30 years... where does the time go? NewsRadio will always be special to me and I can say that as a fan from Minute 1. It was early 1995... I was 12-years old and in the sixth grade, grateful to be free from the horror show that was fifth grade. I'd be lying if I said I knew exactly how NewsRadio first appeared on my radar—most likely an ad in TV Guide, the much-missed publication to which my parents loyally subscribed for years. I do remember it was the first adult sitcom I sought out on my own. In other words, my parents didn't recommend it to me, nor was it a cheesy family sitcom like the ones that kept me occupied every Friday night. (Remember TGIF?) Heck, this was even a year or two before Seinfeld entered my consciousness, thanks to syndicated reruns airing on my local Fox affiliate (WFLX FOX 29) when I got home from school.
As I said, I was a fan from Minute 1. As a middle school student trying to be normal, the concept of a sane character around which all these other crazy characters revolved certainly appealed to me. And Dave Foley's deadpan mannerisms imprinted on me to the extent that I subconsciously exhibit some of them to this day (mainly his stare—imagine the look he gives to Matthew and his Dilbert doll).
It was also refreshing to see a smart character like Lisa. On the aforementioned family sitcoms, characters who displayed any kind of intelligence were usually treated like outsiders: geeks, nerds, fodder for locker-stuffing. Even on Saved by the Bell (which I loathed), a show for kids ostensibly packed with useful life lessons, the smart characters were portrayed as bespectacled pocket-protecting nerds. But Lisa was cute, wore her intelligence on her sleeve, and even had a social life (and a criminal record!).
NewsRadio was also the show that introduced me to the genius that is Stephen Root. When I was based in LA, I sometimes worked as a background extra in TV and, while playing "courtroom background" in HBO's Perry Mason, I got to see Root in action. Unfortunately, I was never able to tell him how much this show meant to me. And while many rich industrialists in fiction are portrayed as villains (with good reason!), Mr. James made it look fun, even if some of his business ventures were legally or morally suspect.
And then... Phil. Ironically, I had just started getting into Saturday Night Live thanks to Comedy Central's truncated afternoon reruns. His genius was immediately evident and there was a reason he was "the glue" that kept everything together. I later learned he was a formally trained graphic designer and had spent his early years in LA designing album covers. Speaking as someone who is both a graphic designer and an occasional improv student when time and money allow, I can safely say he's one of my heroes. It's a shame his story ended too early and we'll never know to what heights he could have soared.
To this day, I try to recommend NewsRadio whenever I can. You can imagine how ecstatic I was when the DVDs were announced (and with extras!) and I'm glad to see the show streaming on one platform or another. I admit I haven't watched much of creator Paul Simms' other work (aside from mainly The Larry Sanders Show) and while big-screen comedies shamefully aren't as common today as they used to be, I sometimes wonder what movies Simms might've made if he were given the same opportunities given to his fellow Sanders writer Judd Apatow.
So here's to another 30 years. And may the Super Karate Monkey Death Car keep you safe.
Scott Saslow