BBC’s The Newsreader: this 80s-set Australian newsroom drama explores something all women can sympathise with

The Newsreader BBC

Credit: BBC

Under Her Eye


BBC’s The Newsreader: this 80s-set Australian newsroom drama explores something all women can sympathise with

By Morgan Cormack

3 years ago

2 min read

The Newsreader is the new Australian drama that homes in on a busy newsroom but its exploration of women in the workplace is something that we can all see a little of ourselves in, according to one Stylist writer. 

Content warning: this article contains references to suicide that readers may find upsetting.

When we read the news earlier this year that hit Australian drama The Newsreader was making its way to our shores via the BBC, we knew a brilliant series was in store for us.

Not only does it have Anna Torv (Mindhunter) at its helm, but the workplace drama captures the chaos and business of an 80s newsroom while also underlining what it meant to be a woman in such a workplace at the time.

The series manages to weave in heavy doses of nostalgia by reporting on news stories relevant to the time – Halley’s comet, Chernobyl, the Aids crisis – while also focusing on the friendly bond between upcoming news reporter Dale Jennings (Prime Suspect 1973’s Sam Reid) and Helen Norville (Torv). 

Helen is at the top of her field and in the first episode of the series, she’s the unspoken poster woman for how women in the 80s – and even women today – wished they could exist in the workplace. She’s opinionated and not afraid to air her views, she’s passionate about shining a light on underrepresented stories and she’s not fearful of newsroom boss Lindsay Cunningham (William McInnes).

But this idealistic image of a ‘strong woman’ who manages to hold her own in a male-dominated workplace is obviously just a persona that Helen has mastered. Like any person in a professional environment who is constantly berated and sidelined, you eventually reach your limit. 

The Newsreader BBC

Credit: BBC

So when Cunnigham yells at Norville (once again) in front of the entire newsroom, questions her career abilities and forces her to leave, she goes home and attempts to take her own life. It’s then that a well-meaning Dale comes to her rescue and calls an ambulance. What ensues is a budding friendship where the two manage to help each other with their common goal: rising to the top of such an archaic industry.

While they face circulating rumours over the state of their relationship, Dale is applauded by his male colleagues while Helen is sniggered at, made fun of and criticised because of her stature – both physically and professionally when compared to Dale. Comments like “is she the big spoon or the little spoon?” are put to Dale before the cameras start rolling, leading him to put some distance between himself and Helen. “Is this your way of trying to tell me that I’m a little bit too much?” Helen is left to conclude.

The world of televised news is a theme that has been explored on screen before – take The Morning Show, for example. But here, we manage to focus on one woman’s journey as it unfolds once she is already aware of her success. We don’t meet Helen as she’s climbing the ranks, but rather, she’s the face that equals high rankings and the only newsreader who can command producers and cameramen in such a way.

That’s perhaps why it makes for such emotional viewing when we do see Helen break down in moments off-air. She’s the glamorous, made-up image of composure when on screen, showing genuine compassion for news stories and fighting to have her voice heard. 

But as the series progresses, she takes moments for herself, locking herself in rooms to cry mid-transmission, and you realise that, even though the first episode dealt with her suicide attempt and recovery, Helen is someone you just assume is OK without ever really considering that she isn’t. She’s the epitome of a woman who has to brush aside her own thoughts and feelings for the sake of the men around her. 

The Newsreader BBC

Credit: BBC

The relationship she has with Cunningham is a dynamic that many will be able to see themselves in: forced to work for a bully of a boss who knows your value and doesn’t want to jeopardise that, but instead of praise, weighs down on you with criticism and harassment

While Helen sticks up for herself in episode two, we see the dynamic take a more sinister turn. Cunnigham thinks he’s coming to the rescue with a vial of valium for Helen before taking her home. They drink, and throughout the conversation, he draws in closer to her on the sofa, regaling her with stories about how he “sold her to the CEO”, undoubtedly forcing her to thank him for her career. Drinks are flowing, and once again, Dale comes in to put the increasingly alarming interaction to an end.

“Is everything alright?” He asks. “No,” she cries. It’s not that anything explicit happens in the scene, but rather the underlying tension of what could have happened had Dale not walked in.

The constant shifting dynamics – that always put Helen at the bottom regardless of her professional standing in the newsroom – are infuriating to watch and you’ll be left shaking your head at the blatant misogyny of the time on display in The Newsreader. But that is also part of what makes the series so watchable; it’s a drama that also manages to explore the people who manage to overcome that – Helen and Dale – in order to create the kind of news reporting they wish to see more of in the world.

The Newsreader is available to watch on BBC iPlayer with episodes airing weekly on BBC Two on Sundays at 9pm. 

Images: BBC

Sign up for the latest news and must-read features from Stylist, so you don’t miss out on the conversation.

By signing up you agree to occasionally receive offers and promotions from Stylist. Newsletters may contain online ads and content funded by carefully selected partners. Don’t worry, we’ll never share or sell your data. You can opt-out at any time. For more information read Stylist’s Privacy Policy

Thank you!

You’re now subscribed to all our newsletters. You can manage your subscriptions at any time from an email or from a MyStylist account.