Karen Hines Movies

Originally telecast on CBC during the 2004-2005 season, the six episodes comprising The Newsroom's third season were technically filmed for the satirical series' fourth season, inasmuch as Season One (first broadcast in 1996 and 1997) was actually made up of two mini-seasons. You got all that? Good. Let's proceed. Series creator-writer Ken Finkleman continues to wear a third creative hat in the starring role of sharkish Canadian TV news director George Findlay, a man who would probably sell his grandmother to get higher ratings if he'd had a grandmother (there is some argument as to whether George ever had a mother). Newcomers to the cast this season include newsroom intern Nora (Kristin Booth), segment producer Jason (Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall), and the latest in a long line of ineffectual bosses for George Findley, Susan Murdoch (Sarah Strange). Whereas the series' previous seasons were deliciously dark in tone, this season exhibits a jauntier, more surreal touch, beginning with an opening episode which skewers media coverage of the war in Iraq. Later on, George and his staff anxiously seek out the "one dumb idea" that will enable them to strike it rich with a TV sitcom; George delivers a college lecture and acquires an underaged groupie; the possibility arises that someone in the staff is gay (not that there's anything wrong etc. etc.); and George's day is ruined by a gristly steak. The season ends with a remarkable essay on the End of the World, with the series regulars rendered in animated form! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The 12-episode revival of the satirical Canadian series The Newsroom after a seven-year absence was originally heralded by the 2002 special Escape from the Newsroom, in which creator-writer-star Ken Finkleman makes no effort to hide his scorn for those rabid fans who insisted that he resurrect the series despite his (apparent) decision to kill it for good and all back in 1997. Though he seemed to be dead as a doornail at the end of the original series, dimwitted Toronto TV news anchor Jim Walcott (Peter Keleghan) awakens from a two-year coma and makes his way back to his former newsroom, where paranoid, backstabbing, ratings-obsessed news director George Findlay (Finkleman) still rules with an iron fist. When he's not making sarcastic comments about the Canadian TV industry or his viewers, George is running scared over the possibility that his fiefdom will be toppled by a nearby film crew shooting a movie with Brad Pitt and Nicole Kidman (and no, those two do NOT appear). Once the series' third season begins in earnest, we're introduced to several new regulars, among them news-segment producers Matt (Matt Watts) and Allen (Doug Bell), the latter suffering from an advanced case of self-loathing (just the sort of person that George Findlay loves to have around). The predominant theme this season is "Death"; George panics when a woman dies of food poisoning at the TV studio; an employee croaks while George wrestles with a labyrinthine job evaluation; an unknown sniper picks off a goodly portion of the Newsroom's viewing audience; and Allen is diagnosed with a tumor, making him more annoying than usual. In other episodes, George's not-so-well-hidden streak of racism rears up and bites him in the butt; Jim Walcott writes a book, astonishing those who thought he couldn't even read; segment producer Karen (Karen Hines "dumbs down" in exchange for a roll in the hay; and George comes to grief in his efforts to avoid jury duty on a controversial animal-rights case. The series' usual offbeat mix of guest stars this season include actor Colm Feore, director Atom Egoyan, Ugandan playwright George Seremba, and former Bush Administration speechwriter David Frum. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Yasmine Bleeth stars in this "drawn from the headlines" TV movie as Diane Shepherd, the idealistic producer for the bomb-throwing talkfest "The Howard Grant Show." At present, Howard's most controversial guest is Kelly Reilly (Jenny Lewis), a drugged-out prostitute and single mom. Taking a protective interest in Kelly, Diane endeavors to redeem the girl and put her on the right path--an act of largesse that is coldly vetoed not only by the Springer-esque Howard Grant (Peter Scolari), but also by Diane's ratings-driven boss Sadie (Veronica Hamel), who subscribes to the philosophy that "Everyone in this business is a whore--but we're highly paid whores." Like so many other films which try to "expose" the seamier side of the talk-show industry, Talk to Me exudes an air of smug superiority, but Yasmine Bleeth's surprisingly forceful performance compensates the script's self-righteous shortcomings. The film made its ABC network bow on October 20, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi