The Newsroom.

[137th Gebirg]

^^^ Careful, bro. You might want to edit your post.

 

[TheGodBen]

Isn't Cynthia McKinney a truther?

I have no idea as I have no recollection of having heard of her before this moment, which indicates that she is not a major player in the Democratic party. In fact, according to wikipedia she lost her seat in a primary election in 2006 and left the Democratic party in 2007 in order to join the Green party. So if you were trying to use her as an example of the Democrats being beholden to loony-left types, you picked a terrible example that actually reinforced what I said.

Overall the first season was ok, not as good as "The West Wing" but better than "Studio 60...".

I agree completely. It's not a great show, but it's not as bad as some reviewers made it out to be, and it picked up a bit in the second half of the season. At the very least I'm willing to come back for the second season to see how things develop, especially considering the drastic change in writers.

I really should do a TWW rewatch thread.

Might be fun. I'm near the end of my most recent rewatch, and it's one of those shows that I can rewatch over and over again and never get bored of it (except season 5).

 

[FPAlpha]

^^^ Careful, bro. You might want to edit your post.

Good catch

And fitting for the episode too.. i should have "Obama good / Osama bad" sheets too

 

[Count Zero]

Yeah, that was a fun detail. "Good thinking!"

I've just rewatched my personal favorite episode.. the one where it's about the killing of Osama and i'm still amazed about the perfect balance of seriousness, relationship stuff and humor (i still laugh hard when the boss finds out that stoned Will McAvoy is sitting on an email for 20 minutes by Biden confirming the kill.. "Are you kidding me?" ).

I love that one, too, mostly for the scenes with stoned Will. And that scene really is the killer. Will saying, "enjoy the moment" to Charlie when he gets angry is a favourite moment of mine. Also the scene where Will declares the news isn't about Gaddafi because he's spoken to Wesley Clarke and NATO HQ on his way to the studio and you wonder whether he's really spoken to them or just thinks he has and which version of events is actually worse.

I also love that runnung gag about Will knowing everyone. There's a line that's easy to miss in a preceding episode, "Amen". When they try to find out what has happened to the Egyptian journalist Mac says to Will that he should call his highest contact in the State Department and if that doesn't work, her husband. I really dig that.

 

[Rory1080p]

I thought the series was really good the dialogue is fast paced and interesting and the characters are good too.

 

[Jimi_James]

I really liked this show, though since I adore Sorkin, that was practically a no brainer. I particularly enjoyed the way they went after the Tea Party with actual facts and held people accountable for things they actually said, but then later contradicted. It reminded me a lot of John Stewart and the daily show.

I also really liked that they set it back a year or two so they could play off events that have already happened, rather than trying to invent new events to cover. Much like the lack luster comedy aspects of Studio 60 were largely part of the reason the show failed (depending on who you ask), having to rely on made up news events could have really hurt them.

On the other hand, the West Wing did just fine with inventing fictitious events to play off of, so maybe it was just the comedy aspect that held things up. Truth be told, I never thought the comedy aspects of the fake show Studio 60 was putting on was all that important. I was much more interested in the character interactions, but then I'm getting off track. This is about Newsroom, not Studio 60.

I want more and look forward to season 2.

 

[Australis]

Overall the first season was ok, not as good as "The West Wing" but better than "Studio 60...".

I really should do a TWW rewatch thread.

In the midst of a TWW rewatch right now. And boy, the quality really did drop when Sorkin left! I hadn't really noticed until this one, and find I'm skipping stuff. The dialogue doesn't crackle, the stories struggle, and the characters are sent off on wild tangents.

And agree about Studio 60, for some reason his female characters in that show were in the main terrible.

Any word on when Season 2 starts?

 

[Jimi_James]

HBO likes to take a long time off between season, so I wouldn't expect it before the spring/summer of next year.

 

[Count Zero]

The date bandied around is June 13th. It seems to be pretty official. So, yeah, a long time to wait, unfortunately. Sorkin said (or was it Emily Mortimer?) that filming for the new season will begin in November.

