LateLine

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LateLine ranks 7,014 out of the 18,228 shows on TV.com.

The 9 users who count themselves as LateLine fans have written a total of 2 reviews.

Status

Premiered

Ended

Genre

"LateLine" is set behind the scenes at a fictitious TV network's late-night news program based in Washington, D.C. The show follows anchorman Al Freundlich, who got the job when his predecessor Pearce McKenzie quit as a publicity stunt, and his co-workers Mona, Vic, Briana, Raji, and Gale.

Broadcast History
NBC: 3/17/1998--3/16/1999
Showtime: 2/4/1999-12/25/1999

"LateLine" is set behind the scenes at a fictitious TV network's late-night news program based in Washington, D.C. The show follows anchorman Al Freundlich, who got the job when his predecessor Pearce McKenzie quit as a publicity stunt, and his co-workers Mona, Vic, Briana, Raji, and Gale.

Broadcast History
NBC: 3/17/1998--3/16/1999
Showtime: 2/4/1999-12/25/1999less «

From the Forums

•  

  10 Perfect

  Al Franken hide « show »

  I don't have a sense of humor - but even I laughed when the one episode opened with Al reporting from a location experiencing a Winter blizzard.
  
  This show could have been better if it were an hour long with a little more drama - but it still would have been canceled because it would have been too smart for the general public.
  
  The cast all had and have had respectable careers - especially Franken who is now essentially an United States Senator from - forgive me if I'm wrong - Minnesota. I might have to move there. Maybe I'll buy a lake.
  
  LL: RIP

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  ap14rcf70 Added Apr 18, 2009 All my reviews
•  

  6.5 Fair

  A sitcom take on late night news programs. Showing the inner-workings of not only the office politics, but also the near catastrophies and difficulties with getting a new and cutting edge program on air each night. hide « show »

  Its closest relative must be Murphy Brown. Yet that program was a little crisper with better writing and much better continuity. The continuity of LateLine is so bad as to make it almost a joke, leaving the characters more like characatures. For example, when Mona gets a life/lover, she becomes a vibrant, assertive, newly born woman, yet the following program has returned to her mousey self again. It seems as though each episode must be taken as a separate entity, with the only connection being the characters basic characteristics.
  
  Also, it seems that each character gets his or her own episode. For example the episode where Raj becomes a virtual sex slave. Each episode seems to have one character step a little forward and take the spotlight for the moment. Almost as if ticking off a checklist, each one goes through an affair of either sex or love, as if there had to be a love interest for each character, yet, the aforementioned continuity errors make this a little contrived.
  
  All in all, not a bad program. The fact that it only had six episodes per season for three seasons, a little reminiscent of some Brit-com structures, means the gags and laughs were not stretched over three twenty plus episode seasons. , so they become acceptable and sometimes quite funny. One never feels that they are beating a dead horse, especially due to the spanning of three years. Being a news program they reference events from the three years, again cutting down the repetition, and making it fresh.
  
  A final note should go to the numerous, and sometimes hilarious, cameos by several politicians and actors. Dana Carvey does a great job as a Republican from SC, and many (real-life) politicians show great spirit and ability in a comedic role, often poking fun at themselves, which is very refreshing and adds a certain reality to the show. Too bad the other elements also don't strike the same realistic chord, or else it would be a winner!

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  MoggIntellect Added Dec 4, 2005 All my reviews