Jump to content

NewsRadio


Recommended Posts

Obviously Hartman as Bill McNeal was a stand out, but Stephen Root killed as Jimmy James. The secret to management bit was hilarious. 

All of the regulars gave excellent performances. Joe Rogan is playing himself about 10 years before launching his podcast. Andy Dick is great as the spaz. Dave Foley and Maura Tierney are terrific as the tight ass sometimes couple. Foley is the straight man in almost every scene and he is superb. 

Vicki Lewis and Khandi Alexander are also both terrific. Both understated performances, but really funny playing off of Dick and Hartman. 

The oral history was a bit disappointing. Root is the only cast member to address Hartman's marital issues and Dick's drug use. I'd imagine that was a colorful set before Hartman's passing. Brynn Hartman struggled with substance abuse and Andy Dick allegedly got her into cocaine after she was sober for almost a year. Hartman probably wanted to kill the guy. 

  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/29/2023 at 6:27 PM, mdleast said:

“But Jimmy has fancy plans…and pants to match”
 

That’s a classic one. I was going to post the macho business donkey wrestler but you beat me to it. With a guest appearance by Brian Posehn who’s a really funny comedian in his own right. He also appears in another episode with David Cross and Bob Odenkirk as old friends of Dave’s who had a pact to re-form their a capella singing group if they were still single in their 30’s. They’d quit their jobs or got divorced to fulfill a promise none of them actually wanted to keep.

They had great guests on the show. John Ritter played a former boyfriend of Lisa’s, Jon Stewart played Matthew’s “twin” brother, Patrick Warburton played Jimmy’s nemesis Johnny Johnson (when we find out that Jimmy James is actually D.B. Cooper). Jon Lovitz was a guest before he came on full time as Hartman’s replacement.

I agree NewsRadio is up there with Seinfeld and Sanders. (I’d put Third Rock from the Sun up there too.) Here’s another classic scene:

 

  • Hook 'Em 2
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, WhatTheBuck said:

That’s a classic one. I was going to post the macho business donkey wrestler but you beat me to it. With a guest appearance by Brian Posehn who’s a really funny comedian in his own right. He also appears in another episode with David Cross and Bob Odenkirk as old friends of Dave’s who had a pact to re-form their a capella singing group if they were still single in their 30’s. They’d quit their jobs or got divorced to fulfill a promise none of them actually wanted to keep.

They had great guests on the show. John Ritter played a former boyfriend of Lisa’s, Jon Stewart played Matthew’s “twin” brother, Patrick Warburton played Jimmy’s nemesis Johnny Johnson (when we find out that Jimmy James is actually D.B. Cooper). Jon Lovitz was a guest before he came on full time as Hartman’s replacement.

I agree NewsRadio is up there with Seinfeld and Sanders. (I’d put Third Rock from the Sun up there too.) Here’s another classic scene:

 

My favorite scene.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

I'm not sure I've seen a full episode, and I caught bits and pieces of it in the 90s when it originally aired (I'd have to check when it aired to see what I was watching instead), but I came across this little retrospective and started watching about 15-20 minutes, stopped it so I wasn't spoiled any more, hopped on one of the only two places to still be streaming it - Roku (and I think Pluto).  Amazon isn't any longer.

I've got to say, it's a pretty fucking good show.  Not sure if I would have appreciated it when I was in my 20s, but I do now, and it's aged very well.

 

 

  • Hook 'Em 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

Yeah, I knew of that, and Jon Lovitz beating his ass or something over it.

Feud with Jon Lovitz
Andy Dick has a longstanding feud with former NewsRadio costar Jon Lovitz concerning the death of their mutual friend Phil Hartman. According to Lovitz, Dick had given Hartman's wife Brynn cocaine at a Christmas party at Hartman's house in 1997; Brynn, a recovering addict, began using drugs again, culminating in her killing of Hartman and her suicide on May 28, 1998. When Lovitz joined the cast of NewsRadio as Hartman's replacement, he and Dick argued; Lovitz shouted: "I wouldn't be here if you hadn't given Brynn coke in the first place". Lovitz later apologized to Dick for the remark.[68]

Lovitz alleged that in early 2007, Dick approached him at a restaurant and said: "I put the Phil Hartman hex on you – you're the next to die".[69] On July 10, 2007, Dick fought with Lovitz at Laugh Factory in Los Angeles; Lovitz demanded an apology from Dick, who refused and accused Lovitz of blaming him for Hartman's death. Lovitz then grabbed Dick by his shirt and slammed him backward into the bar, after which the doorman separated them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Dick

  • Rage+1 1
  • Fuck Around and Find Out 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Parliament said:

Feud with Jon Lovitz
Andy Dick has a longstanding feud with former NewsRadio costar Jon Lovitz concerning the death of their mutual friend Phil Hartman. According to Lovitz, Dick had given Hartman's wife Brynn cocaine at a Christmas party at Hartman's house in 1997; Brynn, a recovering addict, began using drugs again, culminating in her killing of Hartman and her suicide on May 28, 1998. When Lovitz joined the cast of NewsRadio as Hartman's replacement, he and Dick argued; Lovitz shouted: "I wouldn't be here if you hadn't given Brynn coke in the first place". Lovitz later apologized to Dick for the remark.[68]

Lovitz alleged that in early 2007, Dick approached him at a restaurant and said: "I put the Phil Hartman hex on you – you're the next to die".[69] On July 10, 2007, Dick fought with Lovitz at Laugh Factory in Los Angeles; Lovitz demanded an apology from Dick, who refused and accused Lovitz of blaming him for Hartman's death. Lovitz then grabbed Dick by his shirt and slammed him backward into the bar, after which the doorman separated them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Dick

Sounds a lot more believable than Lovitz beating his ass. 
 

If Dick knew that Brynn was in recovery and he offered her coke, that’s unforgivable. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

I'm not sure I've seen a full episode, and I caught bits and pieces of it in the 90s when it originally aired (I'd have to check when it aired to see what I was watching instead), but I came across this little retrospective and started watching about 15-20 minutes, stopped it so I wasn't spoiled any more, hopped on one of the only two places to still be streaming it - Roku (and I think Pluto).  Amazon isn't any longer.

I've got to say, it's a pretty fucking good show.  Not sure if I would have appreciated it when I was in my 20s, but I do now, and it's aged very well.

One of my favs of that era.

Hartman at some of his best. Maura Tierney & Khandi Alexander… yes please. Always liked Foley starting from when I only 1/2 understood Kids in the hall back in HS. 

 

  • Hook 'Em 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted (edited)
On 8/25/2024 at 1:24 PM, billfromlaketravis said:

Sounds a lot more believable than Lovitz beating his ass. 
 

If Dick knew that Brynn was in recovery and he offered her coke, that’s unforgivable. 

I've found addicts have a way of finding themselves being "offered" their vice of choice without the offeror exerting any effort. Dick sharing an 8 ball at a Christmas party isn't quite the indictment some made it out to be at the time. Andy was known to be a walking pharmacy that would give you a contact high by standing next to him. A recovering addict like her didn't 'innocently' find herself in the bathroom and snort a few lines and then go off the deep end.

She murdered Phil in late May, long after Christmas. Andy Dick is no more responsible than the bullet. They were both just tools that were used by the only person to blame for his death.

Edited by Herpa Derpa
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...