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The Newsreader: episode guide

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Meltdown

Episode 1.06
Sunday, September 19, 2021 (ABC, 8:30)
429,000 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.

While Helen is still reeling after Dale's revelation, reports emerge of a nuclear accident in Chernobyl. In the face of great fear and uncertainty, the pair must confront who they really are to each other, and to themselves.

Cast:

  • Anna Torv as Helen Norville
  • Sam Reid as Dale Jennings
  • Maude Davey as Val Jennings
  • Caroline Lee as Jean
  • Maria Angelico as Cheryl
  • Chai Hansen as Tim Ahern
  • Jackson Tozer as Ross
  • Peter Houghton as Radio News Announcer
  • Marg Downey as Evelyn Walters
  • Robert Taylor as Geoff Walters
  • Michelle Lim Davidson as Noelene
  • Chum Ehelepola as Dennis
  • John Leary as Murray
  • Stephen Peacocke as Rob Rickards
  • William Mclnnes as Lindsay
  • Natalia Novikova as Astrid [v/o]
  • Dom Phelan as Brett
  • David Whiteley as Peter Monahan
  • Bert Labonte as Gordon