Network: HBO
Episodes: 25 (hour)
Seasons: Three
TV show dates: June 24, 2012 — December 14, 2014
Series status: Ended
Performers include: Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, John Gallagher Jr., Alison Pill, Thomas Sadoski, Dev Patel, Olivia Munn, and Sam Waterston.
TV show description:
Created by Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip), this TV series takes a behind-the-scenes look at the people who put together a nightly cable-news show on the fictional Atlantis Cable News (ACN) channel.
The unapologetically old-school president of the news division is Charlie Skinner (Sam Waterson), a professional who learned at the feet of the legendary newsmen.
The anchor and managing editor of News Night is Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels), a moderate Republican whose success is largely the result of never offending anyone. He’s in a lot of pain and that manifests itself in a gruff exterior when he’s off camera. His world is turned upside down when Mackenzie McHale, his new executive producer, re-enters his life.
MacKenzie (Emily Mortimer) is a highly respected news producer who was once romantically involved with Will. She returns from 26 months of reporting in Iraq and Afghanistan to executive produce News Night. She hopes to help her former flame to realize his full potential — something that he has little interest in doing.
Jim Harper (John Gallagher, Jr.) follows MacKenzie to News Night as senior producer. He served with her in Iraq and Afghanistan and she can’t live without him. Though he’s just 27, he’s more like Charlie Skinner than he is his contemporaries and has followed the news industry since he was a boy.
Margaret “Maggie” Jordan (Alison Pill) started at News Night as an intern and quickly rose to the role of associate producer. Her level of intelligence is equal to her lack of experience and lack of confidence.
The network’s financial news reporter is Sloan Sabbith (Olivia Munn), a young woman could be earning much more money as an analyst at Goldman, but her calling is economic reporting.
Neal Sampat (Dev Patel) writes Will’s blog and scours the Internet for stories and leads that others have missed. At only 21-years-old, he’s a self-made newsman and covered the London subway bombings with his camera phone.
Don Keefer (Thomas Sadoski) is the former executive producer of News Night, having taken over the show that follows it. He often butts heads with Will, mostly because they’re a lot alike. He’d love to be on the same quixotic journey as everyone else, but is a realist who understands the business and knows he’s always one ratings point away from being out of a job.
Episode #25 — What Kind of Day Has It Been
As Charlie’s friends and family gather to pay their respects at his funeral, Mac finds out she’s pregnant. She shares the news with Will, who is both elated and nervous for her. He accidentally reveals her pregnancy to some of the other staff and word quickly travels.
Jim and Maggie have been together for three days, and Jim recommends Maggie for a field producer role in D.C. Maggie is thrilled about the job prospect, but is put off that Jim isn’t more ambivalent about her leaving town for it. Sloan involves herself in making sure they don’t miss another opportunity to be together.
Don and Sloan both feel responsible for Charlie’s death. Don apologizes to Charlie’s widow for what he believes was his role in bringing on the heart attack. She reveals that in every one of the fights Charlie had with the staff since Pruit took over, he was glad they stood up to him. She gives Don and Sloan matching gifts: Charlie’s bowties.
Pruit is having PR issues — one of his companies is reportedly paying female employees less money; a separate story revealed he hired models to appear at his birthday party. Leona offers him some unsolicited advice. He doesn’t have a PR problem, he has an actual problem.
Neal returns from Venezuela and sees what’s become of ACN Digital. He remotely shuts down his replacements’ computers mid-story and chews them out for ruining everything he built. They’re going to shut down the site for a week and rebuild it.
At the reception after the funeral, Will spots Charlie’s grandson playing a standing bass in the garage. He joins him on guitar and they play “That’s How I Got to Memphis,” a song Charlie introduced him to.
At Leona’s urging, Pruit promotes Mac to Charlie’s role as network president. Don wants to stay at 10 o’clock, so Jim takes over as the new executive producer at ‘News Night.’ He offers Maggie his old job as senior producer so she can stay in New York, but she still wants to pursue the field producer position in D.C. They’re going to try to make it work long distance.
Three years earlier, Charlie watched Will peddle soft news for ratings and likability. Upset that his news channel wasn’t doing the news, he sought out Mac. Fresh from Afghanistan, she spent her afternoons drinking at a bowling alley. Mac brought Jim on board, and helped facilitate Will’s rant at the panel at Northwestern.
Thinking of Charlie, the staff powers up the newsroom and gets to work. The broadcast rolls and they do the news. (courtesy HBO)
First aired: December 14, 2014.
What do you think? Do you like The Newsroom TV series? Do you think there should have been a fourth season?
