The Newsreader is an Australian series produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation which premiered on 15 August 2021. In The '80s, Helen Norville (Anna Torv) is the female anchor of the highly rated News at Six programme based out of Melbourne, navigating the continuing sexism of the period, office politics and a developing relationship with one of her reporters, Dale Jennings (Sam Reid). All this while reporting on major stories as they develop.
It's the ABC's most-watched drama program of 2021. At the 11th Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, it received the most nominations and won in five categories, including Best Television Drama Series and Best Lead Actress — Drama.
Trailers: Season 1
; Season 2 note .
This series contains examples of:
- The '80s:
- 24 January - 28 April 1986 for the first season, covering the Challenger disaster through to Chernobyl.
- Season 2 is set in 8 July 1987 - 27 January 1988.
- '80s Hair: Plenty of it. Helen in particular.
- Alcohol-Induced Bisexuality:
- Subverted. Dale attempts to invoke this trope after he kisses Tim; he tells Tim that he only kissed him because of adrenaline from the bombing and a few drinks after the shoot. Tim is politely disdainful of Dale's excuses.Tim: It wasn't the shots, by the way. We never drank them.
- Played Straight in Season 2 when Dale gets outrageously drunk and works up the courage to have sex with a man he met at a gay bar.
- Subverted. Dale attempts to invoke this trope after he kisses Tim; he tells Tim that he only kissed him because of adrenaline from the bombing and a few drinks after the shoot. Tim is politely disdainful of Dale's excuses.
- Always Camp: Gerry is your stereotypical '80s talk show host, complete with a sparkly suit jacket, bedazzled backup dancers, and a cover of George Michael.
- And Starring:
- The Season 1 end credits has "And Robert Taylor".
- Season 2 adds "With Rory Fleck Byrne" and "With Daniel Gillies".
- Aspect Ratio Switch: Each Season 2 episode begins with an '80s-era Vanity Plate of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in the 4:3 aspect ratio (which was the standard for television before the invention of HDTV), then it switches to 16:9 for the rest of its runtime.
- Betty and Veronica: Played with in the love triangle between Dale, Helen, and Tim. At first brush, it appears that glamorous, career-driven, occasionally-unscrupulous Helen is the Veronica and sweet, conscientious Tim is the Betty. However, in a subversion of how this trope usually works, Dale (the Archie) is in a very loving and committed relationship with Helen, but briefly cheats on her with Tim. (Dale and Tim kiss twice after a particularly harrowing day; it seems likely that Tim would've been willing to go further than kissing if Dale hadn't put a stop to things.)
- Bisexual Love Triangle: Dale's two love interests are Helen, the feisty and talented lead newswoman, and Tim, the gentle, fun-loving and openly gay cameraman.
- Bi-Wildered:
- Dale admitted to Helen that he'd been caught having sex with another boy when he was a teenager and kissed Tim. She storms out because she assumes he's gay and is cheating on her, then cleans her whole house, as if assuming that he has AIDS.
- In the Season 1 finale, Helen asks Dale if he's gay, and he replies that for a long time, he thought he was straight, but just needed to "get it out of his system," before realizing that despite his love for Helen, his feelings for men weren't going to go away.
- The Bogan: Rob is a sports broadcaster and former football player known for being somewhat uncouth, and though well-meaning, can veer into racist and homophobic territory.
- Break the Comedian: Season 2 uses this trope twice.
- Gerry is introduced in Season 2 as a flirtatious, flamboyant, and extremely popular comedian and talk show host, who's tasked with helping the News at Six cover Australia's bicentennial celebrations, and spends most of his time making stupid jokes and engaging in playful hedonism. Everything changes when he's arrested for public indecency after getting caught cruising for gay sex in a public bathroom. This results in him being harassed by the paparazzi, his (consensually non-monogamous) marriage being called into question, his show and bicentennial coverage being cancelled, and his friendship with Dale deteriorating beyond repair.
- Rob is a loveable quintessentially Aussie bloke and a bit of a dimwit, notably not taking anything too seriously, but when he witnesses the Hoddle Street Massacre, he develops PTSD and finds it hard to sleep in his own house, which was close to where it happened. Luckily with the help of his girlfriend Noelene, he learns to deal with his trauma.
- British Brevity: Seasons 1 & 2 consist of only six episodes each.
- Double Entendre: In the third episode, there's a sexual connotation when Tim (who has a crush on Dale) brings up Dale's pants on a hot day, and the latter alludes to his bisexuality.Tim: You sure you don't want to get out of those pants?
Dale: What?
Tim: They look hot.
Dale: I'm fine.
Tim: What are they? Polyester?
Dale: They're a blend. - Election Day Episode: The majority of the Season 2 premiere centers around the News at Six coverage of the 1987 Australian national election, including a stressful interview by Helen with then treasurer, Paul Keating.
