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[LOLtron]

Who else is excited to watch the news, now?


Last night Aaron Sorkin, creator of the award winning television series The West Wing and writer of the award winning film The Social Network, debuted his newest project on HBO: The Newsroom. The Newsroom is an HBO ongoing series which revolves around a famous experienced news anchor, Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels), and his nightly news show, News Night. The Newsroom, much like The West Wing, isn't just about the head honcho, but rather the show tells a story about the news through the many people that make the news possible.

The Newsroom hooks viewers in 5 minutes.

In The Newsroom's opening scene we meet Daniels' character, Will, who has become numb to the same old political debates. While participating in a political discussion panel at a college university, Will suddenly snaps at an overly innocent girl who asks the panelists to comment on, "Why America is the greatest country in the world." Unlike the other two panelists' cookie cutter answers, Will is pushed into saying what he really thinks, and what he really thinks...is amazing. After hearing Jeff Daniels character eloquently say what so many people actually think, I knew that Sorkin was tapping into an idea that many educated television watchers could get behind: what could our country be like if we were simply informed?

The Newsroom has set itself up to have maximum impact with the news stories that the show focuses on because the show starts a couple of years ago. The first major story The Newsroom tackles is the BP oil spill. By revolving episodes around actual major news events, the audience is sure to establish an emotional connection to The Newsroom. In the premier episode last night, "We Just Decided To," the news of the spill starts small and then grows very quickly. The show's pace starts to pick up as the characters start receiving spill information, and when Will finally starts to rally the troops to attack the BP story. As the BP incident is being broadcast, we (viewers) feel the intensity of the news and recall the anger when we found out the horrible information for the first time.

Lead by a wonderful performance by Jeff Daniels, the cast is instantly likable. Daniels can play a dick better than a gay clarinetist. And while his dialog is delivered with so much hostility, you won't believe you actually like him. But then again, after that first scene I mentioned above, there's no way you don't like him.

The supporting crew is also portrayed well by talented actors you will have recognized but maybe not quite remember their names. It's that chick from Scott Pilgrim and Goon, or that woman from Harry Brown, and that old guy from Law & Order...the old lawyer. Alison Pill, Emily Mortimer and Sam Waterston are all excellent. Waterston stands out as the old guy who owns the place and who doesn't care about the rules. He just wants the world to be right and the lead (Will) to be the best he can be. Plus, he randomly curses with humorous effect. Old guys...am I right?

One episode in and we do already have romantic relationship storylines between past, present and new co-workers sprouting up. There are details yet to be revealed about one relationship in particular which will keep the "not so into smart dramas" watcher around. You may not get the Smallville like soundtrack of trendy alternative love songs when some characters just miss each other's elevator which would lead them into each other's arms forever, but fear not, the existing score is beautifully handled by Larry Mah (Mah man!). The musical score is one of the best scores for a television show I have ever heard. It's film score quality. Yeah...big boy stuff.

The Newsroom will go on to be nominated for many awards and last many seasons because it uses the tried and true formula of making the series about the people: The people who frame the news, the people who report it, the people who assist those people, the people in the booth and the people who watch the news. The Newsroom isn't about the news or the room. It's about the people who work in the room and the people who are affected by the news. The Newsroom in a strange way becomes about us, the viewers. One episode in...I am glad to be a part of it.

Score: 4.5/5

Written or Contributed by: 365Dom


http://www.theouthousers.com/index.php/reviews/entertainment-reviews/20023-the-newsroom-we-just-decided-to--episode-1-review.html/

[GHERU]

I liked it well enough, but it felt like I was re-watching the first episode of Studio 60 again, just with more cuss words.

Love that Sam Waterston is a drunk

[GLX]

I tried to give this a go, but.....I just couldn't get into it.

[syxxpakk]

Show was awesome and I want more right now.

[Dragavon]

I enjoyed it. And it made me go back an re-watch The West Wing.

[xaraan]

I actually watched this show because of the entire free episode they put on youtube. Which if fortunate because the first five minutes I saw posted before that didn't hook me at all. I mean Daniel's rant was cool and his run down of what "place" america is in all these catagories was great, but the whole concept of "this generation is horrible and this older generation was the best ever" is crap. People saying that like to conveniently forget a bunch of history. So I guess it kind of turned me off for the same reasons this show is using to attack the real news - cherry picking facts and twisting stories.

After that though, and getting it through my head that it wasn't so much the show making the speech and Daniel's character making it, let me get off my high horse and watch the show. I ended up finding his character really interesting and despite any disagreements with what he said, it perfectly reasonable to see someone in his position thinking and saying that.

As the cast came together and started to roll out the news in the format that was set up for the show I thought it was bumpy a few times here and there, certain things they tried too hard to force down our throats; but it seems like this can happen in the first few episodes of a new show and often settles down as it goes on. I love the characters so far and I love what they are trying to say with the show. I think when this show finally settles into that rhythm it will be great.

[guitarsmashley]

The further i get from the episode the dumber I think it was.

[Amoebas]

The opening 5 minutes was the best with the speed that the BP Oil crisis happened being the worst part (but really nice touch that the other news casts lead with the iPhone proto theft story.

I went to college for broadcast journalism but was jaded early on for how much I'd have to compromise my ideals so this show really hits home.

I liked it a lot and look forward to more - but then I've always like Sorkin, Daniels & Waterson, so this as probably going to be a hit with me anyway.

[Amoebas]

but the whole concept of "this generation is horrible and this older generation was the best ever" is crap. People saying that like to conveniently forget a bunch of history.

