This devastatingly funny Canadian sitcom explored the tensions and sensitivities within the team charged with pulling together an evening news show for an unnamed Toronto TV station.
It focused on three main characters: self-obsessed, morally bankrupt executive producer George Findlay (the show’s creator, Ken Finkleman), facile, dim-witted anchorman Jim Walcott (Peter Keleghan), and committed producer Karen Mitchell (Karen Hines).
These characters were observed in such detail – and played so perfectly – that they came across as authentic, even amid the outrageous satirical story lines they inhabited. Findlay, in particular, was a genius creation, and Finkleman called him his “unedited id.”
Findlay would spend as much time avoiding his mother’s calls as he would sensationalising news stories to increase ratings.
The show was well-received and was resurrected as a TV movie, Escape from the Newsroom, in 2002. This was followed by two more seasons, both of which maintained the high standard of the original.
A searing swipe at the battling egos at play in a highly pressured environment, The Newsroom laid to rest the myth that all sitcom characters had to be likeable and is often cited as one of the best shows in Canadian television history.
George Findlay
Ken Finkleman Jim Walcott
Peter Keleghan Karen Mitchell
Karen Hines Matt
Matt Watts Allen
Douglas Bell Mark
Mark Farrell Alex
Jody Racicot Audrey
Tanya Allen Claire
Holly Lewis
These characters were observed in such detail – and played so perfectly – that they came across as authentic, even amid the outrageous satirical story lines they inhabited. Findlay, in particular, was a genius creation, and Finkleman called him his “unedited id.”
