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The Newsreader

 The Newsreader
type
TVTItem
 The Newsreader
label
The Newsreader
 The Newsreader
page
TheNewsreader
 The Newsreader
comment
The Newsreader is an Australian series produced by The ABC which premiered on 15 August 2021. In The '80s, Helen Norville (Anna Torv) is the female anchor of the highly rated News at Six programme based out of Melbourne, navigating the continuing sexism of the period, office politics and a developing relationship with one of her reporters, Dale Jennings (Sam Reid). All this while reporting on major stories as they develop.It's The ABC's most-watched drama program of 2021. At the 11th Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, it received the most nominations and won in five categories, including Best Television Drama Series and Best Lead Actress — Drama.Trailers: Season 1; Season 2 note the official YouTube link is geoblocked for everyone who lives outside of Australia.
 The Newsreader
fetched
2024-01-18T01:37:48Z
 The Newsreader
parsed
2024-01-18T01:37:48Z
 The Newsreader
processingComment
Dropped link to DoubleEntendre: Not a Feature - ITEM
 The Newsreader
processingComment
Dropped link to MenWithoutHats: Not a Feature - IGNORE
 The Newsreader
isPartOf
DBTropes
 The Newsreader / int_1b5e0e5b
type
The Bogan
 The Newsreader / int_1b5e0e5b
comment
The Bogan: Rob is a sports broadcaster and former football player known for being somewhat uncouth, and though well-meaning, can veer into racist and homophobic territory.
 The Newsreader / int_1b5e0e5b
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The Newsreader / int_1b5e0e5b
 The Newsreader / int_225d4412
type
PlayedStraight
 The Newsreader / int_225d4412
comment
Played Straight in Season 2 when Dale gets outrageously drunk and works up the courage to have sex with a man he met at a gay bar.
 The Newsreader / int_225d4412
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 The Newsreader / int_225d4412
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The Newsreader / int_225d4412
 The Newsreader / int_34d2d6d
type
Break the Comedian
 The Newsreader / int_34d2d6d
comment
Break the Comedian: Season 2 uses this trope twice. Gerry is introduced in Season 2 as a flirtatious, flamboyant, and extremely popular comedian and talk show host, who's tasked with helping the News at Six cover Australia's bicentennial celebrations, and spends most of his time making stupid jokes and engaging in playful hedonism. Everything changes when he's arrested for public indecency after getting caught cruising for gay sex in a public bathroom. This results in him being harassed by the paparazzi, his (consensually non-monogamous) marriage being called into question, his show and bicentennial coverage being cancelled, and his friendship with Dale deteriorating beyond repair. Rob is a loveable quintessentially Aussie bloke and a bit of a dimwit, notably not taking anything too seriously, but when he witnesses the Hoddle Street Massacre, he develops PTSD and finds it hard to sleep in his own house, which was close to where it happened. Luckily with the help of his girlfriend Noelene, he learns to deal with his trauma.
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The Newsreader / int_34d2d6d
 The Newsreader / int_35499a79
type
Title-Only Opening
 The Newsreader / int_35499a79
comment
Title-Only Opening: It's a title card with "The Newsreader" in white font over a black background.
 The Newsreader / int_35499a79
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The Newsreader / int_35499a79
 The Newsreader / int_35e077
type
Fourth-Date Marriage
 The Newsreader / int_35e077
comment
Fourth-Date Marriage: Gerry and Carla met on a cruise in the 1970s, and Gerry states they were "basically married" by the time the cruise had ended.
 The Newsreader / int_35e077
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 The Newsreader / int_35e077
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The Newsreader / int_35e077
 The Newsreader / int_3b581a6
type
Forced Out of the Closet
 The Newsreader / int_3b581a6
comment
Forced Out of the Closet: In the last episode of Season 2, Gerry is outed as bisexual after being arrested for having gay sex in a public bathroom.
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The Newsreader / int_3b581a6
 The Newsreader / int_3d0e614c
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Gay Cruising
 The Newsreader / int_3d0e614c
comment
Gay Cruising: This is what causes Gerry to be arrested for public indecency at the end of Season 2, causing him to lose his job and the respect of the nation.
 The Newsreader / int_3d0e614c
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The Newsreader / int_3d0e614c
 The Newsreader / int_43b785f9
type
Nothing but Hits
 The Newsreader / int_43b785f9
comment
Nothing but Hits: In the series premiere, Dale listens to "Kyrie" by Mr. Mister on his car radio, which was a #1 hit single in 1986. In the fifth episode, the iconic "The Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats is the Background Music when Helen and Dale take part in a photo shoot. The Season 2 trailer note the official YouTube link is geoblocked for everyone who lives outside of Australia song is "Electric Blue" by the Australian band Icehouse, which peaked at #1 in Australia (and #7 in the USA) in 1987.
