The Newsreader

Two men who faced trial over the March 1986 bombing that killed policewoman Angela Taylor and injured 22 others are currently charged with unrelated serious criminal charges, and if committed to trial, could face a jury within the next three years.

The two men – one of them convicted and jailed over the blast and the other acquitted – are currently in a hearing in Melbourne Magistrates Court on their unrelated charges. If committed to trial they would face a jury in the County Court.

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The series premieres on ABC TV on Sunday August 15 at 8.30pm.

Star Anna Torv features on the front cover of Sunday Life magazine inside The Sun-Herald and Sunday Age today.

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Our Top Story: New ABC drama

The Newsreader coming in August

Starring Anna Torv and Sam Reid, the ABC is thrilled to announce the highly anticipated, six-part drama series, The Newsreader , premieres on Sunday 15 August at 8.30pm on ABC TV and ABC iview.

Set in the tumultuous world of a television newsroom, The Newsreader takes us back to 1986 – when Halley’s Comet was a must see, the AIDS crisis was taking hold and the Challenger explosion shocked the world. Amongst it all, newsreader Helen Norville (Anna Torv) is determined to build her credibility, while her colleague Dale Jennings (Sam Reid) is desperate to become a newsreader.

From messy beginnings, they will form an unlikely bond that will transform the very fabric of the nightly news bulletin.

The Newsreader also stars Robert Taylor, William McInnes, Michelle Lim Davidson, Stephen Peacocke, Chai Hansen, Chum Ehelepola and Marg Downey.

ABC Head of Drama, Comedy & Indigenous Sally Riley says “This is an impeccable drama from an exceptional creative team. We know our audiences will relish the journey back to 1986 with the News at Six team.”

Production Credit: A Werner Films Production for the ABC. Major production investment from Screen Australia and the ABC and financed with support from Film Victoria. Worldwide distribution is managed by Entertainment One (eOne). Created by Michael Lucas. Directed by Emma Freeman. Produced by Lucas and Joanna Werner. Executive Producers Werner and Stuart Menzies. ABC Executive Producers Brett Sleigh and Sally Riley.

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Looking forward to this

Me too. The preview was great.

Publicity shots


Anna Torv & Robert Taylor

Anna Torv & Sam Reid

Anna Torv & Sam Reid



Sam Reid & William McInnes

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The show does not disappoint. It is fantastic, brilliant, and a must see for any media enthusiast. Each episode features a real news event from 1986 and how that is reported by the dysfunctional team at news at Six.

Having seen the news of the events that are shown it is fascinating and compelling viewing. I can’t vouch for the behind the scenes authenticity but the on air look is amazing close to the news of that era.

Here are some caps from the first episode that ABC has released for preview.

Compare that to TVQ 0’s studio from their real coverage of the same day’s news as depicted on the show. It looks like someone revived the channels’ carpet covered set.



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From the clips, the show looks very well researched and closely resembles what a commercial television station looked and felt like throughout the mid 80s.

As it’s a fictional station, I wonder if they will make references to the competition, channels 2, 7, 9 and 10?

Again, really looking forward to this. Such a interesting time for television news in the 80s.

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Agreed. The set is almost identical to TVO’s from 1986 except for the highlight colour.

Regarding rivals, in the first preview episode, ratings feature as a theme but otherwise these isn’t any mention of the competition.

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Sunday 15 August at 8:30pm

In the maelstrom of a commercial television newsroom in 1986, Dale Jennings is a diligent young reporter, desperate to become a newsreader. Helen Norville is a notoriously ‘difficult’ star newsreader determined to build credibility. Paired together over three months, Dale and Helen will cover an extraordinary chain of news events— from the shock of the Challenger explosion, to the hype of Halley’s Comet, to the complexities of the AIDS crisis. From messy beginnings, a deep bond is formed that will upend their lives and transform the very fabric of the nightly news bulletin. This is a story of a grand, unconventional relationship in a world on the cusp of change.

Episode 1:

In 1986, ambitious reporter Dale dreams of landing the most prized role on commercial TV: newsreader. But Helen, the network’s first female newsreader, struggles against her reputation as ‘difficult’. When their personal and professional lives collide, Dale and Helen embark on a fragile new alliance. Their first job together seems simple enough: cover the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger …

MEET THE CHARACTERS

News Anchor - Helen Norville

The first female newsreader on the News At Six desk, Helen is a rising super-star of news. On screen, she is magnetic: captivating, glamorous and assured. Off screen, Helen has fast developed a reputation for being just ‘too much’: Too emotional, too demanding, too opinionated.

After years of being lumped with the ‘puff-piece’ stories, Helen is boiling over with frustration. Determined to build some serious journalistic credibility, every night, she fiercely lobbies the Head of News… But her uncompromising passion has started to turn the newsroom against her, and the waves of verbal abuse are pushing Helen closer and closer to breaking point.

