Reporting for duty
THE LIVES OF TWO AMBITIOUS TV NEWS REPORTERS HIT THE HEADLINES IN THIS AWARDWINNING DRAMA…
Anna Torv and Sam Reid star in this critically acclaimed six-part series, set in 1980s Australia amid the frenetic environs of a commercial TV newsroom. Sam plays keen-bean reporter Dale Jennings, assigned to work alongside star news anchor Helen Norville (Anna) – and after the pair team up to cover a dramatic international story as it breaks across the globe, their professional partnership and burgeoning friendship sends sparks flying…
“Dale dreams to be on the big desk as a newsreader, but at the start of the series he’s a little bit awkward, trying hard to fit in,” shares Sam. “He discovers an unlikely bond with Helen, and together they find a way to combat all of the issues they’re facing personally.”
“Helen’s a newsreader who’s worked her way up to the desk, and we first meet her all calm and collected,” continues Anna. “Then she’s screamed at by her boss and walks out – until she gets the call to cover the breaking story. Helen’s a pro so she comes in. Not everybody has the skill set for breaking news, but Helen does, and she shines.”
While the drama (which recently began filming a second series) tracks Dale and Helen’s growing relationship both in and out of the office, it also incorporates real headline news stories of the 80s (including the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion and the Chernobyl disaster) – and shines a light on what it was like for women working in the field at that time.
“I was curious to see what the response would be to us showing what it is to be a woman in the workforce during the 80s,” reveals Anna. “Helen is berated by these men who are her bosses, and most days she can take it, then some days she can’t. There are some elements that are shocking – and also really true.”
Helen and Dale are brought closer by the challenges they’re each forced to face while navigating their respective careers, and a mutual passion for delivering the stories that matter.
“You do root for the two of them,” reckons Anna. “They give each other a safe space and respect. They love what they do, so they have this
shared joy – and they care for one another.”
“Dale is a convoluted character – he’s not entirely straightforward! – but Helen sees him for who he is, so he’s able to shed the self-conscious elements of himself,” adds Sam. “Helen is the rock star of the News At Six programme, and Dale is more of the roadie. But he sees her in a vulnerable space, and from that moment they have a connection – a relationship is formed…”