Breaking News (TV series)

Breaking News is an American drama television series about the fictional Milwaukee-based 24-hour cable news television network I-24, with the motto 'Around the Clock, Around the World.' The series premiered July 17, 2002, on Bravo.^[1][2]

Cast

• Tim Matheson as anchorman Bill Dunne
• Myndy Crist as reporter Janet LeClaire
• Clancy Brown as news division president Peter Kozyck
• Lisa Ann Walter as senior/executive producer Rachel Glass
• Rowena King as reporter Jamie Templeton
• Paul Adelstein as cameraman Julian Kerbis
• Scott Bairstow as producer Ethan Barnes
• Patricia Wettig as a feature reporter
• Jeffrey D. Sams as Mel Thomas
• Vincent Gale as Quentin Druzinski

Production

Breaking News was filmed in 2000 and 2001 at The Bridge Studios and Vancouver Film Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia. The series was originally developed for TNT, however they dropped the show before airing any of the 13 episodes.^[3][4] TNT spent $20 million and nine months putting the series together.^[5]

Reception

Manuel Mendoza of The Dallas Morning News rated the series a B- say that it "tries to do for journalism what The West Wing does for politics — make it sexy again". However, Mendoza goes on to say that the series "is not as snappily written or as heroically shot as The West Wing, but it has the same chaotic, frenetic energy".^[2] Preston Turegano of The San Diego Union-Tribune said the pilot episode is "predictable, familiar and mired with some cliches" before conceding that the show has "some original and humorous moments".^[5] Joanne Ostrow of The Denver Post called it a "smart, expensive, well-cast series", "even if it's an uneven effort".^[4]

Episodes

All thirteen episodes are registered with the United States Copyright Office.

BREAKING NEWS Episode Synopses

Episode One – Pilot We meet the ensemble cast who make up I-24, a 24-hour news network whose motto is "Around the Clock, Around the World." In the show's first episode, PETER KOZYCK, I-24's News Director, must decide how far he'll go in pursuing a news exclusive which will put his fledgling network on the map.

Episode Two – "HI, NOONAN" A hostage-crisis in a Kansas City dry cleaners forces JANET LECLAIRE, queen of the "lighter side of life" segment, to don a bullet proof vest and interview the disgruntled gunman face to face. All to the chagrin of I-24's highly visible, more experienced anchor, BILL DUNNE, who clashes with Kozyck over whether Janet is qualified for such a dangerous assignment.

Episode Three – "RACHEL GLASS AND THE NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY" News Director RACHEL GLASS must face the fact that the nature of her 24/7 job doesn't lend itself to the feelings of social emptiness she's experiencing. At the same time, reporter MEL THOMAS is held in contempt of court for withholding videotape on a story. He's thrown in jail, adding pressure to his already strained family life.

Episode Four – "SPIN ART" In the wake of agreeing to take things down a notch in their personal relationship, reporter JAMIE TEMPLETON and producer JULIAN KERBIS are assigned to cover the murder of a gay man in a small town. Meanwhile, concerned with low ratings, Kozyck approaches Dunne about the possibility of a co-anchor. A defensive Dunne discusses it with wife ALLISON who convinces him a co-anchor might not be bad thing – considering that she is up for a hosting job for a new show on I-24.

Episode Five – "WALL-TO-WALL PLANE CRASH" All bets for an ordinary news day are off when a DC-9 carrying 118 people crashes in front of Kerbis and Thomas in rural Washington state. Discovering a survivor among the wreckage, Kerbis suspends his work as news producer to become a rescuer. His decision to do so proves questionable when the survivor serves I-24 with a negligence lawsuit.

Episode Six – "VICTIMS" Templeton and rookie-producer ETHAN BARNES, team up to investigate a toxin-spewing factory and put themselves in serious danger in order to get "the money shot." Back in the newsroom, Rachel re-evaluates her objectivity when she suspects a rape victim being interviewed by I-24 may not be telling the truth. Episode Seven – "DUNNE'S CHOICE" Dunne, while attending old friend Admiral Riles' exclusive Washington, D.C. party overhears sensitive information relating to a submarine accident and its possible political cover-up. New co-anchor LeClaire—who has heard the same information—must go up against Dunne, both on and off the set, as she follows her instincts and digs deeper into the mystery.

Episode Eight – "BROADCAST FROM HELL" When I-24's cameramen make good on a pledge to strike producers and reporters are forced to do double duty. In the field, Kerbis aggressively pursues a scandalous incident in the past of a likely Supreme Court nominee only to have the Judge commit suicide minutes before air.

Episode Nine – "THE STORY VANISHES" Ethan snares the "get of the year" when a notorious international terrorist agrees to be interviewed by Dunne in Paris. Things quickly go south when the terrorist decides to hold the two newsmen against their will. In the newsroom, Allison's skipping of her bi-polar medication brings on a manic condition evident in her over-reaching concern for her career rather than for the safety of her husband abroad.

Episode Ten – "MY SUSPECT VINNY" Templeton and Kerbis meet VINNY, a sweet-yet-dumb shopping mall security officer who's take on a disappearing teen might very well implicate him as a possible suspect. In the newsroom, Thomas comes up against an editor who refuses to cut a piece about a Holocaust denier, citing that I-24 is only serving this man's goals by giving him air time. Their disagreement ultimately turns into an on-set fistfight.

Episode Eleven – "BAD WATER" After infiltrating an illegal militia in Montana, Ethan witnesses the bombing of a Federal courthouse first-hand. Now that his cover is blown, Ethan must walk a delicate line between his network obligations, an FBI investigation and the at-large terrorist seeking revenge against him.

Episode Twelve – "I-24gate" Templeton puts herself and I-24 at odds with the insular world of Washington, D.C. politics when she breaks a sexual scandal involving a Congressman and a high-priced call girl. In the newsroom, Rachel's relationship with cameraman NATE takes a turn when she discovers she might be pregnant. Later, in the doctor's office, Rachel is informed that in addition to not being pregnant, she has a condition that may make it impossible for her to ever have children.

Episode Thirteen – "KARMA" When the accused murderer – and father – of a teenage girl (Ep. Ten, "MY SUSPECT VINNY") is released for lack of evidence, LeClaire sees it as her chance to redeem her falling ratings with a surprise interview. The orchestrated meeting between dead girl's father and mother produce tragic results. Kozyck balks when JACK BARNES suggests I-24 promote a tabloid show running on Barnes-owned independent stations, changing his mind only when he decides to assign intern JACQUI SAVARD the piece as her introduction to the industry. Kozyck's delighted when Savard innocently digs up scandalous dirt on the show's star, causing a red-faced Barnes to cancel the fluff piece.

References

External links

• Breaking News on IMDb
• Breaking News at TV.com