The WNYX staff (left to right): Catherine, Matthew, Jimmy, Bill, Dave, Lisa, Joe, and Beth.

A satire and Work Com airing on NBC from 199599, set at a New York news-talk radio station.

Dave Foley (The Kids in the Hall) starred as news director and Only Sane Man Dave Nelson, whose co-workers included pompous anchorman Bill McNeal (Phil Hartman), neurotic overachieving producer Lisa Miller (Maura Tierney), inept roving reporter Matthew Brock (Andy Dick), Sassy Secretary Beth (Vicki Lewis), Eccentric Millionaire station-owner Jimmy James (Stephen Root), Conspiracy Theorist electrician and Homemade Inventions producer Joe Garelli (Joe Rogan), and, for the first three seasons, co-anchor Sassy Black Woman Catherine Duke (Khandi Alexander, who left for a bigger role on ER; Tierney joined her after NewsRadio was axed). After Hartman's death, Jon Lovitz signed on for the final season as Bill's Suspiciously Similar Substitute Max Louis.

Though critically acclaimed, NewsRadio never got the recognition or Ratings it deserved, in part because NBC apparently scheduled it by rolling dice each week.

Dave: Well, Matthew, of all the possible mispronunciations of that name, you seem to have stumbled upon absolutely the worst one.

Beth: Matthew, I think you mispronounced that guy's name a few times.

the entire cast would have been transplanted to the new station in New Hampshire, so if you accept that as canon, you could reason that Dave and Matthew did end up joining the others after all.

Dave refuses to join Lisa, Beth, Joe, Max, and Jimmy in New Hampshire, leaving Dave all alone in the WNYX studio... or so he thought. Turns out Matthew was hiding under his desk and surprised him. So while Dave isn't alone, he's stuck with Matthew as his assistant, a guy who can't do much of anything except play computer solitaire. The Oh, Crap! look on Dave's face pretty much says it all.

Beth : Dave, we're not circumventing it, we're just trying to get around it.

Dave : Okay, listen up everyone. This door is to be kept closed at all times, all right? We have a security system for a good reason and I don't want people circumventing it.

Jimmy: All right, but what the f- (show cuts to the next scene)

Teacher: Take your elbows off the table.

Catherine: Shut the f- (show cuts to the next scene)

Matthew: No, seriously! Say something in African.

Matthew: Hey, what part of Africa are you from?

Dave: Of course, Matthew. [Flips paper over, revealing a picture of a man riding a flying Unicorn.] In the event that a wizard casts a spell on us...

Bill: At a time like this it doesn't seem so crazy, does it?

Dave: Wait a minute. You carry around your contract with you?

Female Feline, Male Mutt: Beth insists (and Max agrees) that "all dogs are boys, all cats are girls." When Lisa complains that her dog Daisy is "obviously a girl", Max explains that that's just Daisy's sex, and they're talking about gender.

Flanderization: Jimmy got goofier, Matthew got dumber, Bill got crazier, Dave got bitterer, Lisa got more neurotic, and Joe's fondness for inventions became Gilligan's Island-esque in scope.

Feng Schwing: Bill's apartment, but later revealed to actually be his gigolo neighbor's place

555: Subverted, when Mr. James realizes he's been given a fake 555 number.

Flat "What": Jimmy's reaction when someone expresses their distaste for advertising, followed by a very emotional rant about the glories of advertising. Jimmy James: Let me tell you something little miss. Advertising pays our bills, all right? Advertising pays your salary. Advertising is what made this country great! Lisa: Well, ok, maybe I misspoke... Jimmy James: What was the Constitution of the United States? Lisa: A document... Jimmy James: No! It is an advertisement! An advertisement for liberty! "When in the course of human events..." I'm telling ya, that's right up there with "Put a tiger in your tank," and "Where's the beef?"

Flyover Country: Dave is from Wisconsin, and is often made fun of for it by the others, especially Bill. Bill: [imitating Dave] You see, I'm from Wis-cahn-sin, where taxi cabs are feared and hunted for the delicious meat under their hoods.

In "Airport", Dave and Bill are snowed in at St. Louis Airport and Bill complains about being trapped in "the vast cultural wasteland between New York and Palm Springs." He mistrusts Midwesterners for being too nice, and is proven right when he and Dave get scammed by some Wisconsinites.

