We Just Decided To

Last updated
"We Just Decided To"
The Newsroom episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 1
Directed by Greg Mottola
Written by Aaron Sorkin
Original air dateJune 24, 2012 (2012-06-24)
Running time75 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
—		Next →
"News Night 2.0"
List of episodes

"We Just Decided To" is the first episode of the first season of the American television series The Newsroom . It first aired on June 24, 2012 in the United States on HBO. "We Just Decided To" was written by creator Aaron Sorkin and directed by Greg Mottola. In the aftermath of his public tirade, acclaimed Atlantis Cable News anchor Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) returns to his job to find that most of his staff are leaving and his new executive producer is his ex-girlfriend, MacKenzie McHale (Emily Mortimer) and when some breaking news about a potentially disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico hits the network, the staff faces a new challenge.

Contents

Entertainment Weekly reported in April 2009 that Sorkin, while still working on the screenplay for The Social Network , was contemplating a new TV drama about the behind-the-scenes events at a cable news program. To research the cable news world, Sorkin had been an off-camera guest at MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann in 2010 to observe the show's production and quizzed Parker Spitzer 's staff when he was a guest on that show. Sorkin told TV Guide that he intended to take a less cynical view of the media: "They're going to be trying to do well in a context where it's very difficult to do well when there are commercial concerns and political concerns and corporate concerns." [1]

According to the Nielsen Media Research, the episode attained 2.14 million viewers upon initial airing. "We Just Decided To" received mixed reviews from critics.

Plot

The series opens with news anchor Will McAvoy participating in a panel at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and giving a controversial speech on America's recent decline as a nation, shocking the audience. He then goes on vacation for two weeks to let the dust settle, and comes back to work only to find that his executive producer and most of his team are leaving him for another news anchor. He also discovers that his boss, Charlie Skinner, has hired him a new executive producer: Mackenzie MacHale, Will's ex-girlfriend with whom Will has bad history. He protests, but Charlie is adamant, insisting that Mackenzie will build on his performance at Northwestern and help develop a new, improved news broadcast. Will eventually allows Mackenzie to work with him but only under the condition that he can fire her at the end of each week.

A news alert comes in about an explosion off the Gulf of Mexico, but Don Keefer, the original executive producer, doesn't find it to be worth pursuing. Meanwhile, Jim Harper, one of Mackenzie's team members, claims that the fire is actually an oil rig explosion and that the oil spill has yet to be plugged thanks to anonymous tips that turn out to be solicited from his relatives. Will decides to take up the case and the Louisiana oil spill becomes the main piece for the evening show. Their show ends up being the only one to do the piece on the oil spill.

Production

Development

Entertainment Weekly reported in April 2009 that Sorkin, while still working on the screenplay for The Social Network , was contemplating a new TV drama about the behind-the-scenes events at a cable news program. [2] Sorkin was the series creator of Sports Night and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip , both shows depicting the off-camera happenings of fictional television programs. [3] Talks were reportedly ongoing between Sorkin and HBO since 2010. [4] In January 2011, Sorkin revealed the project on BBC News. [5]

To research the cable news world, Sorkin had been an off-camera guest at MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann in 2010 to observe the show's production and quizzed Parker Spitzer 's staff when he was a guest on that show. [6] He also spent time shadowing Hardball with Chris Matthews as well as other programs on Fox News Channel and CNN. [7] Sorkin told TV Guide that he intended to take a less cynical view of the media: "They're going to be trying to do well in a context where it's very difficult to do well when there are commercial concerns and political concerns and corporate concerns." [1] Sorkin decided that rather than have his characters react to fictional news events as on his earlier series, The Newsroom would be set in the recent past and track real-world stories largely as they unfolded, in order to give a greater sense of realism. [8]

In January 2011, HBO ordered a pilot with the working title More as This Story Develops. The Social Network's Scott Rudin signed on as executive producer. [7] Rudin's only previous television work was the 1996 spinoff series Clueless. [7] By June, Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, Sam Waterston, Olivia Munn, and Dev Patel were cast, while Greg Mottola had signed on to direct the pilot. [9] [10] The pilot script was later reportedly obtained by several news outlets. [11]

