The Newsroom - Sorkin, Daniels, and Mortimer drama about cable news - Sundays on HBO
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Cornballer
Member
I like the dialogue and the cast, but it got very sanctimonious at times and I wasn't enjoying that aspect. Guess I'll watch a few more and see how it goes.
Cornballer
Member
onlyindreams
Banned
Incredible pilot. Best new drama HBO has aired in a long time.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Feinberg's reaction to the later episodes leads me to believe that this is basically just Aaron Sorkin whining about the Tea Party for an entire series.
krameriffic
Member
It's the kind of show where the dialog is too perfect to feel realistic. All the characters are too witty and too smart for their own good (except apparently Margaret) and it disconnects me a bit. Listening to a conversation gets tiring when the characters never trip up in a realistic way, and when everybody has every fact, every argument every counterpoint and witticism down pat. I felt that way about the dialog in an episode of House, but this show dialed it up to about 11.
And just a little bit too much time spent in the newsroom. There was practically no variety to the setting of the show. Perhaps that was deliberate on their part, but at least put a scene in the cafeteria or the bathroom here and there.
Conservatives love shits.
Feinberg's reaction to the later episodes leads me to believe that this is basically just Aaron Sorkin whining about the Tea Party for an entire series.
Somebody should be.
Emerson
May contain jokes =>
All true, and that's just pure Sorkin really. I think it's something people either can handle it or they can't. It was always present in Sports Night, even The Social Network.
While it's not my ideal of excellent writing, I can enjoy it. Unlike some reviewers I actually liked the news story being based on a real one. Maybe that will change but tonight I did. Really though as long as we keep getting the sequences of putting on the live show, I'll keep watching. I loved it in Sports Night and I loved it here.
Agreed. I want Luck back... Hell, even How To Make It In America.
I really liked the Pilot. The behind the scenes of the entire newsroom and all of their fumbling around to gather the news was so appealing. So far, I like the characters. I hope that there isn't a subtle political agenda in this.
Also, that had to have been Jesse Eisenberg as the Neil guy on the phone.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Sure, but Sorkin somehow makes even the most Liberal person hate themselves as they watch a fake Republican rant about the Tea Party for 5 hours. lol
At least, that's how I remember Feinberg describing his experience with the show.
I think Sports Night was his only show that didn't get overly sanctimonious outside of a very small portion.
Was thinking the same thing.
megamerican
Member
Maybe it was diminished expectations due to the lukewarm reviews but I really dug the pilot. I thought Daniels was fantastic. He even sort of looks like a pundit. Hopefully it doesn't fall apart later in the season.
krameriffic
Member
I do enjoy it, but I like it to be paced out with a little bit of variety. At some point I tend to just zone out, even though they are generally saying interesting and intelligent things. It lends a sense of homogeneity to the characters though, because instead of forging their own identities, they are all fast talking geniuses. The tone of the show becomes almost too consistent and serious, with very little light entertainment or comedy mixed in. And again, I know that's his style, but I just really noticed it in this episode.
It does seem like they blew their load a little early by picking pretty much the biggest modern news story they could for the pilot. It sets the benchmark pretty high, and whatever subject matter they cover in the next episode will have a tough time comparing.
As someone who works in the news media (newpaper) and sees all the real behind the scenes stuff, this show should run forever until the news conglomerates get the idea that most normal people hate the hidden political agendas in the media. I say bring on more Sorkin!
I loved the pilot and Daniels is a great headliner. Everytime I forget how much of a compelling actor he is, he shows up and does something like this. It was really refreshing.
I loved the pilot and Daniels is a great headliner. Everytime I forget how much of a compelling actor he is, he shows up and does something like this. It was really refreshing.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Jesus, half way through and the smugness is just so palpable. All the problems I've read about it in the reviews are just laid bare, including the very fact that the show is set in
This BP stuff was just so... smug.
(Funny enough, I think Treme tries to do the same thing but does it with at least a bit more subtlety).
The worst thing about this is that I'm almost afraid to watch The West Wing again because I'm afraid I'll end up hating it. :/
Of course, the other thing I hate about this is that I know I'll end up watching to the bitter end... just like Studio 60. Masochism at its best. lol
2010, meaning Sorkin gets perfect 20/20 hindsight and is able to increase his smugness factor by ten.
(Funny enough, I think Treme tries to do the same thing but does it with at least a bit more subtlety).
The worst thing about this is that I'm almost afraid to watch The West Wing again because I'm afraid I'll end up hating it. :/
Of course, the other thing I hate about this is that I know I'll end up watching to the bitter end... just like Studio 60. Masochism at its best. lol
Hours Left
Member
I liked it.
