But damn, the show is better than ever. I’m convinced you could take any one-hour episode from this season, put it in theaters, and it would contend for an Oscar.
Meanwhile, “The Newsroom” continues to have its critics. I’ve never seen anything like it. It may be the Yankee Effect. After winning 27 World Series, if the Yanks come up short of anything but another ring, they’re considered losers. Aaron Sorkin has amassed nine Emmys and an Oscar, so if there’s a slight inaccuracy, or an episode doesn’t blow everyone’s socks off, it’s hater’s delight.
Perhaps the journalism community’s snarky criticism of “The Newsroom” has less to do with the show’s factual flaws than the problem any business has with shows centered upon its profession. Check out this kickass letter printed in the LA Times the other day:
“As an ordinary viewer, I look forward to each episode. I love it. It’s fast, witty and fun.
But I’m a psychiatrist, not a news reporter. But as a psychiatrist, I find it difficult when I see dramatic depictions of my work. For example, Side Effects recently and What About Bob? Were painful to watch, full of inaccuracies and distortions.
Films such as Ordinary People, in which a psychiatrist is depicted as a real, caring, lifelike professional, are rare. Do lawyers find “The Good Wife” a pleasure to watch, accurately portraying their profession? Do police officers enjoy “Law and Order?” The public does, though; it’s drama. Suspend disbelief and enjoy.”
-Dr. Richard W. Merel
Newsflash: “The Newsroom” is not a news program. It’s a play in 10 acts, written by American’s best playwright. Aaron Sorkin is attempting to distinguish between genuine news programming and the editorializing that happens on an ultra-conservative network. It’s fiction. Truthful fiction.
