"New" Can Be A Good Thing

A couple of weeks ago I stumbled across a new show that I have come to love. The show is called The Newsroom and it is broadcast on HBO. Now I'm not a subscriber of HBO (actually I usually can't stand any of their shows) so I found out about this show from people talking about it on Twitter. I found the first episode online and I've been hooked ever since. So here is what I think really makes this show great.

First of all, the show started with a bang. You can't help but be intrigued by the first episode because it just draws you in and doesn't let go. It's a great way to start a show.

Second, characters. At first I couldn't decide whether to love or hate the main characters only to realize that they kind of expect you to do a little bit of both. Each character has a flaw or two, but in the end their virtues outweigh their flaws. Also, the casting is perfect. I can't imagine anyone else playing these characters and doing it this well.

Third, the premise. I love the premise of this show. A cable news broadcast team decides to drop the pomp and circumstance of cable news and just deliver the facts about what is going on in the world. It's great to see how a group of people can work to bring integrity to journalism. I also really like the whole, behind the scenes of a news broadcast, aspect of the show.

Fourth, the stories. The genius of this show is that they set it two years in the past. What makes this genius is that by doing this the show can tackle some of the biggest news stories of the past two years. This gives the show a sense of legitimacy. If the show were inventing news stories, then the audience wouldn't be able to grasp the magnitude of the events. Similarly it makes the "honest journalism" aspect of the show even more legitimate by showing how the characters refuse to compromise the details of a story.

Overall, it's a great show and I really think you should go give it a watch.