Friday, August 7, 1987
Newsy, breezy and funny
HBO's news team is livelier than 'SNL' cast
by KAY GARDELLA

LOS ANGELES - We interrupt this column for a special bulletin. The outrageous, shocking, fearless and funny gang from HBO's "Not Necessarily the News" is back tomorrow night at 11 with an all-new, fast-pace, side-splitting hour called "Not Necessarily the Media."
     The cast's target this time is the media itself - TV, those "ink-stained wretches" on newspapers, magazines, you name it. And, of course, commercials aren't free from their biting, satirical humor.
      The hour hugs the headlines, and because so much involves television, a viewer has no problem identifying with the material. Writers, led by Matt Neuman, are sharp.
      The ensemble group - Danny Breen as anchorman Steve Casper, Anne Bloom as reporter Frosty Kimelman, Lucy Webb as Helen St. Thomas, the workaholic reporter, and Stuart Pankin as reporter Bob Charles - work smoothly together, having had plenty of practice. They're pros, and better organized than their counterparts on NBC's "Saturday Night Live."
      But part of the fun is the clever way actual news professionals are integrated into the program, teasing the likes of Sam Donaldson, Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw and William Buckley.
      Long-time NBC news correspondent Edwin Newman even has some fun in the show. He's seen making pitches for the Edwin Newman Center in Palm Springs for "newsaholics." Also, several newscast nuances are teased, including long closing credits and man-on-the-street interviews.
      This speical is not necessarily to be missed by anyone who enjoys good satire. Other play dates are Aug. 11, 14, 19, 24 and 30. 


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