FRASIER vs. NEWSRADIO

fyi frasier won like 1,000 emmys and newsradio only won 1 and no majors! pretty weird also i guess frasier was really popular but newsradio wasnt really - remember that being true but i thought that newsradio was critically pretty well regarded?

newsradio was never particularly popular--kind of just enough to stick around. i think for a big network sitcom it was totally weird and a little transgressive w/r/t genre conventions. and, of course, phil hartman.

For eleven years, whenever someone at Thanksgiving asked what I did for a living, I'd explain it for five minutes before finally just going with "You know Roz off of 'Frasier'? Kinda like that."

I voted for Newsradio.

not even a contest, newsradio is amazing

Newsradio was charming and odd, had a great cast (Dave Foley excepted, who was often the wet blanket), but Frasier's acting and writing and general tone was some of the best of the best sitcom tv had to offer during that time.

I liked both of these shows a lot, but I liked "Newsradio" more. Why because Maura Tierney look intersting

frasier loses big points for having the "funny show is serious" unrequited love shit that is the downfall of many an otherwise-okay sitcom

df played a great straight man, and was often weirder than anyone else anyway

yes + maura tierney, who is the only celebrity i've ever seen out and about in l.a. that i even considered just going up to and saying hello

I loved that they had Andy Dick on to be "the weirdo" and then surrounded him with characters who were all equally as weird.

Whenever I think of Maura Tierney, the image that comes to mind is of her lighting a cigarette on a windy day. Not sure if I've ever seen this represented on tv or in a movie, but it's true.

cast of newsradio > cast of frasier no doubt altho i think stephen root doesnt get enuff love but the writing on frasier was fukken ace imo best zany situations

Matthew Brock (Andy Dick) is a news reporter and official "office weird guy". Clumsy, awkward and maladroit, the character is the butt of many physical jokes on the show, and is often seen tripping, falling, flying over furniture, or handling electronics that explode or catch fire. Matthew idolizes Bill, who in return calls him "Spaz" and torments him with often cruel jokes. Matthew is known for his odd obsessions and his slavish devotion to his pet cats, once even refusing a plum assignment because it would require being separated from them for several days. Matthew holds a degree in dentistry (and is shown to actually be a more than competent dentist), but prefers to work in radio journalism, considering it his passion.

i think that probably happened in every ER episode

xp

"funny show is serious" unrequited love shit

This is no worse than replacing Phil Hartman with Jon Lovitz, a move that sounded good in theory but was disasterous in practice.

yes it is worse

I'm still voting for Newsradio and I liked it a lot back in the day - but would anyone read that paragraph and think "I want to watch that show!"??

idk iatee sounds like a situation ripe for comedy imo

also i havent really seen any like post-98 or 99 frasiers just a minute or two channel flipping when i was looking up these shows i had no idea it ran until 2004!

Did Newsradio have EDDIE THE DOG? I think not.

(that's a vote for Frasier, obv)

the only onscreen things that stress me out are certain episodes of frasier, where he has like 2 dates, one in the bedroom and one in the kitchen and he has to keep running around trying to fake his way through the whole thing....RUN FRASIER RUN THEY ARE ON TO YOU!!!!!!!

― M@tt He1ges0n, Thursday, August 21, 2008 4:04 PM

There actually was a lot of funny stuff in the last two seasons of Frasier (Daphne's family members, in particular), but it was often a chore to watch by then. xxp

God, Daphne's family were excruciating! The stuff with Laura Linney right at the end of the last series was wonderful though, and the Daphne and Niles thing worked out just fine when the love became requited. Also, Lilith = A++++ character

God, Daphne's family were excruciating!

DELICIOUSLY EXCRUCIATING! Anthony Lapaglia FTW

remember how for awhile everyone was afraid daphne would end up with saul rubinek, whew dodged that bullet

frasier went from being alright to being unbearable pretty quickly, and then stuck around on tv for another 50 years.

Oh, and Frasier's whole strange relationship with Jean Smart's character was fantastic too.

Ha, Daphne falling for the utterly charmless Donnie was totally OMGWTF right out of character.

Tempted to rescind my Frasier vote for that episode in Daphne's British pub with her British friends.

Maura Tierney look intersting

the only onscreen things that stress me out are certain episodes of frasier, where he has like 2 dates, one in the bedroom and one in the kitchen and he has to keep running around trying to fake his way through the whole thing....RUN FRASIER RUN THEY ARE ON TO YOU!!!!!!!

― M@tt He1ges0n, Thursday, August 21, 2008 4:04 PM

― Pleasant Plains, Thursday, 11 June 2009 18:28 (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

also, i don't think any britishes will look kindly upon daphne's britisher familles.

also, cheers>>>>>>>>>>>frasier, has to be said.

also, i have not seen newsradio but would like to.

You can watch it on Hulu.

not in britishland i can't

"funny show is serious" i.e. "the moment of shit"

I loved that they had Andy Dick on to be "the weirdo" and then surrounded him with characters who were all equally as weird.

There was an episode where an intern showed up who was like an even weirder Andy Dick - skinny, clumsy, dressed like an eight-year-old. Andy Dick's character spent the entire episode complaining that the new guy was usurping his rightful role as "the weird guy in the office".

I always got a kick out of the Crane Boys mysteries.

I don't think I've ever watched an episode of Frasier all the way through.

hits too close to home?

newsradio in a walk

^^^^ Case closed.

also, i don't think any britishes will look kindly upon daphne's britisher familles.

What's the British equivalent of white trash?

White trash that doesn't sound like people with totally weird and non-white-trashy accents.

I mean, RICHARD E GRANT? REALLY?

I need to go back and see those eps, because the only people I'm remembering are her mother and whoever it was that Lapaglia played (brother?).

What's the frequency, Lamp?

LaPaglia was one brother, Richard E Grant and Robbie Coltrane were the others. Brian Cox was her dad. So, an Australian, a posh dude from Swaziland and two Scots. The idea of the characters was fine, but the casting and the accents, not so much (not to mention Jane Leeves' attempt at portraying a Mancunian...). Her mum was probably the best of the lot, so kudos to Millicent Martin for that.

have only seen the first season of Newsradio but Frasier holds up pretty well against most sitcoms

fave random newsradio memories:

the episode where bill mcneal decides to pursue a career singing satirical political songs and everyone tells him he's ripping off the guy that already does that.

whenever they joked about not interacting with any of the extras and only holding staff meetings for themselves.

Hmm... I think I have to go with Newsradio for Hartman. Frasier is great as well, but I agree that it went on a little too long. I love both shows - but its Newsradio I have on DVD, so.

dave foley shoulda gone on to greater things than he has

he looks really creepy and awful now tho like even cartoon child molesters are qn his facial hair

2 me the quintessential frasier episode is the one where they all go to a ski lodge w/ some hot friend of daphne's and a good looking french ski instructor dude and most of the episode is french farce + witty repartee and tryna sleep with someone that wants to sleep with someone else. i mean i havent really done it justice but frasier was on w/ that shit like basically no other show was or is but newsradio idk feel like its a good show but there are better wacky workplace jams out there

Gazizza, dilznoofuses, this is Bill McNeal saying, get with the crazappy taste of Rocket Fuel Malt Liquor! Rocket Fuel's got the upstate prison flavor that keeps you ugly all night long. So when you wanna get sick, remember: Nothing makes your feet stank like Rocket Fuel Malt Liquor. Damn, it's crazappy!

the only onscreen things that stress me out are certain episodes of frasier, where he has like 2 dates, one in the bedroom and one in the kitchen and he has to keep running around trying to fake his way through the whole thing....RUN FRASIER RUN THEY ARE ON TO YOU!!!!!!!

― M@tt He1ges0n, Thursday, August 21, 2008 4:04 PM

Haha. I wonder how many Frasier episodes are different variations on this idea. Must hide this thing/person from these people/this person, frantic running around back and forth, etc. I found this show pretty entertaining when it was on, haven't seen it for a long time though. Never really watched Newsradio.

I wonder how many Frasier episodes are different variations on this idea.

MANY of them.

Sort of like how Three's Company was always driven by someone overhearing someone else and coming to an incorrect conclusion until they discovered the truth at the end. Basic premise, almost always funny.

i voted frasier just cuz i think it's being undervalued...and also it's the last of its kind, the last old fashioned farce sit-com

I dunno, "Will & Grace" was pretty madcap at times.

yeah but there was something so self aware and winky about will and grace

At least unlike Frasier, their characters were out of the closet.

no way the frasier fussbudget stylee was the greatest! i liked them being in the closet

I've been streaming Newsradio from Netflix (they have the first three seasons) and man, it's such a great show. The writing is consistently strong and the show was good starting from the pilot, doesn't really have a weak beginning like most sitcoms. Most of the cast is amazing (esp. Stephen Root, Phil Hartman, and Dave Foley but Maura Tierney and Vicki Lawrence too). I find Andy Dick and Joe Rogan repellent for different reasons but they're both great on this show too. Khandi Alexander is kind of a weak spot as Catherine but they don't really give her character much to do most of the time. For a show that wasn't really that popular and was almost canceled basically every season it was on, they seem to spend a lot on fancy sets and props that they only use once.

a tidbit from IMDB: "The cast of NewsRadio was banned from the SAG Awards after one appearance because of their bad behavior. They took their shoes off, stole wine off of the other tables and Andy Dick allegedly asked for Helen Hunt's autograph on his penis."

hahaha awesome

amazing

he should have offered an autograph on her penis in exchange

"no, what i did was stick out my bare arm and say 'sign ME---Dick!'"

This show also has the second-most slap-bassingest theme song of the 1990s.

it's such a weird fusion-y theme to find yourself singing along to

what's the episode where beth makes a dress out of columbia house cds?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUWi0h5aRi8

Maybe it isn't that one.

yah that's what i was thinking of.

