Space (NewsRadio episode)
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Space is an episode of the show NewsRadio. WNYX is imagined as a news radio station in space in the future.
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[edit] Summary
- Episode No.: 3-24 (52)
- Production No.: 324
- US Airdate: May 21, 1997
- Written by:
- Story: Brian Kelley and Lewis Morton
- Teleplay: Joe Furey, Josh Lieb and Paul Simms
- Directed by: Tom Cherones
- Guest stars: Bobbie Brown as Irene
[edit] Plot
After Phil Hartmann announces the episode, the cast is shown in a "what-if" scenario, where WNYX is a space station in the future.
The crew still have the same jobs, and WNYX is still a radio station. Bill and Catharine read ads ("Soylent Green, made from the best stuff on Earth: people") and news from the future, such as the following story:
- "Tragedy struck today in Sector 9 as rebel terrorists blew up the Death Star, killing thousands. The Rebel Alliance, a fringe group of Anti-Empire fanatics, has claimed responsibility for the terrorist act. Fortunately Lord Vader escaped without harm. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims."
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.")
[edit] Trivia
In the commentary track for this episode, the writers admitted that they did this episode in part because they wanted to have an episode where everyone is killed at the end of the season, in case they weren't picked up for another season.
The episode allow the writers to throw every space-themed cliche and inside joke possible into the episode. Among the jokes are Dave telling Lisa he'll get a "space heater" and Jimmy handing everyone a book called To Serve Man (which he deadpans, "It's a cookbook").
All of the cast wear futuristic astronaut outfits (white jumpsuits), with the exception of Jimmy, who wears his usual business suit (proclaiming, "this was the height of fashion in the late 20th century").
