NewsRadio

Cast

• Dave Nelson (Dave Foley) is the station's coffee-addicted, micromanaging news director from Wisconsin. Dave considered a career as a professional tap dancer before going into radio. He was a Boy Scout and 4-H Club member, and also a talented knife thrower and ventriloquist. He was once afraid that if people knew he was born in Canada, they would think he was a spy.
• Ambitious and intelligent Lisa Miller (Maura Tierney), with whom Dave has an intermittent relationship, is promoted and demoted within the show's run, serving as reporter, on-air personality, producer and news director. Lisa's parents raised her in a regimented environment and didn't allow her to watch TV. She abruptly decided to go into news radio while eating a cheese-steak sandwich.
• The station's news anchors are the bombastic, ego-centric Bill McNeal (Phil Hartman) and the unflappable Catherine Duke (Khandi Alexander, who left the show part way during the fourth season). The two characters were often bitter rivals, partly due to an office affair they had earlier, casting doubt on the wisdom of Dave and Lisa's relationship.
• Jimmy James (Stephen Root), the station's billionaire owner (who may have been famous skyjacker D.B. Cooper and/or Watergate scandal source Deep Throat), often places strange bets with his rich friends and is desperately looking for a wife.
• Beth (Vicki Lewis), the only regular character without a last name, is Dave's perpetually gum-chewing secretary, whose work mainly consists of eavesdropping and getting coffee for Dave.
• The clumsy and not very bright Matthew Brock (Andy Dick) is a news reporter and official "office weird guy."
• Joe Garelli (Joe Rogan) is the station's engineer. He builds all the things he needs, rather than purchasing them, and espouses various conspiracy theories. His last name is the subject of a running gag with Bill: whenever it is mentioned, Bill looks surprised and says, "your name is Garelli?"

After Phil Hartman was murdered in 1998, he was replaced by Jon Lovitz, playing Max Louis, a pseudonym -- we never learn his real name. Lovitz made two guest appearances on the show before becoming a regular: once as a patient in a mental institution (who also uses an assumed name) and again as a jumper on the ledge outside the WNYX office. In both earlier appearances, his character befriends Bill McNeal; later "Max Louis" is introduced as an old friend of Bill's. A picture of McNeal/Hartman remained as part of the set in the news director's office during the final season.

Related Topics:
Phil Hartman - 1998 - Jon Lovitz - Pseudonym

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Recurring characters and guest appearances

Patrick Warburton played a notable recurring character during the show's last season, Johnny Johnson. Johnny was a nemesis of Jimmy James and later a love interest for Lisa Miller.

Related Topics:
Patrick Warburton - Recurring character

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Lauren Graham had a four episode run as Andrea, or Andrea Planbee, as Matthew believes her name to be. Andrea is an efficiency expert who shakes up the office and makes life miserable for Dave.

Related Topics:
Lauren Graham - Efficiency

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Brad Rowe had a four episode run as Walt, an office intern with a crush on Lisa, causing more worry for Dave.

Related Topics:
Brad Rowe - Intern

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Steve Susskind had a recurring role as Milos the Janitor, appearing in three episodes.

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Kevin McDonald, a former castmate of Foley from The Kids in the Hall, made a guest appearance as the knife-wielding Throwdini.

Related Topics:
Kevin McDonald - The Kids in the Hall

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