‘The Newsreader' review: The Australian series about TV news is as sharp as ever in Season 2

Chicago Tribune

4 days ago

One of my favorite shows of 2024 was 'The Newsreader,' a biting Australian series about the TV news business in 1980s Melbourne. I likened it to an Aussie version of the 1987 movie 'Broadcast News,' with its winning combination of satire and pathos and a news team obsessed with beating the competition no matter the fallout.
Season 2 picks up a year later, with fledgling anchor Dale Jennings (Sam Reid) now a more assured presence on the nightly 'News at Six' broadcast, alongside the more seasoned Helen Norville (Anna Torv).
They are partners both on the air and off, and this juicy tidbit comes up when they appear on the station's talk show, hosted by a shamelessly cheesy Irishman called Gerry Carroll (Rory Fleck Byrne). Gerry is a great addition to 'The Newsreader' ensemble, both charming and likable, but someone who has also sold out at every opportunity possible. He's the kind of guy who performs a rendition of 'I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),' the George Michael and Aretha Franklin duet, surrounded by an array of 'Solid Gold'-esque dancers. Unlike his intense colleagues on the news side, everything rolls off his back and he can ad-lib a funny line with little effort.
He also has no problem pandering to the audience, so he tees up Helen and Dale with this doozie: 'In 1986, you delivered us all a newsroom romance. In 1987, can we expect a newsroom wedding?' Helen passes the question off to Dale, who pauses awkwardly, then: 'Look, we're just focusing on this critical election that we have ahead of us this year.' Oh, Dale. As much as he's smoothed out his public persona, he can't fully mask his inner discomfort. He's no Gerry.
This season, there's a new owner who sees their election night coverage as a network branding opportunity. 'And our network brand is backyard barbecue,' explains Dale and Helen's weaselly producer (Chum Ehelepola). The station owner wants the tone to be 'relaxed and irreverent.' Helen makes a face: 'Are you even listening to yourself?' Helen cannot hide her emotions, except when she's on the air, and that transformation is always divine.
Dale, though, is more appeasing. And he's still obsessed with nailing an assured on-air persona (as with Season 1, we get to see more of him practicing in front of the mirror; Reid is so funny in these moments). Dale doesn't want to make waves but to work within the system and keep their bosses happy. That creates tension between him and Helen when she makes some questionable judgment calls and loses her cool during an interview. She can be a dynamo, but someone needs to keep her from going off the rails.
Other complications arise. The secret of Dale's bisexuality looms like a ticking time bomb when a local gossip writer gets wind of the information. The same goes for Helen's teenage history of mental illness. There are plenty of people looking to sabotage them individually, and when their relationship begins to fray, it would be inevitable that they turn on each other too. They don't, and I have so much respect for that storytelling decision.
The ensemble surrounding them is a rich melange of characters who give the newsroom its dysfunctional charm. The sweet but tenacious researcher promoted to producer (Michelle Lim Davidson, whose wardrobe is more late '70s/early '80s until she buys herself an effusive peach pantsuit) is now officially in a relationship with the station's well-meaning but dunderheaded sports anchor (Stephen Peacocke). The news director (William McInnes) remains a blowhard who alienates everyone around him (my one critique of the season is that his tirades have become perhaps too cartoonish) and his secretary (Caroline Lee) is the quietly efficient presence who sees all and knows where the bodies are buried.
Then there's Helen's former co-anchor and nemesis (Robert Taylor), who now works for a competitor. His wife (Marg Downey) is one of the more intriguing women on television, a Lady Macbeth-type who is obsessed with appearances and elegantly schemes to advance her husband's career. She's also well-practiced at soothing his ego. When he complains about a snafu, she says smoothly: 'Honestly darling, it didn't seem that dramatic because you handled it with such professionalism.' Their adult daughter has returned home and she is struggling, which doesn't fit with the perfect family image they want to project.
Though set in the '80s, 'The Newsreader' feels timely, especially in the way it portrays journalists wanting to do the right thing when it comes to holding power to account, only to be overruled by corporate bosses. It's also a show attuned to the smallest details of an actor's performance, from the way Helen adjusts her hair before they go on air, to the smallest facial expressions on Dale's face as he listens to another man leave a flirty phone message for Helen.
These days, Reid is better known for his performance as Lestat on AMC's 'Interview with a Vampire,' but what he's doing here is just as layered and complex. It's quieter. Smaller. Dorkier. It really shows his range as an actor. Dale is hilarious. Dale is heartbreaking. Dale is a work in progress.
Even the show's writing is delicious. When Gerry makes a subtle pass at Dale, this is how he phrases it: 'You strike me as a bit open to … possibilities. It's a compliment. The best people are.' Pause. 'I am.'
Australia's bicentennial becomes a source of rich comedy, thanks to the beautifully absurd station promo they're forced to shoot, but it's also a way for 'The Newsreader' to delve into the way the Aboriginal population is rendered invisible in the station's coverage. (When Helen asks about this, everyone goes silent; it would be so much easier for them if she didn't bring up these complications.) I wish I could say the show's depiction of sexism and racism played like a time capsule, but it feels as relevant as ever.
Visually, the show's palette is a mix of tans and browns, mauves and grays and light blues and cream. Nothing too bright or vibrant. The '80s details, especially when it comes to wardrobe and hair, are bang on without being over-the-top or camp. It's a snapshot that feels wonderfully alive and relevant to this moment.
'The Newsreader' Season 2 — 4 stars (out of 4)
Where to watch: AMC+