History Series / TheNewsroom

** The second episode went a little too far in trying to establish the crew's inexperience that they came off this way. For example, [=MacKenzie=] has been in Afghanistan for years but doesn't know how to use a Blackberry.

* WriterOnBoard: The show is filled with lengthy arguments and diatribes by various characters about the state of politics, economics, news, and other topics. It's easy to pick out who Sorkin is speaking through.

** In essence, he's only moderate by the standards of someone so far on the liberal axis that to them, someone who's only ''very'' liberal looks conservative.

* AlliterativeName: [=MacKenzie McHale=], Sloan Sabbith, Leona Lansing.
* AManIsNotAVirgin: Episode three features a shot of Neal making out with a lingerie-clad girl in his bedroom, apparently just to show that he's not a nerdy loser.

* BerserkButton: Don't ''ever'' call Mackenzie [=MacHale=]'s journalistic integrity into question where Will [=McAvoy=] can hear about it. Just... don't. And don't insult his staff. Ever.

** Is there any chance at all that Will/Mackenzie is not completely, utterly, one-hundred-percent endgame? (Hint: no. No, there isn't.)

* NoSocialSkills: In the beginning of the show, Will has no idea that people think he's an asshole. In epsiode four, he and Sloan talk about how they have no ability to mingle at a party. We also see him piss off several women in what were supposed to be romantic moments. In spite of all this, Will gets plenty of dates.
** Sloan has ben told that she possesses no human qualities, and only knows economics. Which is pretty much true.

* ShoutOut: Ep.2 had the name of one of the staff who quit be named Mohamed al Mohamed al Mohamed bin Bazir, a reference to ''Series/TheWestWing'' episode "20 Hours in America".
** Will getting water splashed in his face and the references to Don Quixote in Ep. 4 are possibly shoutouts to ''Series/SportsNight''.
** Will telling a tabloid reporter "I will rededicate my life to ruining yours." is another line taken straight out from [[SportsNight Sports Night.]]

** HypocriticalHumor: [=MacKenzie=], meanwhile, can't do basic math without counting on her fingers and apparently has absolutely no understanding of economics despite producing a show that frequently handles economic news.

** HippocriticalHumor: [=MacKenzie=], meanwhile, can't do basic math without counting on her fingers and apparently has absolutely no understanding of economics despite producing a show that frequently handles economic news.

** Being a very intelligent, overly-qualified, idealistic man constantly battling to raise standards, who is fiercely protective of his staff, and in turn inspires great love and loyalty from them, Will can be interpreted as a darker and more foul-mouthed version of [[Series/TheWestWing Josiah Bartlett]]. Also note that initially, Bartlett was a rude, raving [[BadBoss Bad Boss]] who couldn't remember the names of his own inner circle until he was nominated as candidate for Presidency, which parallels Will's own transformation from calling Don 'Dickless' and half his staff leaving him, to having the entire team regarding him as [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming 'Coach'.]]

* JerkAss: Will and Don. Both ''may'' be getting better

* AmusIngInjuries: Maggie hitting Jim in the head with a glass door - twice! In the same episode, Don attempting to tackle a door down. And failing.

* ChekovsGun:

* BerserkButton: Don't ''ever'' call Mackenzie [=MacHale=]'s journalistic integrity into question where Will [=McAvoy=] can hear about it. Just... don't.

->'''Will''': Everywhere I look people are screaming about how bad government is!
->'''Don''': What's your position?
->'''Will''': That people should know what they're screaming about.

''The Newsroom'' is an American drama television series on {{HBO}}, created by AaronSorkin, which chronicles the behind-the-scenes events at a fictional [[TwentyFourHourNewsNetworks cable news channel]]. The [[EnsembleCast ensemble cast]] is headed by Jeff Daniels as ''News Night'' anchor Will [=McAvoy=], who, together with his staff, set out to put on a news show "in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles and their own personal entanglements." Other cast members include Emily Mortimer, Alison Pill, Dev Patel, John Gallagher, Jr., OliviaMunn, Thomas Sadoski, Sam Waterston and JaneFonda.