Anna Torv is Helen Norville

Anna Torv is a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). Since graduation, Anna has worked extensively in Australia, the UK and the US.

From 2017 to 2019 Anna played the role of “Dr Wendy Carr” in David Fincher’s acclaimed series Mindhunter . Anna is also well known for her role as “Olivia Dunham” in JJ Abrams’ cult television series, Fringe .

In Australia, Anna has played the lead role of Harriet Dunkley in two series of Secret City , for which she the Most Outstanding Actress Award in the TV Week Logie Awards in 2017.

Anna’s other television credits include the Emmy award-winning US mini-series The Pacific; Mistresses and Frankenstein in the UK; the Australian mini-series Deadline Gallipoli, and regular roles in several of Australia’s highly acclaimed television dramas including The Secret Life Of Us, Young Lions and McLeod’s Daughters.

In film, Anna played the role of “Anna” in The Daughter and was nominated in 2016 AACTA Awards for Best Supporting Actress.

Other feature film credits include Travelling Light and The Book of Revelation .

In theatre, Anna played “Anya” in The Cherry Orchard , for Sydney Theatre Company, “Ophelia” in Hamlet for the Bell Shakespeare Company, and the role of “Amelia” in The Credeaux Canvas .

Anna has also received several Teen Choice Award nominations, two Saturn Awards for Best Actress, and a Broadcast Critics Nomination for Best Actress Drama for her work in Fringe .

Rookie Reporter - Dale Jennings

Since he was a small boy, Dale Jennings has been obsessed with becoming a newsreader. Currently working as a reporter for the News At Six, Dale’s usually the first to arrive at the office, and the last to leave. He reads every paper cover to cover, takes copious notes, and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the news archives.

But despite all that diligence, Dale doesn’t quite fit the brand. His voice lacks gravitas, he’s slightly stilted on camera… and not only is he unmarried, he’s never even had a girlfriend, to anyone’s knowledge. Thus for all his hard work, all his dedication, he remains in a personal and professional rut.

Sam Reid is Dale Jennings

Sam is perhaps best known for his role as ‘Father Ignatius’ in Lambs of God , for which he was nominated in 2019 for an AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Series.

Prior to this Sam appeared in the 4-part tv series, The Hunting . Other television credits Codes of Conduct, Bloom, Astronaut Wives Club and opposite Kevin Costner in Hatfields and McCoys.

His most recent feature Waiting for the Barbarians premiered at the 2019 Venice Film Festival.

Other feature film credits include Despite the Falling Snow , Belle , 2:22 , Serena and The Railway Man . Sam graduated from LAMDA early to appear in Roland Emmerich’s Anonymous .

For the stage, Sam was most recently seen in London in Conor McPherson’s Girl From the North Country , which played at the Old Vic Theatre and transferred to the West End.

Veteran News Anchor - Geoff Walters

Geoff Walters has ruled the airwaves, first radio, then television, for three decades. For virtually as long as anyone can remember, Geoff has been the person the city turns to in its most difficult moments. Steadfastly supported by his iron-willed wife Evelyn, he has been, by almost all imaginable metrics, number one.

But that status is changing as his co-host Helen grows ever more popular. There’s pressure on Geoff to update his approach, but he steadfastly refuses. Geoff is a man uniquely suited for the role of lead newsreader, and uniquely unprepared to accept the conclusion of that role.

Robert Taylor is Geoff Walters

Robert Taylor is one of Australia’s busiest actors with a career spanning international film and television. Best known for his portrayal of Walt Longmire in the record-breaking US drama series Longmire for 6 seasons, Robert also starred in the telemovie Hercules , worked with acclaimed US director Peter Bogdanovich in The Mystery Of Natalie Wood and starred in the ongoing role of Vincent in the BBC series Ballykissangel .

Robert’s other TV credits include roles on Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings, Wolf Creek, Killing Time, Mr & Mrs Murder, Twentysomething, Satisfaction, Underbelly - Tell Them Lucifer Was Here, City Homicide and The Thorn Birds. Robert’s international blockbuster feature films credits include The Meg, Into The Ashes, Kong; Skull Island, Focus, The Matrix and Vertical Limit. Robert’s other feature film credits include Don’t Tell, Healing, The Hard Word, Storm Warning, Rogue and Ned Kelly.

Head of News – Lindsay Cunningham

Lindsay looks a lot older than his years. It’s most likely the smoking, the drinking, the divorce, the relentless workload, or a combination of all four. Lindsay long ago learned that, as Head of news, you can’t afford to be anyone’s best friend. He flaunts his power to the hilt - particularly his power over women. At one point or another, most of the news staff have burst into tears in front of Lindsay… with the possible exception of Geoff Walters… but that time is likely coming sooner than anyone would like.

