History Series / TheNewsroom

''The Newsroom'' (2012-14) is an American television {{dramedy}} series on Creator/{{HBO}}, created by Creator/AaronSorkin, which chronicles the behind-the-scenes events at a fictional [[TwentyFourHourNewsNetworks cable news channel]] as they reported real events from recent history. The [[EnsembleCast ensemble cast]] is headed by Creator/JeffDaniels as ''News Night'' anchor Will [=McAvoy=], who, together with his staff, sets out to put on a news show "in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles and their own personal entanglements." Other cast members include Creator/EmilyMortimer, Creator/AlisonPill, Creator/DevPatel, Creator/JohnGallagherJr, Creator/OliviaMunn, Thomas Sadoski, Sam Waterston and Creator/JaneFonda.

* FirstEpisodeSpoiler: It's only at the moment the BP spill story hits, about halfway through the pilot, that a caption reveals the show is set two years in the past.

** The Occupy Wall Street movement is not portrayed very positively. The Anonymous video sent out as a call to action is openly mocked by a room full of journalists and the person who brought the story to News Night's attention, Neal, is also teased relentlessly by Mackenzie for pursuing it. When Neal finally convinces Mac to have an OWS member on the show that he befriended, she does so because she expects Will to tear her apart on national television. Will then proceeds to do just that by snidely asking questions about the group's vague goals and lack of leadership which further treats the movement as a joke. Even at the end when Will apologizes for how he acted, it is mainly for his behavior displayed at the member and not so much the movement itself even though he sympathizes with their general plight.

* YouAreBetterThanYouThink: In "Election Night, Part II", [[spoiler:Jim tries to get Maggie to stop beating herself up over Uganda by pointing out that going back into the orphanage to try and save the kid was incredibly brave of her]].

!!This series provides examples of:

--> '''Gwen:''' I think we're creating an environment where pageant contestants are afraid to speak their minds when it comes to important questions and what-not, and that's not the America I grew up in!
--> '''Will:''' You're twenty years old. That ''is'' the America you grew up in.
--> '''Gwen:''' Not in Oklahoma.
--> '''Will:''' ''Especially'' in Oklahoma.

-->'''Charlie:''' Newscorp doesn't own TMI. ''We'' do! ...[[OhCrap Oh]].

** Additionally, the show took liberties with the basketball game that aired. Unlike today, CBS's graphics package wouldn't have shown a shot clock graphic unless it had counted down to under 10 seconds and this graphic would have appeared inside the 4:3 safe area above the CBS logo in order to not be cut off for non-HD viewers. In order for the shot clock to be a plot point, it had to be added later so that it would be in the shot and obvious to see during the interview.

* ArtisticLicenseSports: A critical plot development in the second season during an interview with a subject who is obsessed with March Madness, college basketball's post-season tournament. A character even uses the game clock later to figure out that the interview tape was edited. However, the actual game being played on the background TV is a 2011 regular season game between Kentucky and Florida (perhaps as a nod to Florida alum Stephen Root, who played the character being interviewed). The game was played at Kentucky, while March Madness games take place at neutral sites.

** Don in "Amen." After being a ratings and image-obsessed jerk for the first few episodes (not to mention being wrong about almost everything), he's shown extremely upset over the kidnapping of Neal's Egyptian contact, even [[ItMakesSenseInContext dislocating his shoulder trying to break into a producer's office]]. He's a lot more sympathetic afterwards.

** Charlie when he realizes why Will keeps ending up in the tabloids. [[spoiler: The tabloids are owned by ACM, and everything is a ploy by Leona to create an environment where firing Will would be seen as logical]].

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: In the pilot, Will renegotiated [=MacKenzie's=] contract so that he'd have the option to fire her at the end of every week. To do so all he had to do was drop a million dollars from his salary [[spoiler: and add a non-compete clause to his contract, which Leona plans to take advantage of once he starts broadcasting against ACM's wishes]]. Hiring Brian comes back to bite him, too.

''The Newsroom'' (2012-14) was an American television {{dramedy}} series on Creator/{{HBO}}, created by Creator/AaronSorkin, which chronicled the behind-the-scenes events at a fictional [[TwentyFourHourNewsNetworks cable news channel]] as they reported real events from recent history. The [[EnsembleCast ensemble cast]] was headed by Creator/JeffDaniels as ''News Night'' anchor Will [=McAvoy=], who, together with his staff, set out to put on a news show "in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles and their own personal entanglements." Other cast members include Creator/EmilyMortimer, Creator/AlisonPill, Creator/DevPatel, Creator/JohnGallagherJr, Creator/OliviaMunn, Thomas Sadoski, Sam Waterston and Creator/JaneFonda.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The first season uses a different opening from the second and third seasons, with a slightly different arrangement of the theme.

