List of NewsRadio episodes

NewsRadio is an American sitcom, originally broadcast from 1995 to 1999 by NBC. In total, 97 episodes were broadcast spanning 5 seasons.

Series overview

Season		Episodes	Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
	1	7	March 21, 1995	May 9, 1995
	2	21	September 19, 1995	April 28, 1996
	3	25	September 18, 1996	June 4, 1997
	4	22	September 23, 1997	May 13, 1998
	5	22	September 23, 1998	May 4, 1999

Episodes

Season 1 (1995)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Production code
1	1	"Pilot"	James Burrows	Paul Simms	March 21, 1995 (1995-03-21)	100
Wisconsin native Dave Nelson arrives in New York to start his new job as the News Director at WNYX. His first task: fire the old News Director. Guest stars Kurt Fuller as Ed Harlow, Greg Lee as Rick, Wallace Langham as Jeff, Beau Billingslea as The Security Guard, and Ella Joyce as Catherine Duke. Note: Neither Joe Rogan nor Khandi Alexander appear in the pilot. Greg Lee's "Rick" character is similar to Rogan's "Joe" character, and Ella Joyce plays "Catherine". Catherine's last name is not revealed in this episode. Note: Joyce is mostly offscreen, though she can be heard delivering several newscasts (and can be very briefly glimpsed in the broadcast booth in a few shots). She is seen clearly towards the end of the episode standing outside the broadcast booth, but has no lines during this scene. Note: Ray Romano was originally slated to play the "Electrician" character, but both Romano and the show producers felt that he was not a good fit for the show.
2	2	"Inappropriate"	James Burrows	Paul Simms	March 28, 1995 (1995-03-28)	102
Dave and Lisa's disagreement over how to respond to an on-air gaffe by Matthew leads to a romantic encounter and the start of a secret office relationship. Guest stars Kenny Johnston as Danny.
3	3	"Smoking"	James Burrows	Josh Lieb, Brad Isaacs, & Paul Simms (Joe Furey uncredited)	April 4, 1995 (1995-04-04)	103
Bill is having trouble complying with a new anti-smoking ordinance, so Dave tries to help him quit. Guest stars Monte Russell as Paramedic.
4	4	"The Crisis"	James Burrows	Josh Lieb	April 11, 1995 (1995-04-11)	101
Coverage of a subway accident is hampered by petty jealousies surrounding Matthew's new desk. Guest stars Steeve Arlen as Bob, and Mark Davenport as Delivery Man.
5	5	"Big Day"	Alan Myerson	Joe Furey, Brad Isaacs, Josh Lieb, & Paul Simms	April 18, 1995 (1995-04-18)	105
The staff unwittingly confide in Dave their expectations for their annual bonus, not knowing that Jimmy has delegated the task to Dave. During this episode pastries humorously keep appearing on Bill's desk. Guest stars Albie Selznick as Copy Guy, and Joe Wein as Delivery Guy.
6	6	"Luncheon at the Waldorf"	Peter Baldwin	Brad Isaacs	May 2, 1995 (1995-05-02)	104
Lisa is worried about Bill's motivation for taking Beth to a broadcaster's luncheon.
7	7	"Sweeps Week"	Peter Bonerz	Joe Furey & Paul Simms	May 9, 1995 (1995-05-09)	106
Dave's ex-girlfriend from Wisconsin arrives for a visit, under the assumption that they are still dating, and proceeds to make Lisa nervous. Guest stars Janeane Garofalo as Nancy, and Bill Geisslinger as Tom P. Baxter.

Season 2 (1995–96)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Production code
8	1	"No, This Is Not Based Entirely on Julie's Life"	Alan Myerson	Paul Simms	September 19, 1995 (1995-09-19)	202
Beth attempts to take nude pictures of herself for her boyfriend. Joe tries to find out who has been stealing his gelato. Guest stars Chris Kattan as Employee #3. Steve Susskind returns as Milos the Janitor.
9	2	"Goofy Ball"	Alan Myerson	Paul Simms	September 26, 1995 (1995-09-26)	201
Mr. James introduces the staff to "Goofy Ball", an annoying toy made by one of his companies. Dave and Lisa consider revealing their relationship. Bill has a stalker, and buys a taser which has been built by Joe. Guest stars Dennis Miller as The Stalker and Judd Apatow as the voice of the Goofy Ball.
10	3	"Rat Funeral"	Alan Myerson	Paul Simms & Lewis Morton	October 10, 1995 (1995-10-10)	205
Dave is mystified by the staff's affection for a rat living in the station. When the rat dies, the staff holds a funeral.
11	4	"The Breakup"	Peter Bonerz	Paul Simms	October 31, 1995 (1995-10-31)	206
Beth forces Dave and Lisa to reveal their relationship to the staff when she gets caught in the middle of a bad break-up fight.
12	5	"Shrink"	Michael Lembeck	Andrew Gordon & Eileen Conn	November 7, 1995 (1995-11-07)	208
Dave agrees to bring in a therapist to counsel the staff and relieve some of the tension in the office. Guest stars John Ritter as Dr. Frank Westford.
13	6	"Friends"	Michael Lembeck	Brian Kelley & Josh Lieb	November 14, 1995 (1995-11-14)	209
Dave hires a temp to help Beth organize the stations files. Guest stars Bebe Neuwirth as Sandi Angelini. Recurring characters Tone Lōc as Security Guard (Lorenzo), and Toby Huss as Guard #2 (Junior).
