TV Squad

• DVD Review: NewsRadio: The Complete Fifth Season
  

  Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, TV on DVD, OpEd, NewsRadio

  I think it can be universally agreed that the fifth season of NewsRadio - the final season - was by far the worst season of the series. Not only was Phil Hartman killed during the hiatus, but another cast member (Jon Lovitz) came on board and just didn't fit in to what the rest of the group had built over the previous four seasons.

  The season kicks off with the "Bill Moves On" episode, where the gang has just returned from Bill's funeral (he died of a heart attack), and everyone mocks Dave's 2 hour eulogy....
  




• This NewsRadio DVD cover depresses me
  

  Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, TV Royalty, TV on DVD, OpEd, NewsRadio

  For two reasons. The obvious reason is because Phil Hartman isn't in the picture. Instead, we get Jon Lovitz, who pretty much made the last season of the show unwatchable (except for a couple of episodes). He was really out of place as a regular cast member on the show (though he was great in the guest roles he had earlier in the series), and his character was completely unlikable.

  But the second reason I'm not thrilled with the pic is that the original artwork on the box actually...
  




• NewsRadio: Sweeps Week
  

  Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, OpEd, Retro Squad, NewsRadio

  (S01E07) Along with Mary Tyler Moore and Amy Sedaris, I've always had a crush on Janeane Garofalo. I remember being happy when this episode came on, since I had loved her standup and her work on The Ben Stiller Show (with Andy Dick). She plays Nancy, Dave's ex-girlfriend who seems nice on the outside but is really kind of a nut. She comes to New York City to be with Dave, who never quite told her that they were officially broken up.

  Meanwhile, Jimmy meets a business and technology "visionary" named Tom at a conference and arranges...
  




• NewsRadio: Luncheon at the Waldorf
  

  Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, TV Royalty, OpEd, Retro Squad, NewsRadio

  (S01E06) This is one of the first episodes to show that Bill isn't always the type of person everyone thinks he is. He asks Beth to go with him to an industry luncheon, and everyone assumes that he's just asking her because he wants to "make his move" on her, as Matthew puts it. She starts to think that he has ulterior motives, especially after he requests that she wear her sexy blue dress.
  
  Meanwhile, Dave discovers that the station is $6000 overbudget, and he does some investigating to figure out what's...
  



• NewsRadio: Big Day
  

  Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, TV Royalty, OpEd, Retro Squad, NewsRadio

  (S01E05) This episode has one of my favorite scenes of any sitcom ever. It's a scene that probably wasn't even that funny on paper, but Phil Hartman makes hysterical.

  The plot: while Jimmy gives Dave the task of deciding who gets what bonus this year (and who gets "the shaft" - nothing), Bill has to contend with fellow employees leaving food and drink on his desk.

  Continue reading NewsRadio: Big Day

   

  Other Comedy Shows, TV on DVD, OpEd, Retro Squad, NewsRadio

  (S01E04) For some reason, I think this might have been the first episode of NewsRadio that I ever watched. That seems right to me, and I think I've seen it more times than any other NewsRadio episode, except maybe the episode where Matthew tries to get Dave to let him do a story about Dilbert.

  This is the episode where we really see Dave getting in over his head as news director and his employees trying to take advantage of him. During a subway crisis, Dave wants the whole team to snap...
  




• DVD review: NewsRadio, season 4
  

  Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, TV Royalty, TV on DVD, OpEd, NewsRadio

  Season three of NewsRadio is the best season of the show. Having said that, season four has quite a number of gems too. You can see that this was the season that they started to tinker with the show: they brought in new cast members, they switched around the jobs of a few characters, they fired Matthew, introduced more of story arcs over several episodes, and they started to have more surreal moments. Not all of it works (I, for one, was a fan of the Dave/Lisa romance, and breaking them...
  



• NewsRadio: Smoking
  

  Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, TV on DVD, OpEd, Retro Squad, NewsRadio

  (S01E03) Another funny episode, as a new no smoking ordinance in the office causes problems for Bill, who smokes like a chimney. And, because any problem for Bill ultimately becomes a problem for Dave, Dave has to give up drinking coffee, to help Bill with his addiction.
  
  Meanwhile, Lisa and Joe are nervous around each other because they saw each other at the movie theater. Lisa thinks it's because Joe knows about her and Dave, but it's actually something else...

  Continue reading NewsRadio: Smoking

  Other Comedy Shows, TV Royalty, TV on DVD, OpEd, Retro Squad, NewsRadio

  (S01E02) The second episode (after the pilot) of NewsRadio was actually the third episode filmed, and it introduces the Dave/Lisa relationship storyline. Paul Simms mentions in the commentary that NBC wanted Dave and Lisa to not get together so quickly, because they wanted a long dance a la Sam and Diane on Cheers. Actually, I think putting them together right away was a brilliant move, because it's different than what every other show does, it gives a nice base for all the episodes to start from,...
  



• NewsRadio: Pilot
  

  Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, TV on DVD, OpEd, Retro Squad, NewsRadio

  (S01E01) I overheard someone the other day say that they had never seen an episode of NewsRadio. And this wasn't someone who didn't watch much television, it was a big TV fan that had somehow missed this show. He asked what it was like and the answer was "as smart as Arrested Development, but with a more basic sitcom format," and I thought that was a good description.
  
  This first episode focuses on Dave Nelson, a young news industry professional from the Midwest, who comes...