“The Newsroom’s” diverse cast of acting veterans and rising stars is one of the reasons why fans like the HBO Drama. (Photo by HBO).
By: Jacob Elyachar
One of my favorite new dramas that I love to watch is HBO’s The Newsroom. Written and created by screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network & The West Wing), Newsroom focuses on the behind the scenes antics and preparation of the Atlantis Cable News nightly newscast: News Night with Will McAvoy.
There are three key parts to The Newsroom’s success: the script writing, the action and using real news stories. For the first three episodes, Sorkin brilliantly scripted three action-packed episodes that feature multiple plots. The first and major plot focuses on the preparation of the show. Almost every time I watch this show it reminds me of my time working as an intern at my old stations. It accurately shows the preparation between the pitch meetings, research assignments and last minute changes up to the newscast.
Another plot that is worth noting is the tension between Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) and his ex-girlfriend, MacKenzie McHale (Emily Mortimer), who returns to his life as News Night’s executive producer. Fans look forward to these scenes because of Sorkin’s ability to craft witty insults and impeccable bickering moments. The love triangle between producers Jim Harper (John Gallagher, Jr.), Maggie Jordan (Alison Pill) and Don Keefer (Thomas Sadonski) also continues to heat up on the Newsroom and “the will they (Maggie and Don) break up” or “will they (Jim and Maggie) hook up?” always keeps viewers on their toes.
Sorkin has brought together a great combination of veteran actors (Daniels, Sam Waterston) and rising stars (Gallagher, Jr., Mortimer and Dev Patel) to bring these characters to life. One of my favorite supporting cast members is Sam Waterston, who plays the strategic and alcoholic ACN news division president Charlie Skinner, who is a force to be reckoned with in the News Night newsroom. Jeff Daniels also gives his strongest performance in his four-decade career as News Night’s anchor and managing editor. Both Daniels and Waterson could receive nominations for their roles.
The last thing that impresses me is Sorkin’s ability to effectively use past current events and tie them in each of the Newsroom’s episodes. In the past three episodes, viewers saw News Night cover the Deepwater Horizon oil pill, the controversial Arizona Senate Bill 1070 and the election of the 112th Congress. By having these stories as backdrops instead of fictional news events, makes the Newsroom a more believable show.
In the coming weeks, viewers should expect fireworks as Will gets in hot water for landing in the tabloids, Don tries to keep Maggie and Jim away from each other and the owners of the Atlantis Cable News: the Lansings (Jane Fonda and Chris Messina) begin to meddle with the News Night program.
For more information about the Newsroom, visit HBO’s Website: http://www.hbo.com/the-newsroom/index.html
I’m looking forward to see more of this show and, in general, Aaron Sorkin’s new projects. I think The Newsroom will be quite successful, it’s just a matter of time 🙂
I loved the show, it’s kinda like The Office with Steve Carrell. I’ve seen the first season and I can say it’s not enough, I really hope there’s more seasons to come. Btw, watching HBO’s channel I also saw The Night Of, have you seen it? It’s amazing! I haven’t been so into a show since I saw Dexter. I think HBO has the best content compared to another streaming services like Netflix. Thank you for the review!