Sorkin, who created the Emmy Award-winning political drama ''Series/TheWestWing'', was reportedly developing a cable-news-centered TV drama as early as 2009. After months of negotiations, premium cable network HBO ordered a pilot in January 2011 and then a full series in September that year. By the time the second episode had been broadcast, HBO had renewed ''The Newsroom'' for a second season.

Sorkin did his research for the series by observing several real-world cable news programs first hand. He serves as executive producer, along with Scott Rudin and Alan Poul.

!!This show contains examples of:
* ActorAllusion: Jane Fonda, cast as the owner of a cable news network, who was married for ten years to Ted Turner, owner of CNN.
* {{Adorkable}}: Maggie.
* AlliterativeName: [=MacKenzie McHale=], Sloan Sabbith, Leona Lansing.
* AManIsNotAVirgin: Episode three features a shot of Neal making out with a lingerie-clad girl in his bedroom, apparently just to show that he's not a nerdy loser.
* AnachronicOrder: "The 112th Congress" takes place over a several month period, while framed and intercut by a meeting between Charlie and Leona.
* ArmorPiercingQuestion: The show's first scene has Will's considerable apathy armor pierced by the question, "What makes America the greatest country in the world?" Will refutes the question out of hand, flatly stating, "It isn't." Cue tirade.
* AsianAndNerdy: Dev Patel's character Neal, lampshaded.
* BadBoss: Will prior to the beginning of the series. He's trying to fix that, though.
* BenevolentBoss: Charlie is a really nice guy and who backs Will up all the way and even pushes him to do a better job with his hard-hitting journalism. He's also got a manipulative streak, which he uses to promote the good of the show and his employees.
* BowtiesAreCool: Charlie is usually wearing one.
* BrainlessBeauty: [=MacKenzie=] insinuates that Will's dates are all these. The first one is actually a grad student, though only of physical therapy. The second one is a ''brain surgeon''.
* ChekovsGun:
** The complicated e-mail messaging system is integral to the story of 2nd episode.
** Also, Will's amended contract comes back to bite him in the ass in episode 4.
* ClusterFBomb: Hello, HBO. Hello, TV-MA rating.
* ContrivedCoincidence:
** Jim's first day on the job sees a major incident that his college roommate ''and'' his sister just happen to be perfectly positioned to give him an advanced scoop on.
** Also, the fact that one of the biggest stories of the year practically fell in their laps on [=MacKenzie=]'s very first day on the job. If it hadn't, who knows if Will would have retained her beyond the first week?
* CoolOldGuy: Charlie, president of ACN news division.
* DeadpanSnarker: Everyone.
* DidNotDoTheResearch: A minor one that becomes quite amusing in context: Will (and Sorkin by proxy) makes a big deal about how much he knows about ''{{Don Quixote}}'', including "correcting" [=MacKenzie=] that he rode a donkey instead of a horse. Quixote did ride a horse; Sancho Panza rode the donkey.
* DitzyGenius: Sloan. Will criticizes her lack of judgment and says that she's supposed to be the smartest person in the newsroom due to her two doctorates. She counters that she's good at economics, not other things.
* {{Eagleland}}: Will has a large rant in the pilot about how ludicrous it is for Americans to think it's the greatest country in the world, when it reality it has a lot of problems that it ignores. He wants to return to YeGoodeOldeDays.
* EurekaMoment: Charlie when he realizes why Will keeps ending up in the tabloids. [[spoiler: The tabloids are owned by ACM, and everything is a ploy by Leona to create an environment where firing Will would be seen as logical.]]
-->'''Charlie''': Newscorp doesn't own TMI. ''We'' do! ...[[OhCrap Oh.]]
* {{Expy}}:
** Maggie is so [[Series/TheWestWing Donna]] that it hurts. Likewise, Jim is unmistakably the Josh Malina character.
** Charlie does a good Isaac from ''Series/SportsNight''.
** Sloane is pretty clearly an Erin Burnett Expy (though arguably even better looking and more qualified).
* FirstEpisodeSpoiler: It's only at the moment the BP spill story hits, about halfway through the pilot, that a caption reveals the show is set two years in the past.
