Series Description

The NewsRadio TV show was a comedy series about an all news radio station in New York City and its quirkly staff. Dave Nelson, a young and "gung-ho" individual gets his big break when he's hired as the news director. He soon realizes that he's going to earn his paycheck at this nightmare of a job. First, he had to deal with Lisa who felt that she should have gotten his job. He and Lisa are attracted to each other, but at the same time in conflict over how to run the station. His two news anchors think that they are "God's Gift" to the news industry and that he's just a young punk know-nothing. He also has to deal with the "Do It My Way Or Else" NewsRadio station owner "Jimmy James". In short, while we the audience could see that he knew how to run the station properly, everyone else on NewsRadio has their own ideas and fought him every step of the way!

Cast

Dave Foley .... Dave Nelson
Phil Hartman .... Bill McNeal
Maura Tierney .... Lisa Miller
Stephen Root .... Jimmy James
Joe Rogan .... Joe Garelli
Vicki Lewis .... Beth
Andy Dick .... Matthew Brock
Khandi Alexander .... Catherine Duke
Jon Lovitz .... Max Louis

Trivia

During his NewsRadio Days, Dave Foley drank in excess of thirty cups of coffee a day. Several NewsRadio episodes made fun of his addiction to coffee. Dave was also the youngest member of the "Kids In the Hall".

Maura Tierney was not hired for NewsRadio until the day before the pilot was shot. Ray Romano was originally selected to play the maintenance man character but Greg Lee did it in the pilot (and the character was named "Rick". Then Joe Rogan finally played "Joe Garelli" on the series.

Andy Dick felt that the show was effectively over when Phil Hartman died. He did not enjoy working with Phil's replacement, "Jon Lovitz". Jon had actually recommended Phil to "Saturday Night Live" creator Lorne Michaels!

Maura Tierney was not added to the cast until the day before they shot the pilot. Her father Joeseph Tierney was once the President of the Boston City Council. She met her husband Billy Morrissette on a blind date.

Phil Hartman "came to fame" as an impressionist/comedian. Some of his best impressions were of Frank Sinatra, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Michael Caine, Burt Reynolds, Telly Savalas, Ed McMahon, Jack Nicholson, Phil Donahue and he even did Barbara Bush! He was the only Saturday Night Live cast member to impersonate two presidents (Reagan and Clinton), however, six other Cast also impersonated Reagan. Phil was tragically shot by his wife on May 28, 1998. She then also shot herself.

The room used as the production studio in the pilot episode is used for the break room in the rest of the episodes.

Andy Dick was his high school's "Homecoming King".

Jon Lovitz had guest-starred twice on the TV show before he became a regular. Once as a mental patient and once as a man contemplating suicide.

NewsRadio's call letters were WNYX and it was at 585 on the AM dial.

In the credits, Dave Foley's name appears over a shot of the World Trade Center's twin towers. The towers had been nicknamed David and Nelson. Dave Foley played Dave Nelson on the show.