About The Newsroom (HBO)

The Newsroom is a critically acclaimed American television drama series. It was created and primarily written by Aaron Sorkin. The series first premiered on HBO in June 2012 and concluded in December 2014. The show unfolds behind the scenes of a fictional Atlantis Cable News (ACN) Channel.

The story revolves around an ACN news anchor named Will McAvoy (played by Jeff Daniels), his executive producer MacKenzie McHale (Emily Mortimer), their newsroom staff, and the corporate ups and downs they navigate in their quest to do the news well in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles, as well as their personal entanglements.

Making / Production

The Newsroom was produced over the course of three seasons, with a total of 25 episodes. The production showrunner was Alan Poul, while its executive producers were Aaron Sorkin, Scott Rudin, and Alan Poul. It was filmed mainly in Los Angeles. The network, HBO, announced that the third season would be the series' last season.

Actors

• Jeff Daniels as Will McAvoy, a moderately republican news anchor who strives to deliver unbiased news.
• Emily Mortimer as MacKenzie McHale, the executive producer and Will's love interest.
• John Gallagher Jr. as Jim Harper, senior producer who's entangled in a love triangle.
• Alison Pill as Maggie Jordan, an associate producer caught in a love triangle with Jim and Don.
• Thomas Sadoski as Don Keefer, the producer who later becomes president of ACN.
• Dev Patel as Neal Sampat, the newsroom's blogger and tech expert.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The show borrows heavily from actual news events, which adds a layer of reality to its storyline.
• The character of Will is based on cable news personalities with his moderating political views, keen intelligence and prickly personality.
• The infamous opening monologue by Will McAvoy in the pilot episode was shot in just two takes.

Awards

The Newsroom has been nominated for numerous awards. Jeff Daniels won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Will McAvoy in 2013.

Quotes

• "I'm a registered Republican, I only seem liberal because I believe that hurricanes are caused by high barometric pressure and not gay marriage." - Will McAvoy
• "The first step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one. America is not the greatest country in the world anymore." - Will McAvoy

• The main theme was composed by Thomas Newman.
• Frequent use of popular music with significance to the plot such as 'Fix You' by Coldplay in the fourth episode.