It’s been a good long while since Aaron Sorkin has been involved in television, it has been a long 5 years since Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip totally bombed and the infallible Sorkin, who had just come off The West Wing was no longer immortal. Since then he turned back to the stage and also to films, clawing his way back to success by winning an Oscar for The Social Network and penning the multi-Oscar nominated critical hit Moneyball. With all that under his belt, he is set to return back to the small screen in a big way.
The Newsroom holds all the Sorkin trademarks: fast talkers, walk and talks, political soapboxing and a behind the scenes glance at a familiar institution. If you were annoyed by Sorkin’s dialogue before this then don’t come looking to become a fan now, this is just as clever, witty and fast on its feet as it has been in his previous work. This new trailer is a highlight for that alone and looks to play up the comedy of the show, while the first trailer seemed to lean more into showcasing the tension of a primetime news show, which I did kind of prefer.
Jeff Daniels portrays the news night anchor Will McAvoy who is dedicated to bringing good and honest news despite the influence and power of the people above him. He is supported by a new and fresh faced team which he isn’t initially keen on. Emily Mortimer plays his producer Mackenzie MacHale while Dev Patel, Alison Pill, Sam Waterston and Jane Fonda are other characters working at different levels of power within the network.
It looks like terrifically good fun and I’ll be viewing it along with many others when The Newsroom debuts on June 24th on HBO.
You can watch the trailer below.
