Monday, June 25, 2012; 12:27:59 AM Eastern
Quick review of The Newsroom
- Minor spoilers follow. I believe it's safe to read this even if you haven't seen the first episode of The Newsroom. Which I liked.
- I don't think it makes for great TV, btw. I was a big fan of The West Wing, even the early episodes of that show were much more fluid and fun, I seem to remember.
- But I loved the optimism for news, for the idea that it's possible to engage at a level of competence, not cynicism. I loved that the anchor made fun of people who said "our hearts go out to.. blah blah blah" where a real news anchor would instead nod their head and repeat the homily. I loved everything about it, even the soppy moment as the elevator door closed (no spoilers).
- The technology in the show, was dorky in the same way that The Social Network missed the point of tech startups. But who cares. It was inspiring and not cynical. That's pretty good. Sorry I'm a sucker for optimism.