14	7	"Bill's Autobiography"	Michael Lembeck	Joe Furey	November 21, 1995 (1995-11-21)	207
Bill receives an offer to publish his autobiography, but he soon realizes that there is not much in his life worth committing to paper. Note: The tape recorder that Dave gives Bill to use for his book has a recording of Dave singing "A Horse with No Name" by America. Curiously, when Phil Hartman was a graphic artist in the 1970s, he designed three album covers for the group. His brother John Hartman was America's manager for many years.
15	8	"Negotiation"	Leonard R. Garner, Jr.	Dawn DeKeyser	November 28, 1995 (1995-11-28)	210
Matthew receives a meaningless promotion and his efforts to organize the station are sabotaged by Bill. Lisa tries to find another job, giving a screen test interviewing Anthrax for MTV. Mr. James begins his search for a wife using business tactics, starting with a list of 36 women. The first removed is Catherine. Guest stars Anthrax, and Natalia Nogulich as Melanie Sanders.
16	9	"The Cane"	Alan Myerson	Brad Isaacs	December 12, 1995 (1995-12-12)	204
Mr. James hosts a staff retreat in his office. Bill buys a cane and annoys Dave with it. Guest stars Jane Lynch as Carol.
17	10	"Xmas Story"	Leonard R. Garner, Jr	Lewis Morton	December 19, 1995 (1995-12-19)	212
Mr. James buys sports cars for everyone on the staff except for Matthew, who gets tapes. Bill thinks that the Santa Claus down in the lobby is stalking him. Guest stars David Anthony Higgins as Santa. Recurring characters Tone Lōc as Lorenzo, and Toby Huss as Junior.
18	11	"Station Sale"	Tom Cherones	Leslie Caveny, Brian Kelley, Lewis Morton, Joe Furey, Josh Lieb, & Paul Simms	January 7, 1996 (1996-01-07)	211
The staff tries to convince Jimmy not to sell the station. Bill misquotes Alfred Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade" and then attributes it to John Keats. The date he gives, 1776, is 19 years before Keats was born and 78 years before the poem was published. Jimmy's search for a wife has narrowed the list to 29. Loretta Swit is mentioned as having been crossed off. Guest stars Maureen Mueller as Jane.
19	12	"Bitch Session"	James Burrows	Brian Kelley	January 14, 1996 (1996-01-14)	213
Dave accidentally overhears the staff complaining about him. This is based on creator Paul Simms accidentally overhearing his writing staff complaining about him.
20	13	"In Through the Out Door"	Patrick Maloney	Leslie Caveny, Joe Furey, Alan J. Higgins, Josh Lieb, Drake Sather, & Paul Simms	February 4, 1996 (1996-02-04)	217
Joe tries to teach Matthew about gambling. Dave has to give a speech introducing Bill at a dinner. Titled after a Led Zeppelin album. Steve Susskind returns as Milos the Janitor.
21	14	"The Song Remains the Same"	Tom Cherones	Sam Johnson, Chris Marcil, Joe Furey, & Lewis Morton	February 18, 1996 (1996-02-18)	218
Beth discovers that she has a secret admirer. Mr. James plays April Fool's pranks in the office. A reporter from The Wall Street Journal interviews Bill.
22	15	"Zoso"	James Burrows	Josh Lieb, Lewis Morton, Joe Furey, & Paul Simms	February 25, 1996 (1996-02-25)	214
Beth and Lisa ask Mr. James to teach them how to negotiate. Lisa asks Dave for a raise. Guest stars George Hamilton as Don Green.
23	16	"Houses of the Holy"	Gregg Heschong	Dawn DeKeyser, Brian Kelley, Joe Furey, & Paul Simms	March 10, 1996 (1996-03-10)	215
Catherine is out sick, so Bill puts Joe on the air in order to frustrate Dave's plans. Meanwhile, Beth becomes enamored of Mr. James' weird nephew Theo (guest star David Cross.)
24	17	"Physical Graffiti"	Patrick Maloney	Josh Lieb & Paul Simms	March 24, 1996 (1996-03-24)	216
Bill and Catherine's practical joke war escalates. Dave is annoyed that Lisa still has a relationship with her ex-boyfriend. Note: Features the Joe Rogan Quote about the Internet. "You can't take something off the Internet, that's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool. Once it's in there, it's in there." Note: The word "bitchcakes" is first used in this episode and may have been coined here. Although it did not become a common word, it has been used by various people.[1]
25	18	"Led Zeppelin"	Patrick Maloney	Leslie Caveny	March 31, 1996 (1996-03-31)	221
Lisa and Dave have broken up; Lisa will communicate with Dave only in writing.
26	19	"Presence"	Lee Shallat Chemel	Alan J. Higgins & Josh Lieb	April 14, 1996 (1996-04-14)	219
Jimmy loses Bill in a poker game, and Lisa has to try to win him back. Note: In the episode, a Star Wars Boba Fett action figure is shown and discussed in several scenes, which the commentary notes required permission from Lucasfilm. The line "BOBA FETT COURTESY OF J.T. HUTT" appears in the episode's credits.
