THE NEWSREADER S3 - thur&fri 9pm bbc 2 - TV PACE. NO SPOILERS

[Blondeshavemorefun]

The ABC's award-winning series The Newsreader is back for a third (and reportedly final) season, taking us behind the scenes of the fictional News At Six newsroom once again.

Not only have the first two seasons been great entertainment, they've also been a surprisingly accurate look back at the 80s and some significant moments in Australian and world history.

As with seasons one (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-16/the-newsreader-bases-its-drama-on-historical-events/100358880) and two (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-11/fact-checking-the-newsreader-season-2/102832660)

Anna Torv and Sam Reid are back for a final season of the award-winning drama, as Helen and Dale go head to head in the shifting news landscape of 1989

Wit’s a new season of The Newsreader comes the return of Australia’s favourite fictional TV presenters. Don’t worry Mike Moore ( we still love you, but Helen and Dale are where it’s at now.

The former co-news anchors – played by Anna Torv and Sam Reid – were once in a “will they or won’t they” relationship that very much culminated in they did.

Things have changed, however, and by the time the third season begins they’ve parted ways, and are now working for different networks.

Although some things remain the same: namely their work ethic, each tenaciously furthering their careers while – continuing the show’s now-familiar format – real-life events provide dramatic scaffolding.

Deploying newsrooms as central settings allows the screenwriters (Michael Lucas, Christine Bartlett, Adrian Russell Wills and Niki Aken) to incorporate past events – including, this season, the Exxon Valdez oil spill (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2014/mar/24/exxon-valdez-oil-spill-disaster-arctic) and the Tiananmen Square massacre (https://www.theguardian.com/world/tiananmen-square-protests-1989) – while depicting how they were reported and narrativised; how history itself was made.

Dale and Helen will both be hosting shows during the plum 6pm time slot, thus placed in direct competition.

This is a surprise for Dale, though he takes the news almost annoyingly well – I wanted drama, conflict! – and the pair remain friends.

Dale continuing to explore his bisexuality and Helen seeking professional support for her mental health

Dale (https://the-newsreader-tvshow.fandom.com/wiki/Dale_Jennings) is now considered News at Six's (https://the-newsreader-tvshow.fandom.com/wiki/News_at_Six) 'King of News', with Helen's international reporting having been met with great acclaim, but as a cynical network move sees the two former lovers pitted in direct competition, their kinship will be tested as never before.

Over the course of 1989, Helen and Dale will compete to cover a cascade of historical events from the Exxon Valdez oil spill, to the boycotts of South Africa's Apartheid, and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Season

S1

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/4596727-the-newsreader-bbc2-sunday-9pm-tv-pace-only-no-spoilers

S2

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/4935511-the-newsreader-s2-thur-9pm-bbc-2-tv-pace-no-spoilers

I think the premise is he acts in a specific way to hide who he really is. He wants to be seen to be this authoritative person. I seem to remember that in series 1, he works on changing his voice to achieve this. Also, I think news presenters of that time came across a bit fake. Helen is faking it too but she manages to come across as authentic and masks her true self a lot better, presumably because she’s had a lot more practice.

E3 tonight

Is no one watching ?
So many loved s1&2

e4 tonight

Yes I’m watching, just watched Ep 3.
its all going to blow up, isn’t it?!

I want to comment but as I've seen it all I can't remember what happened in which episode so I don't want to give anything away.

I caught some footage of actual Australian 80s presenters and it really was like that.

That's interesting @Piggywaspushed

I think it's so well done that I forget they're acting, not a real newsroom staff

I am watching on iPlayer and up to episode 5 so won’t comment yet.
i was in my late 20s when this takes place and I don’t remember views being this backward but maybe the UK was in a different place to Australia then

The views are awful but I think they are true sadly

Having been in my late 20s when this was set, those views were definitely still around. Where I live now, it's very non diverse and some of the older people still use terms that are outdated and considered offensive.

I thought this was on once a week and that episode 2 was on last night . Wrong!! Have just watched 2, 3 and 4 .

Am really enjoying this and can well believe TV work is very cut-throat . It's changing Helen and Dale, she's falling apart and he is becoming power hungry .

I loved the first two series of this, but nobody else seemed to watch it. So it was a lovely surprise to turn in the iplayer and see Series 3 pop up. I've binged most of it - although Helen is incredibly annoying, it's interesting to understand why she is how she is. And also interesting that she and Dale still try to comfort each other.
But I'll never understand why Noelene married the awful Rob!
I'm not Australian, but I think the views are accurate for the period - and the clothes!

Totally agree. He has zero personality and is like a plank of wood.

No Thur and Fri

That’s the whole point. He believes he should not be himself to be successful so he acts that way.

But I don't understand how someone with no screen presence or charisma and the personality of a stick of rock can be the award winning King of News?

Soooo good, I can also remember the time in the news that featured in last ep (won’t mention until it’s been on TV) I couldn’t stop watching, iPlayer made me do it…I don’t want this to be the last series, surely it’s not? Also discovered there’s a Spotify playlist for the series too.

‘IPlayer made me do it’ That’s going to be my mantra 😂

Sorry, but it is definitely the end. Apparently it was conceived as a “three act story” and there will be no more.

Yes s3 def the end

Finally found recaps

you know I love a recap

e2 recap

https://lovedaywriting.com/2025/02/09/the-newsreader-season-3-episode-2-a-new-era/

E3 recap

https://lovedaywriting.com/2025/02/12/the-newsreader-season-3-episode-3-behind-the-front-line/

E4 recap

https://lovedaywriting.com/2025/02/12/the-newsreader-season-3-episode-4-one-team-all-brothers/

Oh really, that’s a shame 😞 As wonderful as the three acts were, we need to see the 90s! Peak faxing and pagers time.

God I would love to see the 90’s