Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast GGACP Rewind: Mini-Episode #23: "Broadcast News" and "Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead"
Nov 2, 2026
A lively appreciation of Broadcast News explores its stellar performances, romantic entanglements, and sharp look at television journalism as showbiz. The conversation then turns to Sidney Lumet’s grim crime thriller Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, its fractured scheme, and powerhouse cast. Marisa Tomei’s Oscar win and the enduring Jack Palance rumor also get a spirited revisit.
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Polly Platt Connected Two Generations Of Comedy
- Polly Platt’s producing career connected Peter Bogdanovich’s early work with James L. Brooks’s later films.
- Frank and Gilbert praise Brooks, Albert Brooks, and films including Broadcast News, Lost in America, Modern Romance, and Real Life.
Broadcast News Shows Journalism Becoming Showbiz
- Broadcast News turns a newsroom love triangle into a critique of television’s shift from journalism toward show business.
- William Hurt’s handsome but uninformed anchorman defeats Albert Brooks’s competent reporter, while Holly Hunter feels torn between ethics and attraction.
Broadcast News Turns Anchoring Into Physical Comedy
- Albert Brooks’s reporter finally asks William Hurt how to anchor the news and receives absurd performance advice.
- Sitting on his jacket and fighting flop sweat create one of the film’s funniest newsroom scenes.