"Flowers for Algernon" Syndrome: "Flowers for Matthew." A drug Joe made for him makes him so smart that he figures out it has no chemical effect and his increased intelligence is from the placebo effect. But now that he knows it's a placebo...

Foil: Dave and Bill are an excellent example.

Friend or Idol Decision: Not quite a straight example, as Mr. James is already a billionaire, but when an excellent offer for the new station is made (it's at least ten times what Dave thought was a fair price), James is caught between how much he enjoys the station and its people, and his business principles.

The Gadfly: Bill, particularly to Matthew. Jimmy also engages in it from time to time.

Genius Serum: Matthew was once given a "smart drink" invented by Joe that made him smarter. Unfortunately, Matthew got smart enough to realize that the juice didn't work and he only became smarter due to the Placebo Effect; once he realizes this, he gradually reverts to his ditzy self.

Getting Crap Past the Radar: In one episode Joe (using a funny accent) managed to say shit by pronouncing it "chet." Also, in the episode "Physical Graffiti," Jimmy reveals Joe's PIN: 3825. On a phone keypad, that spells out "fuck."

In one episode, Dave and Lisa are fighting after he called her a bitch: Dave: I'm thinking of another word now.

Lisa: Does it start with a B?

Dave: No, I think we've I'm thinking of another word now.Does it start with a B?No, I think we've moved a little past that

Ghost Extras: Prevalent in the first two seasons, before being largely reduced and eventually abandoned. The audio commentaries revealed creator Paul Simms's thoughts on the extras: While they did give the feeling of a bustling city radio station, he found the extras to be too distracting and wanted to focus solely on the main cast members.

A God Am I: Played for laughs. Mr. James bets Bill in a poker game with another radio station. Bill pulls out his contract and says there is no way he has the right to do that. Mr. James then tells him to check the extraordinary circumstances section, saying that the contract does not cover instances of sudden illness, acts of God, etc. Again, Bill protests. Mr. James finally tells him to read his Act of God clause. Bill [Shocked]: "Jimmy James shall be referred to here and in all future instances... as God."

The Great Whodini: Dave was both the great Throwgalli and the Great Ventriloquodini.

Halloween Episode: Wherein Bill falls in love with an elderly woman who turns out to be a hot young woman in costume

Heads, Tails, Edge: Mr. James trying to pick the new news director.

Heroic BSoD: Mr. James has one of these when he loses Bill in a poker game.

He's Just Hiding!: Invoked in-universe with Matthew's reaction to Bill's death. Initially, at least. Later, Matthew admits that he knows Bill is truly dead, he's just using this trope so as not to alarm the others.

Historical Character Confusion: Bill: "Big Chief Custer? No, he scalped many palefaces that day."

Historical In-Joke: Mr. James' claim to be the informant Deep Throat, not to mention a three-episode arc in which James is accused of being notorious skyjacker D.B. Cooper, who is ultimately revealed to be Adam West .

Homemade Inventions: Joe's forte. In fact it's implied that Joe doesn't use ANYTHING he didn't just make in his garage. This often times applies to the individual parts as well, although he has cobbled together several Frankenstein inventions.

Hypno Fool: How Joe cures Mr. James of his fear of hippies.

Hypocritical Humor: Bill complains about another broadcaster using the word "penis" on the air, saying that it's highly offensive and should not be allowed. But during his rant, he uses the word several times himself.

I Know Kung-Faux: Joe Garelli is an expert in "Joe-jitsu".

I'm a Man; I Can't Help It: What all of Beth's boyfriends told her. Not just that they are a slave to their sex drive, but that they get sick if they don't.

Indulgent Fantasy Segue: Lisa's fantasy in "Daydream" is to best Dave with a good comeback to his "In judo, the wise man steps aside" analogy. She gets cheered by the crowd in her fantasy, but when she does it for real, Dave just gives another clever comeback and stymies her.