* ForegoneConclusion: The show is about how ''News Night'' is trying something radical: providing hard news to the public regardless of ratings. However, the show centers on real historical events that were not influenced by the existence of ''News Night''. Therefore, ''News Night'' cannot have any actual impact on American culture without the show jumping into an AlternateHistory. Episode four has Will admit that his assault on the Tea Party had no effect on their rise to power.
* FoxNewsLiberal: Will [=McAvoy=] is an AaronSorkin Republican. He's an old-school, moderate conservative who is extremely disgruntled by the current state of the Republican party.
** In the first few episodes, he lambasts the idea of American exceptionalism, mocks Sarah Palin and blasts the Tea Party.
** In the fourth episode he lectures a woman against gun ownership and breaks off their date because she has one in her purse. Ironically, the woman is a Fox News Liberal herself.
** Lampshaded in the fourth episode, where ''US Today'' repeatedly describes him as having recently become liberal. Each time Will hears this, he insists that he's a registered Republican. Later he snarks that the difference between him and other conservatives is that he doesn't think that tornadoes are caused by gays.
** In-universe, Will is upset at resorting to some of these when the show can't get a good conservative guest to make the case for SB 1070, making the show look biased in the process.
* FreakOut: Maggie's mid-meeting panic attack, exacerbated by not having any Xanax on hand. Jim eventually talks her down from it.
* GangstaStyle: After Will disarms his date, he points her gun at her gangsta style.
* GreenEyedMonster: [=MacKenzie=] gets extremely catty around Will's dates, despite the fact that [[spoiler:she's in a three-month relationship herself]].
* HesBack
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: In the Pilot, Will renegotiated Mackenzie's contract so that he'd have the option to fire her at the end of every week. To do so all he had to do was drop a million dollars from his salary [[spoiler: and add a non-compete clause to his contract, which Leona plans to take advantage of once he starts broadcasting against ACM's wishes.]]
* HollywoodDateless: Sloan, the MsFanService of ''News Night'' played by memetic sex kitten OliviaMunn, has no date at New Year's and talks to Will about how she has no ability to mingle at a party. Her character is something of a DitzyGenius.
* HotScoop
* ICallItVera: Will interviews a militia member who insists on keeping his rifle Jenny in the shot
* IntimateHealing: Jim does this for Maggie's panic attack.
* IronLady: Leona Lansing, CEO of the network, played by JaneFonda.
* IronyAsSheIsCast: Outspoken liberal political activist Jane Fonda is cast as ACN CEO Leona Lansing, who comes down hard on Will for criticizing the Tea Party.
* ItWillNeverCatchOn: Jim dismisses Neal's enthusiasm over [=WikiLeaks=] as a non-story in episode 3
* JadeColoredGlasses: Will.
* JerkAss: Will and Don. Both ''may'' be getting better
* KentBrockmanNews: The series is about averting it.
* ManicPixieDreamGirl: In a professional sense, [=MacKenzie=] to Will.
* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: Since the actual newsroom is directly behind Will during broadcasts, it's possible to see important characters scrambling about to get information to the proper people.
* MeaningfulName: Leona Lansing (Jane Fonda) was named in honor of two successful businesswomen: real estate developer Leona Helmsley and former Paramount Pictures CEO Sherry Lansing.
* MsFanservice: Sloan is reluctant to accept her position because she fears being used as such. [=MacKenzie=] admits that she'd be passing over better-qualified economists because she's got great legs, but ultimately insists that she's being hired for both her credentials ''and'' her looks.
--> '''Sloan''': "Do you want me to do pole-dancing while I explain subprime mortgages?"
--> '''Mackenzie''': "If you think it would help. Look, I wouldn't offer this to you if I didn't think you were qualified."
