NewsRadio: Season 5

Season Five of Newsradio is a great watch. I've gone through the entire series several times, and the final season is no exception. Despite the necessarily difficult start to the season, the cast quickly reestablishes much of their old rhythm, and the quality of the writing and production lose nothing over preceding seasons. The DB Cooper arc is engaging and produces some great moments, and Patrick Warburton's recurring character fits right in. Still, much like the rest of the series, the stand-alone episodes are generally the most memorable. Indeed, "Flowers for Matthew" is one of my favorite episodes of the whole series. The show continues to build on the strength of its cast: from Dave Foley, the frazzled station manager working on the fringes of his sanity, to eccentric Stephen Root, space cadet Andy Dick, OCD workaholic Maura Tierney, and the list goes on. The cast frequently talks of how much they enjoyed working together in interviews and such, and that shows quite clearly right to the final episode.Much can and has been written about Hartman's passing, Lovitz's role, whether that could have been handled better, or whether there should have been a season five at all. I believe Hartman would have been sad to see the series die with him. As for Lovitz, I'll grant his start as a regular is a faltering one, but by the end of the season he does feel like a member of the dysfunctional WNYX family. Season four is by far my favorite, and I won't pretend five comes close to matching that zany energy, but neither does it fall on its face. NBC definitely made a mistake canceling the show: at the time, only Frasier had anything resembling the kind of smart, up-tempo humor Newsradio was so good at (even without Hartman). Finally, here's a suggestion for those of us who would rather have seen the show go out with a bang: start with season five and then go as normal.

I had wanted to see this final season of Newsradio for years. Filmed just soon after the tragic death of actor Phil Hartman (and thusly his character Bill McNeil), the crew of WNYX mourns his loss in the premiere episode. It's very heartfelt and genuine. You can see the actor feelings on the surface and it makes the episode that much more touching. Catherine Duke(Khandi Alexander)returns for this episode & it's great to see her again.After the first episode, the show goes on in just the same terrific manor that it did the 4 years previous. Jon Lovitz fills in for his good friend Phil Hartman as Max Lewis, a bumbling, weird, insane & ultimately lovable newsman. While Max Lewis as a character can never replace the genius character that is Bill McNeil, he's a perfect fit with the rest of the cast. And, throughout the season, the lack of Bill's trademark humor & presence is definitely felt.There are many priceless episodes & moments, including "Flowers for Matthew" in which Joe gives Matthew a "smart drink" and the results are hilarious. "Jail" "The Lam" & "Clash of the Titans" where Jimmy James is arrested for supposedly being notorious long lost thief D.B. Cooper. Jimmy's arrest, incarceration & escape are only part of the fun of these episodes. "Freaky Friday" in which Matthew & Jimmy switch jobs for a day. And, of course, Matthew totally messes things up for Jimmy. I laughed so hard when Jimmy chases after Matthew, you could tell they had fun doing that scene. And, of course, the final episode "New Hampshire". Series finales are always bittersweet, and this one's a great end to the series. I really liked how all the characters were resolved and in typical Newsradio fashion, the very end is hilarious. Also, watch for a seriously creepy looking Matthew under Dave's desk near the end. There are also many guest stars like Adam West, Patrick Warburton & Tiffany Amber Thiessen.All in all, if you were ever a fan of Newsradio, pick up this season (along with all the others), you will not be disappointed. It's my favorite sit-com of all time.

One of the most memorable season was this one, when the show lost Bill (Phil Hartman). The character Max Louis came in to replace him, which was a touching choice since Jon Lovitz who plays Max was a friend of Phil's in real life. It was a little awkward at first, but then the cast hadn't even had a chance to really heal from the unexpected loss of Phil, so considering the circumstances they all did a pretty outstanding job.I love the show and after watching the entire series on DVD, it was fun to go back and watch some different episodes with the commentary playing. There so much information included in the commentary about the show that you'd never know without listening to it. It's done so much better than the commentary I've listened to in other shows and movies. It's like watching the show all over again from the viewpoint of someone in the in the room while filming. If you love the show, it's totally worth having the series on DVD and checking out the commentaries and deleted scenes.

Good SiriThis is a very good series.

Jon Lovitz addition to the cast after Phil Hartman's tragic death belies some writing and chemistry issues. However, because of the proximity to this unimaginable event when the season commenced,the real life reactions to Phil's death make for extremely powerful television.The crew and cast seemed never to be able to overcome this catastrophic loss to the show and this became the last season of a formerly brilliant and unique series.

Despite the death of Phil Hartman, season 5 is still every bit as funny as the first 4 seasons. Jon Lovitz never got the credit he deserved for stepping in and filling those big shoes. If you liked the first 4 seasons, get this season too!

I purchased this to complete my series at home. I was concerned that Season 5 would not be very good, but I was pleasantly surprised with how well it turned out.

Great