Posted on 07/05/2012 9:45:50 AM PDT by Kaslin
Despite the fact that few people are watching "The Newsroom," premimum cable channel HBO aseriesnnounced on Tuesday that it has renewed the left-leaning new series for a second season even though only two episodes have been broadcast.
The premiere of the show, which aired on Sunday, June 24, drew a mediocre total of 2.14 million viewers, which included a second airing, as it chronicled the behind-the-scenes events at the fictional Atlantis Cable News (ACN) series.
Created and primarily written by liberal TV producer Aaron Sorkin (who was also the driving force behind “The West Wing”), “Newsroom” features an ensemble cast that “sets out on a patriotic and quixotic mission to do the news well in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles and their own personal relationships.”
The comedy-drama stars Jeff Daniels as jaded cable news anchor Will McAvoy, who attempts to change things after losing his temper while moderating a discussion between a conservative on one side and a liberal on the other.
At that point, McAvoy declares that “America isn't great anymore” and rattles off a series of statistics showing that the U.S. isn't the leader of the world in such areas as infant mortality and science education.
Despite the series' cliche-ridden concept, the early renewal is seen as a sign of support from the executives at HBO, who ordered a 10-episode first season of the program.
As NewsBusters reported, the show was widely criticized even before its debut since a preview showed one of the characters stating that Dan Rather “got it right” in his 2004 story about President George W. Bush’s avoidance of National Guard duty, a hit piece discredited because of Rather’s reliance on forged documents,
Just before the premiere was broadcast, National Public Radio TV critic John Powers “trashed” the show for being “smugly against conservatives.”
“In fact, the show's so riddled with disapproval toward those who watch Fox News, read the tabloids or enjoy reality TV that it feeds the cliche of liberals as smug elitists who reflexively look down on anyone who doesn't agree,” he stated.
Once the first episode debuted, criticism intensified from all sides, with Entertainment Magazine writer Darren Franich stating that two of the signs you're watching an Aaron Sorkin show are the inclusion of an “Evil Corporate Person” and “Conservative Characters Who Aren't Actually Very Conservative.”
An example of the second item is McAvoy, who's a registered Republican but a “hyper-moderate” who “explicitly disagrees with the vast majority of contemporary right-wing causes.”
In addition, the Huffington Post blasted the series over its unflattering portrayal of women, and Sorkin has been slammed for “his rose-colored view of modern journalism and willingness to talk down to his audience.”
Some of the strongest criticism of the series came from Brent Bozell, founder and president of the Media Research Center and publisher of NewsBusters, who wrote that the series was “arrogant” and said it's preposterous to think “The Newsroom” is realistic, is idealistic and isn't liberal activism.
Bozell also declared that HBO should use a new slogan for its original programming:"Speaking Truth to Stupid."
“Sorkin, talking through his characters, thinks that what America desperately needs are journalistic truth tellers to make democracy work,” he stated. “The people cannot rule by their own dim wits. They need the guidance of all-knowing anchorman-prophets.”
Another interesting aspect of Tuesday's announcement was that HBO also renewed its vampire series, “True Blood,” for a sixth season. One reason for the renewal was the fact that the show's fifth-season premiere on June 10 drew an audience of 6.3 million viewers across its two plays, more than twice the ratings of “The Newsroom.”
Maybe Sorkin should try to boost ratings by adding a vampire to the cast. He'd probably be the most realistic character in the show.
Why do they need viewers? Stinking idiots just pay every month for this HBO pay channel garbage, over and over and over again.
I just watched Gettysberg again yesterday. Jeff Daniels is excellent in it, but he really sucks in Newsroom. Of course Newsroom sucks all by itself.
Liberal bias aside, i enjoyed it. Like a good science fiction story you have to suspend disbelief to really enjoy it. so i just ignore the liberal bias and enjoy the rest of the story. i enjoy the writing style if not all of the content.
Wow, just because i pay for HBO i am an idiot.
I wish somebody would have told me sooner.
Over a decade ago I called such obtuse and recalcitrant broadcast organs media martyrs—in that they are more willing, not unlike Jihadists, to perish for a lie than to admit that they are liars.
I mean, having an ignorant God-hating mean-spirited racist sexist smegma stain like Bill Maher as your top celebrity... ...well it's only a matter of time.
I watched the Military Channel yesterday. They had the American Revolution on all day and evening
Gettysburg took place on July 1, 2 and 3, so I thought it appropriate for my July 4th viewing pleasure.
This is why we stopped subscribing in 1972 after having subscribed for about 6 month and we haven't used it since then
Unfortunately our house has True Blood fans. We subscribe the day it starts and cancel the day it ends.
And I surfed into a few minutes of the National Geographic's "America Before Columbus." It observed July 4th by recounting all the abuses and deaths European colonizers brought to the continent's Indian inhabitants. If I hadn't canceled my Geographic subscription years ago I'd do it again.
Thought about watching this, but I already saw Dumb and Dumber and figured I wasn’t impressed with that so why would I be impressed with the sequel?
In late May/early June, I had some heavy negotiations with Comcast. They tried to really increase our bundled bill.
I got my total new bill below what we had for two years and HBO and some other premium channels. I told them, we would
never pay for HBO.
We still haven’t watched any free HBO bs.
I predict that it will run through early November and then be quietly cancelled.
I hear that Hitler gave a good speech too, but I'm not likely to listen.
“‘Newsroom’ Renewed by HBO Despite Few Viewers, Many Critics”
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Someone will have to explain to me the economic metrics of this decision.
To me it says there are far too few “entertainment” programs to sop up the available advertising dollars.
Maybe Sorkin should try to boost ratings by adding a vampire to the cast. He'd probably be the most realistic character in the show.Meh.
The modern blood-sucking media make vampires look like pikers.
2.14 million isn’t bad for subscription cable. Sopranos first season only averaged 3.4. For a show with a small cast and no special effects the bar is lower.
I refuse to pay for, or even allow HBO in my home. But thats just me.
How dumb do they think people are that they hope to pass of anti-American as “patriotic”?
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