4:45
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7GEIeicuY0

So, if you haven't seen this show before, is it worth a shot? I'm curious and have basically run out of all other tv to watch.

YES

YES

(xpost)

haha god bless youtube. was disappointed to find it's not on netflix anymore. amazon prime? nope. somebody upload full episodes to youtube? yes, several seasons.

a couple years ago the Reelz channel was padding out their schedule with sitcom reruns and was playing 2 episodes of Newsradio a day, really enjoyed that while it lasted. don't think it's run anywhere else since then, seems like it may never.

yeah it was all over the place in syndication for awhile but it's been a long time since i've seen it. paul simms, the guy who created it, hasn't really done much since. he wrote for letterman and then larry sanders before that and post newsradio there's a few (and i do mean few, like 5 in total) episodes of various hbo shows (girls, boardwalk empire, flight of the conchords) he's done but other than that and one pilot w/ matthew broderick that didn't get picked up there's been nothing. every other 'this show was underappreciated' creator i can think of gets a second act, albeit not always one i'm happy to find out about (dude who created better off ted - also a funny show, though no newsradio - bounced back w/ sean saves the world), this guy one great show and that's it.

there's a dvd collection that has every episode. the commentaries are disappointing -- they were really trying to make a crappy friends clone.

god, maura tierney

no joke

Watching Newsradio all day instead of working is a pretty sweet consolation prize for being sick as shit and couch-ridden. God, I love this show so much. Maybe my favorite three-camera sitcom of all time.

Very glad to see that my search for 'newsradio oral history' was not in vain: http://uproxx.com/tv/newsradio-oral-history/

all five seasons of newsradio are on prime now!!! i don't think it has ever been on any of the big streaming services before? i know there was a season or two if it on crackle or one of those weird ones

although it is hard to watch hartman episodes now because of the weird sideways association of andy dick with his death.

And was eventually on Celebrity Rehab, trying to get his son to get him out of jail.

Gazizza, dilznoofuses, this is Bill McNeal saying, get with the crazappy taste of Rocket Fuel Malt Liquor! Rocket Fuel's got the upstate prison flavor that keeps you ugly all night long. So when you wanna get sick, remember: Nothing makes your feet stank like Rocket Fuel Malt Liquor. Damn, it's crazappy!

― xhuxkfactor (los blue jeans), Thursday, June 11, 2009 10:04 PM (thirteen years ago) bookmarkflaglink

Iirc, Andy Dick played some part in recovering addict Brynn Hartman going off the wagon and ultimately killing Phil.

That allegation is why Jon Lobito beat the shit out of Andy Dick

Lol LOVITZ, thanks phone

"I see now, that the title of the book is... Macho Business Donkey Wrestler. I had it translated into Japanese and back into English..."

Frasier is faster, louder, more flamboyantly stylized than Newsradio: frequently calculated to farcical peaks, with doors slamming and people running around yelling, repartee and punchlines, but also w room for romantic, sentimental xp "serious" passages, incl. some resolutions--in that way deviating from otherwise somewhat Sienfeldian approach, the basic rule of which is "No learning, no group hugs"---still works in a screwball comedy-romance way, even though Frasier is huffnpuff express, not like William Powell's cruise control.
NewsRadio's characters get flustered and all, but never as fast and loud as Frazier (which is more like atage comedy, the kind of play that might have been [at least hoping to be] the basis for a William Powell etc. flick). The players, who all seem like sketch comedy company vets, as Foley and Root and Hartman and maybe others were, know when and how to draw it in a little, not overemphasizing the Funny part, cos all funny enough to get by, Not brittle-edgy like Seinfeld, but closer to it in terms of going for pure comedy than Frasier's many and sometimes too many nods to plush mush (while still making title character the butt of well-earned joeks before and after the sentiments)

Both are maybe a little tedious sometimes? Haven't seen NewsRadio and a while, but Frasier's on late nights Hallmark Channel or something close to that on the grid, so one of my housemates has it on fairly often

maura tierney tho

She would still tip the scales to Newsradio, yeah pretty sure. Always seems truly disturbed by craziness, as Jane Leeves does not (always).

Leeves a tad more overtly professional/om the nose.

on the nose, no om about it

obv phil hartman is amazing in newsradio but i don't think i truly appreciated how great stephen root was in it too. incredible comedic performance.

andy dick and joe rogan are both terrible people in their own ways but at least dick is very funny in this show. rogan is just kind of flat and boring.

apparently vicki lewis was in a relationship with nick nolte for like 10 years

andy dick (was) a genuinely hilarious talented person at one time. sad/dark stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9IXNDBKKqo

https://spaceba✧✧✧.ma✧✧✧.host/@tvaz✧✧✧@masto✧✧✧.soc✧✧✧/109946161141209118

oops

Damn, Mastodon...

Anyways, it was about this cursed set of images (which you probably shouldn't watch either):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAzbJXuzTFs