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NewsRadio

The workplace sitcom "NewsRadio" explores the office politics and interpersonal relationships among the staff of WNYX NewsRadio, New York's #2 news radio station. Beleaguered news director Dave Nelson (Dave Foley) tries his best to manage a staff that includes egotistical anchors Bill McNeal (Phil Hartman) and Catherine Duke (Khandi Alexander), ambitious supervising producer Lisa Miller (Maura Tierney), who also happens to be his on/off girlfriend, hapless reporter Matthew Brock (Andy Dick), sardonic secretary Beth (Vicki Lewis), and tech-happy electrician Joe (Joe Rogan), while also answering to the station's intimidating and eccentric owner Jimmy James (Stephen Root).

Season 5 Episode Guide

22 Episodes 1998 - 1999

Episode 1

Bill Moves On

Wed, Sep 23, 1998 22 mins

After Bill's funeral, the staff deals with their grief. Catherine comes back to read some private messages as part of Bill's last will. Matthew wants to believe Bill is still alive and traveling the world.

Episode 2

Meet the Max Louis

Wed, Oct 7, 1998 22 mins

Dave thinks it's time to hire Bill's replacement. When the staff resists, he considers going with a longtime friend of Bill's, Max Louis. As it turns out, Max is a horrible radio personality and gets fired from every job he has. Joe needs to fix all the computers in preparation for Y2K. Electronics around the office randomly explode.

Episode 3

Lucky Burger

Wed, Oct 14, 1998 23 mins

Matthew hates Max and tries very hard--and very ridiculously--to get him fired. With the help of Joe, he finds out Max has lied on his resume. Meanwhile, Lisa goes undercover and starts working at a fast food restaurant to find out if it violates health codes.

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Episode 4

Noise

Wed, Oct 21, 1998 22 mins

Dave is more stressed than usual, so Joe decides to make him a white-noise machine for relaxation. Dave loves it and eventually becomes so mellow he refuses to work. Max infringes on Lisa's special show "This Day in History," broadcasting ridiculous "live" interviews with historical figures and twisting historical facts.

Episode 5

Flowers for Matthew

Wed, Oct 28, 1998 22 mins

Matthew becomes brilliant after drinking Joes Brain milkshake.

Episode 6

Jail

Wed, Nov 4, 1998 22 mins

Mr. James is arrested and held for possibly being the legendary bank robber D.B. Cooper. Johnny Johnson arrives to fill his place, much to Mr. James' dismay; Johnson quickly makes positive impressions on the staff. Afraid Lisa is uncovering to much damning evidence on Mr. James, he assigns Matthew to the story.

Episode 7

The Lam

Wed, Nov 11, 1998 22 mins

With Mr. James on the loose after breaking out of prison, Dave and Lisa must try to get the green duffel bag away from Johnny Johnson, which is made harder since Lisa has the hots for Johnny. The rest of the staff refuses to believe Johnny is evil.

Episode 8

Clash of the Titans

Tue, Nov 24, 1998 22 mins

After beating the D.B. Cooper case in court, Mr. James returns to the station to find he cannot get rid of Johnny Johnson, who was made CEO in Mr. James' absence. Now the staff and Mr. James must find a way to win back Jimmy's empire.

Episode 9

Boston

Wed, Dec 9, 1998 23 mins

Max tries to help Lisa with a supposed speech impediment, but accidentally uncovers her hidden Boston accent. Dave offers to do an inspiring video message for an old teacher's students.

Episode 10

Spooky Rapping Crypt

Tue, Dec 15, 1998 22 mins

Beth and Mr. James clash over employee profit-sharing. After undergoing hypnosis, Matthew believes he endured Satanic ritual abuse from Lisa.

Episode 11

Stinkbutt

Tue, Jan 5, 1999 23 mins

Joe and Beth paint a self-expression mural in the lobby. Max insists that Mr. James' security consultant is an impostor. Matthew wears the same outfit as Lisa to the office.

