The Newsreader (2021) s01e06 Episode Script

1
Mate, newsreading, not for everyone.
Is it a vocal thing?
You know, I am a disaster,
but I'm also relentless, and I'm loyal.
I think we can make you a newsreader.
If you or the network mistreat
my husband in any way,
the public response will
be utterly devastating.
Evelyn, he could die.
I'm sorry, what?
Maybe you don't know everything
about your husband.
You weren't ready for this, Noelene.
I shouldn't have bloody listened
to you. You're not a producer.
Shouldn't my work speak for itself?
Wouldn't that be something?
You're the best one there, Noels.
Thank you.
Has anything like this happened
since you were a teenager?
- I'm in love with you, Helen.
- With who?
- With who, Dale?
- Tim. Only once, and I stopped it.
As soon as it ended, I told him, Helen.
I told him that I'm committed to you!
Helen? Could you open the door, please?
Helen.
I know you're there.
Can let me explain.
I think this has all been
blown out of proportion.
It's just
they're just two brief
moments in my life.
It is nothing compared
to what I have with you.
Helen. This is not fair.
It's not exactly like
you've been forthcoming
about everything in your life.
Could you just open the door, please?
I'm gonna call you later, okay?
I'm sorry.
Burgundy pie. That'll freeze.
Quiche Lorraine.
Does Helen like quiche?
I think I remember her saying she did.
I tried ringing her place yesterday.
She didn't answer.
She's been busy.
Is something wrong?
When you were a boy, you
always told me everything.
And then you stopped.
Was it something I did?
It's fine, Mum.
We should clear out this freezer.
I need to start writing dates on things.
The Montmorency Primary School fete.
The principal introduces you
and it's just a short speech
and you draw the raffle.
Can it just be the raffle?
I'll ask them.
Uh, 10 May, the Variety Club
is hosting a charity screening
of Crocodile Dundee,
the Paul Hogan film.
They were hoping both you
and Dale would introduce it.
It's so good.
It's a romantic comedy,
and, uh, they were hoping
a couple would do it.
Yeah, I don't think so.
Oh, no. I I thought
I wouldn't like it,
but it's actually it's really good.
It starts a bit slow, but then
when he gets to New York
or and there's this bit
where he gets mugged,
- and
- Yeah, I don't think so.
Dale's not really into doing
the combined stuff,
especially after the Woman's Day, so
Has he seen the spread yet?
No.
- Have you?
- No.
Oh. It's amazing. Hang on.
You want Lindsay to
have a word with Dale?
No, thank you.
He wants a lot more joint appearances.
He thinks Dale softens you,
makes you more likeable.
Here.
I think we should do his
hair like that all the time.
Mmm. You can keep it.
I've already read it.
Hi. Is Dale sick?
Yep.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Can I come in?
Dale, do you record every
one of your stories?
No. Just some, to review.
Do you watch 'em often?
I generally just watch
them on the night of.
Helen knows, doesn't she?
Did she say something to you?
No. No. I I can just tell.
Was I the first?
No, there was someone in high school.
A friend.
Didn't work out very well.
Can I ask what happened?
His father caught us
after school one day.
They called the police.
He said I forced myself on him.
And
I was taken to the station
in front of everyone.
They called me a pervert.
I had to change schools.
Have you always known
who you are?
Yeah.
I think we're very
different people, Tim.
You know
imagining life on the other
side of something like this
can be terrifying.
But it might surprise you.
I've worked my whole
life to be where I am.
Yeah.
Surprised me anyway.
This is ABC News for Tuesday 29 April.
Details are emerging that indicate
the Soviet Union has suffered
a significant nuclear disaster.
Very substantial quantities of
radiation have been released
in an accident at the Chernobyl
power station in the Ukraine.
The plant is close to the city of Kiev.
Many hundreds work at the plant
and the surrounding Chernobyl area
has a population estimated
at around 50,000.
Unconfirmed reports are emerging
that a very significant relief
operation is already underway.
I'm going!
The Kremlin has acknowledged
there has been an accident,
a sign of the degree of Moscow's
We agreed 4 p.m.