Inexplicably Identical Individuals: Jon Lovitz played three separate characters during the show - Fred (no last name given), Mike Johnson, and Max Louis. The first two were one-off extras, only present for a single episode each (the former was an air traffic controller who occasionally fakes insanity to get a free vacation in the local mental hospital, the latter a suicidal ex-employee of Jimmy James), while the latter served as Bill McNeal's replacement following Phil Hartman's death. Lampshaded, and possibly subverted, when Max reveals that "Max Louis" isn't actually his real name. His true name is never revealed, but he explains that he takes on a new name and persona whenever he changes jobs, suggesting that all three characters might actually be the same in-universe person.

IN SPACE!: The episode "Space" is explictly introduced as "NewsRadio IN SPACE!" Bill: What if the show wasn't set in a news station... but a space station? And what if we didn't deliver the news but the... space news.

I Take Offense to That Last One!: In "Mistake", Dave in a magazine interview refers to Joe as "a so-called electrician who knows more about imaginary flying saucer technology than he does about a simple light switch". Joe is far less offended by the personal insult than by Dave referring to alien technology as "imaginary".

Just One More Level: Dave retakes his SATs on a dare from Lisa, but unintentionally stays up all night before the exam playing an arcade game that was recently installed on the building (an old favourite, no less). When the results come in, he reveals he did the same thing when he originally took the tests.

"Kick Me" Prank: Bill puts a "Spaz" sign on Matthew.

Killer Outfit: In one episode, the action revolves around a person who had just died from having a tie snagged in a copier.

Knife-Throwing Act: Dave Nelson was once a knifethrower named The Great Throwgalli.

Lost Him in a Card Game: Bill in "Presence"

The Main Characters Do Everything: WNYX is supposed to be a busy New York City radio station, but the eight main characters seem to do every job. The electrician sits in on story meetings and sometimes goes on the air. The show originally had Ghost Extras in the background to suggest that there were other employees, but eventually gave up on that. Lampshaded and Hand Waved in "Kids", when Dave calls Joe, Matthew, and Bill into his office to make them confess which one of them has been leaving porn magazines in the break room. Dave: Look, guys, I'm asking you as friends. Please just tell me who it is. Joe: Dave, did you ever stop to consider it might be one of the 15 or 20 other guys who work at this station? Bill: Joe's right. How come every time there's a problem, you assume that it's one of us? What about them? What if it was... that guy whose name I don't know? Or the guy who sits by him? Or- Dave: Because somebody gave those people the impression they're not allowed in the break room. Bill: Well, Dave, I consider that room to be a private sanctuary where I can escape from all those horrid little people whose names I don't know!

Something of a case of Truth in Television for people who have worked in radio. Most radio stations, especially those run by major conglomerates, tend to be understaffed. Assuming that the station ran a few syndicated programs (which, again, most radio stations would), the visible staff of WNYX would be an entirely reasonable, realistic workforce, missing only a few part-timers, one or two people on the production staff, and the sales people who don't really count anyway (according to the first few minutes of the series, the "Business Offices" were across town, which is where sales people and the like would've been located anyway).

Magic Feather: An interesting variation: When Matthew becomes smart enough to realize the drug he took was a placebo, the effect immediately wears off and he becomes a spaz again.

Moon-Landing Hoax: The "Balloon" episode has Jimmy James pretending to fly a hot air balloon around the world, but he was filming the whole thing inside a TV studio. Lisa finds out and calls him out on it. Jimmy: It's not like I was faking the Apollo Moon landings, now that was a big deal. Lisa: What? Jimmy: (Nervously) Nothing, I gotta go.

New Job Episode: Matthew quits over Dave's refusal to let him do a report on Dilbert to go to work at the coffee shop downstairs. After being fired in a later episode, Matthew is revealed to be a qualified, rather talented dentist — but his first love is radio.

"Lucky Burger" has Lisa briefly working at the titular fast food restaurant, at first to do some investigative reporting on the establishment's health code violations, but quickly turning the place around and getting a supervisor position for it.

New York Is Only Manhattan: Invoked when Bill gives an editorial. Bill: Wake up, Manhattan! Wake up, Brooklyn! Wake up... the other three boroughs!

Nose Tapping Bill: It is the wise man who knows there's a lot that he does not know.

Matthew: [tapping nose] I know.

No Theme Tune: The later seasons just had the title superimposed over the action.

Office Sports: The Goofy Ball hot potato game. At one point, Beth runs by Dave while playing it.

Only in It for the Money: Played with. Jimmy's already a billionaire, but lives by a zealous code of capitalism and business success that requires him to come out on top of any business transaction. He obsesses over losing twenty bucks in a came of three card monty just as much as losing millions in a corporate acquisition. He doesn't seem to care that much about money for its own sake, but is driven to succeed on principle.

Only Known by Their Nickname: Max Louis. Turns out "Max Louis" is just a pseudonym, since "Max" changes names and personas every time he takes a new job. Possibly meant to Lampshade two other characters that Jon Lovitz had played on the show up to Max's introduction.

Parody Episode: "Sinking Ship", which parodies Titanic.

Personality Swap: When Matthew gets teased by Bill to the point of tears, it culminates with Matthew punching out Bill (after misinterpreting Dave's advice to stand up for himself). For the remainder of the episode, Matthew becomes a callous Jerkass while Bill becomes a shameless sycophant, effectively swapping their personalities. It ends when Bill accidentally hits Matthew in the face at the episode's conclusion.

Pest Episode: Subverted in "Rat Funeral": the episode begins with the cast rushing to save beloved office "pet"/mascot Mike the Rat from the traps Dave has had the super set everywhere. Dave eventually relents — only for the snap of a trap to go off in the background. Then double-subverted when it turns out Mike was not one black-and-white rat but many black-and-white rats, and WNYX actually has quite the infestation on their hands. Everyone's a little grossed out after that.

[Popular Saying], But...: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, and then throw it in the face of the person who gave you the lemons until they give you the oranges you originally asked for.

Previously On : Parodied in "Who's the Boss Part 2", where the only clip is Bill and Dave eating at the conference table.

The Rashomon: "Catherine Moves On".

Real Life Writes the Plot: After Hartman was murdered, his character Bill was made to suffer a fatal heart attack.

Recursive Translation: In "Super Karate Monkey Death Car", Jimmy has taken the fact that his autobiography, Jimmy James: Capitalist Lion Tamer, is selling better in Japan than in the USA as a cue to have the Japanese edition translated back into English. The results have... lost something in translation, starting with the new title, Jimmy James: Macho Business Donkey Wrestler. [at a reading Jimmy is giving at a bookstore, where he is seeing the new edition of the book for the first time]

Jimmy: [opens book to a bookmarked page and begins reading] "I had a small house of brokerage on Wall Street. Many days, no business comes to my hut. [confused] My... hut. But... Jimmy has fear? A thousand times no! I never doubted myself for a minute, for I knew that my... [even more confused] monkey strong bowels were... girded with strength, like the... loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo... [turns page] dung."

[later; the audience has dwindled to less than half its size, while Jimmy's face, tone of voice, and body language suggest he wants the ground to open up and swallow him]

Jimmy: "Glorious sunset of my heart was fading. Soon, the... super karate monkey death car would... [Dave sighs] park in my space. [vainly attempts to sound energetic] But Jimmy has fancy plans!... And pants to match. [more audience members get up and leave] The monkey clown horrible karate... round and yummy, like a cute small baby chick, would... meet the donkey."

A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside an Enigma: Jimmy James once referred to himself, saying "I am a cipher—a cipher, wrapped in an enigma, and smothered in secret sauce."

"Risky Business" Dance: Jimmy James does it at Dave's parent's house, where he is hiding from the police.

Running Gag: Whenever Joe's last name is mentioned, someone (usually Bill) looks perplexed and says "Your last name is Garrelli?" Joe's close personal relationship with the Unabomber (Before Ted Kacynski was caught in real life).

(Before Ted Kacynski was caught in real life). Jimmy's attraction to Dave's mother could also be considered a running gag.

Jimmy having a heated argument in Dave's office, wherein Dave asks if it's a tough business deal, to which Jimmy responds with something innocuous like 'No that was your mother, lovely lady,' or 'Nah, wrong number'.

Beth's absurdly low salary.

Joe's fondness for conspiracy theories.

The phrase "Super Karate Monkey Death Car" comes up a few times in different contexts.

Matthew getting hurt.

Secret Relationship: Dave and Lisa