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The Newsreader: episode guide

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Three, Two, One...

Episode 1.01
Sunday, August 15, 2021 (ABC, 8:30)
552,000 viewers (10th)
Written by Michael Lucas
Directed by Emma Freeman

Dale Jennings (Sam Reid) is a diligent young reporter, desperate to become a newsreader. Helen Norville (Anna Torv) 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.

In 1986, ambitious reporter Dale Jennings dreams of landing the most prized role on commercial TV — newsreader, while Helen Norville, 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.

Cast (in order of appearance):

  • Sam Reid as Dale Jennings
  • John Leary as Murray
  • Michelle Lim Davidson as Noelene
  • Chum Ehelepola as Dennis
  • Anna Torv as Helen Norville
  • Robert Taylor as Geoff Walters
  • Bert Labonte as Gordon
  • Chai Hansen as Tim Ahern
  • Jackson Tozer as Ross
  • William McInnes as Lindsay
  • Caroline Lee as Jean
  • Dom Phelan as Brett
  • Maude Davey as Val Jennings
  • Tim Draxl as Adam
  • Marg Downey as Evelyn Walters
  • Stephen Peacocke as Rob Rickards
  • David Woods as Craig
  • Patrick Pierce as Roy
  • Maria Angelico as Cheryl
  • Robyn Arthur as Gwen
  • Hany Lee as Jen
  • Meewon Yang as Noelene's Mum
  • Peter Houghton as Radio News Announcer