On September 8, 2011, HBO ordered a full series starting with an initial 10-episode run with a premiere date set for summer 2012. [12] [13] [14] A day after the second episode aired, HBO renewed the series for a second season. [15]

Series title

While the pilot was in development, the project was tentatively titled More as This Story Develops. [16] On November 29, 2011, HBO filed for a trademark on "The Newsroom" with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. [17] The new name immediately drew comparisons with the Ken Finkleman-created Canadian comedy series of the same name that aired on CBC and public television stations in the U.S. [17] [18] The series' name was confirmed as The Newsroom in an HBO promo released on December 21, 2011, previewing its programs for 2012. [19]

Writing in Maclean's , Jaime Weinman said the choice of name was "a bit of a grimly amusing reminder that the U.S. TV industry doesn't take Canada very seriously ... 'The Newsroom' is often considered the greatest show Canada has ever produced, but a U.S. network feels no need to fear unflattering comparisons: assuming they've heard of the show, they probably think most people in the States have not heard of it." [20]

Casting

Jeff Daniels was cast in the lead role in March 2011. [21] Alison Pill and Olivia Munn reportedly entered negotiations to star in April 2011. [22] The fictional executive producer role was initially offered to Marisa Tomei, but negotiations fell through. Tomei was replaced by Emily Mortimer in May 2011. [23] Sam Waterston also joined the project in May. [24] John Gallagher, Jr., Thomas Sadoski, Josh Pence, and Dev Patel were added to the cast in June 2011. [25] [26]

New York magazine reported that Sorkin had planned for MSNBC host Chris Matthews and Andrew Breitbart to appear in a roundtable debate scene in the pilot. However, the idea was shot down by MSNBC purportedly because the network was displeased with the corporate culture portrayal of cable news and skewering of left-leaning media in the show's script. [27]

Filming

The Newsroom's set is located in Sunset Gower Studios, Hollywood, California. [28] Production began in the fall of 2011. [29] The schedule called for each episode – comprising a dialogue-dense script – to be filmed in nine days, as opposed to six to seven days for broadcast network TV series. [29] The pilot took 18 days of filming. On the third day of filming they filmed Will McAvoy's speech at Northwestern University which Sorkin added only two weeks before. [30]

Reception

Critical reaction to the episode has been mixed. [31] [32] Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter writes that how viewers respond to the show "has everything to do with whether you like his style. Because ... Sorkin is always true to himself and doesn't try to cover his tendencies or be embarrassed by them." [33] Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times commented that "at its best ... The Newsroom has a wit, sophistication and manic energy.... But at its worst, the show chokes on its own sanctimony." [34] Maureen Ryan of The Huffington Post called the preview episodes "a dramatically inert, infuriating mess, one that wastes a fine cast to no demonstrable purpose, unless you consider giving Sorkin yet another platform in which to Set the People Straight is a worthwhile purpose." [35] Time 's James Poniewozik criticized the show for being "smug" and "intellectually self-serving," with "Aaron Sorkin writing one argument after another for himself to win." [36] Los Angeles Times critic Mary McNamara said the show's drama is "weighted too heavily toward sermonizing diatribes." [37]

Reviews by newscasters have been mixed as well. Jake Tapper of ABC News criticized Sorkin's partisanship: "they extol the Fourth Estate's democratic duty, but they believe that responsibility consists mostly of criticizing Republicans." [38] Dave Marash was not convinced that the show portrays the news industry accurately. [39] Former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather gave a favorable review, saying the show "has the potential to become a classic." [40]

Jeff Daniels won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his performance in this episode at the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Related Research Articles

MSNBC is an American news-based television channel and website headquartered in New York City. It is owned by NBCUniversal — a subsidiary of Comcast — and provides news coverage and political commentary. The network produces live broadcasts for its channel from studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, New York City, and aggregates its coverage and commentary on its website, msnbc.com.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Sorkin</span> American filmmaker (born 1961)

Aaron Benjamin Sorkin is an American playwright, screenwriter, and film director. Born in New York City, he developed a passion for writing at an early age. As a writer for stage, television, and film, Sorkin is recognized for his trademark fast-paced dialogue and extended monologues, complemented by frequent use of the storytelling technique called the "walk and talk". Sorkin has earned numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, five Primetime Emmy Awards, and three Golden Globes.

