The next Seinfeld?

	Everybody who hasn't--- start checking out "Newsradio".    A Seinfeld
director,  Tom Cherones is one of the two directors for Newsradio and it
certainly seems to show from what I've seen so far.   	In fact, now that
Newsradio is in syndication and on twice a day where I live,  I am finally
getting to really see this show for the first time and I'm blown away-  I can't
believe this show is not a smash hit yet  (this is their 5th season).
	I had seen a little of a couple episodes before this year,  and I've  been a
Phil Hartman fan for a long time,   but for some reason I seem to remember
seeing some of the first season and thinking it looked like just another
typical piece of sit com crap,  and I bailed, and when I heard no buzz,  I
didn't come back.  But now having been able to really see Newsradio  ( both
syndicated and new)  I am totally amazed.
	It has been explained to me that the reason Newsradio has not been huge so
far,  is because the idiots at  NBC kept bouncing it around the week so much
that it couldn't build an audience ("That old Location, location, location"
thing)	Apparently the quality of the show has been an insider's secret type
thing so far.  I predict this is about to change dramatically-  they are only
in Season Five,  and from what I can see   (still very preliminary)  Newsradio
is far more solid and consistent in quality than anything else on,  now that
Seinfeld is gone.   At this point I would say it's more conventional than
Seinfeld in many aspects,  but far deeper and steadier than Friends.    I would
also rank it above Cheers,  even though it shares the more conventional feel of
this show as compared with Seinfeld.
Newsradio's stock idiot "Matthew" is at least a match for Cheers' "Woody",  or
Friends' Phoebe and Joey.   And he seems to be growing.
	I heard a little buzz last spring about Newsradio getting ready to break out,
but when Phil Hartman's tragic death occured,  I figured the show wouldn't
survive his being gone.  I was very wrong.   The writing is tight,  but the
most notable thing are the performances this year- absolutley superb.  (Even
Jon Lovitz, who joined the show to balance out the cast in his old friend
Hartman's absence,  has been some how miraculously kept understated and fairly
subtle by the Newsradio directors, writer's, and cast  ---I can't believe it!
For the first time ever, I can watch Lovitz.)    I could go on and on about the
other actors-  they are doing some killer stuff.     Last night you should have
seen the "Matthew" character put on his back pack-  absolutely Michael Richards
class physical comedy  (although completely in Andy Dick's own style and
tailored to his character-  not a rip off,  just in the same league of
excellence.)
	Anyway,  if you were smart enough to like Seinfeld,  you should definitely
check out Newsradio.  A lot of you I'm sure already know,  but if like me you
have missed this show,  you gotta see it!  It will help ease the pain until
Jerry comes to his senses and returns to situation comedy, or takes up feature
film comedy.

You beat me to it! I watched last night's episode and noticed the director was the same Seinfeld director from the early years. Of course, you can't help notice the similarity because of the clever use of "Puddy" :)

Things are looking very promising for Newsradio!

director was the same Seinfeld director from the early years. Of course, you can't help notice the similarity because of the clever use of "Puddy" :)

I watched the first episode of NEWSRADIO being a big fan of the Kids in the Hall, and Dave Foley of 'Kids' being part of the cast. i thought it was okay but watching it in syndication really made me wonder why it isnt #2 or 3 in the ratings. but the Matthew character is not like a Cheers "Woody" or a FRIENDS "Joey"...maybe a bit, but theres more there...its a good show and deserves better so it may see a 6th season (or would that be 7?i forget)

	The more I watch Andy Dick the more I agree he is certainly unique.  I didn't
mean to imply that his Matthew is somehow a rip off of characters on other
shows.  It's just that in comedy and drama there are and always have been
certain "stock characters".  This is especially true of our situation comedies
in the United States today.  The Matthew character represents a certain type of
stock character-  the adult idiot so far lost,  they seem to be mentally about
five years old in very particular areas of their actions and speech, yet
otherwise seeminly normal functioning adults-   Kramer on Seinfeld,   Matthew
on Newsradio,   Woody on Cheers, ---hell,  Barney Fife on Andy Griffith is
another brilliant  example of this classic tradition  (he was a five year old
deputy sheriff allowed one bullet he had to keep in his pocket instead of his
pistol if you'll remember)   are all examples of this convention.  Friends uses
two-   both Joey and Lisa Kudrow's Phoebe fill this role on that show.
	Andy Dick may be the best yet.  At any rate he's world class.  (P.S. Newsradio
is in Season Five)

"Joey"...maybe a bit, but theres more there...its a good show and deserves better so it may see a 6th season (or would that be 7?i forget)

"Joey"...maybe a bit, but theres more there...its a good show and deserves better so it may see a 6th season (or would that be 7?i forget)

When is Newsradio on?

When is Newsradio on?