In honor of tonight’s season premiere of Tim Allen’s sitcom Last Man Standing, today’s Friday Favorites will feature sitcom’s that had a “show-within-a-show,” as did Allen’s successful 1990’s comedy, Home Improvement. The top five shows listed below all had another show – whether television or radio – running through its main plot throughout the series’ run.
5) WNYX News (NewsRadio)
News anchor Bill reports for WNYX News, the show-within-a-show on NewsRadio.
Throughout its five-season run, NewsRadio centered on the people who worked at “WNYX News” in New York. Dubbed “New York’s #2 Radio Station,” the cast of NewsRadio – from news director Dave Nelson (Dave Foley) to electrician Joe Garrelli (Joe Rogan) – worked hard to deliver an excellent news radio broadcast to the city of New York. From its offbeat cast to its creative storylines, NewsRadio managed to keep viewers interested in both the actual sitcom and the news show around which it centered.
4) The Dr. Frasier Crane Show (Frasier)
Frasier gives advice during an episode of his radio show, The Dr. Frasier Crane Show, the show-within-a-show on Frasier.
Viewers regularly see Frasier (Kelsey Grammer), a psychiatrist, giving advice to Seattle listeners on his KACL radio show, “The Dr. Frasier Crane Show.” In addition to seeing Frasier interact with his co-workers, in particular his producer, Roz (Peri Gilpin), the show often centered entire episodes around the radio station. Whether it was Frasier negotiating a new contract with the station, the entire cast coming together to broadcast a radio drama, or simply short scenes in which we see Frasier at work, the use of “The Dr. Frasier Crane Show” as a show-within-a-show added another dimension to Frasier.
3) Jerry (Seinfeld)
George and Jerry pitch the sitcom Jerry to NBC executives, Jerry was the show-within-a-show on Seinfeld.
Seinfeld‘s show-within-a-show is notably different than the others on this list as it wasn’t actually airing during the series 9-season run, rather viewers watched Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) trying to get his eponymous sitcom picked up by a network. Nevertheless, throughout the course of the series, viewers got a lot of insight into the proposed sitcom, titled “Jerry.” Not surprisingly, Jerry’s comedy was much like the actual show Seinfeld that viewers were watching, essentially a sitcom about nothing.
2) TGS with Tracy Jordan (30 Rock)
The cast of the sketch comedy TGS With Tracy Jordan, the show-within-a-show on 30 Rock.
The entire basis of 30 Rock is the sketch comedy series “TGS with Tracy Jordan.” Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) and the rest of the cast are writers, producers, actors, and, in the case of Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) network executives, that work on the sketch comedy. Originally called “The Girlie Show,” star Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski) had to make room for a new, overpowering co-star, Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan), as the show morphed into “TGS with Tracy Jordan.” For seven seasons viewers have enjoyed watching the comedic in’s and out’s of putting together the sketch comedy, making 30 Rock a memorable sitcom featuring a show-within-a-show.
1) Tool Time (Home Improvement)
Tim Taylor and his assistant, Al Borland, host Tool Time, the show-within-a-show on Home Improvement.
Although it received more attention in some episodes than in others, it was Tim Taylor’s (Tim Allen) “Tool Time” that first attracted viewers to Home Improvement, the 1990s family comedy. A day-time cable television show hosted by Allen’s character and his friend Al Borland (Richard Karn), “Tool Time” sought to teach viewers how to do different projects around the house, such as fixing cars, plumbing, and general handy-man type tasks. But Tim’s carelessness led to regular mishaps during the filming of the show, making Home Improvement‘s “Tool Time” scenes very comedic. Whether it was watching Tim’s mistakes or simply watching him watch re-runs of his own show on a regular basis, “Tool Time” and the stories with which it came added a great deal of comedy and entertainment to Home Improvement.
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