<i>Sports Night</i> American dramedy television series (1998-2000)

Sports Night is an American comedy drama television series about a fictional sports news show also called Sports Night. It focuses on the friendships, pitfalls and ethical issues the creative talent of the program face while trying to produce a good show under constant network pressure. Created by Aaron Sorkin, the half-hour prime time comedy drama aired on ABC for two seasons, from September 22, 1998, to May 16, 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keith Olbermann</span> American sports and political commentator (born 1959)

Keith Theodore Olbermann is an American sports and political commentator and writer. Olbermann spent the first 20 years of his career in sports journalism. He was a sports correspondent for CNN and for local TV and radio stations in the 1980s, winning the Best Sportscaster award from the California Associated Press three times. He co-hosted ESPN's SportsCenter from 1992 to 1997. From 1998 to 2001, he was a producer and anchor for Fox Sports Net and a host for Fox Sports' coverage of Major League Baseball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Daniels</span> American actor (born 1955)

Jeffrey Warren Daniels is an American actor. He is known for his work on stage and screen playing diverse characters switching between comedy and drama. He is the recipient of several accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards, in addition to nominations for five Golden Globe Awards, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Tony Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Schlamme</span> American director

Thomas David Schlamme is an American television director, known particularly for his collaborations with Aaron Sorkin. He is known for his work as executive producer on The West Wing and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, as well as his work as director on Sports Night and The Americans.

<i>Countdown with Keith Olbermann</i> 2003 American TV series or program

Countdown with Keith Olbermann is a weekday podcast that originated as an hour-long weeknight news and political commentary program hosted by Keith Olbermann that aired on MSNBC from 2003 to 2011 and on Current TV from 2011 to 2012. The show presented five selected news stories of the day, with commentary by Olbermann and interviews of guests. At the start of Countdown, Olbermann told television columnist Lisa de Moraes:

Our charge for the immediate future is to stay out of the way of the news. ... News is the news. We will not be screwing around with it. ... As times improve and the war [in Iraq] ends we will begin to introduce more and more elements familiar to my style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Poul</span> American film and television producer and director

Alan Mark Poul is an American film and television producer and director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Daniels</span> American writer, producer, and director (born 1963)

Gregory Martin Daniels is an American screenwriter, television producer, and director. He has worked on several television series, including writing for Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons, adapting The Office for the United States, and co-creating Parks and Recreation and King of the Hill. Daniels attended Harvard University, where he befriended and began collaborating with Conan O'Brien. His first writing credit was for Not Necessarily the News, before he was laid off because of budget cuts.

<i>Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip</i> American comedy-drama television series (2006-2007)

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is an American comedy-drama television series created and primarily written by Aaron Sorkin. The series was about the production of a live comedy series similar to Saturday Night Live. Produced by Warner Bros. Television, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip ran on NBC for 22 episodes, from September 18, 2006, to June 28, 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivia Munn</span> American actress (born 1980)

Lisa Olivia Munn is an American actress. After an internship at a news station in Tulsa, she moved to Los Angeles where she began her professional career as a television host for the gaming network G4, primarily on the series Attack of the Show! from 2006 until 2010. Munn appeared as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart from 2010 to 2011. She is known for her three-season-long portrayal of Sloan Sabbith in Aaron Sorkin's HBO political drama series The Newsroom (2012–2014).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Shuster</span> American television journalist

David Martin Shuster is an American television journalist. Shuster previously served as principal anchor and managing editor for i24 News, previously working as an anchor for MSNBC and worked for Fox News, CNN, Current TV, The Young Turks, and Al Jazeera America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Hayes</span> American political journalist and author (born 1979)

Christopher Loffredo Hayes is an American political commentator, television news anchor, and author. Hayes hosts All In with Chris Hayes, a weekday news and opinion television show on MSNBC. Hayes also hosts a weekly MSNBC podcast, Why Is This Happening? Hayes formerly hosted a weekend MSNBC show, Up with Chris Hayes. He is an editor-at-large of The Nation magazine.

