The BBC Picks Up Season 2 Of Australian Drama ‘The Newsreader’
The BBC has acquired Season 2 of the award-winning hit Australian drama ‘The Newsreader‘ starring Anna Torv (The Last of Us, Mindhunter, Fringe) and Sam Reid (Prime Suspect 1973, Lambs of God, Interview with the Vampire) to air this Autumn on BBC Two and iPlayer.
Created, written and produced by award-winning writer Michael Lucas (Offspring, Five Bedrooms), and directed by Emma Freeman (Interview with the Vampire, Stateless), the drama is set in the frantic, busy heart of a commercial TV newsroom set in the 1980s, while following the relationship between an ambitious young TV reporter and the star female news anchor.
A year on from the events of season one, audiences once again meet Helen Norville (Torv) and Dale Jennings (Reid), who are now established as ‘The Golden Couple of News’. To the outside world, they present a glowing image of success and romance. But the truth is more complex…
Dale, although still honing his craft, has proved himself a steady and reliable co-anchor to Helen which impresses the new young CEO, Charlie Tate (Daniel Gillies – The Originals, Virgin River), who has a very clear vision of the style of news he would like to see at ‘News at Six’. Conversely, Helen’s mission to pursue and champion hard-hitting, uncompromising interviews has her at loggerheads with the new CEO…and she isn’t afraid to tell him what she thinks of his plans for the programme.
As 1987 rolls along, global stocks will soar and crash, Australia will prepare to celebrate its Bicentennial year, and Helen and Dale grapple with who they really want to be in life – and whether that path can be together…
Season one actors returning alongside Anna Torv and Sam Reid are: Robert Taylor (Longmire), Stephen Peacocke (Five Bedrooms, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot), William McInnes (Unfinished Sky, Blue Heelers), Chum Ehelepola (Lodge 49, Lady Dynamite), Michelle Lim Davidson (Utopia, Get Krack!n), Chai Hansen (The New Legends of Monkey) and Marg Downey (Fast Forward, Top of the Lake: China Girl). Alongside Daniel Gillies, new cast this season includes Rory Fleck Byrne (This is Going to Hurt, Vampire Academy) and Philippa Northeast (Home & Away).
“Following the great success of series one, we couldn’t be more excited to welcome back the News at Six team and watch Helen and Dale navigate their ever more complicated personal lives whilst dealing with the pressures of covering the big news events of 1987,” said Sue Deeks, Head of Programme Acquisition for the BBC.
The series was acquired from Entertainment One (eOne). It is produced by multi-award-winning Werner Film Productions, for ABC in Australia in association with eOne. Produced by Joanna Werner (Clickbait, Secret City), the series is directed by Emma Freeman and the executive producers are Joanna Werner, Stuart Menzies (The Cry) and Emma Freeman with ABC executive producers Brett Sleigh and Sally Riley.
‘The Newsreader‘ Season 2 does not yet have an exact UK premiere date, but will air on BBC Two and iPlayer in the Autumn. Season 1 is available to stream now in full on BBC iPlayer.
