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Sports Night was the first DVD set I ever bought. Loved that show - which got way better after the pilot.
I'm a big fan of Newsroom. Jeff Daniels is perfect in the lead role - a Republican news anchor accused of being a liberal because he hates what the influence of the Tea Party and religious right have done to the GOP. His self-description: "I'm a middle-aged man who never lived up to his potential. You don't want to be on the wrong side of me." I can relate.
The show paints a picture of a dedicated newsroom team trying do do "real news" rather than wallowing in tabloid sensationalism. Like The West Wing, it's an attractive idea involving idealists in passionate pursuit of their profession (and even includes Sorkin's signature annoyingly poor lighting), often at the expense of their personal lives.
The claims of misogynism are a mystery to me; I suspect it's more Sorkin-hatred than actual analysis. Personal relationships on the show are all disasters, but it's the men and women alike. The ex-girlfriend/producer (Emily Mortimer) is job-competent and passionate. Olivia Munn shows she has actual acting chops, playing a beautiful but socially inept, intellectually brilliant financial reporter. The little blond researcher/reporter (Allison Pill) is a bit odd but, again, very good at her job. The owner of the network is female. In short, all the women on the show are portrayed as professional and competent. Where's the misogyny in that? My feminist wife and daughter don't see it that way.
To me, the obvious message is that personal relationships suffer in an intense, high-stakes work environment. A bit overbaked, but not without a kernel of truth. And certainly not the point of the show.
I'm very much hoping that HBO picks it up for another season.
I'm a big fan of Newsroom. Jeff Daniels is perfect in the lead role - a Republican news anchor accused of being a liberal because he hates what the influence of the Tea Party and religious right have done to the GOP. His self-description: "I'm a middle-aged man who never lived up to his potential. You don't want to be on the wrong side of me." I can relate.
The show paints a picture of a dedicated newsroom team trying do do "real news" rather than wallowing in tabloid sensationalism. Like The West Wing, it's an attractive idea involving idealists in passionate pursuit of their profession (and even includes Sorkin's signature annoyingly poor lighting), often at the expense of their personal lives.
The claims of misogynism are a mystery to me; I suspect it's more Sorkin-hatred than actual analysis. Personal relationships on the show are all disasters, but it's the men and women alike. The ex-girlfriend/producer (Emily Mortimer) is job-competent and passionate. Olivia Munn shows she has actual acting chops, playing a beautiful but socially inept, intellectually brilliant financial reporter. The little blond researcher/reporter (Allison Pill) is a bit odd but, again, very good at her job. The owner of the network is female. In short, all the women on the show are portrayed as professional and competent. Where's the misogyny in that? My feminist wife and daughter don't see it that way.
To me, the obvious message is that personal relationships suffer in an intense, high-stakes work environment. A bit overbaked, but not without a kernel of truth. And certainly not the point of the show.
I'm very much hoping that HBO picks it up for another season.
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