<i>Swingtown</i> Television series

Swingtown is an American drama television series created by Mike Kelley as a summer replacement series for CBS aired from June 5 to September 5, 2008. The show is a historical relationship drama about the impact of sexual and social liberation in 1970s American suburban households, with story arcs involving open marriages and key parties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Graves</span> American film director

Alexander John Graves is an American film director, television director, television producer and screenwriter.

<i>The Rachel Maddow Show</i> US weekly news and opinion television program

The Rachel Maddow Show is an American news television program that airs on MSNBC, running in the 9:00 pm ET time slot Monday evenings. It is hosted by Rachel Maddow, who gained a public profile via her frequent appearances as a progressive pundit on programs aired by MSNBC. It is based on her former radio show of the same name. The show debuted on September 8, 2008.

<i>The Newsroom</i> (American TV series) American political drama television series (2012-2014)

The Newsroom is an American political drama television series created and principally written by Aaron Sorkin that premiered on HBO on June 24, 2012, and concluded on December 14, 2014, consisting of 25 episodes over three seasons.

Pilot is the pilot episode of the television series Sports Night, written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Thomas Schlamme, which premiered on ABC in the United States on September 22, 1998. The pilot introduces viewers to a varied group of personalities working on a fictional late-night American sports show called Sports Night, on the CSC network.

Margaret Judson is an American actress. A native of Arlington Heights, Illinois, she appeared on The Newsroom, an HBO drama.

Luke Barnett is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer.