27	20	"Coda"	Lee Shallat Chemel	Brian Kelley, Lewis Morton, Josh Lieb, & Paul Simms	April 21, 1996 (1996-04-21)	220
Dave, Bill and Mr. James work on a promotional spot. Lisa helps Joe study for a test. Matthew tries to sign up people for a summer house in the Hamptons. Steve Susskind returns as Milos the Janitor.
28	21	"Led Zeppelin II"	James Burrows	Drake Sather	April 28, 1996 (1996-04-28)	222
The building catches fire, bringing Dave and Lisa back together. Mr. James thinks he has found the ideal woman.

Season 3 (1996–97)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Production code
29	1	"President"	Tom Cherones	Paul Simms	September 18, 1996 (1996-09-18)	302
Jimmy announces he is running for President of the United States. Matthew grows some facial hair while on vacation. Guest stars Al Roker as Guy.
30	2	"Review"	Tom Cherones	Josh Lieb	September 25, 1996 (1996-09-25)	301
Matthew discovers the comic strip Dilbert and quits his job when Dave refuses to let him do a story about it. Dave tries to reassure the staff that an underwhelming magazine critique is not as bad as it sounds. Guest stars Scott Adams as coffee shop patron, Michael Adler as man pretending to be Scott Adams, and Mark Fite as coffee shop counterman.
31	3	"Massage Chair"	Drake Sather	Lewis Morton	October 2, 1996 (1996-10-02)	303
Bill buys a massage chair in defiance of budget cuts at the station. Dave fights Mr. James over the elimination of free snacks from the breakroom.
32	4	"Arcade"	Tom Cherones	Brian Kelley	October 23, 1996 (1996-10-23)	304
Beth replaces the lobby sandwich machine with the arcade game Stargate Defender, causing Dave's old video game obsession to resurface. Bill is upset because he finds the sandwiches from the old machine to be delicious, and begins hoarding them. After a series of mental lapses, Lisa and Dave retake the SATs to see if they are getting dumber. Guest stars Eugene Jarvis, and Leelee Sobieski.
33	5	"Halloween"	Tom Cherones	Sam Johnson & Chris Marcil	October 30, 1996 (1996-10-30)	307
The staff is not invited to Mr. James' annual Halloween party because he thinks they're "too cool for school". Dave and Lisa persuade him to let them come. Bill becomes depressed after a psychic tells him the exact date of his death, but then falls in love with an old woman. Note: Dave Foley appearing in drag, and subsequently looking good in drag, is a nod to his efforts on The Kids in the Hall.
34	6	"Awards Show"	Tom Cherones	Drake Sather	November 6, 1996 (1996-11-06)	305
The staff attends an awards banquet. Matthew frets over his belief that the breakroom is infested with ants. Guest stars Bob Costas as himself, Johnny Crear as elderly man, Steven Gilborn as Marty "The Party" Jackson, and Kevin J. O'Neill as bartender.
35	7	"Daydream"	Tom Cherones	Paul Simms	November 13, 1996 (1996-11-13)	308
A hot day and a broken air conditioner cause the thoughts of every character to drift. This episode is filled with movie/television parodies, particularly Beth's hallucinations, which are inspired by the horror films she saw with Matthew (Aliens, A Nightmare on Elm Street). At the end of the episode, Mr. James has a hallucination (or does he?) that spoofs the famous ending to St. Elsewhere's series finale.
36	8	"Movie Star"	Tom Cherones	Lewis Morton	November 20, 1996 (1996-11-20)	309
James Caan visits Bill as part of research for his new movie, but he soon becomes fixated by Matthew's odd behavior. Dave tries to buy a television set for Lisa. Superfan Jimmy James has an extra Knicks ticket, and Joe conducts a trivia contest between Beth and Catherine to determine who gets the seat. Guest stars James Caan as himself.
37	9	"Stocks"	Tom Cherones	Alan J. Higgins	December 11, 1996 (1996-12-11)	306
Jimmy teaches Beth how to play the stock market, but refuses to help Bill. Matthew pretends to have flown to Japan, bringing back gifts for the office, including a samurai's katana sword for Dave. Lisa is reluctant to ask for a new chair because she doesn't want it to look like Dave is playing favorites.
38	10	"Christmas"	Patrick Maloney	Drake Sather	December 18, 1996 (1996-12-18)	311
Dave covers for his employees so they can leave early, but still manages to take Lisa to Wisconsin before Christmas is over.
39	11	"The Trainer"	Gregg Heschong	Joe Furey	December 19, 1996 (1996-12-19)	312
Bill joins a gym; the WNYX staff discover a secret about Dave's past. Guest stars Ben Stiller as Vic, and Patton Oswalt as Guy.
40	12	"Rap"	Tom Cherones	Alan J. Higgins, Brian Kelley, Drake Sather & Paul Simms	January 8, 1997 (1997-01-08)	310
Bill discovers the evils of rap music. Lisa has a problem with being named "cutest reporter" by a local magazine. Guest stars Chuck D as himself.
41	13	"Led Zeppelin Boxed Set"	Tom Cherones	Lewis Morton, Sam Johnson, Chris Marcil, Joe Furey & Josh Lieb	January 15, 1997 (1997-01-15)	313
Matthew finally stands up to Bill's bullying, and proceeds to go on a power trip. Catherine teaches Jimmy how to beat a crooked three card monte dealer.
42	14	"Complaint Box"	Tom Cherones	Brian Kelley, Lewis Morton, Joe Furey & Josh Lieb	January 29, 1997 (1997-01-29)	314
The new complaint box causes problems for Dave. Jimmy goes fishing, while his satellite hookup goes to the movies.