Generalizing - this generation is horrible. The last generation (Gen X (or Y)) were just slackers. I'll take that over this 'I'm entitled to everything' gen. When I slam on my brakes to avoid killing some idiot as they cross against the light because they are completely absorbed in their phone - I save their life putting myself and the motorists behind in jeopardy, and they give me the finger and "fuck you" for distracting them from their texts - something's wrong.

The generation behind me used to think 50 years ahead and plan accordingly (house, kid's college, retirement, etc)

My generation only thinks maybe 15 years ahead (marriage, house, maybe college for the kids, maybe a 401. etc)

Then came the 5 years ahead gang leading us to this current generation where I'm surprised to find some who are thinking 5 minutes ahead (X-box or PS3?).

Of course there are those that break the mold (and thank you to those). Maybe it's a generational thing where you always find fault with your eventual replacement. Don't know.

Now get off my lawn you whippersnapper.

[Chris]

Love it.

[xaraan]

Generalizing - this generation is horrible. The last generation (Gen X (or Y)) were just slackers. I'll take that over this 'I'm entitled to everything' gen. When I slam on my brakes to avoid killing some idiot as they cross against the light because they are completely absorbed in their phone - I save their life putting myself and the motorists behind in jeopardy, and they give me the finger and "fuck you" for distracting them from their texts - something's wrong.

The generation behind me used to think 50 years ahead and plan accordingly (house, kid's college, retirement, etc)

My generation only thinks maybe 15 years ahead (marriage, house, maybe college for the kids, maybe a 401. etc)

Then came the 5 years ahead gang leading us to this current generation where I'm surprised to find some who are thinking 5 minutes ahead (X-box or PS3?).

Of course there are those that break the mold (and thank you to those). Maybe it's a generational thing where you always find fault with your eventual replacement. Don't know.

Now get off my lawn you whippersnapper.

again, pointing out the problems of one generation while forgetting about the problems of another... this generation has it's own problems sure, but so did the one fifty years ago.

To look at his rant: "Back to a time when we didn't do things based on fear" - assuming he refers to giving up freedoms post 9/11? idk, my best guess... but ask the japanese americans in WW2 how we reacted to fear. Or his reference to "greed" probably about the economy? Uh, did people forget child labor? The need for unions? The push to the great depression, etc. or his reference to "corrupted or leaders you could look up to"... easy to do that when we weren't finding out about affairs, bribes, etc. that we find out about constantly now.

But anyways, one would be surprised when you dig into the everyday history of the US how much hasn't changed. People bitch about politics, read up on some of the old elections, it's been petty and bad all the way back to the beginning.

Not to mention the world has changed as well. The way companies do business has changed. How is a generation at fault when jobs get shipped overseas, when companies start shifting employees around or laying them off to put in part timers and cancel out pensions in favor of 401k's nearly nationwide because no one works at one company anymore in order to build a pension so they had become worthless ideas. As to the world, how well was all that "reading level" "math level" really calculation world wide a hundred years ago - we are in the information age now and often forget that even fifty years ago info was no so accurate or exhaustive. And what were we competing with fifty or hundred years ago world-wise for all those 'stats'. The world overall is a much more advanced and free place, much of the rest of it has caught up to the U.S. in its ideals so we have more competition than ever before.

None of this means we don't have some serious issues, but all generations do.

And like I said, it's still a perfectly valid point for a character to have, I just took it at first as if the show was trying to make a speech to its audience. But after watching it, I felt like they built it into his character well enough that after all was said and done it worked. As an overall message it doesn't work, but as a crazy speech about someone wanting to improve things, sure, it works fine.

[Amoebas]

To look at his rant: "Back to a time when we didn't do things based on fear" - assuming he refers to giving up freedoms post 9/11? idk, my best guess... but ask the japanese americans in WW2 how we reacted to fear.

Keep in mind that he's a newsman and he could very well be talking about himself (where the news in this country has dramatically turned to selling fear rather than informing the public).

[xaraan]

Keep in mind that he's a newsman and he could very well be talking about himself (where the news in this country has dramatically turned to selling fear rather than informing the public).

Yea, I think when I saw it as only a clip I took it more as a "Show message" than as a character's rant, once I watched the whole show it worked better for me.

[misac]

I actually watched this show because of the entire free episode they put on youtube. Which if fortunate because the first five minutes I saw posted before that didn't hook me at all. I mean Daniel's rant was cool and his run down of what "place" america is in all these catagories was great, but the whole concept of "this generation is horrible and this older generation was the best ever" is crap. People saying that like to conveniently forget a bunch of history. So I guess it kind of turned me off for the same reasons this show is using to attack the real news - cherry picking facts and twisting stories.

After that though, and getting it through my head that it wasn't so much the show making the speech and Daniel's character making it, let me get off my high horse and watch the show. I ended up finding his character really interesting and despite any disagreements with what he said, it perfectly reasonable to see someone in his position thinking and saying that.

As the cast came together and started to roll out the news in the format that was set up for the show I thought it was bumpy a few times here and there, certain things they tried too hard to force down our throats; but it seems like this can happen in the first few episodes of a new show and often settles down as it goes on. I love the characters so far and I love what they are trying to say with the show. I think when this show finally settles into that rhythm it will be great.

To be fair, this generation is horrible and I don't think he said the previous one was better.

I really liked it right away compared to their previous new shows. It took me a few episodes to get into Veep and Girls was just alright.

[BlueStreak]

I finally got around to watching this today. Absolutely fantastic show.