SteveOVig

I'm looking through their entire schedule for January and not once do I see Newsradio. This is something like the 2nd or 3rd time A&E has cancelled it. I'm running out of reasons to keep my cable now.

das Monkey

Considering it's been on the air ad nauseum for the past few years, I'm sure they just want to give it a rest for a while. Chances are they're contractually only able to air it a certain number of times anyway. It'll be back.

das

Da Thrilla

Isn't Newsradio on a different channel too? I had no idea it was on A&E.

das Monkey

• Quoth Da Thrilla •<HR SIZE=1>Isn't Newsradio on a different channel too? I had no idea it was on A&E. <HR SIZE=1>

Could be a local affiliate ... it has aired a lot on the local WB and UPN affiliates around here during the 10pm - 11pm block.

das

Da Thrilla

UPN, that one could be it.

The Bus

A&E has run it for like 3 yrs straight now. Didn't you tape them all by now?

dolphinboy

Terrible news as far as I'm concerned. It's not like A&E airs it at night, so I don't get to see it that often. But when I do it's a bonus and really makes my day. They need to release this show on DVD now so that I don't have to worry about not being able to see it again.

Why don't they give Murder, She Wrote a break?

Dumb A&E.

calhoun07

Forget A&E, just put the damn thing on DVD already.

huzefa

I'm with calhoun07. I want them on dvd too. I only managed to tape about 40 of the 97 eps on my PVR. Everybody's pissed at me because the entire PVR is taken up by newsradio, but i tell them, 'buy your own damn tivo'.

p.s.: I would pay very good money to buy these on dvd.

Jobronie

This is one place where I reallly believe NBC dropped the ball.

At some point after Seinfeld left, NR should have gotten the Thur. 9PM time slot. This show was built for the Cheers slot; it really fit like a glove. Granted NBC had to keep Frasier happy, but they realized soon enough that Frazier was not the right show for the most cherry position on the entrie network lineup.

NR really could have flourished; NBC would have done great numbers; yada yada yada.....

bboisvert

My local FOX affiliate plays Newsradio late on weeknights. So, A&E doesn't have any exclusive deal for it... check around, it might be playing somewhere local for you too.

SteveOVig

Yea my FOX station used to air it at 10:30 PM but that was years ago.

A dvd release would definitly be essential but how long would it take for Columbia Tristar to release all 5 seasons or even a couple?

SteveOVig

Aren't you forgetting about Dave Foley? If anyone could hold a show together it has to be him. It's not like Phil, Dave, or anyone else was the backbone of the show anyway, atleast the way I see things.

Slumbering Fist

I dont really care... In the past year when they began running the show in the afternoon, A&E basically only aired the same 20-30 episodes over and over, completely ditched showing the entire scope, the continuous series, stuck to a 'best of' programming or something.

I agree the show wasnt quite as good after Hartman died, however, the three-parter with Johnny Johnson taking over is amoung my favorite NewsRadio episodes.

calhoun07

40 months. That's taking into consideration it took them 10 months between season 1 and season 2 of All in the Family. They have yet to establish a consistent release sechedule for their TV shows.

nightwing82

Ehhh I don't know. Newsradio was great in seasons 1, 2 and 3. 4 started to go downhill IMO and 5 was not so good.

I have the listing for the top 50 shows 1997-98 and Newsradio isn't even in the top 50. NBC shows that just made the top 50 were 3rd Rock From the Sun (#44) and Caroline in the City (#47). Newsradio was on Tuesday between Mad About You and Frasier. Caroline was on Monday between Fired Up and The Naked Truth. 3rd Rock was on Wednesday between Built to Last and Working. Out of those, Newsradio had the best timeslot IMO. Newsradio was against Over the top (ABC), Fox movie, Jag (CBS), and Moesha (UPN).

For the 1996-97 season Newsradio was #92. It on Wednesday was between John Larroquette and Men Behaving Badly.

For 1995-96 it was #39, on Tuesday between Wings and Frasier.

For 1994-95 it was #39 also, but I don't know when it was on.

SteveOVig

You can't possibly deny that Dave is an exceptional actor. What are you gonna tell me next? That Vin Diesel has talent. IMO, he was the best on the show.

On another note, A and E during this last run did seem to skip around a few episodes and only recently made it to 97. The run through before that consisted of them showing more episodes than this previous 3 month or so run. If I'm correct until recently I've never felt they jumped around too much and they have never went out of order by a fat margin since they started airing the show.

dolphinboy

That was NBC's biggest mistake, although most think they really didn't care. Newsradio was moved about 7 times in 4 years. I will grant you the ratings were never that good, but NBC did everything possible to irritate the loyal fans and make it hard for the show to find new ones. Most of my friends that I would tell about the show would tune in only to find it wasn't on when it was listed. I've never seen anything quite that bad with a show that clearly had promise. Jerry Seinfeld had a lot of clout at NBC and expressed in the media that he loved the show and then made a guest appearance which was great.

In fact, Jon Stewart, James Caan, John Lovitz (before he was Max), and many others made guest appearances which were better than I've seen on any other sitcom. It wasn't stunt-casting like Friends or Will & Grace. They actually made them very good characters or, playing themselves, in great situations. Matthew puking on James Caan was hilarious. Newsradio in space and the Newradio/Titanic episodes were better than anything EVER on 3rd Rock or Caroline.

Losing Phil Hartman was terrible and probably couldn't have been overcome anyway. Still, I think the show was doing ok with Max and then when they knew it was going to be cancelled the writers and producers took the plots in some directions just to be defiant. It didn't make for good tv and it wasn't a very good show when it ended.

But before that, ratings aside, it was one of the best shows on tv.


Bill: You got what you wanted from Dave, right? And then you snapped your legs shut like a well-oiled bear trap!

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Dave: Bill, you and Lisa did not do it. And while I applaud your misguided efforts to make me jealous, I have work to do. So... leave.

Bill: I don't care about making you jealous. I just care about pleasing your woman.

nightwing82

The Seinfeld guest appearance was gold. Newsradio lasting into the 5th season could very well have been do to Seinfeld then.

Truth be told, I like Newsradio way more than 3rd Rock, but probably not as much as Caroline. But like I said, Newsradio rocked for me seasons 1 thru 3. Then it started slipping - for me. But if NBC had kept it in a steady time slot (and I think it fits with Frasier IMO) maybe it would have done better in the ratings pool.

calhoun07

And don't forget that other shows that fans look back upon fondly now (and are successful) didn't far to well in the ratings at first either: Star Trek, All in the Family (at least I seem to recall that the show didn't do too well at first, tho I may be wrong, I don't have the numbers in front of me, and I could be thinking about a different show) and Married With Children. And don't forget Twin Peaks, tho that didn't do so well as the series went on, but still has a huge fan base. I think that News Radio has gained more fans since the show originally aired, thanks to dedicated times for syndication, and thanks to exposure on A&E. And I think that if a DVD was released, it would do as well, if not better, than most of the season sets out there.

SteveOVig

Actually to the person that mentioned about the Season 5 finale being bad and how you said the producers knew the show would be cancelled when that isn't entirely true. No one really had a clue as to whether there would be a new season and the plan as I understand was to actually go through with the full move of the staff to Jimmy's new station with Dave and hopefully Matthew returning to the others later in the season.

movieking

I always have loved Newsradio, and I am sorry to see that A&E has shelved it again. I managed to finally get all of the episodes on tape (finally got the elusive "Xmas Story") but obviously would much prefer to get the whole set on DVD. A&E has played Newsradio in order since they went to the 2 a day, with the exception of some themed episodes that were aired out of place (Hallowe'en & Christmas, for example).