Dave Nelson (Dave Foley) is the new director of a New York news radio station owned by the eccentric Jimmy James (Stephen Root). Lisa Miller (Maura Tierney) is the producer and romantic lead. Joe Garrelli (Joe Rogan) is the fixer. Bill McNeal (Phil Hartman) and Catherine Duke (Khandi Alexander) are the news readers. Beth (Vicki Lewis) is the irreverent secretary and Matthew Brock (Andy Dick) is the wackiest of them all. This is a great group of lovable wacky cast. Not since WKRP has there been a sillier group to operate a fictional radio station. This group however excels in slapstick wacky humor. Everything is done to a ridiculous extreme, and it's easy with comedians like Andy Dick and Phil Hartman at the top of their games.Then on May 28, 1998, Phil Hartman was killed by her wife in a murder suicide while he slept. With this act, not only Phil was killed but also the show. The show lasted one more season with Jon Lovitz as a replacement. But he could never erase the sadness of Phil's death or replace the magnitude of Phil's talent.

Both in writing and in acting, NEWSRADIO is second to none. And it sailed so far beyond the normal TV sitcom boundaries so many times that, very often, you could barely believe what you were seeing! Remember the episode where, inexplicably, the radio newsroom had become -- gasp -- THE TITANIC! Yes; instead of broadcasting the news, the cast were traversing the North Atlantic -- complete with portholes and sea spray! For pure bravado, nothing can touch this unforgettable series. Sadly, not a lot of people saw the wonderful freewheeling work. The writer/producers were very young, even by Hollywood standards, and the art of seducing the network brass was unknown to them. As a result, the show was not well-supported by NBC and they changed its time slot countless times -- a sure fire way to shrink ratings and kill off a show. What a shame! This dazzling show had many miles to run. Never has there been such pure creative brilliance behind a television program and, given today's obsession with "reality" programming, it is unlikely to ever happen again. Hey -- if you really wanted to get ALL the jokes, you had better be an expert on the stock market -- a fan of early radio comedy -- and probably a Rhodes scholar to boot! The writers really set the bar in the stratosphere with this one -- scaling the heights in every possible way -- with a cast that had the wit and style to bring it off time after time. One of the few times that pure genius was allowed on TV! My numero uno "complete series on DVD" purchase.

I watched this show faithlessly every week. I again watched it when it was every day starting from the beginning until I'd seen it a few times through completely. I loved the story the acting was great, the casting, the love, hate, Phil Hartman, and the very young a very beautiful Maura Tierney known for both movies and her starring role in the last seasons of "ER." Of course most only remember that Phil Hartman's wife killed him, then herself in the middle NewsRadio's Run. The went another year or 2 but the show just wasn't really any good anymore without Phil. It took the life of Phil & the life of the show went with him. I would recommend watching the 1st 2-3 seasons, buy maybe skip the last too. It almost ruins it. The last minute Hartman friend Jon Lovitz as his replacement just doesn't work despite him trying his best. Both Hartman & the role were fit right for him & the show ran around him.

NewsRadio has to be the best scripted comedy ever (only argument is Seinfeld). This sitcom was loved, but today people have never heard of it. Id say "Seinfeld is my favorite show" and they will give there judgment on it, then i ask if they have ever heard of NewsRadio. No one i know has ever heard of it. Phil Hartman has to be one of the greatest and funniest sitcom characters ever. This sitcom i believe could still be on today, but was unfortunately canceled. The main reason was poor ratings due to Phil Hartman's death in 1998. Dave Foley, Stephen Root, and Phil Hartman. No better trio.Once again this is "The greatest sitcom never heard of".