My friend Ngangi recommended that I watch the newly minted HBO series called The Newsroom, so one fine Saturday I did just that, and as I was watching the pilot episode, I was struck by an epiphany: “OMG I want to work for TV! Why oh why didn’t I know back then that this was what I wanted to do???”
When I was filling out my college applications, I never considered Mass Communications as a course choice, only choosing those based on computers or English or finance. If I had a tardis (time machine, for those who don’t know Doctor Who), I would tell my 16-year-old self to pursue Mass Comm. She’ll probably be skeptical, the way my mid-twenties self was when two different friends of mine told me separately that I would make a good DJ and that I would do well in showbiz (I thought he was joking, the way people always joke about being actors, but it turns out he meant I would do well not as an actress but in the production scene). I don’t know why I can be so stupid sometimes, but I really sometimes don’t know myself as well as I ought to.
The Newsroom, you see, is a series about a news show. We have our news anchor Will McAvoy who returns to work after a vacation only to find out that his executive producer (EP) has jumped ship, taking the entire staff with him. As if that wasn’t shocking enough to deal with, his boss dumps another bomb on him – he had hired him a new EP – Mackenzie McHale, Will’s ex. Will would rather not work with her, but he must put aside his issues so he can work with her on a news show that promises to be different – one that doesn’t care about ratings, but about reporting the news they feel that really needs to be seen by the people. What follows is the whirlwind of activity that ensues in a newsroom, an all-in-a-day’s-work look at how the newsroom staff work together to come up with the hour of news that we see on television. The dynamics, the passion, the frenetic race to get the facts that all culminated in one package – I fell in love with that moment, and with everyone in the show.
I must admit it’s different from the other shows I usually watch, a bit more serious and news-heavy (well duh?) but with some drama, intrigue and romance thrown in the mix – the love triangle that is Jim-Maggie-Don, the ex-lovers tension between Will and Mackenzie. I love Mackenzie, by the way. She’s so cute, and so is her British accent. I love the scripts, though everyone talks so fast that you have to make sure to listen carefully. I’ve also been brought to tears a couple of times already, and it’s only five episodes in. It teaches you things, pulls at your heartstrings, it’s very promising. Tune in now, why don’t you?
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| The Newsroom cast |
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