- Ethical Slut: Gerry has been married to his wife Carla for over a decade, and they have a child. They also have an understanding that she can't give him everything he wants as a bisexual man, and he regularly sleeps with men with her permission.
- Fisticuff-Provoking Comment: Dennis has dealt with a lot of racist micro-aggressions as the only South Asian man on the news team, but when Lindsay calls him a "piss weak, half-arsed coffee boy in a bad acrylic vest," that's just a step too far, and Lindsay gets a punch right to the nose.
- Forced Out of the Closet: In the last episode of Season 2, Gerry is outed as bisexual after being arrested for having gay sex in a public bathroom.
- Foreshadowing: Gerry is first introduced singing "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" by George Michael on his talk show. At the end of Season 2, he is outed as queer after being arrested for having gay sex in a public bathroom, the same way George Michael was.
- Fourth-Date Marriage: Gerry and Carla met on a cruise in the 1970s, and Gerry states they were "basically married" by the time the cruise had ended.
- Gay Cruising: This is what causes Gerry to be arrested for public indecency at the end of Season 2, causing him to lose his job and the respect of the nation.
- Gaydar: Gerry (correctly) assumes not long after meeting him that Dale is "open to possibilities" (i.e. bisexual) just like he is.
- Gayngst: Dale is bisexual and closeted. He is also torn between his feelings for Helen and his feelings for men.
- Happily Married: Gerry and Carla are an interesting take on this. They've been married for over a decade, and have a daughter. They truly support and love each other, there seems to be no problems with their marriage at all. But, as Dale points out, it's not a "conventional marriage." It seems to work for them, though, and Carla is extremely supportive for Gerry's bisexuality and the fact he sleeps with men.
- Immigrant Patriotism: Played With. Gerry Carroll is an Irish immigrant who has lived in Australia for over a decade. He's tasked with helping cover the 1987 national election and bicentennial of Australia's colonisation alongside the News at Six and is advertised as an "adopted Australian" during said coverage. He also makes jokes about Australian politics and pop culture on his show. But he also seems to have moved mainly to be with his wife, and isn't particularly patriotic off-air. He isn't even registered to vote in national electionsnote , which suggests he might not even be a citizen.
- Innocent Bigot: Rob is well-meaning, but he can say a lot of casually racist things, especially around his Korean girlfriend, Noelene. He's also used the word "poof"note to describe both Dale and Gerry.
- Kicked Upstairs: Subverted; Geoff is offered a string of lucrative specials and a lot of salary to leave his job in favour of the younger Helen and Dale. He declines and instead does a tell-all interview.
- Large Ham: Lindsay BELLOWS practically half of his lines throughout the series.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: When CEO Charlie Tate tries to rebrand the network, he relays to Dennis (who then relays to the others) that the vibe they are going for is "backyard barbecue." He goes on to list other foods that networks could be, and states that "The ABC is like a plate of veggies."
- Mentor in Queerness: Gerry acts as this to Dale. He's more confident in his bisexuality than Dale, and having come to terms with who he is, he sets out to help Dale explore his true self. Unfortunately, this doesn't work out. At the end of Season 2, Dale ends up drinking heavily just to work up the courage to sleep with a man, tells Tim to go to the press and deny that anything happened between them, and gets Gerry fired after Gerry is outed to the press.
- Nothing but Hits:
- In the series premiere, Dale listens to "Kyrie" by Mr. Mister on his car radio, which was a #1 hit single in 1986.
- In the fifth episode, the iconic "The Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats is the Background Music when Helen and Dale take part in a photo shoot.
- The Season 2 trailer note song is "Electric Blue" by the Australian band Icehouse, which peaked at #1 in Australia (and #7 in the USA) in 1987.
- Sexy Discretion Shot: At the end of the second episode, Helen sits on Dale's lap, unbuttons his shirt, and kisses him before the scene cuts to the end credits.
- Shout-Out:
- In the first episode, Lindsay angrily shouts at Helen, "You parade around this place like you're Barbara bloody Walters, but you're not!"
- Lindsay says Gerry is more camp than Bernard King, a notoriously flamboyant Australian celebrity chef.
- Show Within a Show: The News at Six. Series 2 also introduces the talk show The Gerry Carroll Show.
- Something Only They Would Say: Geoff realizes his wife knew all along he was going to be fired when she uses the exact same wording of his having "leverage and years of salary" as Lindsay did in their meeting.
- Straight Gay: Tim isn't camp, but he isn't overly manly either. He's just a normal, average guy who just happens to like men.
- Talk Show Appearance: Near the beginning of the Season 2 premiere, Helen and Dale are interviewed by comedian Gerry Carroll on his Talk Show.
- Title-Only Opening: It's a title card with "The Newsreader" in white font over a black background.
- Twofer Token Minority: Tim is both gay and biracial (his actor Chai Hansen is half-Thai, half-white Australian).
