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Meddling mothers, crazy colleagues and newsroom chaos take centre stage in Great News.
If you’re tuning in for an important bulletin on sitcom Great News (2017- current), think again. “Katie Wendelson is an ambitious producer for news show The Breakdown,” explains lead star Briga Heelan (Jenny in two-season comedy Ground Floor, 2013-2015). “She is already juggling the egos of her two anchors, then her mom gets an internship at the show!” Babysitting isn’t the only thing holding her back, hints Briga. “Katie wants to find her voice but hasn’t found her confidence. She wants to be a serious journalist but it won’t happen overnight.”
THE NEWS CREW
Katie’s mom Carol (Andrea Martin, Marilyn in comedy Difficult People, 2015- current) loves her new job, her daughter and trying to help everyone. That doesn’t mean her plans work out.
Greg Walsh (Adam Campbell, young Ducky Mallard in NCIS flashbacks, 2003current) is Katie’s British
boss who’s trying to impress his family because they own the network! Chuck Pierce (John Michael Higgins, Peter in sitcom Happily Divorced, 20112013) is the cranky news anchor who’s as difficult to please as he is good at his job.
Portia Scott-Griffith (Nicole Richie, from reality show Candidly Nicole, 2014-2015) is faking it while making it as Chuck’s ditsy-but-social media-savvy younger co-anchor. And “Just Justin” (Horatio Sanz, Heywood in action show Scorpion, 2014-current – see 47), aka Katie’s video-editor bestie and agony aunt when she vent in his editing booth.
COMEDY QUEENPINS
If Great News reminds you a bit of award-winning comedy 30 Rock (2006-2013), you’re not wrong. It was created by 30 Rock writer Tracey
Wigfield, who cameos as Beth Vliek, and is executive produced by Tina Fey, 30 Rock’s Liz Lemon.