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News Radio: Season Five: It really is wonderful that this trend of releasing every last television series EVER to DVD has caught on. Some of the more obscure show available for purchase may seem a bit ridiculous but for serious TV junkies, the spotty consistency of syndication isn't enough for revisiting your favorite programs. News Radio, which ran from '95 to '99, is one of those shows that's well worth a repeat viewing, and their releasing its fifth and final season this week on DVD.
The program follows a rag tag bunch of misfits running the fictional news radio station WNYX in New York. Starring Dave Foley from the sketch comedy group The Kids In The Hall as the Midwestern-transplant news director, he banters with on air personalities Lisa (Maura Tierney), Bill (Phil Hartman), Matthew (Andy Dick) and station owner, Jimmy James (Stephen Root). One of the more notable aspects of this season of the show was that Hartman was tragically murdered by his wife just as season four wrapped. NBC wasn't sure if they would pick up the show for a fifth round, but the show's creator Paul Simms assured them that he could deliver and as a result the plot of the first episode in season five includes Hartman's character, Bill, dying of a heart attack. Sadly, the whole operation had less zing without Hartman around. The show subsequently brought on Jon Lovitz to play a replacement radio announcer, and Lovitz's performances are sort of hit or miss, brilliantly out of left field in some episodes and just stunningly bizarre in others.
While this last season may not have been as strong all the way through as some of the others, News Radio is a consistently laugh-out-loud show. Other DVDs hitting shelves this weekend include Leonardo DiCaprio's Oscar-nominated thriller Blood Diamond, Humphrey Bogart classic The Cain Mutiny: Collector's Edition, Sylvester Stallone's sad attempt at a middle aged comeback Rocky Balboa and the Bible-licious The Nativity Story.
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You buy now! Best show ever ever !
NewsRadio was pure brilliance in seasons 1-4. Foley, Hartman, Root, Tierney, Dick, and Rogan - even the woefully underused Khandi Alexander were great. Equal amounts of snark and charm (snarm? chark?) balanced out what would've otherwise been the odious characters of Jimmy James (Root) and Bill McNeal (the simply awesome Hartman). Dave Nelson (Foley) nailed the Midwesterner expat trapped in a big city (while never letting it overwhlem his perf) while Lisa Miller (Tierney) was just the right amount of cougar and kitten. And Andy Dick - at that point, he wasn't living up to his last name.
Proud to own all five seasons on DVD and would urge others to put down $150 to do the same.
It's "The Caine Mutiny," not "The Cain Mutiny."
I'm just sayin'.
oh god, this is my biggest pet peeve. "their releasing"? no, wrong. they are releasing. so it's "they're". they're. theeeyyy'rrreee. not posessive.
this was, without a doubt, one of the funniest shows on tv until hartman died. then it just jumped the shark.
Best line of the series:
John Ritter as Dr. Frank speaking to Dave:
"I was wrestling with my own personal demons."
"What demons?"
"Sexual addiction."
"Sorry, I'm from Wisconsin. Is that the same as gettin' a lot?"
"this trend of releasing every last television series EVER to DVD has caught on."
You need to get out more. The majority of TV shows haven't been released on DVD and no plans for them have been announced. In no particular order and not necessarily shows I like, There's Mary Tyler Moore, but where's Rhoda? Where's Phyllis? Where's Lou Grant? Or Gavin McLeod's show, the Love Boat? Where's Marcus Welby? Medical Center? Batman? Spider-Man? Wagon Train? There's Brady Bunch, Partridge Family and Odd Couple, but where's Room 222 or Love, American Style? Six Million Dollar Man? Paper Chase? Give me a couple of hours and I can come up with a few hundred well-known shows that have not been announced.
NewsRadio ruled! I always thought that the show's peak was Season 2, but it was still great up until Phil Hartman's death. By the way, you don't need to spend $150 to pick up the whole series. Best Buy is selling Seasons 1-4 for $17.99 each this week.
jg - you mispelled "they're". It's not spelled "theeeyyy'rrreee". :-)
212 - I bought 'em first day they were available! Guess I'm a sucker that way. :-)
Yet another reason American's savings rate is 0%. Do you really need this stuff?
One of the best sitcoms of all time. Agree re: Phil Hartman.
The show totally sucked upon Jon Lovitz's arrival. Kinda like everything else he's been involved with.
Losing the magnificent Phil Hartman for season 5 completely took the zing out of News Radio for me but I also missed the gorgeous Khandi "The Body" Alexander (who played Catherine), who had left by then as well. The first 4 seasons: comedy gold, Jerry!
waste:
Yes. Yes we do.
I assume you have no problem with people buying books.