Television Review: Aaron Sorkin's "The Newsroom"

Aaron Sorkin is the award-winning creator of such television shows as “The West Wing” and “Sports Night,” and the Academy Award-winning writer of films like “The Social Network” and “Malice.” He returns to television on HBO’s new show “The Newsroom,” which features a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on at a major cable television news network. The question on a lot of people’s minds is no doubt whether or not the show is actually good. Luckily, that question has an easy answer.

Sorkin’s trademark and instantly recognizable dialog is on full display in “The Newsroom” from the very start. As with most of his pilots, we are introduced to lead character Will McAvoy in the middle of a tirade that ends up landing him in hot water with both his network and his audience. McAvoy is a typical Sorkin character who is brilliant but opinionated and likeable but off putting. When most of his staff resigns as the result of his tirade at a public speaking event, his ex-girlfriend MacKenzie comes in and takes over the show. If you’re a fan of Aaron Sorkin, there’s a lot to like in “The Newsroom” from the very beginning.

“The Newsroom” assembles perhaps the best cast for an Aaron Sorkin television show to date, and that’s saying something. Jeff Daniels stars as McAvoy and plays him expertly. Emily Mortimer stars as MacKenzie and plays her with a stunning confidence. Though, as the character calls for, it is always clear that insecurities and neurosis rests right below the surface. Rounding out the cast of the first episode of “The Newsroom” are veteran actors like Alison Pill and Sam Waterston who bring the fictional news network to life. If there’s a problem with “The Newsroom,” it isn’t the cast.

The story of the pilot itself is a little more uneven than it probably should be. The first half deals almost exclusively with the fallout from Will’s disastrous public speaking fiasco. While the characters and the interactions are ultimately compelling, this whole section drags on for just a little too long. The second half, however, deals with the crew of the fictional news network as they learn more and more about a breaking news event. This section of the pilot is always riveting and compelling and ultimately shows exactly where the strengths of this show really are. If you can make it to the second half, it will likely be difficult to impossible to turn the show off before it ends.

If the rest of the series is anything like the second half of the pilot, “The Newsroom” shows an incredible amount of potential. As the characters are all fascinating and expertly played, the show seems like it can get a lot out of their relationships and interactions. Watching the staff of the fictional news network deal with real life breaking news events (the pilot deals with the BP Oil Spill from 2010) is also terrific entertainment. The only hurdle to overcome will be the preachy nature inherent in the first half of the pilot. If Aaron Sorkin can get off his political soapbox long enough to tell a good story, “The Newsroom” is going to be on the air for a very long time.