More Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 11, 2002 Location: Springfield, Ohio Posts: 7,820	The NewsRadio Story - Chapter 1: Making the Pilot (1994) About this... I'm telling the NewsRadio story because I think it's an interesting one. I don't have the talent or time to write a novel-sized version of the story so I'm doing it like this. Also because not everyone has the time or interest in reading a long drawn out novel-sized book on NewsRadio. I love TV but I'm not a fan of reading books. So this is something I would be willing to read (if I wasn't the author). I'll post a new chapter once I finish it. The chapters range in size of what they have to tell. For example, this first one, being just about the pilot is a rather small chapter. The next one will focus on the six episodes that (combined with the pilot) make up the first season. The others will be about full seasons, so they will be a bit longer. Anyways, enjoy... Chapter 1: Making the Pilot (1994) 29 year-old Paul Simms, fresh off the HBO comedy series The Larry Sanders Show made a deal with Brillstein/Grey at Sony to shoot a pilot for a sitcom he created called NewsRadio. The show was first pitched to ABC, who passed, so it was taken to NBC, who saw the workplace comedy as a potential companion piece to their hit sitcom Frasier. Three characters were written with certain actors in mind. First there was Dave Nelson, the News Director at WNYX. Paul Simms wanted Dave Foley for the role. Dave had just finished working on a popular sketch comedy series called The Kids in the Hall and was interested in the sitcom. However, he had already taken a job on a pilot for CBS. Paul Simms was panicked, thinking that he actually wasn’t going to get Dave Foley to play Dave Nelson. Luckily for them both, Foley was fired from the other pilot and went to join NewsRadio. Someone at CBS started spreading negative words about Foley in an attempt to keep him from getting work. It failed and everybody involved was happy to have Dave Foley as the star of NewsRadio. Second was Bill McNeal, the pompous anchorman for WNYX. Simms wanted Phil Hartman to play the part. Hartman had finished an incredible eight season run on Saturday Night Live the year before and at this point had a deal with NBC to create, write and star in his own series. Despite that, when NBC President Warren Littlefield presented Hartman with the NewsRadio script, he read it and loved it. Phil Hartman decided to give up on having his own series and agreed to play the part of Bill McNeal. Third was Matthew Brock, the overly-sensitive reporter at WNYX. For months, whenever Andy Dick ran into Paul Simms at an LA bookstore, he’d ask Simms to put him in something, in other words a Hollywood project of some kind. Paul finally had a project up and running and offered Andy the role of Matthew. All Andy knew about the show was that it was going to star Phil Hartman, Dave Foley and himself. He was in, since he loved both actors from their previous work. As for Andy Dick, he also came from sketch comedy, having starred in the short-lived FOX series The Ben Stiller Show. Other main characters to be cast for the pilot were Jimmy James, the billionaire owner of the station; Beth, the secretary with an odd fashion sense; Rick, the handyman; Lisa Miller, a reporter who felt she was next in line to be News Director; and Catherine Duke, the co-anchor. Vicki Lewis, a Broadway actress, who also made some guest appearances on such comedy shows as Seinfeld, Murphy Brown and Home Improvement was cast in the role of Dave’s secretary, Beth. Ella Joyce had just finished her run on the FOX sitcom Roc when she was cast as co-anchor Catherine Duke. Stand-up comic Ray Romano got the part of the WNYX handyman, Rick. Stephen Root, a character actor, auditioned for the role of station owner Jimmy James. He almost didn’t get to audition because he was younger than what they had in mind. However, he went in and read for the role the only way he could, playing Jimmy as a bent guy. Out of all the people auditioning for the role, Root was the only one to play the character that way. That’s what got him the part. Famous sitcom director James Burrows was at the helm for this pilot and despite that, there were two major problems. First up, Ray Romano just wasn’t working out, so Paul Simms had to fire him. Greg Lee filled in as Rick. Lee was best known for his PBS show Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? The second major problem was that the role of Lisa Miller, a crucial character, was yet to be cast and it was a day before the pilot was to be shot. A few actresses came in and Paul Simms had to choose. He went for a walk and came back with the decision to cast Maura Tierney. She had done some sitcom work including 704 Hauser, which was an All in the Family spin-off, using the same house as the iconic ‘70s sitcom. Tierney had also just been fired from a pilot where she was going to play Ralph Macchio’s wife. The cast was in place and the pilot was shot in early December of 1994. In the episode, Dave Nelson arrives at New York City from Wisconsin to become the new News Director at WNYX. However, once he gets to the station, owner Jimmy James informs Dave that his first task as News Director is to fire the man he’s replacing (played by Kurt Fuller). Along the way, Dave meets the rest of the staff and has to prove he’s up for the job. James Burrows called it the fastest pilot he had ever shot. Just before Christmas, NBC decided to pick up NewsRadio for six more episodes, planning to air them in March, April and May of 1995. However, a couple of changes would have to be made before shooting the next episode. Greg Lee was just a fill-in, so the handyman role still needed to be recast and Ella Joyce was also to be replaced as Catherine Duke.

06-17-2016, 10:40 PM	#2
FanOfJim Member Forum Hawk Join Date: Apr 15, 2008 Posts: 4	Thanks for this! Though, as a fan of NewsRadion, I personally would make the time to read giant novel sized books on the show.