Five Things you Didn’t Know about the Show Great News

Great News is an NBC comedy television series that is produced by Tina Fey.The plot centers around two news anchors who are slugging it out for top dog position. John Michael Higgins and Nicole Richie are joined by Richie’s mother who is serving as intern to liven up the situation. Mother daughter (Katie and Carol) relationships at work can lead to a maelstrom of issues. The show had great viewership for the pilot, but ratings haven’t yet started to climb. Episodes three and four show great promise for bringing a revival of fans because they really are good.

Here are five things you didn’t know about the show Great News.

1. The pilot and second episodes were received badly

The new comedy News show didn’t hit the ground running because the pilot wasn’t really that funny. The writers saved the good stuff until the third episode, but once it aired, everyone was convinced of its potential. Still, critics are wondering why they didn’t give their best shot out of the gate?

2. Don’t expect a political forum

Great News could be used to further political opinions on current events because of the genre. According to Tina Fey, that isn’t what the intention of the show is at its core. There will be some coverage of the news in a “generic way,” but this isn’t a soapbox to further any political agenda one way or the other. It is a comedy that focuses more on what is going on in the lives and relationships of the main characters.

3. The show highlights generation gaps

If you watch intently and pay attention to the themes that are repeated throughout each episode, you’ll catch the fact that this is about how older and younger generations communicate differently. This is seen in the battles that go on between the news anchors. While Higgins’ character relies on giving the news in a factual manner without adding any spice, his younger counterpart played by Richie delivers her part with a different approach that is more geared towards appealing to a younger more trendy audience. This is repeated between Katie and Carol. It gives the show a contemporary beat and makes us all take a look at how different generations process and deliver information.

4. Andrea Martin who plays as Carol, the overbearing and doting mother is 70

Andrea is showing the world that she’s not nearly ready for retirement. She signed on for the new series at age 70. You can’t tell by looking at her that she has passed the 60 year mark. She fulfills the role with great energy and zest and contributes her talents as a comedian to complete the cast in a way that only Martin could. She’s happy about the role and has remarked that she feels like she’s “doing something good.”

5. Despite weak initial ratings the show is being renewed for a second season

Those of us who have been following Good News know that it has the potential to be a great sitcom. The third episode is proof of that. Now that it has picked up the pace, NBC execs are hoping that the ratings will start climbing. We’ll know more about the future of the show as it wraps up the first season and heads into the thirteen episodes scheduled for season 2.