Ray Romano May Be Responsible for Giving Us Joe Rogan
It’s part of TV comedy history that Joe Rogan replaced an actor named Greg Lee in the sitcom NewsRadio, making Rogan a household name and setting the stage for Fear Factor and eventual world domination. It would be easy to point an angry finger at Lee, who actually starred in the NewsRadio pilot, for not holding onto the job that would give Rogan a fame foothold. But there was a third comic actor who was cast before Lee. And if Ray Romano could have done a better job of impressing producers, we’d live in a very different timeline.
Yep, it was the future Everybody Loves Raymond star who was first cast as the electrician on NewsRadio. Romano auditioned and got the part in 1994 — only to get fired two days into rehearsals.
What was the problem? Producers felt like Romano’s sleepy line delivery was slowing down the show’s rapid-fire comic pace. Presumably, they asked Romano to pick up the speed but he couldn’t deliver, opening the door for Lee and eventually Rogan.
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Whoa. Take a moment to consider the comedy sliding doors. If Rogan doesn’t get fired…
‘Everybody Loves Raymond Never Happens’
NewsRadio ran for five seasons from 1995 to 1999, a period in which Romano would have been under contract to NBC. Everybody Loves Raymond starts on CBS in 1996 — at least in our reality. But in an alternate multiverse, the show never exists. Maybe Romano finds his groove and gets a few Best Supporting Actor Emmy nominations, but does that lead to a Jason Alexander career, so identified as a second banana character that he never gets to steer his own ship?
Greg Lee Loses Trivia Question Status
At least Romano boomeranged into sitcom stardom after NewsRadio kicked him to the curb. Lee went on to play Pool Player #2 on an episode of Mad About You. As a consolation prize, Lee gets to show up in barroom trivia games as the answer to “Who did Joe Rogan replace…?” But if Romano talked faster and never lost the job, we’re never discussing Lee.
We Never Remember Joe Rogan’s Name
Based on his role in NewsRadio, enough people knew Rogan for the producers of Fear Factor to take a flyer. Thanks to his fame from both TV shows, early iPod listeners gave a chance to a podcast from That Guy We Sorta Recognize From TV.
Is it possible that the Joe Rogan Experience takes off without that television recognition? Sure, but it’s more likely that Rogan ends up as a funny-enough comic on early celebrity roasts. Was Rogan more hilarious than, say, Nick Di Paolo, Greg Giraldo or Jim Norton, other wise-guy comics of the era? Nope, but he had a mug we all recognized from those commercials for NBC’s Must-See TV.
So the next time you’re vexed by a buddy citing Joe Rogan’s opinion on national healthcare policy, just remember who’s really to blame. This one’s on you, Romano.