Trivia / Broadcast News

• Cast the Expert:
  • Marc Shaiman and Glen Roven, who both play News Theme Writers, are real-life composers, who have also done television jingles.
  • James L. Brooks hand-picked some real life reporters to appear as guests in the ball scene.
  • Peter Hackes, a recently-retired correspondent for NBC News, was cast as a meddling network executive who laid off a large number of people in the network Washington bureau. Hackes would later remark that then-NBC News president Lawrence Grossman would tell him "Now you know what we have to go through."
  • A behind-the-scenes variant: Holly Hunter's character of Jane Crain was not only based on then-CBS News Washington bureau producer (and future CBS News president) Susan Zirinsky; who also served as an associate producer and technical advisor and even lent Hunter some clothes.
• Doing It for the Art: Jack Nicholson, who plays network anchor Bill Rorish, not only accepted the role for scale (minimum SAG payment), but specifically requested that he not appear in the trailer, the opening credits, or any advertisements or promotions for the film because he did not want to take attention away from Hunter, Hurt and Brooks.
• Dueling Movies: Released the same day as Moonstruck.
• Dyeing for Your Art: Holly Hunter would shadow Susan Zirinsky to get a feel for the Jane Crain character and eventually got a similar haircut to Zirinsky during production.
• Harpo Does Something Funny: Albert Brooks revealed that when he first read the script, the scene where Aaron does a weekend broadcast simply noted "Something bad happens to Aaron on the air." Albert was watching CNN when a reporter he'd never seen before (and hasn't seen since) began sweating badly. Albert phoned James L. Brooks at three in the morning and stated that Aaron HAD to start sweating profusely.
• Looping Lines: Aaron saying, "He just said, 'I'm scared'" during the Sandinista scene is obvious ADR.
• Real-Life Relative: One of ten movies to feature John and Joan Cusack.
• Uncredited Role: Jack Nicholson's cameo, which he did purely as a favour to James L. Brooks.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Judy Davis, Christine Lahti, Elizabeth McGovern, Catherine O'Hara, Elizabeth Perkins, Kathleen Turner and Sigourney Weaver were considered for Jane Craig. Debra Winger was initially cast, but had to drop out when she became pregnant.
  • Two alternate endings were shot: Jane goes with Tom, Jane goes with Aaron, but Brooks chose no one gets anybody.

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