Line #5 Series/NotNecessarilyTheNews


1	[[quoteright:293:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nntn_1842.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:293:Top row: Mitchell Laurence, Lucy Webb, Danny Breen. Bottom row: Stuart Pankin, Anne Bloom. Not pictured: Rich Hall.]]
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4	''Not Necessarily the News'' was a comedy program that aired on Creator/{{HBO}} from 1982 to 1990. Based on the British TV series ''Series/NotTheNineOClockNews'', political satire was the show's stock in trade, as the ensemble poked fun at the headlines of the times, not to mention the news media itself.
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6	From 1982 to 1987, ''NNTN'' was structured like a sketch comedy interspersed with commercial parodies and satirized news items. Then, after a brief hiatus, the show returned in 1989 with a [[Series/SaturdayNightLive "Weekend Update"]]-style format, centered on the news anchors but still containing humorous takes on the news and some fake commercials. Unfortunately, most of the audience's reaction was TheyChangedItNowItSucks, and the retooled ''NNTN'' was done after only one season.
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8	The show is credited with starting or boosting the careers of Creator/RichHall, Creator/JanHooks, Creator/ConanOBrien and Greg Daniels, all of whom worked on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' after this show.[[note]]In another connection, cast member Mitchell Laurance was the identical twin of Matthew Laurance, an SNL featured cast member during the brief Jean Doumanian era.[[/note]]
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11	!!Officials at TV Tropes have confirmed that the following tropes were affiliated with Not Necessarily The News:
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13	* AttackOfThePoliticalAd: The "Bring Back [[UsefulNotes/RichardNixon DICK!]]" bits, used throughout the 1984 episodes.
14	* BitingTheHandHumor: Some HBO programming has ended up as targets of ''NNTN'' satire.
15	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The pilot, ''Not Necessarily Television'', does not include the setting of the television news program. The show starts with the cast (dressed in casual clothes) sitting in a park watching some flying saucers landing, that actually contain food.
16	* TheEighties: And as such, much of the humor was at the expense of UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan.
17	* GagDub: A key element of ''NNTN'', done to news footage.
18	* KentBrockmanNews: Some segments are framed as their own news programs.
19	* {{Neologism}} / PerfectlyCromulentWord: The premise behind the "Sniglets" segment.
20	* {{Novelization}}: The "Sniglets" segment spawned a series of "Sniglets" books during ''NNTN's'' run.
21	* PornStache: Danny Breen.
22	* PressureSensitiveInterface: {{Conversed}}. The "Sniglets" section defines the term elecceleration as thinking that jabbing an elevator's buttons will cause it to accelerate. Years later, it would get further busted by the ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}''.
23	--> '''Elecceleration:''' The mistaken belief that repeatedly pressing the elevator button will make it go faster.
24	* RecurringCharacter: The ''NNTN'' cast used recurring names for their anchor/reporter alter egos.
25	** Anne Bloom: Frosty Kimmelman
26	** Danny Breen: Steve Casper
27	** Mitchell Laurence: Pete Kimmelman
28	** Creator/AudrieNeenan: Jacqueline Pennell
29	** Creator/StuartPankin: Bob Charles
30	** Lucy Webb: Helen St. Thomas
31	** AsHimself: Rich Hall
32	* SkewedPriorities: A segment covering a football game has a player collapse on the field. The commentators are concerned that the player reinjured a recently healed knee. It actually turns out that the player died from a heart attack. After this revelation, one of the commentators is relieved that it wasn't his knees.
33	* SpinOff: ''NNTN'' spawned several one-shot specials, such as ''Not Necessarily The Movies'', ''Not Necessarily Politics'', ''Not Necessarily Television'' and ''Not Necessarily The Year In Review''.
34	* TheTapeKnewYouWouldSayThat / TheTelevisionTalksBack: Quite a few sketches involve these.

Context Series / NotNecessarilyTheNews