The mid-to-late 1980s were clearly an extremely turbulent time throughout this planet, especially for those reporting on and covering such jaw-dropping global events that have forever changed our world. While we always judge the news industry and the people working inside it by their ability to spread this vital information, the human costs should never be brushed aside or forgotten.
In the last few years, the ABC television network has released a truly extraordinary and unforgettable drama series with three separate seasons. The Newsreader masterfully depicts the tumultuous lives being led by those employed in 1980s newsrooms. This fascinating TV show primarily focuses on the troubled experiences of its protagonists, Helen Norville (Anna Torv) and Dale Jennings (Sam Reid).
Further plot points will be discussed, so proceed with caution.
Beats with emotion
In the space of just 18 episodes, both of these captivating main characters displayed the deep personal and emotional struggles that could be attributed to the episodes of poor mental health they each suffer from. Helen admits that she’s had to spend her entire life dealing with this, whilst Dale has had to come to terms with his undeniable bisexuality, something that was extremely frowned upon back in those days.
The close romantic relationship developed by Helen and Dale very early on in the show’s timeline comes to an abrupt end at the end of the second season, after both of them coldly and harshly rejected each other’s marriage proposals. Nevertheless, they still managed to stay on good terms and carry on being friends in the third season.
Battling the boss
The shared hard times of these two young adults can largely be traced back to being treated shockingly poorly by their aggressive and unpleasant boss, Lindsay Cunningham (William McInnes). His constant yelling, insults, and coercion make him increasingly unpopular and unlikable in the eyes of his embattled employees.
Geoff Walters (Robert John Taylor) is notably removed from his position on the bulletin at News at Six in the aftermath of his 60th birthday, which largely contributes to his many heart attacks and eventual death. This understandably causes his wife, Evelyn (Marg Downey), and his daughter, Kay (Philippa Northeast), to hold a deep grudge for Lindsay, hardening the disdain with which he is viewed by others.
The mother and daughter duo finally decide to exact revenge on Lindsay after his bullying nature results in Geoff, Helen, and Dale all leaving their News at Six posts. They both produce a detailed report of Lindsay’s diabolical mistreatment towards his employees to the network CEO, Richard Bertrand (Andrew McFarlane).
Afterwards, Dennis Tibb (Chum Ehelepola) replaces a sacked Lindsay as the newsroom’s head in a highly emotive final episode of the show, which also sees Dale finally recovering from his depression and alcoholism. The last ever scene shows him working as a foreign correspondent for the news programme, eventually being run by Helen, called Public Eye.
The credits then roll for the last time, with Dale displaying some hope, relief, and happiness as he is in the German capital to report on the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989. He clearly knows he no longer needs to worry about being pushed around by Lindsay, after his dramatic on-screen temper tantrum causes his own axing from News at Six, and Helen decides to hire Dale to join her at Public Eye.
Comparisons to reality
This show is still topical, as the work environments that journalists face sadly haven’t changed much in today’s modern news industry, compared with what they were like in the 1980s. This is why potential future audiences should definitely watch The Newsreader and see why it benefits from so much relevance and relatability in many similar past and present environments.
The Newsreader soberingly shines a light on the stark hardships faced by all sorts of people 40 years ago that now don’t seem to have improved too much since then.
Featured Image Credit: Photo by BBC/Werner Film Projects Pty Ltd and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation