Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Jimmy has fear? A thousand times no!

Ah, the themed collection of YouTube links -- the last refuge of the idea-free (or time-crunched) blogger.

While I haven't been able to justify using "NewsRadio" for one of my summer TV club entries -- I love it, but it ain't deep enough to merit extensive analysis -- it is wickedly funny (even at the comedy-rich time, but especially in comparison to the comedy scraps we get today) and profoundly silly, and so I offer up the following sampler:And if that's not enough, you can check out some of the show's best episodes over at Hulu:
  • "Arcade" (pictured above), which exemplifies everything that made "NewsRadio" great (things like gross sandwiches and childish behavior)
  • "The Bitch Session," the finest example of behind-the-scenes drama at the show turning into hilarious comedy
  • "Review," in which Bill finds several thousand ways to conjugate "adequate"
  • "The Real Deal," in which Jerry Seinfeld tries and fails to boost the show's ratings
For some reason, "Halloween," featuring the hotness that was young Dave Foley in a dress, is one of the random episodes that isn't up there.

God, I miss that show.

36 comments:

Mac said...

Super karate monkey death car!

I think you can justify it, but then I have all the episodes on DVD and wouldn't have to rent them.

Mike said...

FWIW, The Onion's AV Club is recapping NewsRadio here: http://www.avclub.com/content/tvclub/show/NewsRadio

And there are a bunch of full episodes from Seasons 1-3 available on Hulu.

I miss it too.

Anonymous said...

The gelato episode was perfection.

"Did you fax your ass to Elizabeth?"
"No, we didn't have the technology then..."

And who can forget:

"I'd like to go up to the roof of my building, with a blanket and a very good bottle of wine, and make love, with a space prostitute."

Anna said...

Oh man, that baseball promo bit was hilarious.

Anonymous said...

I just rewatched "Complaint Box" last weekend, which is probably my favorite episode. Or "Arcade". Or one of a dozen others. Just an amazingly good show.

Ryan Ward said...

I was always partial to "The Cane". The final scene between Bill and Dave cracks me up every time!

Anonymous said...

The arc to kick off season 4 with Lauren Graham playing an efficiency expert was as close to comic perfection as you can get, IMO.

Well, that and Dave's reaction to one of Joe's conspiracy theories: "Wait a minute, Joe. If what you're saying is true, then ... I still don't care."

It's all in the delivery.

Alan Sepinwall said...

Thef final scene of "The Cane"

Alan Sepinwall said...

FWIW, The Onion's AV Club is recapping NewsRadio here:

Well, good. That means someone else has picked up the charge while also further justifying my decision to not do it right now.

Real Live Woman said...

My favorite episode was when Matthew and Beth discover "Dilbert," even though it had been around for years. I believe TBS still shows reruns at varous times during the day.

BF said...

My two favorite moments from the show:

* In "The Public Domain" where Bill punches out Planbee's assistant.

* In "Security Door": Dave's How-To Presentation on operating the door (including pre-prepared drawings of Unicorns for when Matthew asks an off-the-wall question.)

Unknown said...

I started watching the first DVD set recently. It is amazing how this show was awesome right out of the gate, when a lot of good shows take usually up to a season or 2 (Seinfeld) to really find their comedy voice.

My favorite episode is the big day where Dave has to decide who gets the big bonus and who gets the shaft. The scene where Joe/Bill do the Theme from Shaft is awesome.

Anonymous said...

Is it just me, or is there a lot of Bill McNeal in Jack Donaghy?

Unknown said...

"Your last name is Garelli?"

This show is one of the underappreciated gems. Glad to see someone mentioned the "Cane" episode. Matthew getting fired then falling back to dentistry is one of my personal favs.

Anonymous said...

Bill! Coffee machine broken!! No coffee!!

There hasn't been a single week since that show has been off the air where I haven't referenced it, sometimes without any real relevance to what's going on at the time.

I say no justification is needed for going on at great length about this one.

SMM said...

My favorite sitcom of the 90s, and Arcade is the best episode.

"So, how'd you do?" "One point eight million." "No, I mean on the SATs." "Considerably lower."

Zach said...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=37cf-WmEqPI

The security door clip.

I love this show so much.

leor said...

a couple of my favourites:

- matthew's accident..."roger!"
- early in the episode with Bill's cane, when Bill gives directions
- Bill discovering rap music, and the Heavy D cameo
- Bill eating the old sandwiches
- the pilot, when Bill first meets Dave

what a classic show :)

Anonymous said...

