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Will there be more of The Newsreader?

It's yet to be renewed but creator Michael Lucas has more stories in mind for the cast of his ABC drama.

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Several readers have been asking if there will be a second season of acclaimed ABC drama The Newsreader.

ABC is yet to make any formal announcement, but earlier this year TV Tonight asked creator Michael Lucas if viewed it as an ongoing series.

“I’d love it to be!” he replied. “I mean, we still bring it to a satisfying crescendo. But yes, I know how I can do it. For sure.

“I hope the emotional relationship arc is satisfying in and of itself. But there’s heaps of opportunity.”

Lucas teases that he already has more story ideas in mind for his cast of Sam Reid, Anna Torv, William McInnes, Robert Taylor, Stephen Peacocke, Marg Downey, Michelle Lim Davidson, Chai Hansen & Chum Ehelepola.

“There’s a lot of things that we’ve saved. ‘Dale’ (Sam Reid) grappled with his sexuality and travels a lot in the series, but his so much more to go. So there’s certainly no problem.

“And also, just on a practical level, I originally was developing it for eight episodes. And then we were commissioned for six. So I already had thought of additional stories.

“But I would have no problem. If we were if we were lucky enough to do it, then I would go again, for sure.”

With 1986 news events already dramatised, what could possibly be in store should the show shift to
1987?

These are some of the news events of 1987:

Queen Street Massacre / Hoddle Street Massacre
“Joh for PM” campaign
“No Australian child would live in poverty by 1990” – Bob Hawke
Kylie releases Locomotion
Countdown ends
Evil Angels, The Man from Snowy River II
Alan Bond buys Nine from Kerry Packer
Black Monday World Stock Market Crash
Northwest Airlines crash in Detroit
Zeebrugge Ferry Disaster
Terry Waite Kidnapping

But there are also tempting news events from 1988, including one which lends itself well to Anna Torv’s character:

Bicentennial celebrations
Indigenous protest
World Expo 88 in Brisbane
First World AIDS Day was held.
Walsh Street police shootings.
NASA climate scientist James Hansen used the term ‘global warming’
Australia Live airs
Jana Wendt hosts A Current Affair
Terrorists kill nine tourists on Aegean cruise
Pan-Am 747 explodes from terrorist bomb and crashes in Lockerbie
US Navy ship shoots down Iranian airliner in Persian Gulf
Avalanche at the Swiss ski resort almost kills Prince Charles
Australia’s new parliament house is opened by Queen Elizabeth II
A concert is held at Wembley to honour Nelson Mandela

ABC’s 2022 Upfronts are expected in November.

13 Responses

  1. I think the Newsreader has been a great series. Casting has been spot on and the storyline has been moving along.

    Its a pitty Series 1 it didn’t go 8eps or more.

    Hopefully there will be a Series 2 and beyond!!

  2. I can only add my praise for this brilliant show and everyone involved in it. I learnt to enjoy it the “old school” way with weekly episodes. Fingers crossed for a second season!

  4. … yep, hope to see another series … but maybe they could buy them a newsroom computer system, get rid of the typewriters and paper autocue and hire them a few more journos so that it’s a bit more like it actually was when I was working in a metro newsroom!!!

  7. Would love to see a second season of The Newsreader.
    The first season has been brilliant with an exceptional cast.
    William McInnes, Stephen Peacock and Marg Downey are especially good.

  8. there were lots of media headlines around 1987 with all networks changing owners and which had a big impact in TV newsrooms, especially in Melbourne. Lots of potential for stories around the newsroom, and Helen or Geoff might find one or the other picked up by another channel to cause some grief to News At 6!

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