''The Newsroom'' (2012-14) was an American television {{dramedy}} series on Creator/{{HBO}}, created by Creator/AaronSorkin, which chronicles the behind-the-scenes events at a fictional [[TwentyFourHourNewsNetworks cable news channel]] as they report real events from recent history. The [[EnsembleCast ensemble cast]] is headed by Creator/JeffDaniels as ''News Night'' anchor Will [=McAvoy=], who, together with his staff, set out to put on a news show "in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles and their own personal entanglements." Other cast members include Creator/EmilyMortimer, Creator/AlisonPill, Creator/DevPatel, Creator/JohnGallagherJr, Creator/OliviaMunn, Thomas Sadoski, Sam Waterston and Creator/JaneFonda.

* {{Adorkable}}: Maggie, Jim, and Neal. Sloan is definitely a nerd, but perhaps too hot to count.

''The Newsroom'' (2012-14) was an American television {{dramedy}} series on Creator/{{HBO}}, created by Creator/AaronSorkin, which chronicles the behind-the-scenes events at a fictional [[TwentyFourHourNewsNetworks cable news channel]] as they report real events from recent history. The [[EnsembleCast ensemble cast]] is headed by Creator/JeffDaniels as ''News Night'' anchor Will [=McAvoy=], who, together with his staff, set out to put on a news show "in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles and their own personal entanglements." Other cast members include Creator/EmilyMortimer, Creator/AlisonPill, Creator/DevPatel, John Gallagher, Jr., Creator/OliviaMunn, Thomas Sadoski, Sam Waterston and Creator/JaneFonda.

* WalkAndTalk: Certified Sorkinism.

** When Jim's group is told that there will only be one hotel room for the three of them, Hallie quips, "Well that was a predictable plot twist."

** Being a very intelligent, overly-qualified, idealistic man constantly battling to raise standards, who is fiercely protective of his staff, and in turn inspires great love and loyalty from them, Will can be interpreted as a darker and more foul-mouthed version of [[Series/TheWestWing Josiah Bartlett]]. Also note that initially, Bartlett was a rude, raving [[BadBoss Bad Boss]] who couldn't remember the names of his own inner circle until he was nominated as candidate for Presidency, which parallels Will's own transformation from having half his staff leave him and constantly calling Maggie 'Ellen' in the first episode, to having the entire team regarding him as [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming 'Coach']].

''The Newsroom'' (2012-14) was an American television {{dramedy}} series on Creator/{{HBO}}, created by Creator/AaronSorkin, which chronicles the behind-the-scenes events at a fictional [[TwentyFourHourNewsNetworks cable news channel]] as they report real events from recent history. The [[EnsembleCast ensemble cast]] is headed by Creator/JeffDaniels as ''News Night'' anchor Will [=McAvoy=], who, together with his staff, set out to put on a news show "in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles and their own personal entanglements." Other cast members include Emily Mortimer, Creator/AlisonPill, Creator/DevPatel, John Gallagher, Jr., Creator/OliviaMunn, Thomas Sadoski, Sam Waterston and Creator/JaneFonda.

** Maggie delivers a screaming tirade against the unrealistic nature of ''SexAndTheCity'' in the first season finale.

** Will telling a tabloid reporter, "I will rededicate my life to ruining yours," is another line taken straight out from ''SportsNight''.

* HotScoop: Sloan Sabbith, who is hired as much for her looks as her intelligence. Played by Creator/OliviaMunn.

* EpiphanyTherapy: In "Bullies," it takes a single therapy session to establish that Will's BullyHunter personality comes from standing up to his abusive father. He also discovers that his trouble sleeping is due to guilt over having Sloan lie on air, but this is instantly subverted: it's just late-night bacon snacking.
** To be frank, the psychiatrist is the son of Will's former psychiatrist, who left so many notes on Will that "they need their own filing cabinet", meaning that Will had a lot of sessions before this.

* ReallyGetsAround:
** In season 2, Don [[spoiler: breaks up with Maggie]] after seeing the YouTube video of [[spoiler: her admitting her feelings for Jim]] despite the fact that he cheated on her SEVERAL times in season one.
** Actually, this is because Don realizes that Maggie loves Jim and he doesn't have to try to be a nice guy for her, which would in fact only make her situation worse.

** Will is frequently likened to the title character of {{Don Quixote}} in ''Theatre/ManOfLaMancha'' for his optimism. Ironically, the show has Will "correct" [=MacKenzie=] that Don Quixote rides a donkey instead of a horse, but Don Quixote does ride a horse. It's his sidekick Sancho Panza who rides the donkey.