'The Newsroom' on HBO - Page 10  

http://www.newsroomfactcheck.com/

Although I loved this episode, I first had to fight my emotions to avoid getting too carried away with its left wing bias. No surprise there of course, This after all is Sorkin. Nevertheless, there it is is. The example that bothered me most was Will's graphic showing that Wisconsin teachers were not being overpaid, which was absolutely right. The problem with Will's report, which the show managed to ignore, was that the issue in Wisconsin wasn't teacher salaries, Instead, it was the cost of teachers' retirement and healthcare benefits relative to the workforce as a whole.

That said, though, this episode was great drama. I thought the revelation at the end that Will and not the network had paid $250,000 to get the network's stringer released from an Egyptian prison, and his coworkers contribution to the cause, was moving. Great Television!

Thanks. I also don't want to just buy into the clearly manipulative narrative of this show although I have to admit that it is done well and very compelling. Hopefully, the fact checking is correct.

The 20 something rom-com stuff needs to go. That roommate character is totally superfluous and just harshes my mellow every time.

Finally caught up on the last 3 episodes. All great. This has become one of my top shows.

More political comments removed.

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Well, I guess we can discuss the scenery. The cinematography is nice. Ummm... good... props.

The lighting was nice in the most recent 3 episodes. Really nice lighting.

The chime of breaking news alerts in the Avid iNEWS application was rendered to great accuracy. Anyone catch that? I did.

Errr.. hmm. I got nothing else.

I must say I feel so much safer knowing that I won't have to be subjected to discussion of the actual content of the television show named in the thread title. Phew!

If the show offers nothing to discuss other than actual real-world politics, or if people continue to feel that just because a fictional newscaster discusses politics on his fictional show, then all politics are fair game for discussion - then there are probably much more appropriate forums than AVS for discussing this show. This then becomes no different than shows like O'Reilly or Olbermann . We don't have discussion threads for those either.

Just finished watching this weeks episode.

I liked this one very much. Less preachy, even though some of the facts are suspect, but the actual political bloviating was enough for the story line, as they all should be. And yes, newsrooms, good newsrooms, become family because in most cases you spend a WHOLE LOT more time with these people than you do you real family. It isn't unusual to know more about your work family than your real family. Reporters and photogs practically live with each other out on stories and they do eat a lot of meals together. A comradery builds that you don't normally see in more traditional work places. In my own shop, it isn't unusual for the morningside people and the nightside people respectfully, getting together outside of work and developing life long friendships that transcend jobs or helps in getting jobs. (the "let's go get a drink after the show") I am hoping that those stories are built upon and leave the politics out of the stories.

One of my favorite movies of all time is George Clooney's "Good Night and Good Luck". The story of Edward R. Murrow's clash with Sen Joseph McCarthy. While the film is nothing but politics, that message becomes the back story as you learn about the people who brought you the story. That is my wish The Newsroom moves to and makes the people stories the main story and the politics the secondary story, not the other way around. This episode is certainly a step in the right direction, IMHO.

I agree that the fifth episode is a noticeable improvement. Only a little bit of preaching in this one. I hope this signals a turnaround for the show.

With this episode they've apparently discovered the difference between just telling us about the characters and actually showing us the characters. For four weeks we've heard about what a great guy Will is while seeing him acting like an a-hole. Here we saw him being a great guy.

And the news-related storylines weren't about their superior insight and perception. They were about how the actual job of packaging and delivering the news affects a group of capable and dedicated people who are perhaps representative of, rather than superior to, their peers.

Much better.

Just a coincidence, or do you think this guy watches this show:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/07/25/3404532/citigroups-ex-ceo-does-an-about.html

You nailed it with both points. This episode drops the smug condescension and just shows us what it's like to be in the thick of multiple breaking news stories.

I'd have to go back and see if anyone's mentioned this before, but as a musician I just have to say how much I like the opening theme. It's a thoughtful, gentle piece, not what I would have expected, but it really works. I find I don't FF through the opening credits--I listen to the music.

I like the theme too, although it (and the montage) remind me too much of the original version of the opening of Star Trek: Enterprise.

The incidental music generally leaves me wishing for Snuffy Walden.

Oh god, that theme music is so treacly and horrible. Especially the little flourish at the very end. Ugh. Combined with the boring credits sequence, it feels like Sorkin is trying to lull us to sleep before the episode even starts.

Sorry, but I must be a charter member of the Treacly and Horrible Theme Fan Club. This is my favorite theme song in years...possibly since the West Wing theme itself. As another person wrote, I don't fast forward past it but watch the whole thing every time.

One comment that I don't think I've seen addressed: all of the "past" video segments during the theme are from CBS except for one brief shot of Chet Huntley. Was this an intentional decision by Sorkin, as in, CBS had all the marbles during the Golden Age of TV news? Or was it an inability to get file footage from other networks? Just wondering.

Just speculating but if you wanted to iimit the images to "great TV anchors of the past who are instantly recognizable but now deceased," who else woud be on the list?

John Chancellor?

David Brinkley, his final years notwithstanding.

How about Peter Jennings? Roger Mudd? As to the opening credits, I love both the music and the montage. Walter Cronkite with the JFK assassination bulletin brings a lump to my throat to this day.

If the criteria is "icon" or great anchor, nope and nope.

My interest in this show had been waning. I was finding it a struggle to get through each episode. There are interesting moments, and I applaud Sorkin for aiming high, but so much of it seemed awkward and preachy.

I finally watched last week's episode ("Amen") last night. I felt the same for the first part of the episode. The comic slapstick especially seemed awkward. However, by the end of the episode, I was choked up, not only for how moving the characters' actions were, but for how Sorkin sneaked it up on us.

Doug

Thought this was the best show yet.

Aside from the second episode, it's been on a steady upward trajectory to me, with each new episode better than the last. And I'd say by Amen we had crossed from shaky into solid territory. But this was even a step above that. The interview with the Santorum surrogate and the confrontation between Don, Sloan, and Charlie were both very, very well done.

Agree 100%.

I was glad to see Will get taken to task for being a smug jackass. Also glad to see Sloan get yelled at for sloppy journalism. It feels like Sorkin is acknowledging his mistakes.