 

[Jimi_James]

It's worth it through. If HBO was any other station making shows of lesser quality, I'd be upset that the wait is so long. But HBO hits a home rum with piratically every thing they do, so I'm willing to wait.

I like your Avatar Count Zero. Sam Waterson is awesome and half my enjoyment of the show comes from simply hearing him swear at Will.

 

[Count Zero]

You'll like this,then, I hope. Charlie is pretty awesome and some of his expressions have found their way into my vocabulary ("What in the name of holy fuck?" and "I'm not fucking around!"). Also, my current signature is something very true he says to Will in the finale. I really have three favourite characters, Will, Mac and Charlie, though all the others are pretty great and enjoyable, too, especially Sloan Sabbith.

 

[Jimi_James]

For some reason, the video wouldn't play on that site. I had to track it down on another site...and it was so worth it. Charlie is awesome.

I was on the fence about Sloan. Being a long time G4 and Attack of the Show watcher, I'm more than familiar with Olivia Munn, but I wasn't sure what she would bring to the show or even that she would be able to handle Sorkin's dialog. Much to my surprise though, her character definitely shined and she's my favorite female character after Mac.

 

[FPAlpha]

For some reason, the video wouldn't play on that site. I had to track it down on another site...and it was so worth it. Charlie is awesome.

I was on the fence about Sloan. Being a long time G4 and Attack of the Show watcher, I'm more than familiar with Olivia Munn, but I wasn't sure what she would bring to the show or even that she would be able to handle Sorkin's dialog. Much to my surprise though, her character definitely shined and she's my favorite female character after Mac.

Yeah.. they've written Sloan pretty well for Olivia. She is brilliant in her field but outside she fumbles like everyone of us.. still a nerd

And Olivia plays her quite well.. i'd wish that Munn would expand her acting career because she's not bad. She's got the looks (important in Hollywood these days) and she's better that many of the so called young A listers (Kristen Stewart for example) i've seen recently.

 

[Eno]

I've been given to understand that photo id is required (saw it on the news).

BTW, there's an election coming, please vote. Australia has mandatory voting, and most of us this it's a very good thing and take it serious.

And think of McAvoy's show as the Fox News of the Left, though at least rooted in facts.

The above comment is mistaken. Australia does not have mandatory voting. One does not have to register to vote. If one does register and then fails to vote, one is then fined.

 

[bigdaddy]

I've been given to understand that photo id is required (saw it on the news).

BTW, there's an election coming, please vote. Australia has mandatory voting, and most of us this it's a very good thing and take it serious.

And think of McAvoy's show as the Fox News of the Left, though at least rooted in facts.

The above comment is mistaken. Australia does not have mandatory voting. One does not have to register to vote. If one does register and then fails to vote, one is then fined.

That is still ridiculous in what is considered a free country.

 

[Australis]

Hmm, let's go to Wikipedia:

Australia enforces compulsory voting. Compulsory voting at referendums was considered when a referendum was proposed in 1915, but, as the referendum was never held, the idea was put on hold. The immediate impetus for compulsory voting at federal level was the low voter turnout (59.38 percent) at the 1922 federal election. However, it was not on the platform of either the Stanley Bruce-led Nationalist/Country party coalition government or the Matthew Charlton-led Labor opposition to introduce this requirement; rather, the initiative was taken by a backbench Tasmanian senator from the Nationalists, Herbert Payne, who introduced a Private Senator's Bill, the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1924, on 16 July 1924. Senator Payne's bill was passed with little debate (the House of Representatives agreed to it in less than an hour), and in neither house was a division required, hence no votes were recorded against the bill. It received Royal Assent on 31 July 1924. The 1925 federal election was the first to be held under compulsory voting; the turnout figure climbed to 91.4 per cent, an increase of 32 percentage points on the previous election.

Voting is compulsory both at federal elections and at elections for the state and territory legislatures. In the states of South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia voting at local elections is not compulsory. About 5% of enrolled voters fail to vote at most elections. People in this situation are asked to explain their failure to vote. If no satisfactory reason is provided (for example, illness or religious prohibition), a relatively small fine is imposed ($20), and failure to pay the fine may result in a court hearing.

