NEWSRADIO: 2.05 “The Shrink”
I bought the complete series package of NewsRadio. By the way, I really don’t recommend it. The DVDs themselves are held by a spindle, which leaves a lot of room for possible scratch-age (in fact, I’ve already had to return the set once). So let me just state for the record that if you want to invest in this series, get the individual seasons.
Why do I bring this up? Well, seeing as I have the entire series, it means I’m watching it all very quickly to make sure nothing’s wrong with any disks before the return deadline is up. And you know, it’s fun!
I tend to remember guest stars on this show. Like Lauren Graham. She came in as an outside source that was supposed to cut fat from the company–basically choosing to fire Matthew. A lot of people tend to forget she’s on it, but I liked her. First saw her there. Long before Gilmore Girls.
But one guest star I completely forgot about is John Ritter, who plays the therapist they have to hire to help the group get over their many issues with each other. I’m a sucker for John Ritter, so this episode really sticks out in my mind. It’s not like when he was Ted in Buffy. As much as I love John Ritter, that episode was pretty weak. This episode is just the opposite.
Dave spends the entire episode jealous because this guy comes in and repeats everything that he has already told the staff and becomes 100% more effective in problem-solving. What’s more? Of course, he slept with Lisa. (At this point, doesn’t it seem like a lot of people have slept with Lisa?)
And of course, John Ritter fits the bill for this therapist perfectly. Who could think of a calmer, nicer guy? Thoughts of Buffy aside, I don’t think anyone couldn’t be pacified just by hearing his voice and knowing that he wants to know what’s going on with you. Perfect casting, and the contract between his calm and Dave’s stress level is fantastic. Especially when Dave accidentally walks into an effective therapy session. Nice.
It’s really just a comedic episode. Add in Bill’s random cubicle that he sets up for privacy (he can smoke and wear only his undies and be comfortable). I think I most enjoyed seeing everyone snap at each other for no reason at all–so relatable for anyone who works in an office.
Anyway, it was nice to see John Ritter again considering his gone-too-soon status, especially in this fantastic show. Of course, thinking about him being a sex addict. Well, let’s not think about that too much.
The episode (and series) are definitely worth checking out, and I hope you do. Oh, speaking of guest stars, I’ve moved on to one that guests Bebe Neuwirth. Fantastic show. Fantastic cast.
Looks like I’m going to have a great Sunday afternoon!
And if you had Scrubs on DVD, you could watch Ritter guest as J.D.’s dad. He’s everywhere!!