Before The morning show became an Emmy contender (with 16 nominations for the current third season, including outstanding drama series), The Newsroom caught the attention of the TV Academy by examining the fast-moving world of primetime cable news. The Aaron Sorkin show, which ran for three seasons on HBO starting in 2012, took a West Wing-like approach to television journalism that challenges reporting on true stories – from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to the Boston Marathon bombing.
Jeff Daniels starred as Will McAvoy, the host of the fictional evening news show News Nightwhose crew – played by Emily Mortimer, Sam Waterston and Olivia Munn – are dedicated to reporting the news intelligently and objectively, no matter what the ratings are. McAvoy sets the tone for the series in the opening scene, with a monologue in which he explains why “America is not the greatest country in the world.”
Despite Sorkin’s witty dialogues, the show was not well received by everyone. THR Critic noted: “It was both really good and really bad, driving you mad on a much deeper level than just despising something for being awful, ridiculous or incompetent.” One scene – in which several News Night The fact that some of the crew are stuck on a plane and therefore unable to help break the news of Osama bin Laden’s killing live, announcing it to the pilot and fellow passengers and eliciting a round of congratulatory handshakes and hugs, underscores the show’s sometimes embarrassing self-importance (and has become a meme posted ironically when major news breaks).
In a 2014 THR Showrunner Roundtable, aware that critics prefer The western wing In his new show, Sorkin compared his efforts to that of a “golfer who hacks away at the golf course all day long, but then for some reason hits a beautiful shot. That’s why they keep coming back.” It was not just a slog for Press releaseHowever, in its three seasons, the series garnered six Emmy nominations, including one for Best Actor for Daniels in 2013.
This story first appeared in an August single issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine and subscribe, click here.
