TV SERIES · 2012–2014 · USA
The Newsroom
- Created by
- Aaron Sorkin
- Network
- HBO
- Seasons
- 3
- Episodes
- 25
- Studio
- HBO
168 archived facts 7 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
A behind-the-scenes look at the people who make a nightly cable-news program. Focusing on a network anchor, his new executive producer, the newsroom staff and their boss, the series tracks their quixotic mission to do the news well in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles-not to mention their own personal entanglements.
168 Interesting Facts About The Newsroom
Interesting Facts (36)
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In The Newsroom (2012)'s fictional "universe," which Aaron Sorkin has created, ACN stands for Atlantis Cable News. There is a real life ACN in Canada which provides Internet and telephone services, and there was an ACN cable network in the USA at one time. It was "America's Collectibles Network" and sold everything from knives and watches to cosmetics and jewelry. In 2002, "America's Collectible Network" changed its name to Jewelry Television. Seen in approximately 80 million homes, they still use the ACN name legally and on signage at their broadcast location in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.
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After filming the first few episodes of season 2 with Rosemarie Dewitt as the network's lawyer Rebecca, Aaron Sorkin decided to rewrite the Genoa story and told HBO so. The network agreed to do it but announced that the season would be nine episodes rather than 10. Due to scheduling issues, Marcia Gay Harden replaced Dewitt.
- #015
To research the cable news world, Aaron Sorkin sat in off-camera as a guest on Countdown with Keith Olbermann in 2010 to observe the production of the show, and when he appeared on the program he grilled the staff of Parker Spitzer. He also spent time following other programs on Fox News and CNN, as well as Hardball with Chris Matthews. Sorkin told TV Guide that he aimed to approach the media with a less cynical perspective.
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Aaron Sorkin repeatedly declared himself a fan of The Office and Parks and Recreation, and many actors from those shows appeared in The Newsroom, including B. J. Novak, Paul Lieberstein (last season's director and producer), Natalie Morales, Paul Schneider, Kelen Coleman and Alison Becker.
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The Newsroom's set is located at Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood, on Stage 7. The fictional Atlantis World Media building, however, is actually the Bank of America Tower at Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street in Manhattan (on the street directly across from HBO's New York City offices), with CGI used to change the building's name above the entrance.
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In the fictional "universe" of Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom (2012), ACN stands for Atlantis Cable News. There is a real ACN that provides internet and telephone services in Canada, and there was once an ACN cable network in the US. It was "America's Collectibles Network" and sold everything from knives to watches, and cosmetics to jewelry. In 2002, "America's Collectible Network" changed its name to Jewelry Television. It still legally uses the ACN name and uses it on signage at its broadcast locations in Knoxville, Tennessee, US, where it is seen in roughly 80 million homes.
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Production Story (67)
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There was another character in the pilot script, Steve, who was meant to be in the series. When Thomas Sadoski came to audition for the character of Don Keefer, Aaron Sorkin decided that Steve was no longer necessary to the plot and Sadoski's character, Don, could take on some of his properties. In the Newsroom panel at PaleyFest, Sorkin said that Sadoski "swallowed a character".
The Newsroom (2012): Thomas Sadoski on a panel in front of a blue curtainImage: Wikimedia Commons · iDominick, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #045
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Actress and comedian Andrea Savage mentioned on her podcast "Andrea Savage: Grown Up Woman #buttholes" that she auditioned for a role on the show, but during the audition, Aaron Sorkin's face was bleeding. She paused in between her audition to ask if he was okay. He said that it was because he cut himself during shaving. She did not get the role.
- #050
After shooting the first couple of episodes of season 2 with Rosemarie Dewitt as Rebecca, the network's lawyer, Aaron Sorkin decided to rewrite the Genoa storyline and said so to HBO. The network agreed to do it, but clarifying that the season was then nine episodes, not 10. Dewitt was replaced by Marcia Gay Harden due to scheduling problems.
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To research the cable news world, Aaron Sorkin had been an off-camera guest at Countdown with Keith Olbermann in 2010 to observe the show's production and quizzed Parker Spitzer's staff when he was a guest on that show. He also spent time shadowing Hardball with Chris Matthews as well as other programs on Fox News and CNN. Sorkin told TV Guide that he intended to take a less cynical view of the media.