43	15	"Rose Bowl"	Tom Cherones	Alan J. Higgins, Josh Lieb, Lewis Morton & Paul Simms	February 5, 1997 (1997-02-05)	315
Dave agrees to let the staff review each other, while Jimmy takes a con artist to court. Joe teaches Jimmy the secret masonic word "Tubalcain" that might automatically win him the court case. Guest stars George Lindsey as himself, David Clennon as the Judge, and Glenn Walker Harris Jr. as the con artist.
44	16	"Kids"	Tom Cherones	Sam Johnson, Chris Marcil, Joe Furey & Drake Sather	February 12, 1997 (1997-02-12)	316
Dave must figure out who is leaving pornography around the office in the midst of an elementary school field trip. Jimmy hits on the kids' teacher over a fancy lunch.
45	17	"Airport"	Tom Cherones	Drake Sather	February 19, 1997 (1997-02-19)	317
While Bill and Dave are stuck in a St. Louis airport, Lisa runs the office, and Beth and Matthew water Bill's plants.
46	18	"Twins"	Tom Cherones	Lewis Morton	March 12, 1997 (1997-03-12)	318
Matthew's "identical twin" brother Andrew arrives for a visit. Bill's greed almost bankrupts the station. Guest stars Jon Stewart as Andrew. Note: Maura Tierney does not appear in this episode because she was busy filming Liar Liar.
47	19	"Office Feud"	Leonard R. Garner, Jr.	Sam Johnson & Chris Marcil	March 19, 1997 (1997-03-19)	319
Joe, Dave, and Beth deal with the noisy environmentalists who've moved in upstairs; Lisa covers the Easter Egg hunt at the White House; Bill and Catherine argue over Bill's sponsorship by Rocket Fuel Malt Liquor. Guest stars Sara Paxton as Sara. Note: This episode introduced the word "gazizza," later used in Space.
48	20	"Our Fiftieth Episode"	Tom Cherones	Joe Furey, Paul Simms & Josh Lieb	April 2, 1997 (1997-04-02)	321
An argument over a traffic ticket gets Bill committed to a mental hospital. Guest stars Jon Lovitz as Fred. Note: All of Vicki Lewis's scenes were shot separately because she was away filming Mouse Hunt. She would be completely absent from the following episode, "Sleeping", for the same reason.
49	21	"Sleeping"	Judi Elterman	Story: Alan J. Higgins & Paul Simms Teleplay: Brian Kelley	May 7, 1997 (1997-05-07)	322
Matthew hides in the break room fridge to scare anyone who opens it, eventually causing Mr. James to have a heart attack. Mr. James' lawyer shows Dave and Lisa a video tape wherein Mr. James reveals his wish to spend his remaining time with his friends and colleagues at WNYX in the case of a life-threatening illness. Mr. James is moved into the WNYX break room while he recovers from his coma and the staff is asked to talk to him during the day. Lisa decides that she wants to have a baby. Bill recreates his time as a college overnight DJ. Guest stars Scott N. Stevens as Dr. Mandel.
50	22	"The Real Deal"	Tom Cherones	Story: Josh Lieb & Lewis Morton Teleplay: Joe Furey & Paul Simms	May 7, 1997 (1997-05-07)	320
Desperate to keep "The Real Deal" on the air despite floundering ratings, Bill and Lisa attempt to interview Jerry Seinfeld in a restaurant and record the results. Matthew reveals to everybody that he is still a virgin (at 28½), and subsequently loses his virginity to his gorgeous girlfriend in the breakroom. Guest stars Jerry Seinfeld as himself, Bobbie Brown as Irene, Gregg Daniel as Kevin Sparks, Mark Fite as Waiter.
51	23	"Mistake"	Tom Cherones	Story: Joe Furey & Paul Simms Teleplay: Josh Lieb & Drake Sather	May 14, 1997 (1997-05-14)	323
Dave faces the wrath of the staff when he makes several disparaging comments about them in a magazine article. Matthew feels threatened by the "weird" new temp Brent. Guest stars French Stewart as Brent.
52	24	"Space"	Tom Cherones	Story: Brian Kelley & Lewis Morton Teleplay: Joe Furey, Josh Lieb & Paul Simms	May 21, 1997 (1997-05-21)	324
WNYX is imagined as a news radio station in space in the future. The crew still have the same jobs, and WNYX is still a radio station. Bill and Catherine read ads ("Soylent Green, made from the best stuff on Earth: people") and news from the future. Meanwhile, Joe is thawed out after more than 80 years of suspended animation to fix the reactor for the station. Jimmy needs to cut the budget, so he needs to have either Bill or Catherine go into suspended animation for 50 years. Dave and Lisa, meanwhile, are still trying to figure out if they should live together, and where. Although Joe tinkers with the reactor, his repairs (hitting it numerous times with a pair of pliers and then pulling out a circuit board) fail to produce the desired effect, and he announces that the whole station will blow up unless everyone (save for two people) goes into suspended animation pods for 50 years so they can shut the station down and wait for help. The crew, with the exception of Bill (who is paranoid that someone else will wind up making just as much money when he wakes up) and Matthew (who tells his android girlfriend to take his place—even though, as she tries to point out, she doesn't need oxygen or food to survive) get into the pods. Matthew trips over a cord, unplugging the pods from their power source, instantly killing everyone except for himself and Bill. Bill then informs Matthew that they'll have to re-start the human race together. (Matthew agrees--"But no gay stuff.") Guest stars Bobbie Brown as Irene.
