Critically acclaimed Short-Runner (1998-9) NBC Sitcom, co-created by and starring (future Senator) Al Franken, about the quirky characters who work on a Nightline-type news show. A little like Sports Night, substituting neuroses for articulateness.
Shares a similar premise to the Canadian The Newsroom (1996) and the Australian Frontline, but is otherwise unrelated. Not to be confused with the ABC's late-night news program.
This show provides examples of:
- Adam Westing: Some of the celebrity cameos, like arch-conservative talk radio host G. Gordon Liddy.
- The Cameo: Many political and media figures made appearances on the show.
- The Chew Toy: The Weekend Update Running Gag of Al having bad things happen to him on reporting assignments gets carried over to this show
-
The Danza: Sen. Al Franken as Al Freundlich. - Expy: Dana Carvey appeared twice as Senator Crowl Pickens, an expy of the late Senator Strom Thurmond.
- Failure Knight: The Ted Baxter-ish newsanchor and his assistant Mona.
- Reports of My Death Were Greatly Exaggerated: One episode airing in 1998 had the news program about to go to air when Raji learns that Buddy Hackett has died. They make a quick mention at the start of the show, then the guests start to reminisce about him. They end up turning the entire episode into a tribute to Hackett. The last two minutes show the following night's episode where Pearce has to apologetically inform viewers that Hackett was still alive. Hackett himself then appears to comment on the mistake.
