The Smithian

…The Newsroom…promises to…take a smart look at how someone might try to do serious news in our current, unserious culture, and explore the complex lives of the men and women who try to do it…but after seeing the first four episodes, I have my doubts…Sorkin knows how to write sharp, highly watchable scenes…Daniels is believable as Will…the cast boasts some terrific young actors…Yet for all its virtues, The Newsroom often feels…dated, as if Sorkin had never seen shows like The Wire, Mad Men…shows that have raised the level of the TV game. Far from portraying his reporters and producers as adults with rich, dark, complicated souls…

more. + lots more, here.