They'll have to extend the update.
Oh, you know you're worse
the longer the day is.
We can get you there for
the afternoon update.
You don't need to do the morning one.
This is juvenile.
You did a 5-hour day yesterday
and you looked like you'd
been hit by a truck.
- If you go in now
- That was a direct result of your hysteria.
Well you know, it's showing on air.
Dee was at the hairdresser yesterday.
She said they're all talking about it.
"He looks low-energy, drawn,
shadow of himself "
Remarkable how Dee always
has the perfect story
to suit your argument.
Thank you.
Darling?
I love you. I'm worried.
I'm asking you to stay.
Goodbye, darling.
an uncharacteristic move
that diplomats speculate
might suggest a very high death toll.
High radiation levels have been picked
up as far away as Scandinavia,
with some monitors recording
levels 10 times above normal.
In Sweden, 600 people were
evacuated from a nuclear plant.
Given recent history, we
are not running with that
until you've confirmed with
at least three sources.
We can be the source that confirms it!
Noelene, if we go balls out
with the biggest disaster ever
and we're wrong, you're
gonna get sacked again
and I'm not gonna be able
to defend you this time.
You didn't defend me last time. Rob did.
That's what he says.
- Mate, are you crook?
- No.
Don't come near me if you're crook.
- I'm fine. Comms in?
- In a minute.
Noelene here wants to go
with the biggest nuclear
disaster in history.
Because it must be!
Three Mile Island is supposed
to be the biggest disaster,
- and that only affected
- The surrounding counties,
as far as I recall, they only evacuated
a few pregnant women and that was it,
- just to be safe.
- Yes, and with this,
they're getting five times the
standard level of radiation
- in Finland.
- Uh, I have a cousin in Kiev.
I thought maybe we could
try and contact her.
Well, that's a lot closer than Finland.
Comms feed's in!
Alright, great. Come on, let's go.
So, is this a new
statement or is it a
No, it's just a first announcement.
So this is it? This is all we
have for the entire disaster?
There's a report on
radiation in Finland,
but that's only about a minute or so.
Alright. Well, we'll go two minutes.
Look, it's a great story
for the newspaper,
but we have no pictures.
We've got nothing.
- So
- Let me call my cousin in Kiev.
I'm sure she's still at the university.
Have you spoken to her recently?
What time is it in the Soviet Union?
- Still the early hours of morning.
- So it's worth a try.
That's great. A phone conversation
with your cousin isn't riveting.
She's on the ground in Kiev,
- less than 100 miles
- It's the personal connection.
- from where the accident happened.
- We're going to be the only news outlet
in Australia who has that.
Okay, three minutes, that's it.
- Dale, you're producing.
- Six!
We've got a good nuclear scientist.
We've used him before.
I'll call him right now. Plus
The history of nuclear accidents. Uh
There's Three Mile Island and
I think there was a British one.
Yeah, four minutes. Dale,
Helen, you find the cousin.
Noelene, you contact the scientist.
Sceptical.
Can we talk privately?
Helen.
So, um, I'm pretty sure that
there's only one university in Kiev.
It's either called the National
University or Kiev University.
Who would I who would I talk to,
who would I call, to
to get that number?
- Noelene, got that?
- On it.
Ah! Didn't think I'd see you
till the afternoon, mate.
Doing the early update.
- Noelene, you got it?
- Hello?
Thank you for meeting
me at such short notice.
Not at all.
I trust you haven't mentioned anything?
No, of course not, not a word.
- Uh, do you, uh
- No.
No?
Oh. Is it too early to order the
chef's 3-course lunch menu?
Not at all.
Yeah. I'll have the same.
Well!
This is a treat. Isn't it, eh?
Now, uh, is there anything
in particular you'd like to discuss?
I'd like to know exactly what
my husband's been offered
to step away from the bulletin.
Well, Geoff is a legacy figure
and the, uh, CEO will be very generous.
- To the tune of ?
- Well, you know.
We'd give him some specials,
uh, news stuff, interviewing,
you know, whatever.
