50 Fun Facts About NewsRadio

Which actor, also the voice of Troy McClure on The Simpsons, played anchor Bill McNeal in NewsRadio?

Phil Hartman joined the sitcom after leaving Saturday Night Live in 1994. Between takes he often entertained the studio audience in his Troy McClure voice.

Which future podcast host played the conspiracy-minded station electrician in the sitcom NewsRadio?

Joe Rogan played handyman Joe Garrelli from the second episode onward. He later called the job a dream gig that let him earn money while working on his stand-up.

NewsRadio's fourth-season finale, 'Sinking Ship', puts the whole cast aboard which doomed ocean liner?

Titanic is the setting for the surreal 'what if' episode, which the actor behind Bill McNeal introduces on screen. It turned out to be his final appearance in the series.

Which actor, later Milton in Office Space, played billionaire station owner Jimmy James in NewsRadio?

Stephen Root made the eccentric tycoon a father figure to his staff. The writers even planned to have the character adopt secretary Beth as his daughter, but never found the right moment.

Which future Daily Show host guest-starred in NewsRadio as Andrew, 'identical twin' of Matthew Brock?

Jon Stewart played the visiting brother in the 1997 episode 'Twins', two years before he took over The Daily Show.

Late in its second season, NewsRadio titled every episode after an album by which British rock band?

Led Zeppelin albums supplied the titles from 'In Through the Out Door' to the season finale. The joke returned a year later with an episode called 'Led Zeppelin Boxed Set'.

Which sitcom star do Bill McNeal and Lisa Miller ambush in a restaurant for an interview in NewsRadio?

Jerry Seinfeld plays himself in the third-season episode 'The Real Deal'. The pair corner him at his table in a desperate bid to save Bill's struggling interview show.

The actor who plays Dave Nelson in NewsRadio voiced Flik, the hero of which 1998 animated film?

A Bug's Life cast him as the would-be inventor ant Flik while the sitcom was still on air. Pixar filled its voice cast with television comedy stars of the day.

Which future Gilmore Girls star had a four-episode run in NewsRadio as efficiency expert Andrea?

Lauren Graham shook up the office as Andrea, firing Matthew, demoting Dave and promoting Lisa. A misheard remark about her being the owner's 'Plan B' earned her the nickname Planbee.

What are the call letters of the fictional all-news AM station where the staff of NewsRadio work?

WNYX is the New York City station that young Dave Nelson arrives to run in the pilot. Its billionaire owner controls a vast corporate empire yet loves to meddle in the newsroom.

Which US network aired all five seasons of NewsRadio while moving its time slot eleven times?

NBC launched the show in March 1995 between Wings and Frasier, then kept shifting it around the schedule. One of its stars publicly criticised the constant moves.

Which actress played reporter Lisa Miller in NewsRadio before becoming nurse Abby Lockhart on ER?

Maura Tierney decided against another sitcom once the show was cancelled, feeling nothing like it would come her way again. She joined ER later that same year.

Which member of the Kids in the Hall troupe starred as the station's boyish new boss in NewsRadio?

Dave Foley had the part written specifically for him by the show's creator, a huge fan of his sketch work. He left the writing of the troupe's film Brain Candy to take it.

Which former Saturday Night Live star joined NewsRadio's final season as Max Louis, replacing a late friend?

Jon Lovitz took the part out of friendship with the actor he replaced, after hearing that the whole cast wanted him. He had already guest-starred twice as other characters.

NewsRadio's Dave Nelson arrives at the station as an out-of-place Midwesterner raised in which state?

Wisconsin is where Dave grew up, though the character was born in Canada, like the actor who plays him. One Christmas he whisks Lisa back there before the holiday is over.

Which comedian, later Owen on Less than Perfect, played accident-prone reporter Matthew Brock in NewsRadio?

Andy Dick was playing the son of Maxwell Smart in a Get Smart revival when the sitcom came along. He tried to escape that role so he could take the new job.

A surreal late third-season NewsRadio episode imagines the staff running their station in which unlikely setting?

