Coming to you live and direct: The Newsreader is returning to the BBC with its third series! This Australian whip-smart newsroom period drama is set in 1980s Melbourne and follows a star newsreader and rookie reporter as they make moves in their careers, along with the exhilarating breaking news stories they cover. Viewers have been calling it one of the best series in ages!
The series follows newsreader Helen Norville (played by Anna Torv) and her producer Dale Jennings (Sam Reid) – they’re both colleagues thrown together on huge stories, but they’re also romantically involved. Together they juggle office politics and the logistics of their reporting, but what makes The Newsreader even more compelling is that the news team work on real stories from across the eras, from the Chernobyl disaster and Tiananmen Square to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
As we wait for The Newsreader series 3 to arrive on our screens, here’s everything you need to know about the series, including the cast, plot and how to watch it.
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What is The Newsreader about?
As we mentioned, The Newsreader is set in the ’80s newsroom of a Melbourne TV station and follows the exploits of anchors Helen Norville (Anna Torv) and Dale Jennings (Sam Reid). Each six-part series finds them at different stages of their careers, navigating breaking news stories as well as their own relationship – and they become a dynamic on-screen duo. In series 2, ratings challenges turn their workplace into a pressure cooker, as demands are placed on the show to turn things around – before a showdown comes right at the end.
What will happen in The Newsreader series 3?
This six-part series will see Helen and Dale going head-to-head as professional rivals, just as the news cycle explodes with stories including the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. The drama’s official synopsis teases: ‘Helen and Dale are reaching new peaks of success in 1989. Helen has been given her very own current affairs programme and Dale has become the biggest name in news with a Gold Logie nomination. However, their situation is complicated at the TV Week Logie awards, when it is revealed that Helen’s new show, Public Eye, will be in direct competition with the News At Six and all her former colleagues…’
Who’s in the cast of The Newsreader series 3?
The cast of The Newsreader series 3 includes:
- Anna Torv, as Helen Norville
- Sam Reid, as Dale Jennings
- William McInnes, as Lindsay Cunningham
- Marg Downey, as Evelyn Walters
- Stephen Peacocke, as Rob Rickards
- Michelle Lim Davidson, as Noelene Rickards
- Chum Ehelepola, as Dennis Tibb
- Chai Hansen, as Tim Ahern
- Philippa Northeast, as Kay Walters
- Daniel Henshall, as Bill McFarlane
Is there a trailer for The Newsreader series 3?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for The Newsreader series 3 below.
Is The Newsreader any good?
Yes – it’s written sharply and portrays the adrenaline of breaking news! The series also has great attention to detail when portraying a newsroom from the 1980s, from the wardrobe to the hair and mechanics of live TV. It was nominated for an International Emmy Award and received record nominations at Australia’s AACTA Awards in 2021 and 2023.
How can I watch The Newsreader series 3?
Good news – there’s not long to wait! The Newsreader series 3 arrives on the BBC on Thursday 11 September. While you wait, you can watch series 1 and 2 on BBC iPlayer.
What other period dramas can I watch now?
Period dramas aren’t all just Bridgerton and Downton Abbey – there are plenty of great, lesser-known dramas to binge. The Count Of Monte Cristo is based on a classic novel and expertly brings the splendour of 19th-century Europe to life. You can watch it now on U&Drama. Another great watch is The Hardacres, which is set in 1890s Yorkshire and deliciously charts a working class family’s meteoric rags-to-riches rise, from the grimy docks to a sprawling country estate. Catch it now on Channel 5.