His current salary guaranteed for
a minimum of three more years?
Oh!
Look, Evelyn, whatever you throw
at him, he's not going to budge.
- If Geoff were axed
- Not on my watch.
at the hands of the
CEO, he would explode.
But if there were a sufficiently
attractive offer on the table,
I think I could calm him down.
I think I could get him
to take it gracefully.
I just couldn't be
the one to initiate it.
Hm.
Geoff's not very well, is he?
No, the doctors are
delighted with his progress.
I'll bet you they are.
Let's just be clear.
You want us to axe him.
I want the next stage
of my husband's career
to be as rich as possible,
and I recognise that sometimes
he can get in the way of himself.
Hm.
You sure?
Because if I even whisper
this to the CEO,
he'll want it done soon.
How soon?
Maybe even today.
Could you confirm the details
of the package before then,
including the additional
five years of salary?
You just said three years.
Mmm. I changed my mind.
You know, all I can do
have a quiet chat upstairs
and I'll call you back.
You should do that, then.
You've just ordered a 3-course meal.
Yes, I did.
- Hello.
- Privet.
Uh I I'm looking for,
uh for Astrid Mannik.
Um uh, sorry, do you speak English?
Do you do you speak English?
Uh
Um I'm I'm calling
- Any luck?
- from
- Not sure.
- The nuclear scientist can do 2 p.m.
Do you want to finish
this then head out?
- I'll check.
- Hello?
Hello. Oh, hello. Hi.
Um my name is, um
my name's Helen Norville.
I'm calling from Australia.
I'm looking to speak to
my cousin, Astrid Mannik.
- Astrid Mannik?
- Yes.
- I believe she used to work there.
- Don't know of an Astrid Mannik.
Uh, sorry. Lindsay wants you.
Hey. Lindsay wants to see you.
- Now?
- Mmm.
- Yes?
- Uh, we'll just wait for Rob.
Uh shut the door,
will you, please, mate?
I'm telling you this in advance
so you can both be prepared.
And no-one else is to know about this,
not Dale, not Dennis.
Nobody. That clear?
- Yes.
- Yep.
Tonight's gonna be
Geoff's last bulletin.
The CEO will tell him at 3 p.m.
He is to say his goodbyes
on air tonight.
Now, Helen, you might cop some blowback.
Rob, Brett will be doing
the sports news tonight.
You should make yourself scarce.
Mate, y-y you can't just
give him the boot like that.
- No-one's happy about this.
- Yeah.
But should be, like, a a
a year of send-offs or
something, shouldn't it?
Mate, there has been a conversation
about this for months,
and just so you know, this
has the support of his family.
So, what, he's just gonna say
his final farewell on air tonight
and then tomorrow it's gonna
be just the two of us?
- Yeah, that's right.
- The audience is gonna fuckin' hate me.
- They won't.
- They might.
- They will, because I would hate me.
- Absolutely might.
Mate, if there was a
better way of doing this,
then, obviously, we would have got
He's back.
Back from the update,
- coming up now.
- Right. Okay.
Just calm down. Calm down.
- Here he comes.
- Just act like you're still talking.
Everything alright?
Yeah. I was just on my way out, Geoff.
We're just trying to work
out how much of the bulletin
we can dedicate to the Soviet incident.
Mmm.
And why would Rob be a
party to that conversation?
'Cause of this Russian nuclear thing,
we got to cut back on sports
and he's just cracked the sads.
I'm gonna leave you boys to it.
I've got Astrid's home number!
It's just
Thank you.
Hey, Noelene.
I'm trying to milk four
minutes out of a story
- with no footage.
- Geoff is about to get the boot.
Tonight.
Does he know?
No. He finds out at 3 p.m.
The whole country is gonna think
I'm the bastard that knifed him.
- They won't.
- Helen reckons they will.
They'll blame her before they blame you.
Why?
Oh.
So they've offered it to you?
No, it's more like they just
told me what was happening.
I'm never gonna be able to look
that bloke in the eye again.
- It's a good opportunity.
- Yeah, I know. It's a good job.
