The ABC’s drama series The Newsreader returns for its third season and final season with more battles between network news teams and the backstabbing, double-crossing and mind games are in full swing.
The new series sees a new landscape for newsreaders Dale Jennings and Helen Norville, but tis still one where they’re fighting tyrannical bosses, ethical challenges, mental health concerns, sexism, racist and biphobia.
At the end of the last series Dale Jennings got his dream of becoming the main newsreader at News at 6, it came at the expense of his relationship with girlfriend Helen and the couple while remaining friendly personally find themselves on rival networks.
He’s also managed to keep damaging news about his bisexuality out of the news by making a deal with an ever-looming gossip columnist.
We return to the world of news in late 1988 as the world deals with the Lockerbie bombing, and in the new year there’s the Exon Valdez disaster, Prime Minister Bob Hawke admitting infidelity, the Tiananmen Square massacre, Madonna being dumped by Pepsi, the fall of the USSR and the Berlin Wall.
The new series sees the return of Anna Torv as Helen Norville, and Sam Reid as Dale Jennings. Since the show made its debut in 2021 Reid has gone on to star in the international hit Interview with the Vampire.
They’re reunited with footballer turned sports reporter Rob Rickards played by Stephen Peacocke, and producer Noelene Kin played by the Michelle Lim Davidson. William McInnes returns as brough and blustering boss Lindsay Cunningham, but he may be losing his grip on power.
Chum Ehelepola as Dennis Tibb is now enjoying his big pay rise that he secured at the end of the second season, but the challenges of putting together a nightly news broadcast are increasing.
Other returning cast members include Marg Downey as Evelyn Walters, and Philippa Northeast as her daughter Kay. Chai Hansen is also back in the action as cameraman Tim Ahern, he’s thinking about coming out to all his news colleagues, but what will this mean for Dale who he had a tryst with back in season one?
Hunter Page-Lochard, Caroline Lee, Maria Angelico, Dan Speilman also return alongside new cast members Andrew McFarlane, Daniel Henshall, Clarence Ryan, Yuchen Wang, Maria Theodorakis, Robin McLeavey, and Tom Wilson, who plays sex worker Nick who Dale Jennings has on speed dial.
The creator of the show Michael Lucas says the heart of the show has always been the juxtaposition between people’s ambitions and the secrets they’re trying to keep.
“The heart of The Newsreader is of course the relationship between Dale and Helen. Both were introduced in season one with a very clear goal, and also a very clear secret.
“Dale was desperate for fame and acclaim but was hiding his sexuality. Helen was determined to be taken seriously as a journalist but was also running from severe mental health issues.” Lucas said in his statement about the upcoming season.
“Now in season three we get to explore what happens to Dale and Helen when they get exactly what they wanted… And how this success complicates and exposes the parts of themselves they’ve been trying to suppress.”
The Newsreader returns Sunday 2nd February at 8:30pm for its world premiere on ABCTV, with all episodes available to stream in iView.