William McInnes is Lindsay Cunningham

William McInnes is one of Australia’s most accomplished and popular actors. In 2006 William was awarded the Sydney Morning Herald, Sun Herald and The Age Australian Star of The Year Award. Equally at home in theatre, film and television, comedy and drama, he has played countless lead and supporting roles in some of the most successful and memorable productions this country has had to offer and has multiple AFI and Logie nominations for this extensive body of work.

Television credits include Rake, Deep Water, The Time Of Our Lives, The Shark Net, My Brother Jack, Blue Heelers, Stepfather Of The Bride, East West 101 and Seachange. He has also appeared in the ABC TV telemovies Curtin and Dangerous Remedy and as the host of Auction Rooms and Hello Birdy.

William’s work in Australian cinema is also widely acknowledged, by both industry peers and audiences alike. The feature film, Look Both Ways , saw William achieve a nomination for Best Lead Actor by the Australian Film Institute and receive the Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Actor. William received an AFI Award and a Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for his performance in Unfinished Sky. In 2009, William featured in David Caesar’s Prime Mover and Blessed directed by Ana Kokkinos. In early 2011, William was seen in the New Zealand feature, The Hopes And Dreams Of Gazza Snell.

His many lead roles on the stage only further highlight William’s remarkable career and he is also an award-winning author with twelve books to his name.

Chief of Staff - Dennis Tibb

Some might see the Chief of Staff as a position of power, but if you ask Dennis, he’s the most under-estimated and down-trodden person in the whole office. From his desk at the centre of the newsroom, Dennis doles out the stories to the reporters and crews.

While this sounds straightforward enough, in practice it means he is perpetually caught between the fierce ambitions of the eager journalists beneath him, and the brutish instincts and whims of the very loud Lindsay above him. It’s a noisy and uncomfortable place to be.

Chum Ehelepola is Dennis Tibb

Chum was most recently seen in ABC TV’s Stateless. Prior to this, Chum guest starred in Lodge 49, Lady Dynamite, Sequestered and Bones. He will also appear in the upcoming ABC TV series Preppers.

Chum has also appeared in guest spots in How to Speak Australian , Rake , Curtsied , No Activity , Sea Patrol , A Moody Christmas and many others.

Autocue Operator - Noelene Kim

Noelene sits on the very bottom rung in the News At Six offices - typing, researching and operating the nightly autocue. She still lives at home with her family, who can’t understand why Noelene kills herself for a job that barely pays. Nonetheless, Noelene firmly believes that if she keeps her head down, works hard, she WILL progress…

Now a couple of years into the job, Noelene is building in confidence, beginning to pitch her ideas in meetings, putting herself forward as a producer. She’s so driven and hard-working, she feels certain a breakthrough might be imminent.

Michelle Lim Davidson is Noelene Kim

Michelle graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 2010 and has since worked extensively in Theatre, TV & Film.

Michelle’s television credits include The Secret She Keeps, Harrow, Black Comedy, Nursery Rhyme News Time, Get Krack!n, Top of the Lake: China Girl, Utopia, Doctor Doctor, Live

from Planet Earth, Big Ted’s Big Adventure and Jay’s Jungle. Michelle is also a regular presenter on Play School and ABC KIDS Listen’s Story Salad.

Michelle’s film credits include Ivan Sen’s Goldstone and the short film Beyond the Bubble selected for the Sydney Film Festival 2017.

Michelle’s theatre credits include Torch the Place, An Ideal Husband (Melbourne Theatre Company); Banging Denmark, How to Rule the World, Top Girls and Power Plays (Sydney Theatre Company), The Feather in the Web and The Lysicrates Prize (Griffin Theatre Company); Play School Live (ABC); The Laramie Project (STC Education); The Plant and Seminar (Ensemble Theatre); Far Away (Black Swan Theatre Co) and as the guest star alongside John Cleese in the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival.

For her performance in The Feather in the Web , Michelle was nominated for Best Female Actress in a Mainstage Production at the Sydney Theatre Awards and was the recipient of the 2013 Mike Walsh Fellowship and the 2016 Equity Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for Utopia .

Michelle is an emerging writer for television and stage. She has written for the upcoming series Parent Up for ABC ME. She is currently working on numerous projects in development for theatre and television, including The Wonder Gang for ABC Kids.

Sports Reporter - Rob Rickards

With rugged good looks and laconic charm, a television career has appeared to come easily for Rob Rickards. But Rob does know struggle. Growing up in a working-class family, he trained hard to achieve his footballing dreams, only to have them dashed when a hamstring injury cut his career short.

A major blow that could turn anyone morose and despondent, Rob managed to adapt to his new circumstances with good humour, charm, and minimal self-pity.

