The Cast
NewsRadio Episode Guide
by Dave McAwesome- Khandi Alexander as Catherine Duke (until episode 4.07)
- Andy Dick as Matthew Brock
- Dave Foley as Dave Nelson
- Phil Hartman as Bill McNeal (murdered after season 4)
- Vicki Lewis as Beth (no last name ever given)
- Jon Lovitz as Max Lewis (season 5 plus two earlier guest appearances)
- Joe Rogan as Joe Garrelli
- Stephen Root as Jimmy James
- Maura Tierney as Lisa Miller
NewsRadio featured a brilliant ensemble cast. It's impossible to isolate and critique them individually. Plus, this is a humor site: We wouldn't know how to do such a thing. We'll say this...or I'll say this...or I'll at least try not to switch from third to first person during the next sentence. We do think it's worth mentioning that, as an ensemble, all the characters got to do one-on-one scenes with all the others, and it's impressive to me (dammit! I failed!) how much they all listened to each other. They didn't just spout lines robotically (there are plenty of Uma Thurman movies for that sort of thing). This show was a rare treat: witty writing combined with brilliant comedic acting. My personal fave: all the Dave and Bill scenes.
If you're one of those sickos (like me) who occasionally fire up the ol' DVD commentary along with a bottle or three of Everclear, check out the combined Season 1/Season 2 discs (in particular) for tidbits and gossip about the cast members. Okay, it's not too gossipy. Suffice to say, Andy Dick might've had alcohol and lateness issues. Khandi Alexander might've been unhappy with her limited role on the show. Vicky Lewis and the wardrobe department might've waged a desperate war against the copycats at Suddenly Susan. The writers might've been a little late getting the scripts to the table readings.
The Season 5 DVD commentary is also particularly good. We learn of an on-set fight between Joe Rogan and Maura Tierney. Andy Dick explains (sorta) why he didn't like Jon Lovitz at the time. We get more discussion about why Joe Rogan and Andy Dick sometimes got along and othertimes did not. Paul Simms definitively debunks the myth that the character Dave Nelson was named after the World Trade Center (the Twin Towers were named David and Nelson). Dave Nelson is so named because of Dave Foley's first name and Paul Simms' grandfather. Plus, Simms asks questions submitted by viewers. The ones from "Maximum Awesome"? Yep, those are from me. Rockin.
