‘NewsRadio’ Had an E-Cigarette 6 Years Before They Existed

I've said this for years, but have said it even more over the past few weeks. NewsRadio is one of the most underrated TV shows of all time. It was brilliant. The cast, the writing, the timing, all of it was absolutely brilliant.

Here is one example of the shows brilliance. This scene is from an episode where Phil Hartman is quitting smoking and Dave Foley is giving up coffee.

Here's another clip from the show but this one really needs context. Jimmy James (Stephen Root) needs someone from the station to win a talent show. Joe Rogan's character claims his talent is he can punch anything and not break his hand.

As I have been watching old NewsRadio clips, I noticed something. Episode 24 of season 3 takes place in space. In fact, it's called 'Space'. It's a futuristic look at WNYX in space. At the 12:13 mark, Phil Hartman pulls out an e-cigarette. This episode aired in 1997, but the first e-cigarette didn't hit the market until 2003. NewsRadio truly was ahead of it's time.