HBO presents the new one-hour drama series from the fertile mind of Aaron Sorkin
(The Social Network) and executive produced by Sorkin, Scott Rudin and Alan
Poul. Smart, topical, humorous and highly entertaining, The Newsroom takes a
behind-the-scenes look at a high-rated cable-news program at the fictional ACN
Network, focusing on the on- and off-camera lives of its acerbic anchor (Jeff
Daniels), new executive producer (Emily Mortimer), their newsroom staff (John
Gallagher, Jr., Alison Pill, Thomas Sadoski, Olivia Munn, Dev Patel and others)
and their news-division boss (Sam Waterston). Overcoming a tumultuous first day
together – climaxing in a newsflash that a BP oil rig has just exploded in the
Gulf of Mexico – the team sets out on a patriotic if quixotic mission to “do the
news well” in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles, and their own
personal entanglements.
Price: $59.99
Most Helpful Customer Reviews:
I've been an Aaron Sorkin fan for a long time. His dialogue is brain candy for me: regardless of whether I agree with what he's saying, the eloquence and the rhythm are thrilling and addictive. I don't think you need to believe he's right in order to enjoy the show. That said, I usually do agree with him, and The Newsroom is no exception.
It's rare to turn on the news and get anything more than the cheap thrill of watching someone from the left fight it out with someone on the right. The anchors themselves take a passive role, and yet if they wanted to, they really could challenge the speakers, couldn't they? Force them to defend their statements with verifiable facts? And in so doing, help the viewers to evaluate the merits of the argument on each side?
The Newsroom is a pleasurable fantasy about what that might look like. And I can't help but think that the hostility the show has drawn (Google it; you'll find a lot) is mainly from people who find it easier to call Aaron Sorkin smug and sanctimonious than to admit that our national discourse is broken. Because if it is, then it needs to be fixed, and what if the only way of fixing it was to demand more facts, to think harder, to learn more? I just used several words that Americans are conditioned to hate. You want the country to go back to school for an hour every night? You intellectual, elitist snob.
Perhaps that's controversial. But I doubt that anyone who uses the word "intellectual" as a pejorative would be interested in watching this show. Like any Sorkin series, The Newsroom celebrates the power of intelligence, while reminding us that it's only as good as the heart that wields it. Sorkin's characters are inspiring less because they're smart than because they want so badly for the world to be a better place. And while the charge of intellectualism certainly sticks, the charge of elitism falls down when you consider that the show is full of characters without any claim to great intelligence, who nonetheless are portrayed very positively. The only thing you need to be one of the good guys, in Aaron Sorkin's universe, is to care about doing the right thing. And that may be moralistic, but I don't think it's elitist; nor do I think it's a brand of morality that's hard to get on board with.
That's why I find Sorkin to be such a wonderful writer. He seems to offend a lot of people, but if you're not offended by anything I just said, then I doubt you'd be one of them. And you'd be in a position to enjoy a tight, fast-paced, witty, cerebral, and passionate program by a veteran craftsman of dialogue, operating with the complete artistic freedom which HBO continues to allow its showrunners. It's an ideal partnership, and The Newsroom is one of the best things I've seen on TV in a long time.
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