- Anyone would want the bloody job.
- But do you?
No, I just I just want
to keep doing the sport.
Then tell them that.
Yeah, but then what are they
gonna say? They're gonna say,
"It's either the main job or nothing."
Then walk. You did it
once and it worked.
You walk out and by the end
of the day, I promise you,
Lindsay would have called you on
his knees begging you to come back
as the sports reporter.
- I don't think so, Noels.
- Noelene!
Yeah.
I've been watching the power
structure here for years. Trust me.
We've got the cousin. I need
everything you have on Kiev.
Distance to the power plant,
the population size,
- main industries.
- Yep.
Where can we do this international
phone call? The studio?
Um, no, there's a there's
there's a speakerphone
in the meeting room,
I'll get you a crew in 15.
No, just on the telephone.
Tim. I need you and Ross.
- The general feeling.
- It's 15 minutes.
Mood on the streets.
Well, okay, I'm gonna have
somebody call you back.
His name's Dale Jennings.
And, um, he'll patch you
through to me, okay?
Thank you.
I'm gonna get changed.
You got it.
Afternoon.
Great, um so it's just a phone call.
Uh, we'll put a graphic up of Kiev.
We just need Helen and clear sound.
Actually, it's, um, a relative,
so if you could convey a sense
of intimacy, that would be great.
- It's a pretty shit last hurrah.
- Would you shut up?
It's his last day. He quit.
What part of "Shut up"
don't you understand?
What? What? It's not a secret.
Is it?
We're almost ready, if you
want to jump on the call.
Yes?
Hi, Astrid. It's Helen again.
Sorry, could you just get her to
say something else, please?
Um, Astrid, can you just state your name
and profession for sound?
Yes. Um, I'm Astrid Mannik.
I work at the National
University in Kiev.
- Thank you.
- Rolling.
Astrid, it's so good to hear your voice.
Can I start by asking you,
what what has the mood been
like on the streets of Kiev?
Last night, it seemed very normal.
People out on the street,
everything open.
There was no sense anything is wrong.
I'm so sorry. Um
But you are aware
I'm sorry, can you just cut?
No, don't cut. Uh, just cut.
Just cut.
Okay.
Astrid, I'm just going to take it back.
I'm gonna ask you, um
I'm not asking you a question.
Fuck. Just go.
Astrid, you are aware that
there's been an accident,
a a nuclear accident?
Yes, I heard there was an
incident at the power station.
My brother in Estonia said
that he heard something
on the Finnish news.
Why?
Well, we don't have
very many details here,
but what we do know is
that over five times
the normal levels of radiation
have been detected in Finland.
Which is how fucking far away?
Astrid, we don't have very many
details here, but what we do
Astrid, we don't Fuck. Christ.
Are you still there, Astrid?
- Yes.
- I'm so sorry. Alright.
We don't have very many details here,
but what we do know is
that more than five times
the normal levels of radiation
have been detected in Finland,
which is over 800 miles away,
and where you are now is is only 70.
Yes.
Uh, but there there
has been no warning.
There there was no
Hopefully, there's an
explanation for that.
Um
can I ask you to take
some precautions,
like stay in your flat,
- shut the windows?
- There was something.
Last night, all the
buses were cancelled.
Buses were still passing.
They were all empty.
All were heading towards Chernobyl.
Cut.
Thank you, Astrid.
Give me the tape.
Fuck!
Helen!
Dale! Nuclear scientist, 2 p.m.
Walters residence.
I've just been called
upstairs to a meeting
with the CEO at 3 p.m.
No further details.
Just you or you and Lindsay?
Just me. I declined.
Oh. Well, I'm I'm sure
if it's anything important,
they'll reschedule.
I just can't help but think
of that poor bastard
- in Perth.
- No!
No. They wouldn't do that.
- No, Lindsay wouldn't let them.
- Oh, Lindsay's been odd.
How?
Polite.
Maybe he's sober for once.
I'll call you back.
Oh, God.
I've been called to a meeting upstairs.
What's it about?
Mate, I haven't heard a thing!