The opening credits are way too sweeping.
Are we supposed to like Don? Because he's an ass. Where does he get off telling other people they aren't nice, when his smugness and self importance is suffocating.
The opening credits are way too sweeping.
Are we supposed to like Don? Because he's an ass. Where does he get off telling other people they aren't nice, when his smugness and self importance is suffocating.
ThisWreckage
Banned
A self righteous, preachy, ultra liberal wankfast. Almost works as a comedy, but in completely unintended ways.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Did anyone here watch Charlie Wilson's War? I don't remember too much about it, but I seem to remember him being much more restrained outside of the end quote that basically implies America's fuck up in Afghanistan was responsible for what happened on 9/11.
I'm just wondering if this is just a pattern with Sorkin's writing that, after like 10 years of watching his stuff, I'm finally catching on to.
I'm just wondering if this is just a pattern with Sorkin's writing that, after like 10 years of watching his stuff, I'm finally catching on to.
Sirpopopop
Member
Feinberg's reaction to the later episodes leads me to believe that this is basically just Aaron Sorkin whining about the Tea Party for an entire series.
If that's what this show is going to end up being about, it's going to get an A+ from me.
Screw the haters, I like this show.
ZackieChan
Member
This. I went in expecting smart people talking fast, walking and talking, with an amazing opening rant, and that's exactly what I got. I really hope it doesn't go downhill as fast as the reviews lead us to believe.
Also, I enjoyed Studio 60. Does that make me a moron? Why are people so down on it?
No, there will be an extremely overt political agenda. That's fine with me; I want the show to have SOMETHING to say, whether I agree with it or not.
krameriffic
Member
It's like watching a making of for an episode of Real Time with Bill Maher.
Saying something is better than not saying anything at all -- to a degree. And I think that's the point of the show.
Do you want Conan (wild, slapstick, crazy, and even downright stupid) or Leno (the pilot covers that bit very well)? Whether that's a recipe for success? We'll see.
Do you want Conan (wild, slapstick, crazy, and even downright stupid) or Leno (the pilot covers that bit very well)? Whether that's a recipe for success? We'll see.
Okay. So. I liked it. BUT, I think that it's a bit unfair that the entire premise of the show is "this is how the news should have been reported." Hindsight is 20/20 and I'm uncomfortable with how many soap boxes Sorkin will find himself standing on. It was way too nostalgic for a "better time" (which may be true with the news, but I think that open source news not coming out of one person's mouth is the best thing that we've accomplished through social media). I also didn't like his quip at "the sorority girl" - that girl represents everything that Sorkin feels is wrong about my generation, and I don't think that the blame lies solely on us. It's selfish of Sorkin to believe so, and it's just too hard to divorce Sorkin from McAvoy since so much of what he says seems to be from the creator's mouth.
That being said, good pilot. And someone I was with made a good point: This is the type of show that NBC could have done 8 or 9 years ago. They can't do it anymore. Which is part of the point that Sorkin is getting at.
That being said, good pilot. And someone I was with made a good point: This is the type of show that NBC could have done 8 or 9 years ago. They can't do it anymore. Which is part of the point that Sorkin is getting at.
See, here's the problem. What about the pilot was "ultra liberal"?
SpeedingUptoStop
will totally Facebook friend you! *giggle* *LOL*
I wa just really bewildered with how incoherent the universe of the show is. It all brings up so many questions, chiefly, what kind of man was Will before his tirade? I don't mean talk about it, I want to actually see it so the show can even justifiably say its part of his character because, holy shit, this guy is in no way some soft ball Jay Leno type. He was angry in every scene except for the end. Everyone seemed to feel like this was normal as well. And why were they cool with it? if his tirade was supposed to be so out of character for his public personal how are so few people even about damage control?
Was there damage to control? That's another thing that was just talked about but never felt. He straight degraded a college student in the middle of an unprecedented good ol days rant in front of an audience of riveted, non tweeting students at some undisclosed college. And yet his first night back, he never feels he has to answer for it? Not to mention they got some impossibly big story with the full picture mapped out in literally less than 10 minutes just in time for the show to come back on air. And how was this newscast fundamentally different from his old newscasts again? Did he not ask tough questions before or grill idiots? Why would the people who employ him be okay with that when they have so much money riding on a Jay Leno type news anchor (which if you look at any news company circa 2010, you will understand how unrealistic even THAT is)? What is his competition like, what is the political climate? Was he really doing so well the same year Glenn Beck was making moolah for spouting gibberish on TV? Is that the universe this takes place in?
