Live Shot

When a gay radical group called Odd Man Out plans a press conference at which they claim they will name a closeted gay in local broadcast journalism, Re-Action News sportscaster Lou Waller fears he will be publicly ""outed."" Meanwhile, speculation as to who will be names consumes the news team, whose members alternately debate appropriate coverage of the event, explore their own feelings about homosexuality—and, in the case of veteran anchor Harry, attempt to enlist eyewitnesses (primarily co-anchor Sherry) to attest to their heterosexuality. Meanwhile, recently separated sound man Tommy is adrift—literally and emotionally—after his wife, who had also been involved with his partner and best friend, vanishes with their baby' news director Alex and news producer Nancy try to figure out where to go with their relationship ""the morning after,"" which also marks the arrival in L.A. of Alex's estranged wife; and formerly celibate commentator Marvin holds a news conference to announce his sexua

After escaping their captors in the Nicaraguan jungle, Ricardo, Eddie and nancy make it to the orphanage, where they find ransacked buildings and four terrified kids. Meanwhile, Marvin finally succumbs to Helen and, after a long hiatus from the street beat, Harry tries his hand at reporting.

When Peggy crashes her car, the result of a brake job paid for but never performed, Alex sends Nancy and Sean undercover to prove that Uncle Sam's car repair is a crooked operation. Unfortunately, it's also the station's biggest client. Meanwhile, the image consultant, Brian, begins his cosmetic overhaul of the news and Eddie and Tommy try to cope with Eddie's live-in relationship with Tommy's wife.

Station General Manager Helen Forbes sets her sights on bedding commentator Marvin Seaborn, but her research into his past commentaries suggests that having her way with him may be trickier than she thought. Meanwhile, Eddie comes up with the perfect location from which to cover a major downtown fire—the roof of a competing station—and Brian the consultant is still looking for ways to ""cut the fat"" at KXZX.

A man holding an abortion clinic hostage will only deal with his ""ideological mentor,"" Marvin; Helen hires image consultant Brian Clayhill, who is bent on cutting the news staff fat and updating L.A. 3's on-air look, prompting one veteran newsman to resign before the axe falls; Ricardo attempts to comfort his mother while dealing with his own grief over his brother's murder; Harry gets ""ad-libs"" from Billy, the stand-up comic; and Helen begins a heated pursuit of Marvin.

Alex accepts that his marriage is over as Nancy tries to create order in his young son Sean's life; the News Brothers start a side business involving videotape, buxom women, and automatic weapons; Marvin discovers the origin of the chopped liver bomb; and Lou grapples with a professional athlete's wish to reveal his homosexuality during a Re-Action News Broadcast.