@ Eno - that to me is mandatory voting.

@ bigdaddy - to me it just underlines that it's a serious business, and I feel that if you don't vote, you don't get to complain. More importantly than that, if as many people as possible vote, it gives whoever is in power a more accurate reflection of their true mandate and responsibility, and a snapshot of where the electorate is at.

And oddly enough, we feel freer for it, because we know the voting isn't in the hands of a motivated few or special interests.

To get back to the topic at hand...

I'd only seen Olivia Munn on The Daily Show a few times, and thought her pretty but not anything special. Seeing her with proper dialogue in a drama, yeah, she is pretty good, and I hope they utilise her more next season.

 

[Drago-Kazov]

I've been given to understand that photo id is required (saw it on the news).

BTW, there's an election coming, please vote. Australia has mandatory voting, and most of us this it's a very good thing and take it serious.

And think of McAvoy's show as the Fox News of the Left, though at least rooted in facts.

The above comment is mistaken. Australia does not have mandatory voting. One does not have to register to vote. If one does register and then fails to vote, one is then fined.

When you are threathened with punishment if you don't do something iuts mandatory. You don't need a firing squad to make something mandaotory.

 

[137th Gebirg]

Yep. Sounds mandatory to me.

 

[Count Zero]

I think what the poster meant to say was that you don't have to register to vote so you can get out of the mandatory part of voting. While this might be true the Australian system is still commonly referred to as mandatory voting (it's worth noting that you can, of course, void your ballot then).

 

[MacLeod]

Hmm, let's go to Wikipedia:

Australia enforces compulsory voting. Compulsory voting at referendums was considered when a referendum was proposed in 1915, but, as the referendum was never held, the idea was put on hold. The immediate impetus for compulsory voting at federal level was the low voter turnout (59.38 percent) at the 1922 federal election. However, it was not on the platform of either the Stanley Bruce-led Nationalist/Country party coalition government or the Matthew Charlton-led Labor opposition to introduce this requirement; rather, the initiative was taken by a backbench Tasmanian senator from the Nationalists, Herbert Payne, who introduced a Private Senator's Bill, the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1924, on 16 July 1924. Senator Payne's bill was passed with little debate (the House of Representatives agreed to it in less than an hour), and in neither house was a division required, hence no votes were recorded against the bill. It received Royal Assent on 31 July 1924. The 1925 federal election was the first to be held under compulsory voting; the turnout figure climbed to 91.4 per cent, an increase of 32 percentage points on the previous election.

Voting is compulsory both at federal elections and at elections for the state and territory legislatures. In the states of South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia voting at local elections is not compulsory. About 5% of enrolled voters fail to vote at most elections. People in this situation are asked to explain their failure to vote. If no satisfactory reason is provided (for example, illness or religious prohibition), a relatively small fine is imposed ($20), and failure to pay the fine may result in a court hearing.

@ Eno - that to me is mandatory voting.

@ bigdaddy - to me it just underlines that it's a serious business, and I feel that if you don't vote, you don't get to complain. More importantly than that, if as many people as possible vote, it gives whoever is in power a more accurate reflection of their true mandate and responsibility, and a snapshot of where the electorate is at.

And oddly enough, we feel freer for it, because we know the voting isn't in the hands of a motivated few or special interests.

To get back to the topic at hand...

I'd only seen Olivia Munn on The Daily Show a few times, and thought her pretty but not anything special. Seeing her with proper dialogue in a drama, yeah, she is pretty good, and I hope they utilise her more next season.

Whilst I agree voting is important, by being fined if you don't vote how are you freer?

In countries without mandatory voting or being fined if you don't you are in essence being force to vote to escape punishment hardly free.

I agree if you don't vote don't complain about the result, you had your chance to make your voice heard. You don't even have to vote you can go into a booth and spoil your ballot. As those are counted and announced in the UK, the Politicans might take more notice if the voting went more like this

5 000 for Party A
4 500 for Party B
3 200 for Party C
7 000 Spoilt ballots.