As the days grow shorter and weather gets cooler, it’s the perfect time to snuggle on the couch and invest in a new TV show. Last year, we curated a list of great journalism movies. This year, we’re taking a look at the best TV shows featuring the news media industry that are worth binge-watching because it’s too cold to do anything else.
Murphy Brown
TV is all about revivals these days, and Murphy Brown is no exception. The show originally ran from 1988 to 1998, starring Candice Bergen as Murphy Brown, a famous investigative journalist and news anchor. CBS ordered a 13-episode revival, which premiered in September, and they won’t be short on material from which to draw in today’s news environment.
Mary Tyler Moore Show
If you’re looking for a strong, independent female journalist role model, meet Mary Tyler Moore. This show originally ran from 1970 to 1977 and featured Mary Richards, a single 30 year old news producer who tackles issues like source confidentiality, equal pay and feminist issues well before her time. It’s definitely a show to re-watch in 2018.
The Bold Type
Freeform debuted The Bold Type in 2017. The show is loosely based on the life of the former Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan magazine. The show follows three friends as they explore their voices, identities, careers and NYC.
The Newsroom
Ah, HBO’s the Newsroom. The fictional cable news channel decides to do the news, right. It ran from 2012 to 2014 and is cheesy and amazing. It stars Jeff Daniels and Emily Mortimer on a quest to “[reclaim] journalism as an honorable profession. A nightly newscast that informs a debate worthy of a great nation. Civility, respect and a return to what’s important.”
Sharp Objects
This HBO series follows newspaper reporter Camille Preaker (Amy Adams) back to her hometown where young girls are mysteriously being murdered. Adams does a fantastic job being creepy—not as good of a job in being professional. Find out if she meets her deadline, or her untimely end.
Mad Men
Assuming you haven’t been living under a rock, you’re very familiar with AMC’s amazing Mad Men. This show is set in the 1960s and follows a fictional advertising agency through the characters’ personal lives and politically-charged era. It ran from 2007 to 2015 and collected 16 Emmys. You can relive the show on Netflix.
Being Mary Jane
Are you looking for an addictive, smart and juicy drama? Check out BET’s Being Mary Jane. This series follows the professional and personal life of successful TV news anchor Mary Jane Paul (Gabrielle Union), who lives in Atlanta, Georgia. It ran from 2014 to 2018.
Great News
The bad news is that NBC canceled Great News this year. The good news is you can re-watch the first two seasons on Netflix. This show’s plot is that an up-and-coming TV producer has a nightmare of an intern: her mother.
Happy viewing!
Contributing writer
