Watch The Newsroom Online - Full Episodes

HBO's original series "The Newsroom" stars Jeff Daniels as an anchor for a major network news show, and his relationship with several members of his support staff. Daniels' character, Will McAvoy, has a resurgence of popularity following a tirade he goes on during a televised debate. His staff, however, abandons him to join a different news anchor at the station, and he's forced to rebuild. Along with producer Mackenzie MacHale (Emily Mortimer) -- with whom Will had previous been in a relationship -- the two create a new newscast with the stated goal of not pandering to advertising dollars and attempting to keep the public informed on important events.

"The Newsroom" starts out in 2010, a mere two years before the show's 2012 launch date, and covers well known events such as the BP Oil Spill and the 2010 elections with an eye towards setting the facts straight on common misconceptions surrounding those events. Events move into 2011 early in the series with events like the assassination attempt on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords taking the spotlight for an episode, and the Japanese earthquake and ensuing nuclear disaster playing into another. Although Will is a registered Republican he spares no one from his withering editorials. In early episodes he takes aim at the Tea Party and conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, but also sets aside time to take President Barrack Obama to task for his handling of the BP Oil Spill crisis. His mission is to tell the facts as they are, no matter who is skewing them.

Behind the scenes of News Night -- "The Newsroom"'s fictional news show -- Will's staff make and break relationships, argue over what constitutes news and do everything they can to follow up on leads. These characters, frontlined by Maggie Jordan (Alison Pill), the young newcomer to the business, bring an element of comedy to the show and lighten up what are otherwise very serious events. These characters humanize the show and give Will's abrasive personality a foil to work off of. Lastly, in the background Charlie Skinner (Sam Waterston) is Will's boss who does everything he can to keep the show alive, despite the protests of an increasingly aggravated upper-management.

"The Newsroom" continues the fine HBO tradition of original programming which provides a thoughtful, and often comical, look into aspects of life we don't normally see. The antics of News Night's support staff -- such as one staffer's crusade to prove the existence of Big Foot -- keep things light and entertaining, while Will McAvoy tackles difficult issues that are often misrepresented by liberals and conservatives alike. People from all political viewpoints can enjoy "The Newsroom" and its engaging cast of characters.