HBO's "The Newsroom"

[SpiderWeb]

Did anybody see the premiere of Aaron Sorkin's new show on HBO, "The Newsroom?" I thought that it was incredibly absorbing. It's nice to see some intelligence on television. What did you think?

[Yoni]

I thought it was just kind of meh, It felt like I was watching Sports Night all over again. It just felt boring and none of the characters felt real or remotely likable.

[Skully]

My hate for the work of Aaron Sorkin (with the exception of "The Social Network") is summed up by this line from the Washington Post's review of HBO's "The Newsroom":

"Characters never stop speechifying to one another, replacing believable dialogue with that unmistakably Sorkinesque logorrhea of righteous self-importance."

[Carzee]

Originally Posted by Skully

"Characters never stop speechifying to one another, replacing believable dialogue with that unmistakably Sorkinesque logorrhea of righteous self-importance."

Some professions actually concentrate that sort of personality; and they are exported (after quality control) from our elite cookie cutter college Arts Faculty staff.

[elicross]

I liked it a lot. Looks like it's going to be the same sort of thing The West Wing was: A group of extremely intelligent people doing the right things for the right reasons and succeeding because their cause is just.

The idea that people can succeed and accomplish good things just because they're smart, dedicated, and right is as much a fantasy in the world of television news as it is in D.C., but it's a pleasant fantasy. The West Wing was great because it gave us an optimistic view of the world as it should be and made us believe it could be that way; I think The Newsroom will be very similar in that respect.

[mal paso]

Wanted to see it, but i don't get HBO

[Yoni]

Originally Posted by elicross

I liked it a lot. Looks like it's going to be the same sort of thing The West Wing was: A group of extremely intelligent people doing the right things for the right reasons and succeeding because their cause is just.

The idea that people can succeed and accomplish good things just because they're smart, dedicated, and right is as much a fantasy in the world of television news as it is in D.C., but it's a pleasant fantasy. The West Wing was great because it gave us an optimistic view of the world as it should be and made us believe it could be that way; I think The Newsroom will be very similar in that respect.

except in this case he's going to use past events that he can skew in 10 minutes what it tick weeks and months to uncover.

[tele salivas]

I really wish "Luck" would have made it. IMO, one of the best shows on since "The Wire", and the numbers weren't up there. Really poor marketing/advertising on that one.
Newsroom seemed to have a lot of posturing and preaching going on in the dialogue. I am not familiar with West Wing or Sorkin, so I am not familiar with his style, but I will give it another shot next week, see if that was an establishing element, or if that is how it's going to be. There were some excellent moments, and some that made me cringe.

[Skully]

Originally Posted by tele salivas

I really wish "Luck" would have made it. IMO, one of the best shows on since "The Wire", and the numbers weren't up there. Really poor marketing/advertising on that one.

Jeez. I tried to watch "Luck," but the pacing and plotting made "Mad Men" look like "Transformers" by comparison.

Newsroom seemed to have a lot of posturing and preaching going on in the dialogue. I am not familiar with West Wing or Sorkin, so I am not familiar with his style, but I will give it another shot next week, see if that was an establishing element, or if that is how it's going to be. There were some excellent moments, and some that made me cringe.

That's how it's going to be. That's Sorkin.

[mal paso]

Wanted to see "Luck" too, but I don't get HBO




(still, or again)

[FMA]

Originally Posted by tele salivas

I really wish "Luck" would have made it. IMO, one of the best shows on since "The Wire", and the numbers weren't up there. Really poor marketing/advertising on that one.

Missed "The Newsroom," but I'm with you on "Luck." Yes, it did seem kind of slow-moving at times, but it was intensely original in its depiction of a universe that many of us do not reside in. It was very well written.
But I'm still among those who are sore at HBO for killing off "Deadwood."

[dngrsdave]

[QUOTE=tele salivas;4254613]I really wish "Luck" would have made it. IMO, one of the best shows on since "The Wire", and the numbers weren't up there. Really poor marketing/advertising on that one.

Not to mention a bunch of the horses dying off. Although, it was'nt their fault from what we read.

My Wife raced Horses for most of her life and her 83 years old Father still does. It was Great how realistic they got the stables and all the back room dealings. I frquented tracks from the Midwest to New York and the types of "Gritty" people were close to the characters on screen.

We havent watched the "Office" yet but we are hoping it will be worth watching.

I'm just waiting until "Breaking Bad" starts up for it's final season.