Newsroom is a fantastic show and I definitely think it should be picked up somewhere by someone… anything to give it another chance. It’s probably the best – and certainly one of the best – shows on television today.
If you watched the ending carefully, it was obviously left in such a way that they could conceivably come back… hope someone is paying attention!
Reminded me of the West Wing (my favorite show all time) and then I discovered the involvement of Aaron Sorkin. His writing is simply incredible!
Such a disappointment that this show has been cancelled! Although in the first seasons the workplace relationship dramas could get a little emotionally exhausting, during this season there’s been more grit and humor–not to mention unexpected developments. We hadn’t been this engaged in television since West Wing, and the idea that it should end is –well, simply unacceptable! If there’s any possibility of continuing . . . . I’m grateful for and amazed at all the energy and talent that has gone into this.
I wonder if this show has gotten so close to reality in its assessment of our political picture that people criticized in it have exerted the sort of influence and jeopardized the future of the Newsroom. Indeed, criticism of the Tea Party, the Koch brothers and other influential and powerful may have sealed the deal here.
Please do not cancel Newsroom! My wife and I love the show. I too have not enjoyed a series this much since The West Wing. I hate that they killed off Charlie.
So, please keep the show going and bring back Charlie in lots of flashbacks.
Thanks,
George and Joanne N.
Who would cancel a show like this. I don’t understand? It’s better than anything else on TV.
My wife and I love this show. I don’t know what the expectations were or why it’s ratings, which determine everything that survives on TV or cable, were bad. What I do know is that it is one of the most well written shows we’ve ever watched. The Newsroom has engaged a number of topics, political and otherwise, and has done so with grace, intelligence, humor, and facts. Many might call it a bunch of left wing lies, but the truth is hard to believe when you’ve convinced yourself of so many untruths. Anyway, the show shone light on a… Read more »
Great show! The only negative is that I can’t understand the actress who plays Mackenzie-she’s very nasal and difficult to understand with her accent. I don’t think she’s a particularly good actress either-miscast!
Please, PLEASE continue The Newsroom. It is such an exceptional show. I find it incredible that there isn’t some sort of public outcry to continue it. The last time I enjoyed
and respected any TV show this much was The West Wing…..imagine that. PLEASE don’t
cancel this show.
Please, please, please do not cancel this show! I
Keep the show running ! Put it on showtime . But please keep th show running ! sell it to a network who understands that a lot of viewers know what those “BigWords” mean and are really entertained by the complexity of the show . Let Newsroom continue, if not then Shame on HBO !!
I am totally disappointed with HBO’s deciosion to cut the show. As per other comments, I guess the dialog was just to cerebral for the average sunday night viewer. Perhaps if the Newsroom cast would have stabbed, or shot some people and there was more fighting anmd blood the show would have stood a chance. Newsroom just used too many “Big Words” — It’s ironic but it seems that HBO is doing to Newsroom what “Pruitt” is doing to ACN. !!! Very sad ! More dumbing down of America ! Very Very SAD.
Exactly. I’m with you, brother.
My husband, my sister, and I watch the Newsroom every Sunday. It is a show for ‘thinkers’. It is a show that does not shy away from providing a point of view with other differing points of views. It is a show that provokes people to think. It is a show that taunts at people’s perspectives and beliefs. It is a show for those of us who don’t just want to be zombies in front of the TV. It is a smart show. I have never written comments before … but if it’ll helps save Newsroom, then I’ll write hundreds,… Read more »
Well thought-out response and well-written. I agree 200%
If I had a say so in the matter, Newsroom would continue for several seasons. What I can’t for the life of me figure out is why is it that when a show appeals to brainless people who can only mentally grasp about fifth grade level writing can be successful season after season, why can’t a show like Newsroom enjoy success based on the intellectual audience it requires? I was told by wife that this show is losing ratings because it has several critics that actually put it down because it does appeal to the elites. I think the show… Read more »
All points well taken and well written. You’ve hit many a nail squarely as possible. Let me add that HBO doesn’t depend on advertisers like network TV. So why cancel what is obviously excellent instead of figuring out a way to keep it going. I get ratings I get that it was probably expensive, but they would make more money in dvd sales if they had more episodes.
My husband and I watch Newsroom every Sunday. It is our favorite show. It seems like EVERY show we like gets cancelled! This is the first time EVER for me to write a comment and I am a senior citizen. PLEASE do not cancel this show. 🙁
I subscribed to HBO because of Aaron Sorkin & Newsroom with its excellent cast. I wasn’t disappointed. Why an intelligent show about serious journalism & its importance can’t be sustained is beyond me. We seem to have plenty of interest in the lives of mobsters and other anti-heroes, but not people struggling to meet their responsibility with integrity.