Hey, uh uh, Jean, have
you got any idea what
Stop it. This is insulting.
You clearly know something.
Okay. Why don't you and I go up
- and see the CEO?
- I don't work with the CEO, Lindsay.
I work with you. Now, tell me.
If you think I'm gonna leave this office
- before I get an explanation
- I'm sorry, mate,
but I think we may have
reached the end of the line.
Now, I went into bat for
you, I made the case,
- but upstairs just weren't interested.
- When?
A conversation we've been
having for months now.
When do they want me gone?
Well uh,
upstairs reckon that this
should be your last bulletin.
Now, we can make this
work for you, Geoff.
- You've got lots of leverage.
- No.
They'll dole out the specials. Right?
Investigative journalism, anywhere
in the world you want to go,
they will do it, and they'll pay
you years of your salary.
- Three years!
- We are reporting on a nuclear disaster,
possibly the biggest in history.
It would be ludicrous for
me to step away tonight.
Let's go up and see the CEO right now.
Mate, come on.
Well. You're a better
performer than Lindsay.
I'll give you that.
I was warned only an hour and
a half ago. I had no idea.
I want you to come with
me right now to the CEO.
We'll refuse this together.
It's me today, but you will
end up in the same position.
- I have no sway
- They can't do this
unless you agree to keep on script.
I'm asking you not to.
Now, I've always been very
discreet about your
personal struggles.
I've been encouraged to go
to the press. I refused.
I always put our partnership
above everything.
That's not how I remember it.
Not once since I've been on this desk
have you shown me the
slightest bit of warmth
or defended me or protected me.
And I have always known that
you would welcome my failure.
You've just never had
the guts to declare it.
- He's packing his bag.
- Right now!
Geoff. Geoff. The CEO,
he's on his way down.
- Let's talk it through.
- I stay to work. No other reason.
Now, mate, you've got
a lot of options here.
Here's another option.
How about I go to the press
immediately and detail
exactly how I've been treated
by this network after 30 years?!
- Right after surviving surgery.
- Oh! Come on, mate.
You've got 'em on the back foot.
You got to use the power!
You don't walk a way from it, you
Fuck! Fuck!
Fuck!
Walters residence. Evelyn speaking.
He knows. He knows.
He's walked out of this place and
he says he's gonna go to the press.
Now, you said you could calm him down.
He lets slip in the press, Evelyn,
you can forget about any
kind of golden handshake
or anything else that was discussed.
You there?
Yeah, I'm I'm I'm here. Yeah.
Well, just so you're aware, Evelyn,
the CEO knows this was your idea.
Now, Geoff doesn't, but the CEO does.
So, you know, we don't want
this getting ugly, do we?
What are you suggesting?
Well, if this gets splashed
across the newspapers,
the first thing the network will say is,
"Geoff's wife personally
asked us to do this."
I doubt we'll be speaking
much in the future, Lindsay,
but allow me to say,
you are a spineless man
and a pathetic leader.
Righto. Well.
Safe to assume there's gonna be a
few changes for tonight's bulletin.
We don't know how it's
gonna play out, but, uh,
we're gonna say Geoff
won't be coming back, so
Brett, you'll be doing sport, Rob,
you'll be on the desk with Helen.
Thank you.
- Uh, Lindsay?
- Yep?
Sorry, mate. Um
I'll do sport, but that's it.
No, you'll do what I fuckin'
tell you to do. That's your job.
Yeah, and I appreciate the opportunity,
but it's it's not for
me, mate, I'm sorry.
I couldn't give a rat's
arse what's for you.
Son, I'm trying very hard
not to do me rag here,
so I'll make it simple.
I took you from being a
broken-down football player
who could barely string
two words together,
I had your teeth done,
and now look at you.
You are the bloke on the brink
of snagging one of telly's biggest gigs.
And I appreciate it.
But, like I say, I just
want to do sport.
You walk out on us now,
you leave us in the lurch,
you will never step foot in this
network or any network again.
Well, then. Um
thank you for the
last five years, and
I'm sorry it's come to this.
Oh, fuck me sideways! Listen to me!
This is News at Six!
You do the job you're paid to do!
Jesus Christ!
Get me Dale Jennings.
News to car two. News to car two.
Car two.
How far away are you?
Uh, we're just about
to do Dale's stand-up.
Put Dale on now, please.
Uh, it's Dale.
Hey, mate, I need you to
get back here right now.
Uh, well, we're just about
to shoot the stand-up,
um, then we'll come back.
Look, it is it is the
End of Days here, okay?
Geoff's been booted.
Rob's done a runner.
Lindsay's blown his top.
Like, he's literally
frothing at the mouth.
So I need you to get
back here now, please.
You're on the desk.
- Uh, I don't know.
- You are.
Are we getting this or ?
No?
Well, you call your mama Tiger ♪
And we all know you are lying ♪
And your boyfriend's name is Eagle ♪
And he lives up in the sky ♪
What are you doing?
He admitted it.
They're forcing me to step down.
I walked out.
What do you mean?
They wanted me to resign on
air at the end of the bulletin.
Precisely what they did in Perth.
Where's Peter Monahan's number?
- Is it in here?
- What?
Peter Monahan. At The Sun.
Darling, let's just calm down.
Let's take a seat and step through this.
Hello. Uh, Peter Monahan,
please, uh, features writer.
Ah. Uh, could you have him
call Geoff Walters at home?
He has my number.
As soon as possible, thank you.
Why are you wanting
to call Peter Monahan?
I'm going to detail everything
that happened in that newsroom.
The public should know.
Well, wouldn't it be
better to keep it private
- while we're still negotiating?
- We?
- We are not negotiating anything.
- Well, darling, this impacts me too.
Let let's consider
what you could leverage.
You are the face of that network.
They'd surely offer you specials,
hosting positions, years of salary.
Let's consider what you want.
- What?
- Years of salary?
I think we could aim for that.
- Three years, maybe more.
- That's what Lindsay said.
You've been making calls.
Well, darling, it is simply what
you deserve at a minimum.
Oh, jeez. Took your bloody time.
Come on. Let's go.
- Got him.
- Hey!
Here he is.
Um, Dennis told you, did he?
- About Geoff?
- Yeah.
It's gonna be a special
bulletin tonight.
You're on the desk.
- With Helen?
- Mmm.
- Does she know?
- No.
- She's gonna be alright, isn't she?
- She'll be fine.
One thing we do agree
on, though, is, uh,
if we put you out there as the
new newsreader, you're toast.
You're finished, mate.
Yeah. So, what we're gonna do,
we're gonna bill you as an expert
on the whole nuclear thing.
Uh, I'm across a lot of the detail,
but I'm not an expert.
- Well, you're gonna be.
- By 6 p.m.
Yeah, you got an hour and
a half to turn yourself
into big chief king expert
on the whole story.
Now, you're gonna be there
tonight and tomorrow night.
And after the story plays out
We will keep you on the desk.
Yeah. How's that, hey?
Hey?
When the dust settles, in a few months,
we will promo the hell
out of both of you,
the whole shebang, with a big voiceover,
"News at Six with
Helen Norville and "
" Dale Jennings, the
golden couple of news."
- I need to speak to Helen.
- You can't, Dale.
She's about to do an update.
Meet with her afterwards,
spend every waking minute with her,
because both of you
have got to blitz this.
And, Dale, you know, there may be some,
uh, Geoff-related trauma
associated with all of this.
But you're gonna be fine.
Whatever happens, son,
you just concentrate on the job.
- Evelyn Walters speaking.
- Leave it, please!
Ah. Peter Monahan from The Sun,
returning a call from Geoff.
Peter. Hello.
Hang up, please!
Hang up.
Well, there were signs, of course.
This is a, uh, culmination of things
that have been brewing for years.
It's much bigger than me.
This is, uh this is about the value
of, uh, news and reporting
versus entertainment.
I want to talk about all of that.
Very good. I'll give you my address.
29 Bowers Street Peter.
Uh, Peter, wait. D
Do not give that interview.