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The Newsreader / int_43b785f9
 The Newsreader / int_466ccbb4
type
Gayngst
 The Newsreader / int_466ccbb4
comment
Gayngst: Dale is bisexual and closeted. He is also torn between his feelings for Helen and his feelings for men.
 The Newsreader / int_466ccbb4
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 The Newsreader / int_466ccbb4
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The Newsreader / int_466ccbb4
 The Newsreader / int_4a3e547f
type
Leaning on the Fourth Wall
 The Newsreader / int_4a3e547f
comment
Leaning on the Fourth Wall: When CEO Charlie Tate tries to rebrand the network, he relays to Dennis (who then relays to the others) that the vibe they are going for is "backyard barbecue." He goes on to list other foods that networks could be, and states that "The ABC is like a plate of veggies."
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The Newsreader / int_4a3e547f
 The Newsreader / int_505ec51b
type
Immigrant Patriotism
 The Newsreader / int_505ec51b
comment
Immigrant Patriotism: Played With. Gerry Carroll is an Irish immigrant who has lived in Australia for over a decade. He's tasked with helping cover the 1987 national election and bicentennial of Australia's colonisation alongside the News at Six and is advertised as an "adopted Australian" during said coverage. He also makes jokes about Australian politics and pop culture on his show. But he also seems to have moved mainly to be with his wife, and isn't particularly patriotic off-air. He isn't even registered to vote in national electionsnote voting is compulsory in Australia, which suggests he might not even be a citizen.
 The Newsreader / int_505ec51b
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The Newsreader / int_505ec51b
 The Newsreader / int_605cf3f
type
Something Only They Would Say
 The Newsreader / int_605cf3f
comment
Something Only They Would Say: Geoff realizes his wife knew all along he was going to be fired when she uses the exact same wording of his having "leverage and years of salary" as Lindsay did in their meeting.
 The Newsreader / int_605cf3f
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The Newsreader / int_605cf3f
 The Newsreader / int_664bc28f
type
British Brevity
 The Newsreader / int_664bc28f
comment
British Brevity: Seasons 1 & 2 consist of only six episodes each.
 The Newsreader / int_664bc28f
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The Newsreader / int_664bc28f
 The Newsreader / int_69c52d1a
type
Mentor in Queerness
 The Newsreader / int_69c52d1a
comment
Mentor in Queerness: Gerry acts as this to Dale. He's more confident in his bisexuality than Dale, and having come to terms with who he is, he sets out to help Dale explore his true self. Unfortunately, this doesn't work out. At the end of Season 2, Dale ends up drinking heavily just to work up the courage to sleep with a man, tells Tim to go to the press and deny that anything happened between them, and gets Gerry fired after Gerry is outed to the press.
 The Newsreader / int_69c52d1a
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The Newsreader / int_69c52d1a
 The Newsreader / int_7e680062
type
Aspect Ratio Switch
 The Newsreader / int_7e680062
comment
Aspect Ratio Switch: Each Season 2 episode begins with an '80s-era Vanity Plate of The ABC in the 4:3 aspect ratio (which was the standard for television before the invention of HDTV), then it switches to 16:9 for the rest of its runtime.
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The Newsreader / int_7e680062
 The Newsreader / int_7eaa0de2
type
Bi-Wildered
 The Newsreader / int_7eaa0de2
comment
Bi-Wildered: Dale admitted to Helen that he'd been caught having sex with another boy when he was a teenager and kissed Tim. She storms out because she assumes he's gay and is cheating on her, then cleans her whole house, as if assuming that he has AIDS. In the Season 1 finale, Helen asks Dale if he's gay, and he replies that for a long time, he thought he was straight, but just needed to "get it out of his system," before realizing that despite his love for Helen, his feelings for men weren't going to go away.
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The Newsreader / int_7eaa0de2
 The Newsreader / int_823c6e3e
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Large Ham
 The Newsreader / int_823c6e3e
comment
Large Ham: Lindsay BELLOWS practically half of his lines throughout the series.
 The Newsreader / int_823c6e3e
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The Newsreader / int_823c6e3e
 The Newsreader / int_83b44e80
type
Straight Gay
 The Newsreader / int_83b44e80
comment
Straight Gay: Tim isn't camp, but he isn't overly manly either. He's just a normal, average guy who just happens to like men.
 The Newsreader / int_83b44e80
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The Newsreader / int_83b44e80
 The Newsreader / int_85c4ebe0
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Bisexual Love Triangle
 The Newsreader / int_85c4ebe0
comment
Bisexual Love Triangle: Dale's two love interests are Helen, the feisty and talented lead newswoman, and Tim, the gentle, fun-loving and openly gay cameraman.
 The Newsreader / int_85c4ebe0
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The Newsreader / int_85c4ebe0
 The Newsreader / int_8b4f2a4f
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'80s Hair
 The Newsreader / int_8b4f2a4f
comment
'80s Hair: Plenty of it. Helen in particular.
 The Newsreader / int_8b4f2a4f
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The Newsreader / int_8b4f2a4f
 The Newsreader / int_8b5801b2
type
Talk Show Appearance
 The Newsreader / int_8b5801b2
comment
Talk Show Appearance: Near the beginning of the Season 2 premiere, Helen and Dale are interviewed by comedian Gerry Carroll on his Talk Show.
 The Newsreader / int_8b5801b2
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The Newsreader / int_8b5801b2
 The Newsreader / int_8c170cb1
type
Ethical Slut
 The Newsreader / int_8c170cb1
comment
Ethical Slut: Gerry has been married to his wife Carla for over a decade, and they have a child. They also have an understanding that she can't give him everything he wants as a bisexual man, and he regularly sleeps with men with her permission.
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The Newsreader / int_8c170cb1
 The Newsreader / int_94e4c8ab
type
Betty and Veronica
 The Newsreader / int_94e4c8ab
comment
Betty and Veronica: Played with in the love triangle between Dale, Helen, and Tim. At first brush, it appears that glamorous, career-driven, occasionally-unscrupulous Helen is the Veronica and sweet, conscientious Tim is the Betty. However, in a subversion of how this trope usually works, Dale (the Archie) is in a very loving and committed relationship with Helen, but briefly cheats on her with Tim. (Dale and Tim kiss twice after a particularly harrowing day; it seems likely that Tim would've been willing to go further than kissing if Dale hadn't put a stop to things.)
 The Newsreader / int_94e4c8ab
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The Newsreader / int_94e4c8ab
 The Newsreader / int_9d12bbc1
type
Foreshadowing
 The Newsreader / int_9d12bbc1
comment
Foreshadowing: Gerry is first introduced singing "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" by George Michael on his talk show. At the end of Season 2, he is outed as queer after being arrested for having gay sex in a public bathroom, the same way George Michael was.
 The Newsreader / int_9d12bbc1
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 The Newsreader / int_9d12bbc1
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The Newsreader / int_9d12bbc1
 The Newsreader / int_9f2ca67b
type
Gaydar
 The Newsreader / int_9f2ca67b
comment
Gaydar: Gerry (correctly) assumes not long after meeting him that Dale is "open to possibilities" (i.e. bisexual) just like he is.
 The Newsreader / int_9f2ca67b
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 The Newsreader / int_9f2ca67b
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The Newsreader / int_9f2ca67b
 The Newsreader / int_a3912d0e
type
Sexy Discretion Shot
 The Newsreader / int_a3912d0e
comment
Sexy Discretion Shot: At the end of the second episode, Helen sits on Dale's lap, unbuttons his shirt, and kisses him before the scene cuts to the end credits.
 The Newsreader / int_a3912d0e
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The Newsreader / int_a3912d0e
 The Newsreader / int_a46eb25d
type
Election Day Episode
 The Newsreader / int_a46eb25d
comment
Election Day Episode: The majority of the Season 2 premiere centers around the News at Six coverage of the 1987 Australian national election, including a stressful interview by Helen with then treasurer, Paul Keating.
 The Newsreader / int_a46eb25d
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 The Newsreader / int_a46eb25d
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The Newsreader / int_a46eb25d
 The Newsreader / int_a4955574
type
Fisticuff-Provoking Comment
 The Newsreader / int_a4955574
comment
Fisticuff-Provoking Comment: Dennis has dealt with a lot of racist micro-aggressions as the only South Asian man on the news team, but when Lindsay calls him a "piss weak, half-arsed coffee boy in a bad acrylic vest," that's just a step too far, and Lindsay gets a punch right to the nose.
 The Newsreader / int_a4955574
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The Newsreader / int_a4955574
 The Newsreader / int_b31458d5
type
Always Camp
 The Newsreader / int_b31458d5
comment
Always Camp: Gerry is your stereotypical '80s talk show host, complete with a sparkly suit jacket, bedazzled backup dancers, and a cover of George Michael.
 The Newsreader / int_b31458d5
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 The Newsreader / int_b31458d5
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The Newsreader / int_b31458d5
 The Newsreader / int_b5b4888f
type
The '80s
 The Newsreader / int_b5b4888f
comment
The '80s: 24 January - 28 April 1986 for the first season, covering the Challenger disaster through to Chernobyl. Season 2 is set in 8 July 1987 - 27 January 1988.
 The Newsreader / int_b5b4888f
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The Newsreader / int_b5b4888f
 The Newsreader / int_b6ec7566
type
Twofer Token Minority
 The Newsreader / int_b6ec7566
comment
Twofer Token Minority: Tim is both gay and biracial (his actor Chai Hansen is half-Thai, half-white Australian).
 The Newsreader / int_b6ec7566
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 The Newsreader / int_b6ec7566
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The Newsreader / int_b6ec7566
 The Newsreader / int_ba27e28a
type
Alcohol-Induced Bisexuality
 The Newsreader / int_ba27e28a
comment
Alcohol-Induced Bisexuality: Subverted. Dale attempts to invoke this trope after he kisses Tim; he tells Tim that he only kissed him because of adrenaline from the bombing and a few drinks after the shoot. Tim is politely disdainful of Dale's excuses. Played Straight in Season 2 when Dale gets outrageously drunk and works up the courage to have sex with a man he met at a gay bar.
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The Newsreader / int_ba27e28a
 The Newsreader / int_bec0417c
type
Happily Married
 The Newsreader / int_bec0417c
comment
Happily Married: Gerry and Carla are an interesting take on this. They've been married for over a decade, and have a daughter. They truly support and love each other, there seems to be no problems with their marriage at all. But, as Dale points out, it's not a "conventional marriage." It seems to work for them, though, and Carla is extremely supportive for Gerry's bisexuality and the fact he sleeps with men.
 The Newsreader / int_bec0417c
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The Newsreader / int_bec0417c
 The Newsreader / int_c2393191
type
Show Within a Show
 The Newsreader / int_c2393191
comment
Show Within a Show: The News at Six. Series 2 also introduces the talk show The Gerry Carroll Show.
 The Newsreader / int_c2393191
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 The Newsreader / int_c2393191
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The Newsreader / int_c2393191
 The Newsreader / int_c40c8b74
type
And Starring
 The Newsreader / int_c40c8b74
comment
And Starring: The Season 1 end credits has "And Robert Taylor". Season 2 adds "With Rory Fleck Byrne" and "With Daniel Gillies".
 The Newsreader / int_c40c8b74
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The Newsreader / int_c40c8b74
 The Newsreader / int_c75df49a
type
Shout-Out
 The Newsreader / int_c75df49a
comment
Shout-Out: In the first episode, Lindsay angrily shouts at Helen, "You parade around this place like you're Barbara bloody Walters, but you're not!" Lindsay says Gerry is more camp than Bernard King, a notoriously flamboyant Australian celebrity chef.
 The Newsreader / int_c75df49a
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The Newsreader / int_c75df49a
 The Newsreader / int_d7472e4f
type
Kicked Upstairs
 The Newsreader / int_d7472e4f
comment
Kicked Upstairs: Subverted; Geoff is offered a string of lucrative specials and a lot of salary to leave his job in favour of the younger Helen and Dale. He declines and instead does a tell-all interview.
 The Newsreader / int_d7472e4f
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 The Newsreader / int_e4c95972
type
Innocent Bigot
 The Newsreader / int_e4c95972
comment
Innocent Bigot: Rob is well-meaning, but he can say a lot of casually racist things, especially around his Korean girlfriend, Noelene. He's also used the word "poof"note a derogatory term for a gay/queer man to describe both Dale and Gerry.
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 The Newsreader / int_name
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ItemName
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The Newsreader

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 The Newsreader
hasFeature
Aspect Ratio Switch / int_87d872e0
 The Newsreader
hasFeature
Bisexual Love Triangle / int_87d872e0
 The Newsreader
hasFeature
Break the Comedian / int_87d872e0
 The Newsreader
hasFeature
British Brevity / int_87d872e0
 The Newsreader
hasFeature
Ethical Slut / int_87d872e0
 The Newsreader
hasFeature
Fourth-Date Marriage / int_87d872e0
 The Newsreader
hasFeature
Gay Cruising / int_87d872e0
 The Newsreader
hasFeature
Gayngst / int_87d872e0
 The Newsreader
hasFeature
Nothing but Hits / int_87d872e0
 The Newsreader
hasFeature
Queer Character, Queer Actor / int_87d872e0
 The Newsreader
hasFeature
Sexy Discretion Shot / int_87d872e0
 The Newsreader
hasFeature
The '80s / int_87d872e0
 The Newsreader
hasFeature
The '80s / int_87d872e0
 The Newsreader
hasFeature
Title-Only Opening / int_87d872e0
 The Newsreader
hasFeature
Twofer Token Minority / int_87d872e0