The Newsroom

I work in broadcasting. This is a very real show to me. The ass-kissing, self-serving characters on this show hit home with me. There's not a character on this show that isn't like someone that I work with.

The show is hysterical. But, I think it's one that requires much attention, or you'll miss something. The actions and results are right on top of each other, from scene to scene. There is a lot of dialog, with no real punchline. It's totally played straight, which makes it brilliant.

The only thing I don't like about it is that there isn't a 4th season. What a pity.

If you have any desire to see important TV, pun intended, take a gander at this 6 episode comedy series(available on VHS & PBS) produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 'The Corp.' let writer/director Ken Finkleman(escaped from HOLLYWOOD hackdom) do whatever he wanted and it shows in a TV show that knows no bounds in its behind the scenes look at a Toronto TV Newsroom. Smashingly smart, searingly irreverant, better than Larry Sanders at giving you the inside scoop on the crap that makes (most) TV what it is. Lock up your sacred cows. Ken's knives are sharp and long. Also see 'More Tears'(1998) also by CBC and Finkleman.

"The Newsroom" is honestly one of the best-made television shows I've ever seen. Brilliant writing; solid acting; dialogue that flowed more realistically than you'll ever see. And the stinging commentary on office politics and the cut-throat portrayal of the media was dead on. This wasn't a show about nothing. There was no audience. There was no laugh track. It didn't need any of these. It tackled real issues in the news, but gave you the insiders look. The show takes place in Toronto, Canada at a local news station. In one scene, the crew gets word of a train accident in the Congo river. Instead of going with the big local story, they go with the unrelatable, yet more interesting train wreck halfway across the world. In trying to somehow relate it to Canada, they check to see if any Canadians were on board.

Mark: We haven't even confirmed this Canadian. Jeremy: Well, we're hoping there's a Canadian dead. George: We're hoping he's dead.

Just an example of what goes on behind the scenes. Makes the network executives of Fox look like saints.

People have compared "The Newsroom" to Garry Shandling's "The Larry Sanders Show." Both similar; both excellent shows, "Sanders" coming before `the Newsroom.` But the Newsroom was done so much better in every way, that's there can be no comparison.

Like I said, one of my favorite shows of all time. Do yourself a favor and check your local PBS stations to see if they're playing "The Newsroom." Or, in Canada, beg the CBC to show some re-runs.

This show was excellent and had me until the completely unnecessary and bizarre 8 and a half homage (the three episodes called the meltdown). The entire purpose of which seemed to be to allow finkelman to pretend to be the main character from the movie. Which was hopelessly self-indulgent ("which was the point! get it?!") and devoid of anything interesting to say.

Before that though the show lays the blueprint for one camera office politics satire which both the British and American Office have utilized (if not totally ripped off). The show features some of the best writing I've ever seen on Television, incredibly sophisticated and never broad, it still manages to be hilarious.

8.5 out of 10 (get it?)

Judging The Newsroom after one episode is somewhat premature. I did not watch The Newsroom (1996) so cannot compare. Comparing the new actors is also quite premature. I hope Newshawk has watched more than the first episode. After a hiatus of 8 years, of course it is different from its predecessor. If viewers want easy laughter, there are enough asinine shows on television that would make him happy.

Kudos to CBC, Ken Finkleman and the "true-blue" actors as Newshawk describes them.

My 2cents worth.