The Newsroom: Not Quite Newsworthy

When I turned on my television last night to watch the first episode of Aaron Sorkin’s new drama _The Newsroom_, I could not help but feel nervous. For, you see, I am somewhat of a Sorkin addict. The super-snappy dialogue makes me weak at the knees; I am sucker for the arrogant, idealist clever-clogs that litter his TV shows and movies; I swoon at the sound of an overly-simplistic liberal monologue about what it means to be American. Even Sorkin’s most recent Television series _Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip_ which was widely panned and cancelled after a single series holds a special place in my heart and DVD collection. So watching Sorkin’s latest effort whilst my West Wing box set stared ominously up at me from the DVD rack was a justifiably nerve-wracking experience. Could Jeff Daniels’s news anchor hold a candle to Martin Sheen’s wish-he-was-real president, Josiah Bartlet? Could Sorkin craft a group of characters as sincere and loveable as Josh, Toby, Sam and CJ once more? His focus has been more centered on film of late and after two Oscar nominations and one win there is a question as to whether Sorkin can even write television anymore – is _The Newsroom_ just a bit of filler before his Steve Jobs biopic stirs up some more Academy attention?

In actuality the pilot felt both reassuring and slightly underwhelming in equal measure. What is certain is that Sorkin still knows how to write for television. The dialogue was as fast and fascinating as ever and the story arc was well balanced and perfectly timed. However, the air of classicism and timelessness integral to _The West Wing_ and _Sports Night_ (Sorkin’s previous success stories) and even to an extent _Studio 60_, felt absent from this pilot. Those three shows were all about teams working together to achieve an often impossible goal. _The Newsroom’s_ first episode shares this subject matter but feels almost like a ghost of his past triumphs – a diluted relocation of Sorkin’s previous work to a new environment that for now at least lacks the colour and personality of his best material.

Onto the characters themselves. Jeff Daniels takes up leading man responsibility as News Night anchor Will McAvoy. The episode opens with McAvoy sitting on a panel at a University Q and A session. He sits between a Republican and a Democrat but is determined to remain impartial – he is a vehicle for the news and not a subject of it. However this all changes when he is asked why America is the greatest country in the world. McAvoy cracks and lets loose a torrent of abuse, explaining through statistics that America is by no means the greatest country in the world. His monologue is sharp and vicious but clearly intellectual – a scintillating introduction. Daniels plays the part intelligently and thoroughly, if slightly egotistically. McAvoy is the main character in a way that President Bartlet never was – he is easily the most prominent personality, claims all the best lines and consequently Daniels seems set to steal the show.
The love interest comes in the form of Emily Mortimer’s Mackenzie McHale. I personally found Mortimer’s portrayal a touch weak and disappointing. Mackenzie has to do battle with McAvoy’s towering ego and Mortimer’s performance, as charming as it was, lacked the confidence and charisma of Sorkin’s most memorable strong women CJ Craig and, Mackenzie’s most obvious forbearer, _Sports Night’s_ Dana Whittaker. Her crucial speech about the power and importance of journalism also felt a bit overly-ideological and unconvincing even for a member of the Boar exec!

Aside from the lead pair, there is already an interesting love triangle set up between ex-exec-producer Don, assistant-turned-associate-producer Maggie and newcomer Jim. These three all feel like promising characters though I preferred Don in obstinate, headstrong mode to the conceited sop he became in the final five minutes. Also I have to mention blog-writer Dev Patel (yes the Slumdog Millionaire himself). His go to expression is that of complete and utter confusion, which is somewhat reassuring in a universe filled with arrogant, self-assured news producer types.

Overall there is much to be pleased about. Though the sprinkling of gold-dust that gave _The West Wing_ that This Is Something Special feel seems absent from this pilot, Sorkin has set up an involving roster of characters in an intriguing setting. Pilots are troublesome beasts and often require more preparation and not enough meat. So Sorkin didn’t blow our socks off in the first episode. But this it is still one of the most well-written hours of television you’re likely to see all summer. What do you think? Scintillating, make-you-think TV or another idealistic annoyance? More next week!