53	25	"Injury"	Rich Beren	Paul Simms	June 5, 1997 (1997-06-05)	203
When uninsured Matthew is injured goofing off at work, Dave and Lisa try to pass it off as a workplace accident so that workers' compensation will pay for the hospital costs. Bill objects to a fellow newscaster's use of the word "penis" on the air by giving a series of on-air editorials in which he uses the word a number of times himself. Guest stars Bob Odenkirk as Dr. Smith. Norm Macdonald returns as Roger, Mr. James' lawyer. Note: This episode was intended to appear in season 2. It was delayed because the script called for Bill (Phil Hartman) to repeatedly use the word "penis" (some of which were ultimately edited out). Because of this, the episode is intentionally featured on both the First (Seasons 1 & 2) and Second (Season 3) NewsRadio DVD boxsets. Note: Matthew's birthday is given as 12/21/65 in this episode (making him 31 in real time), though his age is stated as 28 in 'Twins' and 'The Real Deal'. (Andy Dick, the actor who plays the character of Matthew, was born on 12/21/65.)

Season 4 (1997–98)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Production code
54	1	"Jumper"	Tom Cherones	Paul Simms	September 23, 1997 (1997-09-23)	401
Bill tries to save a suicidal man standing on the ledge outside of Dave's office. Guest stars Jon Lovitz as Mike Johnson, and Ivan Allen, Jr. as Newsman. Note: This is the second appearance of Jon Lovitz on NewsRadio. He played the part of a mental patient in season three's Our Fiftieth Episode.
55	2	"Planbee"	Tom Cherones	Brian Kelley	September 30, 1997 (1997-09-30)	402
Mr. James brings in Andrea, an efficiency expert, to bring some order to WNYX. The staff tries to protect Matthew from being fired. Bill auditions for a television news anchor job. Guest stars Scott Valentine as Producer, Charlotte Booker as Makeup Artist, John Vosler as Painter. Recurring characters Lauren Graham as Andrea, and Michael Kostroff as Carl. Note: NBC asked the producers of NewsRadio to bring in another female character, in order to "spice up" the show, and they hired Lauren Graham to do four episodes. She was intended to join the cast for good (replacing to the departure of Khandi Alexander), but reactions to the character were negative.
56	3	"The Public Domain"	Tom Cherones	Joe Furey	October 28, 1997 (1997-10-28)	404
Andrea tries to replace Dave with a bland, laconic executive named Steve. Bill decides to embark on a Mark Russell-style piano act, performing satirical songs about politics and angering Dave in the process. Mr. James brings a documentary crew to the station. Matthew continues to lobby Dave for his old job. Guest stars Paul Gleason as Steve Johnson, Peter Spellos as Camera Guy, and Cheryl Kirby as Passenger. Lauren Graham returns as Andrea. Note: As revealed in this episode's DVD commentary, this episode is entitled "The Public Domain" because the songs Bill played on the piano were all in the public domain: When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again; Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star; Row, Row, Row Your Boat; etc. Note: Also in the commentary, the producers and writers noted that "The Public Domain" marked the point where NewsRadio lost all connection with reality and more or less became a cartoon. Note: It was also revealed in the commentary that Phil Hartman (Bill McNeal) could not play the piano.
57	4	"Super Karate Monkey Death Car"	Tom Cherones	Josh Lieb	November 4, 1997 (1997-11-04)	403
Mr. James hosts a bookstore reading of his newly-republished autobiography, which he had translated back into English because it was a bestseller in Japan; but he finds that Jimmy James: Capitalist Lion Tamer is now titled Jimmy James: Macho Business Donkey Wrestler and is full of bizarre turns of phrase. Andrea subjects the staff to polygraph tests, which leads to Lisa revealing her extensive criminal record. Guest stars Dave Allen as Lackey, Mark Conley as Pilot, Zuhair Haddad as Maitre d', Brian Posehn as Fan, Ron Jeremy as Fan, and Michael Raysses as Technician. Lauren Graham returns as Andrea.
58	5	"French Diplomacy"	Tom Cherones	Drake Sather	November 11, 1997 (1997-11-11)	405
Bill's editorials become more than Lisa can handle. Dave breaks up with Lisa because he thinks the relationship will hurt them at work. Andrea, who is hurt that she didn't know about the relationship, helps Lisa get revenge by making her the boss and making Dave Bill's producer. Guest stars Nancy Bell as Brandi, and Edith Barnes as Mrs. Barnes. Lauren Graham returns as Andrea. Note: This is Lauren Graham's last appearance on NewsRadio.
59	6	"Pure Evil"	Tom Cherones	Teleplay by: Paul Simms Story by: Brian Kelley & Lewis Morto	November 18, 1997 (1997-11-18)	407
Dave plots against Lisa to get his job back by goading Bill to do fake interviews of President Clinton on the air. Matthew starts sleeping in Lisa's office. Guest stars George Dobesh as Senator, and Grace Morley as Cindy. Note: Phil Hartman had previously impersonated Clinton on Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
60	7	"Catherine Moves On"	Tom Cherones	Josh Lieb & Paul Simms	November 25, 1997 (1997-11-25)	408
Catherine announces she is leaving WNYX. The rest of the staff offer Mr. James their versions of how Catherine quit and why, colored by their own perceptions. Joe makes one last attempt to get with Catherine. Note: This episode features the Hamburglar character (the Sneaky Thief) that is referenced so often in DVD commentaries. This episode also features the "Matthews Dream/Big Mudd" scene, where Matthew's retelling of the events turns into a dream he recently had, where he and Bill were floating down the Mississippi river, fishing for Dave. Note: The opening titles of the show have been re-edited so that Catherine is featured with everybody. She is shown slapping various male members of the cast in the face.
61	8	"Stupid Holiday Charity Talent Show"	Tom Cherones	Alan J. Higgins	December 16, 1997 (1997-12-16)	409
Mr. James offers to give Matthew his job back if WNYX wins the New York Holiday Charity Talent Show, so that he can win a bet with Ted Turner. Dave reveals a new talent - knife-throwing. Bill plays piano for Beth while she sings "Makin' Whoopee", and attempts to coach her in her singing. Ultimately, Matthew takes the stage as a ventriloquist, and his pathetic act wins him the contest on a sympathy vote, getting him his job back. Guest stars Kevin McDonald as Throwdini, and Tom Parks as Emcee. Note: In the commentary for this episode, Dave's hidden talents are discussed. Some of them are: Tap Dancing, Knife Throwing, Ventriloquism, Stargate Defender, Jelly making, Animal Husbandry, Star Wars Trivia, and U.S State Trivia.
62	9	"The Secret of Management"	Tom Cherones	Lewis Morton	January 1, 1998 (1998-01-01)	406
Bill hires a butler. Lisa asks Mr. James to teach her "The Secret of Management". Matthew is depressed. Guest stars Ian Abercrombie as Cadbury, and Mary Lynn Rajskub as Waitress. Note: The background of the opening credits is replaced by a scene where Matthew gets in a fight with a security guard outside The Today Show window. Note: Bill's butler is named Cadbury, which is also the name of Richie Rich's butler. Note: The walk-around characters at Petey the Pirate's Funtime Pizza Palace are Bumblelion and Moosel from the Disney Channel series The Wuzzles.
63	10	"Look Who's Talking"	Tom Cherones	Joe Furey	January 6, 1998 (1998-01-06)	412
Bill decides that he wants to adopt a child. Lisa grows jealous because Bill has a natural rapport with children which she lacks, but Dave comes to think Bill will be a great father. Mr James takes part in a bachelor auction for charity, and rents a duchess title for Beth so that she can bid on him. Joe accompanies her, acting as her homosexual limo driver. Guest stars Denise Dowse as Adoption Agent, Judy Geeson as Auctioneer, Lynn A. Henderson as Mother #1, Clarinda Ross as Mother #2, Patricia Place as Rich Woman, Logan Craig O'Brien as Charlie, Jim Hanna as Husband, Kate Gladfelter as Wife, and Reed Rudy as Rich Guy.
64	11	"Chock"	Tom Cherones	Sam Johnson & Chris Marcil	January 13, 1998 (1998-01-13)	410
It is Dave's 32nd birthday, and the other members of his college a cappella group show up at WNYX to reform the group. Guest stars Bob Odenkirk as Bob, David Cross as David, and Brian Posehn as Brian. Note: Odenkirk, Cross, and Posehn were all cast members and writers on Mr. Show, which was still on the air when this episode aired. All three had previously appeared on the show in separate episodes as different characters.
65	12	"Who's the Boss?"	Gregg Heschong	Josh Lieb	January 20, 1998 (1998-01-20)	411
Lisa is tired of being the boss and Dave doesn't want the job. They decide to "punish" Bill by making him the boss in order to teach him a lesson after his insubordinate behavior. Most of the office comes to believe Bill is a great boss after he gives pointless tasks to Matthew and Beth.
66	13	"Who's the Boss?"	Tom Cherones	Brian Kelley	February 3, 1998 (1998-02-03)	413
Mr. James decides to let the staff vote between Dave and Lisa to determine who will be the boss, though they are both open about not wanting the job throughout the entire election. Matthew runs for floor fire marshal. Joe's brothers show up and create mayhem. Guest stars Bryan Callen as Russ Garreli, Nick DiPaolo as Jack Garreli, and Robert Hegyes as Sal Garreli. Michael Kostroff returns as Carl. Note: Nick DiPaolo also appears on Joe Rogan's comedy album I'm Gonna Be Dead Someday. He plays Mikey in the "Getting Pumped" skit at the beginning of the album.
67	14	"Security Door"	Tom Cherones	Teleplay by: Sam Johnson & Chris Marcil Story by: Joe Furey & Lewis Morton	February 24, 1998 (1998-02-24)	415
Dave has a security door installed at the station. Everyone immediately circumvents the door.
68	15	"Big Brother"	Judi Elterman	Lewis Morton	March 3, 1998 (1998-03-03)	414
Matthew gets involved in a mix-up at the Big Brother program. Bill tries to get Dave jealous by telling him that Lisa is dating somebody else. Guest stars Michael Buchman Silver as Danny, and Mike Colt as Guard.
69	16	"Beep, Beep"	Tom Cherones	Alan J. Higgins	March 18, 1998 (1998-03-18)	416
Mr. James gives Matthew a small battery-powered car for his birthday, and tries to get Dave and Lisa back together so that they can be more productive. Guest stars Antoinette Valente as Mary.