* MyNameIsNotDurwood: Will spends the entire pilot calling Maggie "Ellen", and makes several other mistakes as well because he's so out of touch with his staff.
* NamesTheSame: The staff includes a black man named Gary Cooper. That's the joke.
* NiceCharacterMeanActor: On his newscasts, Will is known most of all for his inoffensiveness. In person, he's got quite a temper. Though he's more of a JerkWithAHeartOfGold.
* NoSocialSkills: In the beginning of the show, Will has no idea that people think he's an asshole. In epsiode four, he and Sloan talk about how they have no ability to mingle at a party. We also see him piss off several women in what were supposed to be romantic moments. In spite of all this, Will gets plenty of dates.
* NostalgiaFilter: During his tirade, Will claims that America ''once'' stood for noble principles. He never identifies when this supposed golden age was.
* OfficialCouple: Will and [=MacKenzie=]; Jim and Maggie.
* PrecisionFStrike:
** Delivered twice by Leona Lansing in the punchline to her joke: "Do you wanna play golf or fuck around?"
** Also Will's response when Sloan points out that the vast majority of the American electorate has no idea what the debt ceiling actually is.
* PunctuatedForEmphasis: An interesting spoken version, where Will literally spells it out: "None of this is the fault of a twenty year old college student, but nonetheless you are a member of without a doubt the ''worst period generation period ever period!''"
* TheReveal: At the end of episode one, it's revealed that [[spoiler:[=MacKenzie=] really was there at the campus debate, holding up messages which inspired Will's tirade.]]
* RippedFromTheHeadlines: On a two-year delay. The very first episode is about the ''Deepwater Horizon'' spill, and the critics (who saw the first four episodes before everyone else) say that the rest of them are also based on events from 2010. This has drawn the attention of the critics: they think (not without reason) that it's insulting to actual journalists to create a fictional news network that's always right about news that happened two years ago out-of-universe. Sorkin has stated that he realized how bad this could look, so he's taking care to have the crew just as often be wrong about what's going to be good news.
* RunningGag: Neal's obsession with doing a news story on Bigfoot in episode four.
* SelfPlagiarism: The first ten minutes of ''The Newsroom'' are basically the first ten minutes of ''Series/Studio60OnTheSunsetStrip''. Sorkin is now engaged in writing a FixFic for his FixFic...
* ShoutOut: Ep.2 had the name of one of the staff who quit be named Mohamed al Mohamed al Mohamed bin Bazir, a reference to ''Series/TheWestWing'' episode "20 Hours in America".
** Will getting water splashed in his face and the references to Don Quixote in Ep. 4 are possibly shoutouts to ''Series/SportsNight''.
* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: [=MacKenzie=] on one side, Will on the other.
* StrawmanPolitical: Where Sorkin goes, they will follow. Expect one every time someone takes a view he doesn't agree with.
* TakeThat: Will's weak, inoffensive news personality is repeatedly compared negatively to JayLeno, who is generally seen as a weak, inoffensive comedian.
* TooDumbToLive:
** The three pro-SB 1070 people Will interviews (a [[VanityPublishing self-professed immigration expert,]] a GunNut, and a DumbBlonde beauty pageant runner-up), who are so incompetent that Will literally has to make their arguments for them. All the people who could provide good defenses for the law were taken by other news shows, to cut down on the strawman feel.
** The second episode went a little too far in trying to establish the crew's inexperience that they came off this way. For example, [=MacKenzie=] has been in Afghanistan for years but doesn't know how to use a Blackberry.
* WhatTheHellHero: Will is called out by several people on how he treated the college sophomore during his rant in the pilot episode.
* WriterOnBoard: The show is filled with lengthy arguments and diatribes by various characters about the state of politics, economics, news, and other topics. It's easy to pick out who Sorkin is speaking through.