I am – Hercules!!
If I had a nickel for every email that asked when the next "NewsRadio"
was coming out on DVD, I’d be the proud owner of a great many nickels. And for good reason: This long-dead series is far funnier than any “three-camera” sitcom in production.
“Newsradio” was masterminded from beginning to end by Paul Simms, who came out of two of the other all-time great TV-comedy franchises, NBC’s “Late Night With David Letterman” and HBO’s “The Larry Sanders Show.” Simms’ key writers on “NewsRadio included fellow “Late Night” vet Joe Furey and “Saturday Night Live” alumnus Lewis Morton, who went on to “Futurama” and “Undeclared.”
The series launched in 1995, and appears to have been modeled on NBC’s just-departed megahit “Cheers,” with its central on-and-off workplace romance. Simms created the show with the intention of casting Dave Foley as the romantic lead, Phil Hartman as the mean guy and Andy Dick as the stupid guy. A dreamy 30-year-old Maura Tierney (the 40-year-old version now gets top-billing over at “ER”) plays Foley’s romantic interest.
My favorite supporting character is arguably the series’ most original: wily, eccentric and lovelorn multimillionaire WNYX station owner Jimmy James, on whose whims the other characters’ lives seemed to hinge. James was assayed by the great Stephen Root, who went on to covet a stapler in “Office Space” and launch the recording career of the Soggy-Bottom Boys in “O Brother Where Art Thou,” (among many, many other things).
The the third-season DVD set appeals to one’s love of a deal. Twenty-five episodes at $27.99 comes to about $1.12 per installment. The set includes featurettes, a making-of doc, a blooper reel, and commentaries on 10 of the episodes.
Herc’s Popular Pricing Pantry
Short and sweet! The TV-on-DVD reduction of the week is the first season of “The Sopranos,” which was $74.99 a week ago (and has sold for north of $80 in the recent past) and – at least for the moment – is all the way down to $45.96. One can only assume this has something to do with the show’s season premiere on HBO in less than two weeks …
TV-on-DVD Calendar
Last Week
Action: The Complete Series
The Adventures of Superman: Six Episodes
The Dick Cavett Show: Comic Legends
Goof Troop Vol. 1
The Irish R.M. 3.x
NYPD Blue 3.x
Quack Pack Vol. 1
Redwall 1.x
SpongeBob SquarePants: Lost In Time
Teddy Ruxpin Vol. 1
Teddy Ruxpin Vol. 2
3rd Rock From The Sun 3.x
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Vol. 1
What's New, Scooby-Doo Vol. 8
February 28
The Avengers: Emma Peel Megaset
Beast Machines Transformers: The Complete Series
Beverly Hillbillies Vol. 2
Bleak House
Charmed 4.x
Combat: Best of Hanley
Combat: Best of Saunders
C.O.P.S. 4-Disc Set
The Drew Carey Show: TV Favorites
Ellen 3.x
Kids Say The Darndest Things Vol. 2
The Lawless Years 1.x
Monty Python: Graham Chapman's Personal Best
Monty Python: John Cleese's Personal Best
Monty Python: Terry Gilliam's Personal Best
Monty Python: Terry Jones' Personal Best
Newsradio 3.x
Night Court: TV Favorites
The Real Ghostbusters Vol. 1
The Real Ghostbusters Vol. 2
The Real Ghostbusters Vol. 3
Rosemary and Thyme 2.x
Rumpole of the Bailey: The Complete Series
Weird U.S. Vol. 1
Weird U.S. Vol. 2
Weird U.S. Vol. 3
Welcome Back, Kotter: TV Favorites
March 7
Andromeda 5.x Vol. 4
Baby Looney Tunes Vol. 1
Baby Looney Tunes Vol. 2
Brady Bunch 5.x
The Cosby Show 2.x
The Electric Company: Best Of The Best
The Flintstones 5.x
Go Go Gophers: Best Of
Hogan's Heroes 3.x
Lily The Witch Vol. 1
Lily the Witch Vol. 2
Nick Cannon Presents: Wild N Out
Police Woman 1.x
Scooby-Doo and Dynomutt: The Complete Series
Star Trek: Borg
Tennessee Tuxedo: Best Of
Three's Company 6.x
Walking Tall: The Complete Series
The White Shadow 2.x
March 14
All Dogs Go To Heaven Vol. 1
All Dogs Go To Heaven Vol. 2
Babylon 5: Legend of the Rangers
Columbo 4.x
Grosse Pointe: The Complete Series
I Dream of Jeannie 1.x
MacGyver 5.x
MacGyver Five-Season Pack
Murder, She Wrote 3.x
Naked City Set 3
A Perfect Spy: The Complete Miniseries
She Spies 1.x
The Simple Life 3.x
Sleeper Cell 1.x
Speed Racer Vol. 4
VIP 1.x
Zoey 101: Spring Break-Up
March 21
Batman Beyond 1.x
Bewtiched 3.x
Ed, Edd N Eddy Vol. 2
The Flying Nun 1.x
Gidget: The Complete Series
Huff 1.x
Justice League 1.x
Mind of Mencia Uncensored 1.x
Over There 1.x
Roseanne 3.x
South Park 7.x
Tales From The Crypt 3.x
21 Jump Street 5.x
Unsolved Mysteries: Best Of
Unsolved Mysteries: Ultimate Collection
The Young Riders: The Complete Series
March 28
American Muscle Car 1.x
Andy Milonakis Show 1.x
Astro Boy: Ultra Collector's Edition
Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 1, Vol. 2
Danger Mouse 5.x/6.x
Dark Shadows Vol. 23
DeGrassi: The Next Generation 3.x
Doctor Who: The Beginning
Dog the Bounty Hunter: Best of 2.x
Friends: The One With All The Babies
Friends: The One With All The Birthdays
Friends: The One With All The Weddings
Godzilla: Monster Mayhem
Godzilla: Mutant Madness
Highway to Heaven 3.x
The Invisible Man 1.x
Knots Landing 1.x
Little House on the Prarie (2004 Miniseries)
Masters of Horror: Cigarette Burns
Masters of Horror: Dreams of the Witch House
Merv Griffin Show: 40 Most Interesting People
Modern Marvels: Extreme Gadgets
Modern Marvels: The FBI's Crime Lab
Modern Marvels: Great Inventions
Modern Marvels: Walt Disney World
Monty Python's Personal Best
Northern Exposure 4.x
Not the 9 O'Clock News: Best Of
Planet of the Apes: Ultimate Collection
Quantum Leap 4.x
Return to the Planet of the Apes
Robot Chicken Vol. 1
Six Feet Under 5.x
Super Mario Bros.: Super Show
Tales of the Unexpected Set 4
The Triangle: The Complete Miniseries
Wonder Showzen 1.x