70	17	"Balloon"	Tom Cherones	Teleplay by:Josh Lieb Story by: Joe Furey & Paul Simms	March 25, 1998 (1998-03-25)	417
Mr. James decides that he needs to fly around the world in a hot air balloon in order to prove his machismo to the other billionaires. Guest stars Dave Nemeth as TV Anchor.
71	18	"Copy Machine"	Joe Furey	Drake Sather	April 8, 1998 (1998-04-08)	418
Ted from accounting is killed by the copy machine and Joe feels responsible. Dave has trouble dealing with his grief over the death even though he didn't know Ted, and Ted's former college roommate comes to the office to talk to the staff about their memories of Ted, in preparation for his eulogy. Guest stars Tom Gallop as Jack, and Christopher Randolph as Paramedic.
72	19	"Monster Rancher"	Tom Cherones	Teleplay by: Sam Johnson & Chris Marcil Story by: Brian Kelley & Lewis Morton	April 15, 1998 (1998-04-15)	419
Mr. James makes Dave hire his nephew Walt. Dave resents it at first, but Walt is genuinely interested in radio, and has been obsessed with Dave's radio career since seeing him speak in junior high. Dave is touched and begins to give advice to Walt, which soon backfires when Walt reveals his crush on Lisa. Bill feels threatened by Walt's youth and good looks. Matthew asks Lisa out on a date, and she has trouble not hurting his feelings. Joe Rogan does not appear.
73	20	"4:20"	Judi Elterman	Paul Simms	April 29, 1998 (1998-04-29)	420
Mr. James invites the WNYX staff to a smoker at his men's club, where Matthew and Joe will participate in a no holds barred Ultimate Fight. Walt's crush on Lisa bothers Bill more than it does Dave. Guest stars David Dunard as Referee, and Brad Rowe returns as Walt.
74	21	"Jackass Junior High"	Tom Cherones	Teleplay by: Joe Furey & Alan J. Higgins Story by: Drake Sather & Paul Simms	May 6, 1998 (1998-05-06)	421
Beth is out sick and Lisa is the only woman working in the station. The guys see this as a license to be vulgar, because they think of Lisa as "one of the guys". Bill becomes worried the people don't think he is funny. Mr. James discovers a tax loophole and turns the station into a historic landmark, as long as they host six tours a day. Guest stars Mark Jonathan Davis as Himself, Jonelle Kennedy as Cheryl, Michelle Benes as Tour Woman, Doug Gochman as Tourist #1, Allan Murray as Tourist #2, Grady Hutt as Teenager, and Mathew Weiss as Kid. Brad Rowe returns as Walt. Note: Vicki Lewis was not in this episode; she was away working on Pushing Tin.
75	22	"Sinking Ship"	Tom Cherones	Teleplay by: Joe Furey, Brian Kelley, Josh Lieb, & Sam Johnson Story by: Chris Marcil, Lew Morton, Drake Sather, & Paul Simms	May 12, 1998 (1998-05-12)	422
Another "what if" episode that places Newsradio on the Titanic. Guest stars Emil Alexander as Porter, and Brad Rowe returns as Walt. Note: Vicki Lewis does not appear in this episode, and she is not included in the specially-created opening credits. Her absence was noted at the end of the show, when the audience is told that she was in Toronto working on Pushing Tin. She does, however, appear on the DVD commentary. Note: Hartman himself hosts this episode, book-ending the story. Note: The show's producers were always concerned that NBC would not pick up NewsRadio for another season, so they felt that "Sinking Ship" was an apt title for the season finale. Note: This episode was Hartman's final appearance on the show. He was killed by his wife two weeks after this episode aired.

Season 5 (1998–99)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Production code
76	1	"Bill Moves On"	Tom Cherones	Paul Simms	September 23, 1998 (1998-09-23)	501
The staff members mourn Bill's death. Guest stars Khandi Alexander as Catherine Duke. Note: The cast could barely get through reading the script due to the death of Phil Hartman. They broke down in tears several times while filming the episode.
77	2	"Meet Max Louis"	Tom Cherones	Josh Lieb	October 7, 1998 (1998-10-07)	502
Dave hires Max Louis (Jon Lovitz) as Bill's replacement.
78	3	"Lucky Burger"	Tom Cherones	Alan J. Higgins	October 14, 1998 (1998-10-14)	503
Matthew is determined to prove Max a fraud, while Lisa takes a job at a fast food restaurant to ferret out corruption. Guest stars David Anthony Higgins as The Manager.
79	4	"Noise"	Tom Cherones	Sam Johnson & Chris Marcil	October 21, 1998 (1998-10-21)	504
Dave and Jimmy become addicted to Joe's white noise box. Matthew comes to terms with Max, while Lisa feuds with him over "This Day in History."
80	5	"Flowers for Matthew"	Tom Cherones	Mark O'Keefe & Ron Weiner	October 28, 1998 (1998-10-28)	505
Joe's smart drink actually makes Matthew smart, but it can't last forever. Note: The show previously referenced Flowers for Algernon in the episode "Arcade."