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The character "Margaret 'Maggie' Jordan" was based on the real-life Margaret Judson, an MSNBC insider who started out as an NBC Page and worked her way up through the ranks in a real-life network newsroom. Judson was hand picked and eventually cast by Aaron Sorkin for the role of "Tess Westin." Judson also worked with the writing team as a special consultant.
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After filming the first episodes of Season 2 with Rosemarie Dewitt in the role of Rebecca, Aaron Sorkin decided to rewrite the Genoa story arc and informed HBO. The channel agreed but stated that the season would be 9 episodes rather than 10. Dewitt was replaced by Marcia Gay Harden due to scheduling issues.
- #063
To research the cable news world, Aaron Sorkin observed the production of Countdown with Keith Olbermann as an off-camera guest in 2010 and questioned the staff of Parker Spitzer. He also followed Hardball with Chris Matthews and other programs on Fox News and CNN. Sorkin told TV Guide that he aimed to bring a less cynical perspective to the media.
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The Newsroom set is located on Stage 7 of Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood. The fictional Atlantis World Media building, meanwhile, is actually the Bank of America Tower on Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street in Manhattan (directly across from HBO's New York offices), and the building name above the entrance was changed with CGI.
- #079
The character "Margaret 'Maggie' Jordan" was inspired by the real-life Margaret Judson. Judson is an MSNBC employee who started as a page at NBC and rose through a real newsroom. She was personally chosen by Aaron Sorkin and cast in the role of "Tess Westin." She also contributed to the writing staff as a special consultant.
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The pilot script had another character named 'Steve.' When Thomas Sadoski came in to audition for the role of Don Keefer, Aaron Sorkin decided Steve was no longer necessary, and Sadoski's character Don took on some of his traits. At the PaleyFest panel, Sorkin said Sadoski "swallowed a character."
- #082
Aaron Sorkin has said several times that he is a fan of The Office and Parks and Recreation. Many actors from those shows appeared as guest stars on The Newsroom, including B.J. Novak, Paul Lieberstein (a director and producer in the final season), Natalie Morales, Paul Schneider, Kelen Coleman and Alison Becker.
- #083
Leona Lansing, played by Jane Fonda (the CEO of a media conglomerate), resembles Fonda's third husband Ted Turner, to whom she was married from 1991 to 2001. In the episode where Fonda's character first appears, other characters compare the 2010s "Tea Party" with the 1960s "left-wing radicals," and one of the radicals mentioned is "Hayden," a reference to Fonda's second husband Tom Hayden, to whom she was married from 1973 to 1989.
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After filming the first episodes of Season 2 with Rosemarie Dewitt in the role of Rebecca, Aaron Sorkin decided to rewrite the Genoa story arc and informed HBO. The network agreed but stated that the season would be 9 episodes rather than 10. Dewitt was replaced by Marcia Gay Harden due to scheduling issues.
- #092
To research the cable news world, Aaron Sorkin observed the production as an off-camera guest on Countdown with Keith Olbermann in 2010 and questioned the team at Parker Spitzer. He also followed Hardball with Chris Matthews and other programs on Fox News and CNN. Sorkin told TV Guide that he aimed to bring a less cynical perspective to the media.
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The first season finales of Aaron Sorkin's three television series (The West Wing (1999), Sports Night (1998) and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006)) and the series finale of The Newsroom (2012) share the same title: "What Kind of Day Has It Been?". This is a signature recurring motif of Sorkin's.
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In the first season's "5/1" episode, there are two references to Sorkin's other series The West Wing. In the first, it is said that the crisis is not "a smallpox vial dropped on Times Square"; this refers to the scene in which Josh Lyman says the end of the world will not come from nuclear war but from "a test tube with an eroded rubber stopper [smallpox]". In the second, Will says, "We never could quite agree on how to spell Qaddafi"; this is a reference to the scene in The West Wing's pilot episode in which Leo McGarry expresses frustration that 'Qaddafi' is misspelled in a newspaper crossword puzzle.