[Skully]

Originally Posted by FMA

Missed "The Newsroom," but I'm with you on "Luck." Yes, it did seem kind of slow-moving at times, but it was intensely original in its depiction of a universe that many of us do not reside in. It was very well written.

My gambling addict buddy loved it!

I'm just waiting until "Breaking Bad" starts up for it's final season.

I finally got into "Breaking Bad" after several failed attempts, due to its slow pacing. I think the pacing picked up a bit after the first season, but it's still slower than it needs to be. I think I also got into the characters in the same way a soap opera fan does. The Jesse character probably said "yo" a little less in the subsequent seasons, too, which might've helped a bit. I know it's fiction, but it can be tough to spend TV time with types you can't stand.

I'm now working my way through Season 4.

I've avoided "The Killing" because I've heard the pacing is slow and the payoffs are unsatisfying.

[elicross]

Originally Posted by dngrsdave

Not to mention a bunch of the horses dying off. Although, it was'nt their fault from what we read.

I've wondered if the horse deaths were really the whole story behind the show's cancellation. I mean...HBO cancels Luck because they don't want to endanger any more horses...but they continue Game of Thrones, which has at least as many horses per episode, all running on rough terrain? I think if Luck had been a big hit, they would've said "We regret the deaths of these horses, and we're taking steps to make sure it doesn't happen again," and they would've continued producing the show.

Honestly, part of me was a little relieved when Luck was canceled. I watched it every week because it seemed like something I should like, given the cast and the fact that it was created by David Milch -- but I kinda had to make myself watch it. It was always the last new show left on my DVR by the time I hit "Play" on it.

[Skully]

Originally Posted by elicross

I've wondered if the horse deaths were really the whole story behind the show's cancellation. I mean...HBO cancels Luck because they don't want to endanger any more horses...but they continue Game of Thrones, which has at least as many horses per episode, all running on rough terrain? I think if Luck had been a big hit, they would've said "We regret the deaths of these horses, and we're taking steps to make sure it doesn't happen again," and they would've continued producing the show.

"Luck" was shot in California. "Game of Thrones" is shot largely in Ireland. It's also not shot on a racetrack with its own regulations and monitors.

[elicross]

Originally Posted by Skully

"Luck" was shot in California. "Game of Thrones" is shot largely in Ireland. It's also not shot on a racetrack with its own regulations and monitors.

And yet somehow they managed to shoot nine episodes with those regulations and monitors. I think if HBO had been happy with the show, they'd have found a way to keep working within those regulations. I suspect HBO saw the controversy surrounding the horse deaths as a way to get out of the Luck business and make it look like it wasn't their choice, thus saving face for themselves, David Milch, Hoffman, Nolte, et al.

[Skully]

Originally Posted by elicross

And yet somehow they managed to shoot nine episodes with those regulations and monitors. I think if HBO had been happy with the show, they'd have found a way to keep working within those regulations. I suspect HBO saw the controversy surrounding the horse deaths as a way to get out of the Luck business and make it look like it wasn't their choice, thus saving face for themselves, David Milch, Hoffman, Nolte, et al.

I suspect they wanted to end the show, too. But there are likely a lot more regulations and, perhaps more importantly, scrutiny when you work with animals in California.

[tele salivas]

There were some slow moments in the start of Luck, but I think they thought people would dig it, give it a chance to build, which it did. Could have done with less shots of Hoffman's character contemplating at the front. That could have waited until you knew what the hell he was contemplating, but it made sense by the 3rd or 4th episode. Pretty damn complex, and you could see the arc coming. The tension got really taught on various fronts, and you held out hope for a lot of the characters, often those at variance with eachother. I think you would have dug it Skully.
Doesn't matter now. Damn dissapointing. Deadwood was the show that got me back into TV.

[Breen]

I really really loved West Wing, even back when I was a midteenager.

I really liked Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (I think that was what it was called).

I couldn't understand Luck, and I'm a poker player and kinda know the gambling terms. The poker was horrible.

Was Luck by Aaron Sorkin?

Anyway, I hope Aaron Sorkin writes and produces something as good as West Wing soon.

[elicross]

Originally Posted by Breen

Was Luck by Aaron Sorkin?

Anyway, I hope Aaron Sorkin writes and produces something as good as West Wing soon.

Nah, Luck was created by David Milch, the guy who created Deadwood and co-created NYPD Blue.

It's too early to be sure, but I think Sorkin's The Newsroom has a shot at being as good as The West Wing. At the very least, it should be interesting to see what the creator of The West Wing does on a pay-cable channel, where he's bound to have a lot more freedom than he had on NBC.