Outer space is where the episode 'Space' relocates the newsroom, far in the future. Joe is thawed out after more than 80 years of suspended animation to fix the reactor.

How does NewsRadio explain the death of anchor Bill McNeal at the start of its fifth season?

A heart attack is the cause given in 'Bill Moves On', which opens just after his death. The cast broke down in tears several times while filming the tribute.

Matthew Brock quits his job in NewsRadio when refused a story about which newspaper comic strip?

Dilbert obsesses Matthew in the third-season episode 'Review'. Its creator Scott Adams has a cameo as a customer, while another man pretends to be him.

NewsRadio's Dave Nelson is addicted to which drink, a quirk borrowed from the actor who plays him?

Coffee fuels the character just as it fuelled the actor, whose own quirks shaped the part. Dave also keeps a picture of his mother on his desk and phones her constantly.

Which actor, later the voice of Disney's Kronk, played Lisa Miller's husband Johnny Johnson in NewsRadio?

Patrick Warburton played Jimmy James's nemesis in the final season. Johnny takes over the company while Jimmy is in jail, then wins Lisa's hand after coming back as a wino.

The actor behind NewsRadio's Jimmy James also voiced Bill Dauterive on which long-running animated series?

King of the Hill debuted in 1997, midway through the sitcom's run. He voiced both Bill and Buck Strickland on the cartoon for well over a decade.

The actress behind NewsRadio anchor Catherine Duke was once tour choreographer for which pop superstar?

Whitney Houston made her tour choreographer after the two met backstage at an American Music Awards ceremony. Only later did the former dancer concentrate on film and television.

Which actress, later medical examiner Alexx Woods on CSI: Miami, played anchor Catherine Duke in NewsRadio?

Khandi Alexander also had a recurring role on ER as Jackie Robbins while the sitcom was on air. After leaving, she came back to the newsroom once, for the fifth-season premiere.

Which actress, later the voice of Deb and Flo in Finding Nemo, played secretary Beth in NewsRadio?

Vicki Lewis studied musical theatre and appeared on Broadway before the sitcom. Her character gets to sing at a charity talent show, with Bill accompanying her on piano.

NewsRadio's billionaire station owner Jimmy James takes his name from a song by which hip-hop group?

Beastie Boys released 'Jimmy James' as a single from their 1992 album Check Your Head. The track is built on samples of Jimi Hendrix recordings.

Beth, the gum-chewing secretary in NewsRadio, takes her first name from a ballad by which rock band?

Kiss scored their biggest American hit with the 1976 ballad 'Beth'. The character insists that she has no last name at all.

In NewsRadio's series finale, Jimmy James sells the station and retires to which US state?

New Hampshire is where Jimmy buys a small-town radio station and a newspaper for his so-called retirement. Most of his old staff end up following him there.

Catherine Duke leaves the station in NewsRadio's fourth season to take a job in which city?

London is her destination in 'Catherine Moves On', where each colleague gives Jimmy a different account of how she quit. Joe makes one last attempt to win her over.

Clumsy NewsRadio reporter Matthew Brock holds a degree in which field that has nothing to do with radio?

Dentistry is what Matthew trained for, yet he prefers radio journalism despite being inept at it. He idolises Bill, who bullies him in return.

Which Saturday Night Live cast member of the mid-1990s played Roger, Jimmy James's lawyer, in NewsRadio?

Norm Macdonald was the first actor to play Roger. A staff writer later took over the part, imitating the comedian's voice.

In NewsRadio's final season, Jimmy James is arrested on suspicion of being which famously missing man?

D. B. Cooper is the infamous hijacker the authorities believe Jimmy to be. He goes on the run and hides out with Dave's parents before he is finally cleared in court.

Which former Batman actor plays himself in NewsRadio, confessing to the crime Jimmy James is charged with?

Adam West takes the blame in the episode 'Clash of the Titans', clearing Jimmy of all charges. Jimmy then has to fight to win his company back from a rival.

Jimmy James's memoir in NewsRadio turns to gibberish when translated back into English from which language?

