HBO's "The Newsroom"

[Vince Brennan]

Opinions? Screams of derision? Kudos for writing? Has Jeff Daniels finally 'grown into' his nose?

[Vince Brennan]

Bluidy 'Ell... Nae AIN response?

[bobbys]

How can i respond when im on your fake ignore list?.

Maybe i responded a bunch of times you just dunno know it

[Norman Bernstein]

I saw the opening episode.

I can't really recommend the show, per se.... it's nothing like 'West Wing', which was superb. 'Newsroom' strikes me as way too much of a soap opera, irrespective of the liberal bias.

However, the opening episode features a soliloquy by the leading character, just a few minutes into the episode. The leading character, played by Jeff Daniels, is a popular news anchorman, who has been invited to a debate of sorts in front of a university office. He tries to maintain a very neutral stance in the discussion, sitting between a liberal and a conservative panelist.... until a student asks if America is the greatest country in the world.... he then decides finally to speak up, and the speech he gives is exceptionally good.

After that, you can turn the show off

[Norman Bernstein]

Howard Fineman wrote an interesting review of the show, which I pretty much agree with:

WASHINGTON -- After three episodes, I confess that I am all-in on The Newsroom.

When the show debuted last month, I approved -- grudgingly.

I liked the straightforward message. How can you argue with a plea for better journalism?

But I also was dismissive: an out-of-date (why wasn't it set at a website?), unconscious exercise in self-parody by occasional self-plagiarist Aaron Sorkin.

Now I realize what the show really is. Yes, it is unrealistic and predictable. It is preachy and takes place in a galaxy long ago and far away. In other words, it is a fairy tale. Well, fairy tales are meant to inspire and instruct, and The Newsroommanages to do both in a mostly entertaining way.

Episode 3, which hit HBO last night, is the best so far. The upstairs-downstairs soap opera stuff is unconvincing, and, frankly, I don't think Sorkin much cares.But the hour is more than redeemed by anchorman Will McAvoy's confessional, defiantly earnest speech on air about the worthy aims of his newly recast show. He vows to report news that is most important to creating an informed electorate; to thoroughly report the facts; to seek out the best advocates on all sides to frame debates on the issues; to put the news in context, historically and socially; and to avoid false editorial "balance" when there are not, in fact or in morality, "two sides" to a given story.

Why would his "News Night 2.0" aim to do all of this? Because, says McAvoy, "we are the media elite."

Cut to commercial.

Yes, I know: this is hortatory Sorkinese; anodyne, obvious and contradictory. The rule about avoiding "false" balance, for example, creates an exception big enough to drive a news division through. Same for "context." That can be a license to pontificate, obfuscate and speak in boilerplate.

But McAvoy's rules are worth thinking about, and, generally, worth admiring and striving to follow. Viewers/readers/voters would be better served if we in the business worked harder to remember and honor the McAvoy rules.

And we'd feel better, too.It will be fun to see how McAvoy and his Lois Lane-ish sidekick, EP Mackenzie McHale, deal with plummeting ratings and the Evil Big Boss, played with Helmsley-esque relish by peace activist/former CNN CEO-spouse Jane Fonda.

We know how it will turn out. The good guys will win -- barely, ruefully, wearily -- but triumphant.

After all, The Newsroom is a fairy tale.

[ccmanuals]

Norm, I'm gonna disagree. I think, like the "West Wing", it got off to a slow start with the first couple of shows then got better. The episode from this past Sunday was one of the best yet, IMHO. For those folks that don't have HBO here is the clip from the very first show that Norm was referring to.

[Norman Bernstein]

Norm, I'm gonna disagree.....

i'm willing to revise my initial judgment.... I agree that the third episode was much improved.

[Gerarddm]

I looked at that video clip. It is classic overbearing Sorkinese, and true.

Maybe I'll get HBO for a few months.

[McMike]

Norm, who gives a turd what Howard Fineman said about the show. I just watched the first episode and completely disagree that it's fantasy.

Turn the show off? I think you did in an elitist dismissal of the common entertainment.

The main premise; the media is the fourth branch of a healthy democracy. The show challenges the intelligence of the electorate, leaving the answer yet to be seen. All of the other drama is the spoon full of sugar the flipping stupid idiots need in order to actually get it.

A healthy press is required for a healthy democracy, the corporate goons and stooges we have at the helm now are not just doing a crappy job but are, in essence, committing treason against our democracy.

[Vince Brennan]

Don't denigrate Norman's initial assessment of the show (Sorry, bobbys, used two multi-syllabic words in one sentence! I'll try not to do that again.)... I had the same reaction at first and only started to warm to it when I realized we'd be getting one good nugget a week under the rest of the dross.

Week three was worth the whole candle and, as soon as my cable is back on (lost the outside wiring) I'll see Week four.

I'm just glad it's NOT your ordinary network garbage. Fat chance this would ever be on one of the Big Three.


(unrelated to this thread)
Now for the question I'll keep asking until a get an answer: WHO is Mickey Murtaugh?

[ccmanuals]

The big news event on the show this past Sunday was the shooting of Gabby Giffords. What hit home was the fact that all the major news networks, i.e. CNN, FOX, ABC, CBS etc. with the exception of one (MSNBC) rushed to pronounce her dead. MSNBC was the only network that refused to announce this without proof and confirmation.

A memorable line from the show is "news people don't determine when people die, doctors do".

[Norman Bernstein]

The show is interesting, although I think I was correct in my initial assessment: it's a vehicle for Sorkin's politics, mixed with enough soap opera to satisfy the masses. The backstory line is easily dismissed: all the staffers are young, single, and sleeping with each other. Do we REALLY need to present such a distorted picture of life to capture the attention of the America TV audience?

The method he uses is pretty interesting, though.... using real life events to illustrate his political points. On the latest episode, Sorkin basically recounts the utterly false story about Obama's trip to India costing $200M per day.... a number which was implausible even WITHOUT research. The story started from an Indian news source, without any attribution or evidence, and FOX, CNN, Rush Limbaugh, etc... as well as numerous Republican politicians.... picked it up and ran with it. Sorkin uses the actual clips to prove the point.

It is cleverly written. Not nearly as good as 'West Wing', but fun to watch, regardless.

[bobbys]

Don't denigrate Norman's initial assessment of the show (Sorry, bobbys, used two multi-syllabic words in one sentence! I'll try not to do that again.)... I had the same reaction at first and only started to warm to it when I realized we'd be getting one good nugget a week under the rest of the dross.

Week three was worth the whole candle and, as soon as my cable is back on (lost the outside wiring) I'll see Week four.

I'm just glad it's NOT your ordinary network garbage. Fat chance this would ever be on one of the Big Three.


(unrelated to this thread)
Now for the question I'll keep asking until a get an answer: WHO is Mickey Murtaugh?

.

LOL , Ouch.... Vince goes in for the kill shot!

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

Just got HBO Go on my iPad, I'm a sucker for Sorkens jab punch jab writing style. Just finished the premier episode looking forward to catching up.

[Nicholas Scheuer]

Unfortunately HBO is not included with ou "basic" cable service. I wish I could see it. My dad was a career Newsman ("the best News Editor in the Midwest" according to his cousin and workmate) and zi consider myself fortunate for having working in his Newsroom as a Copy Boy in my youth.

Back when those Brisish Comet Airliners were crashing, and one went down, I read the AP and UPIcopy over the teletype macines first, and dad, who was an aviation enthusiast and one-time pilot, would tell me to keep the Coment crash copy coming to him as soon as it arrived. Sometimes we would be reading the teletype word-by-word, together.