Episode 12

Apartment

Tue, Jan 12, 1999 23 mins

Dave and Lisa fight over a new apartment and, needing a required reference, they each immediately go to Mr. James, who opts to let the staff decide who should receive the reference. To spice up the "crappy" WNYX website, Joe sets up a webcam in the breakroom.

Episode 13

Towers

Tue, Feb 2, 1999 23 mins

Wanting to leave a lasting legacy, Mr. James proposes to build a pair of 200-story buildings shaped like his initials. Freaking out over turning 30, Matthew shows up at work dressed and acting like a British punk rocker rebelling against society.

Episode 14

Hair

Tue, Feb 9, 1999 22 mins

Mr James wants to do business with a computer billionaire, but he is shocked when he finds the man has casual clothing, a beard, and long hair. Joe takes Jimmy on a hypnotic psychoanalysis to find he's been terrified of hippies ever since a violent hippie encounter back in 1968.

Episode 15

Assistant

Tue, Feb 16, 1999 23 mins

Lisa discovers her contract allows her to have an assistant. When the new gal shows up looking hot and acting flirty, the boys go crazy and the women get irritated. Max is upset the women have a couch in their rest room and demands the same. Things get ugly when Jimmy overdoes the mens room and people cant agree to the rules of its use.

Episode 16

Wino

Tue, Feb 23, 1999 22 mins

Matthew finds Mr. James' evil nemesis who almost put him away in Federal prison and stole his company, Johnny Johnson, a homeless wino living in a subway station. Johnny claims to no longer be evil and seeks to still marry Lisa.

Episode 17

Wedding

Tue, Mar 2, 1999 23 mins

During Lisa and Johnny's wedding, which Dave strongly opposes, Johnny is arrested for theft. Lisa must decide whether to stay married to him.

Episode 18

Ploy

Tue, Mar 9, 1999 23 mins

Max threatens to quit, but nobody takes him serious since Beth tells them it's just a ploy to get her to go out with him. Lisa wants to hybrid her last name with Johnny's last name, but most of the staff has different ideas.

Episode 19

Padded Suit

Tue, Apr 13, 1999 23 mins

Angry that the staff members do not even pretend to do their job and that they ignore him, Dave plans on firing somebody. Max and Matthew get Joe to teach them his special blended forms of karate, called Joe-Jitsu. Displeased with how Mother's Day cheapens motherhood, Mr. James goes on a mission to destroy Mother's Day.

Episode 20

Freaky Friday

Tue, Apr 20, 1999 22 mins

Because Matthew thinks Mr. James' job is much easier than his job, they switch places for a day. Dave bans Max from the breakroom because he keeps stealing food from everybody; Max now must find other means to get to "his" beloved food. For years, Beth has been cheating a CD club by ordering CDs under several aliases, but now that the club has caught up with her, she desperately wants to get rid of the 5700 CDs she has purchased.

Episode 21

Retirement

Tue, Apr 27, 1999 30 mins

Mr. James announces he's retiring and moving to a big cabin in New Hampshire. Matthew worries that Dave will fire him once Mr. James departs, and immediately becomes paranoid. Lisa plans a going-away party that Dave considers a waste of time, because he believes Mr. James' retirement and move are just another of his crazy schemes.

Episode 22

New Hampshire

Tue, May 4, 1999 23 mins

In the series finale, Jimmy James shock jocks WNYX by returning from his titanic retirement cabin. Homesick James adores his farm's pet sounds, but pines for the blue, flaming news zoo's beastly noise, and Dave's mom. To shed his two-tone mourning jacket, he begs Dave to run his new tiny, tinny New Hampshire radio station. But now, ex-cheese-head Dave loves the Big Apple, and gets an evil urge to unload cat-loving Matthew via bait and switch. Will other news crew kiss off the great escape artist's golden call of the wild to his green acres ? Is this an alien conspiracy?

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