Finding immediate success as a television sports reporter, after only five years on camera, Rob is already being groomed for the top job…

Stephen Peacocke is Rob Rickards

Stephen Peacocke is an Australian actor known for the US feature films Hercules , Whisky Tango Foxtrot , Me Before You and Australian television series Five Bedrooms series 1 & 2, RFDS as well as Squinters 2 and Les Norton for ABC TV.

Stephen is well known for Wanted with Rebecca Gibney and Home and Away , in which he starred as the much-loved character ‘Brax’.

Other notable projects include: the Australian features, Danger Close : The Battle of Long Tan and Little Monsters ; which premiered at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in 2019.

Stephen grew up in Dubbo in Central Western New South Wales, worked as a Jackaroo on a large scale sheep and cattle station, and his passion before acting was Rugby Union where he played at First Grade and Representative levels throughout his schooling and adult life.

Cameraman - Tim Ahern

News is dominated by big personalities and sharp ambitions… but Tim sits comfortably on the fringes of the action. Intuitive, dedicated, Tim has always loved the mobility that camera- work affords him, and has become a terrifically skilled and agile cameraman.

On the job, he seems easy-going, relaxed, comfortable with the boys, and quick with a one liner or a sarcastic comment… but in fact Tim has a secret life that he keeps carefully guarded.

Chai Hansen is Tim Ahern

Chai was born in Ko Samui, Thailand, and migrated to Australia at the age of seven. In 2007 he completed his scholarship and gained a Diploma in Performing Arts in 2011. Chai then went on to be cast as one of the leads, Zak Blakely, in the international series Mako Mermaids , which aired for three series. His feature film debut was in the film Thicker Than Water .

Chai went on to work on the US series The 100 shooting in Vancouver, in what was originally a two-episode guest appearance. However, this turned into a 10-episode major guest role in which an entire story arch was especially written for his character. Chai was then cast in the title role of Monkey , two seasons of The New Legends of Monkey and US series Shadowhunters .

Mrs Evelyn Walters - Geoff’s Wife

Evelyn may appear to be a note-perfect society wife - impeccably groomed, capably managing soirees and publicity appearances - but in many ways she has been the driver of her husband’s television success. Her whole life has been a delicate, underhand negotiation, not just with her husband, but with his employers and the powers that be. Had she been born in a later era, she may have been a CEO, but instead, Evelyn’s best available claim on power was as Mrs Geoff Walters… and she has played that role to perfection.

With Geoff’s position as lead newsreader under threat, Evelyn is prepared to use every ounce of cunning and strategy to preserve his status.

Marg Downey is Evelyn Walters

As one of Australia’s leading comedy actors, Marg is best known for the numerous characters she brilliantly portrayed in the comedy series Fast Forward . Marg has also been applauded for the dramatic roles she has undertaken for television and theatre.

Marg first appeared on television as part of The D-Generation in the late 1980s and subsequently appeared regularly in Fast Forward, Full Frontal, Something Stupid, Kath & Kim and Open Slather alongside several of her D-Gen alumni. Marg has also appeared in the popular dramas Newton’s Law, Top Of The Lake: China Girl, The Doctor Blake Mysteries (Series 2 & 3), House Husbands and City Homicide. More recently, Marg has worked on The Other Guy, Get Krack!n, Back In Very Small Business and the animated children’s series Kitty Is Not A Cat (Series 1-3).
Most recently, Marg appeared in ABC TV’s highly successful comedy Fisk .

Theatre credits include Emerald City at Queensland Theatre and Melbourne Theatre Company, Hayfever at Melbourne Theatre Company, Timeshare at the Malthouse Theatre, Skull In Connemara at 45 Downstairs, La Cage Aux Folles for The Production Company, Moonlight And Magnolias for director Bruce Beresford at the Melbourne Theatre Company, Mum’s The Word and Mum’s The Word 2, Glimpse and the world premiere season of Joanna Murray-Smith’s Rapture for Playbox.

Marg is also a highly sought-after voiceover artist, both for commercial/corporate work and for key roles in numerous animation projects, including L’il Elvis Jones & The Truckstoppers, Ocean Girl, Dogstar, Wakkaville and The Flamin’ Thongs.

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A thread from the writer Michael Lucas with a bit of background in his interest in television news.

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As stated in the TvTonight article, a lot of the research and information for the show was based off (ATV10) Eyewitness News from the 80s.

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Yes that was a good read too, but imagine seeing your old man whisked off on a helicopter then appearing in the news desk of the highest rating news in town later that night. That was an hour long news service worth watching, not what gets dished up these days by all three commercials.

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Totally looking forward to this. I’m sure the ABC won’t disappoint

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Is the whole season dropping tonight?

No. Just the normal weekly episodic release.

That sucks.

Tonight’s episode is built around reporting the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion. Will have to wait a few weeks for Russell Street.