The Newsreader
The Newsreader is a TV show on BBC4. 1986: The big news is behind the camera. In a world on the cusp of change, star anchor Helen and rookie reporter Dale join forces to survive the cut-throat world of commercial TV. The program has been available since 2025. A total of 12 episodes have been broadcast, most recently in September 2025.
Last episode
The Newsreader
Dale is falling apart, leaning on alcohol to get through his day and pushing ever closer to a breakdown. When Helen’s relationship with Bill worsens, her ability to produce her show is questioned.
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Helen is blindsided by an article revealing her past mental health struggles but decides to confront the issue on Public Eye. Dale is beginning to crack under the pressure of Lindsay's blackmail.
As Public Eye climbs ever closer to News at Six’s deteriorating numbers, Rob makes a controversial comment on air when discussing apartheid sports boycotts.
Dale embraces his continued success by hosting a lavish birthday party whilst also resolving to get rid of Lindsay. Helen, meanwhile, is struggling with Public Eye's dire ratings.
When news of a dramatic Alaskan oil spill breaks on the day of Public Eye’s launch, Helen is pressured to rethink the format of her show. Dale fears News At Six won’t have enough to compete.
Helen and Dale are reaching new peaks of success in 1989 - but their situation is complicated when it is revealed that Helen’s new show will be in direct competition with the News at Six.
Series 2
As the team prepare for the biggest event of the year, Australia Day 1988, personal and professional dilemmas abound. Helen prepares for a job in the US, and Dale faces a crisis.
News is approached by Geoff's daughter Kay with the offer of an exclusive, but Helen is shocked at the depth of Kay's desperation.
The hype is building for the 1988 bicentenary. As Geoff covers the First Fleet re-enactment for the rival network, it is interrupted by an Indigenous Australian activist.
As the global financial crisis mounts, Helen is plunged into freefall when a gossip journalist threatens an exposé about her troubled past.
The country is rocked by an unprecedented mass shooting in Clifton Hill in Melbourne. The team rush to get footage onto air - but their judgement is called into question.
July 1987: As the country prepares for a vital general election, Dale, Helen and their colleagues at the News at Six have the pressure of up to six hours of unbroken air time.