References

  1. 1 2 Huver, Scott (2011-02-01). "Aaron Sorkin Teases Details on His New HBO Pilot". TV Guide . Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  2. ↑ Rice, Lynette (2009-04-10). "Aaron Sorkin: Come back to TV!". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  3. ↑ O'Neal, Sean (2011-09-08). "HBO picks up Aaron Sorkin's cable news drama". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  4. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (2011-01-23). "Aaron Sorkin's Cable News Network Project Awaits Greenlight At HBO". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 2011-12-23.
  5. ↑ The Social Network's Aaron Sorkin reveals future projects. BBC News Online. 2011-01-21. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  6. ↑ Weprin, Alex (2011-01-24). "Aaron Sorkin's Next TV Show Tackling Cable News". TV Newser . Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  7. 1 2 3 Andreeva, Nellie (2011-01-28). "Aaron Sorkin's Cable News Drama Is A Go At HBO With Pilot Order, Scott Rudin Producing". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  8. ↑ Sepinwall, Alan (2012-06-19). "'The Newsroom' creator Aaron Sorkin on Keith Olbermann and his return to TV". Hitfix . Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  9. ↑ Sellers, John (2011-06-30). "Dev Patel Joins Aaron Sorkin's HBO Show 'More As This Story Develops'". The Wrap . Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  10. ↑ Kenneally, Tim (2011-03-28). "Greg Mottola Tapped to Direct Aaron Sorkin's HBO Pilot". The Wrap . Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  11. ↑ Lyons, Margaret (2011-04-29). "We Break Down the Aaron Sorkin Hallmarks in His New HBO Pilot Script". New York . Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  12. ↑ Hibberd, James (2011-09-08). "Aaron Sorkin's HBO cable news drama ordered to series". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  13. ↑ Zakarin, Jordan (2011-09-08). "Aaron Sorkin HBO Cable News Pilot Ordered To Series". The Huffington Post . Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  14. ↑ Hibberd, James (2011-12-14). "Jane Fonda joins Aaron Sorkin's HBO drama". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  15. ↑ Rice, Lynette (July 2, 2012). "Breaking: HBO renews 'Newsroom,' 'True Blood'". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved July 2, 2012.
  16. ↑ Arbeiter, Michael (2011-12-22). "This Just In: Aaron Sorkin's HBO Newsroom Drama Has a New Title". Hollywood.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-03. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  17. 1 2 Weprin, Alex (2011-12-06). "Will HBO and Aaron Sorkin Draw Canada's Ire With The Name Of Their New Show 'Newsroom'?". TV Newser . Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  18. ↑ Romenesko, Jim (2011-12-06). "Anyone remember 'The Newsroom'?". JimRomenesko.com. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  19. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (2011-12-21). "Aaron Sorkin's New HBO Series Gets Title: 'The Newsroom'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  20. ↑ Weinman, Jaime (2011-12-22). "Americans don't take us serious". Maclean's . Retrieved 2011-12-26.
  21. ↑ Fowler, Tara (2011-03-21). "Jeff Daniels joins Aaron Sorkin's pilot". Digital Spy . Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  22. ↑ Jeffery, Morgan (2011-04-26). "Olivia Munn, Alison Pill for Sorkin pilot?". Digital Spy . Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  23. ↑ Fowler, Tara (2011-05-02). "Emily Mortimer in talks for Sorkin HBO pilot". Digital Spy . Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  24. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (2011-05-31). "Sam Waterston Joins Aaron Sorkin's HBO Pilot". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  25. ↑ Wightman, Catriona (2011-06-17). "Aaron Sorkin HBO pilot casts three more stars". Digital Spy . Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  26. ↑ Breslaw, Anna (2011-06-29). "Dev Patel Cast In Sorkin HBO Pilot". Ology. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  27. ↑ Adalian, Josef (2011-07-06). "MSNBC Nixes Chris Matthews's Cameo in Aaron Sorkin's Pilot About Cable News". New York . Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  28. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (2012-06-21). "'The Newsroom's' Aaron Sorkin on Idealism, Keith Olbermann and His Private Screening for the Media Elite". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 2012-06-26.
  29. 1 2 Kaplan, James (May 2012). "The Sorkin Way". Vanity Fair . Retrieved 2012-06-26.
  30. ↑ "Jeff Daniels Says Iconic 'Newsroom' Speech Saved His Career". The Hollywood Reporter . 19 October 2021.
  31. ↑ Thurston, Michael (2012-06-21). "Critics turned off by 'West Wing' creator's TV news show". Agence France Presse. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved 2012-06-22.
  32. ↑ Berman, Judy (2012-06-21). "Review Roundup: Why Are Critics So Disappointed in 'The Newsroom'?". Flavorwire. Retrieved 2012-06-22.
  33. ↑ Goodman, Tim (2012-06-10). "The Newsroom: TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 2012-06-22.
  34. ↑ Stanley, Alessandra (2012-06-21). "So Sayeth the Anchorman". The New York Times . Retrieved 2012-06-22.
  35. ↑ Ryan, Maureen (2012-06-19). "'The Newsroom' Review: Aaron Sorkin's New HBO Show Gets Almost Everything Wrong". The Huffington Post . Retrieved 2012-06-22.
  36. ↑ Poniewozik, James (2012-06-21). "Dead Tree Alert: Blowhardball: The Not-So-Special Comment of HBO's The Newsroom". Time . Retrieved 2012-06-22.
  37. ↑ McNamara, Mary (2012-06-21). "Television review: HBO's 'The Newsroom' delivers lots of opinion". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2012-06-22.
  38. ↑ Tapper, Jake (2012-06-22). "The Snoozeroom". The New Republic . Retrieved 2012-06-26.
  39. ↑ Marash, Dave (2012-06-25). "And that's not the way it is". Columbia Journalism Review . Retrieved 2012-06-26.
  40. ↑ Rather, Dan (2012-06-25). "Dan Rather Reviewed The Newsroom for Us and Liked It". Gawker . Retrieved 2012-06-26.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.