If you’re getting sick of the deluge of studio fare this summer, cable may provide a much needed reprieve, and new teasers from two highly-anticipated shows — one about the inner-workings of a cable news network and the other following the ongoing adventures of high school teacher turned meth dealer — have arrived.
HBO has released a new promo for Aaron Sorkin’s return to television, “The Newsroom.” It’s no secret that we’re excited about the new show, and Sorkin is at his best when he’s peering behind the curtain at the inner-workings of institutions, as he did with the White House in “The West Wing,” and its seems like the setting of a 24-hour news network is a perfect fit for him. The newest teaser gives a hint of the greater scope of the series and how closely it’ll follow real-life events, with Osama Bin Laden’s death and the BP oil spill both name-checked.
The show, in case you need reminding, follows beleaguered ACN news anchor, Will McAvoy, who faces a major change when his co-anchor bails for another program and takes most of the staff with him. With the pressure on him to carry the show and deliver ratings, while trying to get along with the staff, sparks fly. Sorkin has recruited a deep bench of players to help in his return to the small screen that includes, Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, Sam Waterson, Alison Pill, Jane Fonda, and Dev Patel. “The Newsroom” premieres on June 24th on HBO.
And as one show is only beginning, “Breaking Bad” will begin the first half of its final season on July 15th. AMC has released a new teaser that, while showing no new footage, essentially works as refresher for where we are in the ongoing saga that is the moral ruin of Walter White. There isn’t anything else on TV right now that can compare to the titanic performance of Bryan Cranston, and if you somehow haven’t been watching the show you’ve also been missing out on fascinating characters and imagery that is as haunting as anything in theaters right now. So do yourself a favor and catch up with all four seasons before the season 5 premiere.