Japanese readers had made the book a bestseller, so Jimmy has that edition put back into English. 'Capitalist Lion Tamer' comes back as 'Macho Business Donkey Wrestler'.

At a charity talent show in NewsRadio, Dave Nelson surprises his colleagues with which hidden skill?

Knife throwing is the talent Dave unveils in 'Stupid Holiday Charity Talent Show'. Jimmy has a bet riding on the station's staff winning the contest.

NewsRadio's Dave Nelson adores classic sitcoms, especially Mister Ed and which other 1960s rural comedy?

Green Acres was a real-life favourite of the actor, and the writers handed that passion to Dave. The character also has a string of odd talents, from tap dancing to ventriloquism.

Max Louis accidentally brings back which city's accent that NewsRadio's Lisa Miller had long hidden?

Boston is where Lisa lived until she was seven, and she works hard to hide its working-class accent. The effort is said to leave her with a hissing 's' when she speaks.

Which stand-up was first cast as NewsRadio's electrician, then went on to launch his own long-running CBS sitcom?

Ray Romano was dropped before the pilot because his comic style was judged a mismatch with the rest of the cast. Everybody Loves Raymond followed in 1996.

Sure that store-bought goods are rip-offs, NewsRadio's Joe Garrelli makes his own version of which item?

Duct tape is the best known of Joe's homemade supplies. He also builds gadgets for his colleagues, including a stun gun, a white noise machine and a two-way radio.

Which former writer for The Larry Sanders Show created NewsRadio and served as its executive producer?

Paul Simms began his television career writing for David Letterman's late-night show. He went on to work on Flight of the Conchords, Atlanta and What We Do in the Shadows.

Which composer of the Law & Order and NYPD Blue themes also wrote the theme tune for NewsRadio?

Mike Post wrote the theme and also scored the pilot episode. He is the man who created the famous 'dun, dun' sound heard throughout the Law & Order franchise.

Which sitcom director, a co-creator of Cheers, directed the pilot and other early episodes of NewsRadio?

James Burrows directed more than 50 television pilots over his career. He stayed with this one for the three episodes that followed its first.

Which Three's Company star guest-starred in NewsRadio as a therapist hired to ease tension in the office?

John Ritter played Dr. Frank Westford in the second-season episode 'Shrink'. Dave agrees to bring him in so that he can counsel the squabbling staff.

Which rapper behind the hit Wild Thing appears in NewsRadio's second season as security guard Lorenzo?

Tone Lōc and Toby Huss played guards Lorenzo and Junior in two episodes. The pair were based on the real security guards at the studio where the show was filmed.

For an MTV screen test in NewsRadio, Lisa Miller interviews which real thrash metal band playing themselves?

Anthrax appear in the second-season episode 'Negotiation', when Lisa tries to find another job. In the same episode Jimmy starts searching for a wife using business tactics.

The ending of the NewsRadio episode 'Daydream' spoofs the famous final scene of which 1980s hospital drama?

St. Elsewhere famously closed on a boy shaking a snow globe. The parody caps an episode in which a broken air conditioner sends every character's thoughts drifting.

An argument over what gets Bill McNeal committed to a mental hospital in the NewsRadio episode 'Our Fiftieth Episode'?

A traffic ticket sparks the row that lands Bill on the ward in 'Our Fiftieth Episode'. There he meets a patient called Fred, played by the man who later replaced him.

Which comedian guest-starred in NewsRadio as Nancy, an ex who assumes she and Dave Nelson are still dating?

Janeane Garofalo arrives from Dave's home state in the episode 'Sweeps Week', making Lisa nervous. She had earlier shared a Fox sketch show with the actor who plays Matthew.

In an early NewsRadio episode, the staff hold a funeral for which office animal, to Dave Nelson's bafflement?

A rat living in the station wins the staff's affection in the second-season episode 'Rat Funeral'. Dave is mystified when they insist on giving it a proper send-off.

Jimmy James bets which real-life media mogul that his station will win a charity talent show in NewsRadio?

Ted Turner is one of several rival tycoons Jimmy loves to compete with. To win the wager, he promises Matthew his job back if the station takes first prize.