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In the third season's "Contempt" episode, Will tells Mac (Emily Mortimer) that Charlie was mumbling "Kill the wabbit". This is a clear reference to the 30 Rock episode "Cleveland", in which Mortimer appeared as a guest star and in which this phrase (and the music) appears. Edit: "kill da wabbit" is in fact a reference to Elmer Fudd.
- #102
In the fictional "universe" of The Newsroom (2012), created by Aaron Sorkin, ACN stands for Atlantis Cable News. In real life, there is an ACN that provides internet and telephone service in Canada, and there was once a cable channel in the US called ACN. That channel was "America's Collectibles Network" and sold everything from knives to watches, cosmetics to jewelry. In 2002, it changed its name from "America's Collectible Network" to Jewelry Television. The channel, watched in approximately 80 million homes, still legally uses the ACN name and signage at its broadcast center in Knoxville, Tennessee.
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Behind the Scenes (6)
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The Newsroom's set is located in Sunset Gower Studios, Hollywood, on Stage 7. The fictional Atlantis World Media building, however, is actually the Bank of America Tower on Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street in Manhattan (directly across the street from HBO's New York City offices), with CGI being used to change the name of the building above the entrance.
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The Newsroom set is located on Stage 7 of Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood. The fictional Atlantis World Media building, meanwhile, is actually the Bank of America Tower on Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street in Manhattan (directly across from HBO's New York offices), and the building's name above the entrance was changed with CGI.
Characters & Cast (28)
- #110
The character Margaret 'Maggie' Jordan was based on the real-life Margaret Judson, an MSNBC insider who started out as an NBC Page and worked her way up through the ranks in a real-life network newsroom. Judson was hand-picked and eventually cast by Aaron Sorkin for the role of Tess Westin. Judson also worked with the writing team as a special consultant.
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The character Margaret "Maggie" Jordan was based on a real-life Margaret Judson, who started as an NBC page and rose through the ranks at a real network newsroom, at MSNBC. Judson was handpicked and eventually cast by Aaron Sorkin in the role of "Tess Westin." Judson also worked on the writing staff as a special consultant.
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The character "Margaret 'Maggie' Jordan" was inspired by the real-life Margaret Judson. Judson is an MSNBC employee who started as a page at NBC and rose through a real newsroom. She was personally chosen by Aaron Sorkin and cast in the role of "Tess Westin." She also contributed to the writing team as a special consultant.
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The pilot script also included a character named 'Steve.' When Thomas Sadoski came in to audition for the role of Don Keefer, Aaron Sorkin decided that Steve was no longer necessary, and Sadoski's character Don took on some of his traits. At the PaleyFest panel, Sorkin said that Sadoski "swallowed a character."
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Aaron Sorkin has stated several times that he is a fan of The Office and Parks and Recreation. Many actors from those series appeared as guest stars on The Newsroom, including B.J. Novak, Paul Lieberstein (a director and producer in the final season), Natalie Morales, Paul Schneider, Kelen Coleman and Alison Becker.
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Leona Lansing (the CEO of a media conglomerate), played by Jane Fonda, resembles Ted Turner, to whom Fonda was married from 1991 to 2001, as his third wife. In the episode where Fonda's character first appears, other characters compare the 2010s "Tea Party" with the "left-wing radicals" of the 1960s, and one of the radicals mentioned is "Hayden," a reference to Fonda's second husband, Tom Hayden, to whom she was married from 1973 to 1989.
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Easter Eggs & References (17)
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In the episode "5/1" of the first season, there are two references to Sorkin's other show, The West Wing. The first is when they say that the crisis is not "a smallpox vial dropped in the middle of Times Square," referencing Josh Lyman when he says that the end of the world will be caused by some "test tube [of smallpox] with an eroding rubber cap" rather than a nuclear war. The second is when Will says that "we've never really decided how to spell Gaddafi," referencing the pilot episode of The West Wing when Leo McGarry expresses his frustration at the misspelling of 'Gaddafi' in a newspaper crossword.
- #141
Leona Lansing, portrayed by Jane Fonda, is a character (CEO of a media conglomerate) not unlike Ted Turner, Fonda's third husband from 1991 to 2001. In the first episode in which Fonda's character appears, other characters have a conversation comparing the "Tea Party" of the 2010s and the "leftist radicals" of the 1960s, and one of the names mentioned as a leftist radical is "Hayden," a reference to Tom Hayden, Fonda's second husband from 1973 to 1989.
- #142
Aaron Sorkin has declared himself a fan of The Office and Parks and Recreation several times, and several actors from those shows appeared on The Newsroom, like B.J. Novak, Paul Lieberstein (director and producer on the last season), Natalie Morales, Paul Schneider, Kelen Coleman, and Alison Becker.
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In the third season episode "Contempt", Will says to Mac (Emily Mortimer) that Charlie was muttering "Kill the wabbit", an apparent reference to the 30 Rock episode "Cleveland" in which Mortimer guest starred featuring that phrase (and music). "Kill da wabbit" is a reference to Elmer Fudd.
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In The Newsroom (2012)'s fictional universe, which Aaron Sorkin created, ACN stands for Atlantis Cable News. There is a real-life ACN in Canada which provides Internet and telephone services, and there was an ACN cable network in the USA at one time. It was "America's Collectibles Network" and sold everything from knives and watches to cosmetics and jewelry. In 2002, "America's Collectible Network" changed its name to Jewelry Television. Seen in approximately 80 million homes, they still use the ACN name legally and on signage at their broadcast location in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.
- #151
Leona Lansing, portrayed by Jane Fonda, is a character (CEO of a media conglomerate) not unlike Ted Turner, Fonda's third husband, from 1991-2001. In the first episode in which Fonda's character appears, other characters have a conversation comparing the "Tea Party," circa 2010s, and "leftist radicals," circa 1960s, and one of the names mentioned as one of the leftist radicals is "Hayden," a reference to Tom Hayden, Fonda's second husband, from 1973-1989.
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Leona Lansing, played by Jane Fonda, is a character not unlike Fonda's third husband, Ted Turner, from 1991 to 2001 (the CEO of a media conglomerate). In Fonda's first episode, the other characters get into a conversation comparing the 2010s "Tea Party" with the 1960s "leftist radicals," and one of the names mentioned as a leftist radical is "Hayden," a reference to Fonda's second husband, Tom Hayden, from 1973 to 1989.
Deeper Meaning (9)
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Aaron Sorkin's first-season finales for his three television series (The West Wing (1999), Sports Night (1998) and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006)) and the series finale of The Newsroom (2012) all share the same title: "What Kind of Day Has It Been?". This is a signature repetition of Sorkin's.
- #157
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In the first season's "5/1" episode there are two references to Sorkin's other series, The West Wing. In the first, it is said the crisis is not "a smallpox vial dropped on Times Square"; this refers to the scene in which Josh Lyman says the end of the world will come not from nuclear war but from "an eroding test tube with a rubber stopper [smallpox]". In the second, Will says, "We never did settle on a spelling for Qaddafi"; this is a reference to the scene in The West Wing's pilot episode in which Leo McGarry expresses frustration that the spelling of 'Qaddafi' is wrong in a newspaper crossword puzzle.
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In the third season's "Contempt" episode, Will tells Mac (Emily Mortimer) that Charlie was humming "Kill the wabbit". This is a clear reference to the 30 Rock episode "Cleveland", in which Mortimer appeared as a guest actor and in which this phrase (and the music) appears. Correction: "kill da wabbit" is in fact a reference to Elmer Fudd.
- #162
In the fictional "universe" of The Newsroom (2012) created by Aaron Sorkin, ACN stands for Atlantis Cable News. In real life there is an ACN in Canada that provides internet and telephone service, and in the US there was once a cable channel called ACN. That channel was "America's Collectibles Network" and sold everything from knives to watches, from cosmetics to jewelry. In 2002 it changed its name from "America's Collectible Network" to Jewelry Television. The channel, watched in roughly 80 million homes, still legally uses the ACN name and signage at its broadcast center in Knoxville, Tennessee.
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Career & Awards (5)
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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