81	6	"Jail"	Tom Cherones	Tom Saunders & Kell Cahoon	November 4, 1998 (1998-11-04)	506
Jimmy is arrested as infamous hijacker D. B. Cooper. Johnny Johnson temporarily replaces Jimmy, but looks to make it permanent. Guest stars Langon Bensing as FBI Agent, David Basulto as Guard #1, Jeff Greenwald as Security Guard, and Aaron Knight as Guard #1. Patrick Warburton joins as Johnny Johnson.
82	7	"The Lam"	Tom Cherones	Sam Johnson & Chris Marcil	November 11, 1998 (1998-11-11)	507
Fugitive Jimmy hides out with Dave's parents. Johnny offers to stop being evil if Lisa will marry him. Guest stars Spencer Garrett as G-Man, and Patrick Warburton returns as Johnny Johnson.
83	8	"Clash of the Titans"	Tom Cherones	Josh Lieb	November 24, 1998 (1998-11-24)	508
Jimmy is cleared of all charges when Adam West confesses to the crime, but now has to fight to get his company back from Johnny. Guest stars Casey Sander as Prosecutor, Julius Tennon as Judge, and Adam West as Himself. Patrick Warburton returns as Johnny Johnson.
84	9	"Boston"	Tom Cherones	Alan J. Higgins	December 9, 1998 (1998-12-09)	509
Max accidentally restores Lisa's Boston accent; Dave records an inspirational message for his high school. Note: Maura Tierney really was born in Hyde Park, Boston, like her character Lisa Miller.
85	10	"Spooky Rapping Crypt"	Tom Cherones	Mark O'Keefe	December 15, 1998 (1998-12-15)	510
Beth causes Jimmy's ire when she demands a profit sharing plan; Matthew discovers Lisa's Satanic cult through recovered memory therapy.
86	11	"Stinkbutt"	Tom Cherones	Drake Sather	January 5, 1999 (1999-01-05)	511
Joe and Beth paint a mural; Lisa and Matthew wear the same outfit; Max fights with Jimmy's new security consultant. Guest stars Toby Huss as Jack Frost.
87	12	"Apartment"	Skip Collector	Teleplay: Tom Saunders & Kell Cahoon Story: Sam Johnson and Chris Marcil	January 12, 1999 (1999-01-12)	512
Dave and Lisa fight over a new apartment. Joe puts up a webcam.
88	13	"Towers"	Judi Elterman	Teleplay: Alan J. Higgins Story: Cliff Schoenberg	February 2, 1999 (1999-02-02)	513
Jimmy plans to build gigantic J-shaped twin towers; Matthew transforms into a 70s punk to avoid dealing with his 30th birthday.
89	14	"Hair"	Tom Cherones	Josh Lieb	February 9, 1999 (1999-02-09)	514
Joe hypnotises Jimmy to cure his fear of hippies; Beth kidnaps Lisa's puppy.
90	15	"Assistant"	Tom Cherones	Ron Weiner	February 16, 1999 (1999-02-16)	515
Dave and Joe fight over Lisa's new assistant; Jimmy redecorates the men's room and Beth fights for access to it. Guest stars Tiffani-Amber Thiessen as Foxy Jackson.
91	16	"Wino"	Tom Cherones	Sam Johnson & Chris Marcil	February 23, 1999 (1999-02-23)	516
Johnny Johnson (guest star Patrick Warburton) returns--claiming to be no longer evil, but now a wino--to ask for Lisa's hand in marriage. Guest stars Alan Frazier as Bum.
92	17	"Wedding"	Tom Cherones	Tom Saunders & Kell Cahoon	March 2, 1999 (1999-03-02)	517
Dave tries to prevent Lisa from marrying Johnny. Guest stars Paul F. Tompkins as Justice of the Peace, and Jeb Barrows as Man in Black. Returning guest stars Alan Frazier as Bum and Patrick Warburton returns as Johnny Johnson. Note: When NewsRadio finally gave NBC the wedding episode they'd been demanding, NBC made it their "spotlight show of the week."
93	18	"Ploy"	Tom Cherones	Mark O'Keefe	March 9, 1999 (1999-03-09)	518
Lisa hyphenates her last name; Max announces he's going to quit. But what are his intentions?
94	19	"Padded Suit"	Dave Foley	Teleplay: Ron Weiner Story: Mike Preister	April 13, 1999 (1999-04-13)	519
Matthew and Max learn Joe-jitsu, with the help of a padded suit. Meanwhile, Dave plans to fire someone, while Jimmy starts a crusade against Mother's Day.
95	20	"Freaky Friday"	Skip Collector	Teleplay: Josh Lieb Story: Brad Copeland	April 20, 1999 (1999-04-20)	520
Jimmy and Matthew switch places for a day; Beth is caught cheating a CD club; Max is banned from the break room. Guest stars Wayne Federman as Randy Stark.
96	21	"Retirement"	Judi Elterman	Teleplay: Joe Furey & Brian Kelley Story: Paul Simms	April 27, 1999 (1999-04-27)	521
Jimmy announces he's selling the station to retire to New Hampshire.
97	22	"New Hampshire"	Tom Cherones	Teleplay: Sam Johnson & Chris Marcil Story: Josh Lieb & Paul Simms	May 4, 1999 (1999-05-04)	522
Jimmy sells the station and retires to New Hampshire, and tries to take the WNYX staff with him. Note: It was rumored Paul Simms planned a sixth season built around Jimmy's new radio station and newspaper in New Hampshire, but the show was not renewed due in part to Hartman's death and poor ratings.

External links

• List of NewsRadio episodes at TV.com