HBO’s “The Newsroom” delivers excellent television

Jeff Daniels stars in "The Newsroom" - HBO Photo

“We don’t do good television, we do the news,” MacKenzie McHale (Emily Mortimer) quips in the new HBO drama “The Newsroom,” which debuts at 9 p.m. Sunday, June 24.

MacKenzie has taken over as executive producer of the ACN cable network show “News Night,” hosted by Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels), in a plan constructed by ACN’s news division president Charlie Skinner (Sam Waterston).

Charlie, who is an advocate of the news standard set by legends like Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite, sets this plan into place as Will is coming back to work following a forced vacation after a spontaneous outburst about American patriotism during a public forum.

Charlie and MacKenzie, who was previously romantically involved with Will, which of course, adds to the fun of the plot, work to challenge Will since he has just been coasting by on the show.

Allthough “News Night” is a ratings success, it features the anchor delivering the news in a bland middle-of-the-road method.

As a result of the new format, however, viewers of “News Night” are presented a gloriously straight forward news program based on facts instead of sides, and Will is quickly re-energized and back on his game, even while dealing with a new staff.

With creator Aaron Sorkin (Academy Award winner for writing “The Social Network” and executive producer/writer of the multiple Emmy winner “The West Wing”) writing, and a stellar cast that also includes former Oklahoman Olivia Munn (“I Don’t Know How She Does It,”, John Gallagher Jr. (Tony winner for “Spring Awakening”); Alison Pill (“In Treatment”); Thomas Sadoski (Tony nominee for “Reasons to Be Pretty”); and Dev Patel (“Slumdog Millionaire”), “The Newsroom” actually exceeds expectations and shines a spotlight on integrity in television news.