What behind-the-scenes drama?

Chickenlady said...

Forgive me if y'all have discussed this one: I don't know the titles. The episode with the talent show? Matthew's "ventriloquist" act is one of the funniest things I've ever seen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j0wh8e0Rig

Great episode, but that bit has me in stitches every time.

Robert said...

I've always thought the episode where Matthew goes punk ("Anarchy!") is hilarious.

Not sure if this is allowed around here, but Best Buy has the entire series on sale for $14.99 a set. I just scooped them up as they've been on my wishlist for a while and reruns are on at such random times.

Anonymous said...

Is this one of those blogs where it ends up that the guy is Richard Nixon?

Anonymous said...

For the rest of my life, I'll think about this exchange when someone mentions a motivational speaker.

Jimmy: Dave, I didn't think motivation was important, either, 'till I got involved with some motivational seminars and it really changed my life.

Dave: Really? That surprises me. I didn't think you were the sort of person that would attend one of those.

Jimmy: No, I don't. I put them together. Pack a few hundred suckers into a motel ballroom, hire an out-of-work actor to paraphrase the opening scene from "Patton", charge 'em five-hundred bucks a pop and boom, bob's your uncle.

Anonymous said...

NOT TO MENTION KERMIT THE DAMN FROG!

Anonymous said...

What behind-the-scenes drama?

The showrunner, Paul Simms, went bitchcakes on NBC in an interview with Rolling Stone.

Alan Sepinwall said...

The showrunner, Paul Simms, went bitchcakes on NBC in an interview with Rolling Stone.

While the Rolling Stone interview -- in which Simms famously referred to NBC's Thursday night schedule (with Friends, Seinfeld and ER bracketing two heinous sitcoms) as "a triple-decker s--t sandwich" -- was both fabulous and inspired an episode ("Mistake"), "Bitch Session" was drawn from a different incident, in which Simms overheard the other writers holding a secret meeting to insult him, much the same way Dave found out what the WNYX staff really thought of him.

Michael Cowgill said...

Ah, "Arcade" and "The Reveiew" are two of my favorites, along with "Space," Bill turning into Mark Russell (in the aforementioned Lauren Graham episodes), and about 100 ohters.

Dave: Everything going adequately?
Bill: Very adequately sir, I'm virtually bursting with adequatulence.

Anonymous said...

"When Johnny comes marching home again, he's gay, he's gay."

I wasn't a huge fan of the Efficiency Expert arc - mostly due to the fact that I can't stand Lauren Graham - but Bill with a piano is as much comedy gold as Bill with a cigarette. Or a cane. "Bill? I stole your cane."

Yeah, I can kind of see your point about reviewing it, Alan. The discussion could just turn into a series of quotes. It'd still be fun, though.

One of my favourites that I don't think I've seen mentioned here is "Station Sale." There's the broken telephone hilarity surrounding what conglomerate might be buying the station, and then there's the lovely climax where Beth convinces Jimmy not to sell. Which is immediately undermined the next day by Jimmy proving to Dave that the whole thing was a sound business decision. One of the many great things about the show: there was always some astringent to cut the sap.

Anonymous said...

Though season four was not the strongest, "Chock," With Bob Odenkirk and David Cross may be my favorite episode of a the series.

Bob: Screw this, all right? You're all out of the group, and I'm outta here!
David: Well, now *you're* being sagacious!
Bob: Hey, shut up, all right? That's my word! All right, the next time you guys see me, I'm gonna be up on a stage with three guys who give a HOOT!


Good times... Good times...

Anonymous said...

I miss Phil.

Anonymous said...

A blog entry about Newsradio in 2008? Adequatulent!

Anonymous said...

I try to be good hard worker man but refidgamator so messy, so, so messy

BF said...

When in doubt: "tubelcane".

Anonymous said...

Anon...I still miss Phil, too. His death broke my heart a little.

Anonymous said...

For some reason, "Halloween," featuring the hotness that was young Dave Foley in a dress, is one of the random episodes that isn't up there.

Hotness indeed. Dave Foley: confusing your sexuality since 1988.

Anonymous said...

Tubal Cain.
See Genesis 4:22

Also see the secret Masonic ceremonies... oh wait.. you can't.