Take a day to collect your thoughts.
Do you think if you
bury the News at Six,
some other network's gonna
pick you up? They won't.
They watch the numbers
as closely as anyone.
I think you've done enough with
your little interventions, Evvie.
My little interventions are the reason
you have held that position
for the 30 years you have.
Yes, I spoke to Lindsay this morning.
I have always been there,
quietly managing situations.
If I hadn't been, this moment
would have happened years ago!
You might have decades of work
ahead of you, your best years,
mine too, but only if you listen to me!
Our top story again,
it is now clear that the Soviet Union
has suffered an unprecedented
nuclear disaster.
We'll have details and in-depth analysis
in a special edition of the
bulletin, tonight at six.
They want me on the desk with you.
Can we talk?
Yep.
I did hide things from you.
I'm sorry.
The things that I hid
are the things that
I don't want to exist.
It's
Are you gay?
Every time, um, anything happened,
I'd tell myself
"That's that's it.
"It's it's the last time.
It's out of my system."
But, um
but, you know, I
I have these feelings.
They won't go away.
But neither will my feelings for you.
And it feels like
it's like being torn apart.
I was admitted to a mental
institution when I was 16
for six months.
So
here we are.
I can't go up there like this.
You're gonna be just fine.
I'm gonna be right next to you.
I love you just the way you are.
Yeah. Hi there. It's, um,
Daniel Davidson.
I'm, uh, a a viewer.
Can I please speak to Noelene?
It's a caller for you.
He says he's a viewer. It's Rob.
Line five.
I'm busy.
Well, I just need you to know
that they've already called
and asked me to stay on, in sport, so
you were right.
Just trust me next time.
Oh, I'd trust you again this time.
Also don't call pretending
to be someone else.
It looks suspicious.
Jean knows it's you.
Yeah, right. So, what, are you
are you saying I can just
ring as me, Rob, and
ask you, Noelene,
out for a for a drink?
Yeah. You can do that.
Okay. Hey, Noelene.
It's me, Rob.
Um, would you like to come
out for a drink at the pub
after the bulletin, where, you know,
there there might
be people from work?
Well, I've got a lot to finish up here.
I might be a couple of hours.
I'll wait.
See ya later.
Alligator.
The introduction is timing
closer to a minute.
So that's seven minutes
in total, give or take.
- Okay. Yep.
- We'd originally said four.
I know.
So that's three minutes more
than the agreed amount.
Noelene, you've made your point. Thanks.
Yeah, I know. Just, um
I'll call you back.
The story is only gonna
get bigger and bigger,
for at least a week.
I can deliver it all for you,
if you take me off autocue
and make me a producer.
Can you at least wait until
we've got the bulletin on air
- before you hardball me?
- No. Tell me now.
Fine.
- Fine?
- Fine.
- Hey, Noelene?
- Mmm?
Who was the leading goal
kicker in the '85 season?
Simon Beasley.
But for me,
the player to watch is Gary Ablett.
Oh!
I agree.
Good work today.
No, it's overstating the facts, mate.
Yeah. '64.
I want to start by saying that
I've always believed that newsmen
and newsroom politics
should never, ever become the story.
But today, a line was crossed,
and I feel it is my duty to
go public with the grave
very grave, concerns
that I have about the
the current state of television news.
And what are those concerns?
Management has come to see the
nightly newsreaders as
merely entertainers,
to be grouped with soap
stars and game show hosts.
I see it very differently.
I've always believed in
a, uh, special trust.
There's 10 minutes! They're here!
Think I left my jacket somewhere.
Uh, Dale needs a jacket!
30 seconds.
20 seconds, mate.
On my hand in five, four
Evidence emerges suggesting
the Soviet Union
has suffered a catastrophic
nuclear disaster.
Tonight, we'll hear
from nuclear scientists
who can speak to the devastating
impacts of the catastrophe.
We get all the latest updates
from our European correspondents.
And we'll bring you the moment
this disaster impacted
Helen's own family.
Good evening. I'm Helen Norville.
And I'm Dale Jennings.
You are watching News at Six.