With a new season of The Newsreader comes the return of Australia’s favourite fictional TV presenters. Don’t worry Mike Moore, we still love you, but Helen and Dale are where it’s at now. The former co-news anchors – played by Anna Torv and Sam Reid – were once in a “will they or won’t they” relationship that very much culminated in they did. Things have changed, however, and by the time the third season begins they’ve parted ways, and are now working for different networks. Although some things remain the same: namely their work ethic, each tenaciously furthering their careers while – continuing the show’s now-familiar format – real-life events provide dramatic scaffolding.
Deploying newsrooms as central settings allows the screenwriters (Michael Lucas, Christine Bartlett, Adrian Russell Wills and Niki Aken) to incorporate past events – including, this season, the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the Tiananmen Square massacre – while depicting how they were reported and narrativised; how history itself was made. Well-drawn characters, strong performances and a good pace keep this format engaging, although for me this latest – and last – season has dipped a little, losing spark and lustre. Some elements feel quite on the nose, and more than ever the show – created by Michael Lucas and again directed by Emma Freeman – conjures elements that don’t always ring true, in historical and storytelling terms.