Basically my biggest problems with the show boil down to the world building having the coherency of a fucking dream. Everything exists in a vacuum, or even a vacuum of a vacuum when you look at how his first show back didn't address his tirade at all. There are just so many holes and things skipped over for the sake of just getting the show to the place where Sorkin can do a revisionist shtick where he can yell at people he's angry at that the whole thing feels like a first draft. There were things I enjoyed, some rapid fire dialogue moments, but they almost all existed outside of the vacuum that is What This Show is About, you know? I'll keep watching to see how much more this world comes apart but right now this ship has got a lot of holes it needs to plug before it goes anywhere but the bottom of the ocean.
Was there damage to control? That's another thing that was just talked about but never felt. He straight degraded a college student in the middle of an unprecedented good ol days rant in front of an audience of riveted, non tweeting students at some undisclosed college. And yet his first night back, he never feels he has to answer for it? Not to mention they got some impossibly big story with the full picture mapped out in literally less than 10 minutes just in time for the show to come back on air. And how was this newscast fundamentally different from his old newscasts again? Did he not ask tough questions before or grill idiots? Why would the people who employ him be okay with that when they have so much money riding on a Jay Leno type news anchor (which if you look at any news company circa 2010, you will understand how unrealistic even THAT is)? What is his competition like, what is the political climate? Was he really doing so well the same year Glenn Beck was making moolah for spouting gibberish on TV? Is that the universe this takes place in?
Basically my biggest problems with the show boil down to the world building having the coherency of a fucking dream. Everything exists in a vacuum, or even a vacuum of a vacuum when you look at how his first show back didn't address his tirade at all. There are just so many holes and things skipped over for the sake of just getting the show to the place where Sorkin can do a revisionist shtick where he can yell at people he's angry at that the whole thing feels like a first draft. There were things I enjoyed, some rapid fire dialogue moments, but they almost all existed outside of the vacuum that is What This Show is About, you know? I'll keep watching to see how much more this world comes apart but right now this ship has got a lot of holes it needs to plug before it goes anywhere but the bottom of the ocean.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
The show desperately needs a contrarian who is as "right" as everyone else on the show. Otherwise, the message is just proselytizing on an HBO sound stage instead of a Fox News sound stage.
Ultimately, McAvoy needs to take a chance and be wrong at some point - that's the only way to show that he has some integrity even if being "right" ethically/morally doesn't pay off in any other respect.
amidst all the quick dialogue and sometimes crowded delivery, there were these very bright spots of humor that helped bring things back down.
I really enjoyed the episode and am looking forward to more. I'm putting a self mandated block on any and all reviews from "professional reviewers"... This show isn't going to sit right with people, either because they have a bone to pick with Sorkin and his style or the content of the show.
I'd rather have my own opinions generate about the show as a whole before I start to push them against what is being said in the blogs. At the end of the season, I'll definitely cherry pick the few writers here and there to read. The show feels like there isn't going to be any "right answer" for how it should be viewed.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Isn't that the point of criticism though? What should they be looking at in lieu of what happens on the screen?
Absolutely right, but I think a lot of people who criticize his work often do with a chip on their shoulder about his past work or even what he's said in interviews or what have you (He's a very... loud man, with a lot of opinions that spill into his work and outside of that, that are not going to sit well with a lot of people). I'm not saying everyone does it, but I do think a lot of reviewers do bring that into their judgments.
For me, I'd rather go into the show and come out of it with my own thoughts and opinions without there being outside influence. At least the first time through. I relied on reviews for a lot of years and am now seeing that it was a mistake to do so. Maybe I was just too naive or didn't think my own thoughts were good enough, but I've corrected that and seeing how divisive Sorkin and his writing really is, I don't think I could trust anyone to tell me how they feel about his show that is writing as a "professional reviewer" and not feel uneasy about the reviewers own personal feelings on Sorkin.
I'll come to my own conclusions and then see what everyone else thinks after that.
The Dutch Slayer
Member
LOVED the first episode, for me it started a little slow but ramped up as soon as the BP stuff started.
And at the end I was really pumped up.
Awesome show so far.
And at the end I was really pumped up.
Awesome show so far.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Well, judging the art by the man is just one of those things people will have to work out for themselves. The extreme case being Roman Polanksi, of course.
I feel like after The Social Network though, more than a few people are probably giving this a pretty fair shot. It's almost as if that movie made up for Studio 60 or something.
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