Three Two One

> “*I think we can make you a newsreader.*”
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> Three Two One
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> ### Season
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> 1
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> 1
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> 15th August, 2021
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> ### Writer
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> Michael Lucas
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> ### Director
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> Emma Freeman
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- Helen Norville to Dale as she helps him practice

**"Three Two One"** is the first episode of the first season of *The Newsreader*. It aired on ABC on August 15, 2021.

## Synopsis

In 1986, ambitious reporter Dale and "difficult" newsreader Helen are thrown together in the cutthroat world of commercial TV news. Their first story: the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

## Plot

### **Friday 24th January 1986**

A TV screen is showing a piece about **Paul Hogan** becoming Australian of the Year in 1986. As Hogan gives his acceptance speech, the tapes sound and image distort and stops playing. Dale Jennings and Murray panic as they don't have another copy and that clip was the main grab of the story. Dale runs out of the editing room and sprints down the hallway. He asks Dennis to send a camera crew at the entrance in front of the reception and Noelene to find any more footage.

   The **News At Six** theme plays as Helen Norville and Geoff Walters, start the evening news. Simultaneously, rushing against the clock, Dale and the camera crew stand out by the entrance, attempting to film some last-minute footage to save their piece. As Helen does a piece about **Australia Day**, Dale and the crew rush back inside to make it in time. Thanks to Dale, they manage to find a new grab for the piece, instead focusing on the release of his feature film. He claims, *"I actually think that ending was better,"* as he smiles seeing himself on the screen.

Between stories, Helen questions Geoff as she thought she was reading the **Thatcher** story, not him. He brushes her off stating *"There was a late change."* Geoff reads the Thatcher piece, as Helen keeps calm and professional for the rest of the bulletin, although we can see this has bothered her deeply.

After the bulletin, Helen confronts Lindsay Cunningham, her boss, about this incident. At the **Christmas party** the previous year, Lindsay has promised Helen that they could look at one story per week and call it a special report, additionally promising her the Thatcher story. She follows him into his office and they argue. Dale asks Jean, Lindsay's secretary about meetings as he was scheduled in at 6:30 with him. She says he's never going to get a good time, so he agrees to wait. Helen storms out the office and leaves as Lindsay threatens to replace her.

Dale goes to meet with Lindsay. He asks about the rehearsal tape he sent in for the desk last year as Lindsay had watched it and said he might have a chance to do some of the updates in the new year. It is clear Lindsay does not remember saying this as it was at the Christmas party. They go back and forth on this matter as Lindsay states *"Newsreading - not for everyone. It's just when the camera goes on a particular sort of person, the viewer feels very secure. Like, look at Helen. you put a lens on her, she connects. But other people, nothing."* Dale is eager to know how he can improve, explaining he has been working with a vocal coach. Lindsay sees Dale's eagerness and realises he can use this to his advantage. They come to an agreement as he asks Dale to steer Helen away from "shitty ideas about cross-eyed single mothers, AIDS and Christ knows what else," in exchange for a chance to do the morning update the following Tuesday. Dale quietly celebrates and goes to call his mother, Val Jennings to tell her about his opportunity.

As Dale enters his house, he checks his messages; most are from his family, his **Uncle Cliff** and his mum. The third message is from someone called Adam: *"Hi Dale. It's Adam here, from school. I saw you on the TV tonight, and, um, I got your number from Ron Alsop. I know I'm not probably someone you'd want to see but even if I could just get an address to write to you. My number's 4361625. Hope to hear from you soon. Bye."* As this message plays, Dale is clearly affected by this, although it is not revealed why. Dale places a label on a VHS, marking the date of his Paul Hogan piece.

### **Monday 27th January 1986**

The next day Helen speaks to Dennis at work as she has secured an interview for her next report; he directs her over to Dale as all reporters must now work under a producer. Helen tells Dale about her interview with Caroline Gibson, a single mother of two contracted HIV through a blood transfusion. Dale interrupts her and instead suggests more upbeat stories. Unimpressed with this response, Helen argues with Dennis over what Lindsay promised her. In an attempt to find a solution, Dale suggests a third option; a schoolteacher and a mother of two was picked by Nasa to be the first civilian sent into space. Dennis signs off on it although Helen questions the relevance of the piece to Australian audiences as it is a US story. Helen continues to argue with Lindsay, unsatisfied with the lack of independence. He threatens to fire her if she leaves which she does. As a result, Dale is given Helen’s US space story.

Evelyn Walters watches Dale’s space report and calls Geoff to confirm that Helen is no longer with the News At Six. She suggests speaking to Lindsay so that they don’t replace her and keep Geoff by himself, in order to gain more spotlight and fame. Dale visits Helen’s house to return a notebook she left in the office. However, he finds Helen on the floor, overdosed and intoxicated. When the paramedics arrive, he agrees to take her in as she doesn’t have any nearby family.

### **Tuesday 28th January 1986**

Dale is nervous about his first story on the desk and is under pressure as the ratings are dropping after Helen’s exit. He does the piece but struggles following the autocue, feeling embarrassed afterwards. Tim, a member of the camera crew, reassures Dale, by saying that Lindsay didn’t see it and encourages him to keep going.

After Helen doesn’t pick up the phone, Dale rushes back home to find she has been shopping and is cooking dinner as a thank you. She asks him what’s wrong and he explains what happened. Helen runs to the VCR to play the story and questions why Dale didn’t tell her he was on the desk. Dale explains he didn’t want to overwhelm her, and she asks if she can watch it. They watch it and start laughing together, making Dale feel better.

Geoff goes to Lindsay, concerned about the loss in audience and Lindsay reassures him they will go back up. Helen coaches Dale on news-reading and helps him feel more confident about his appearance.

### **Wednesday 29th January 1986**

The following day, news breaks out that the spacecraft they sent the civilian into space on has exploded and there are no survivors. Dale rushes to the station as he is still on the updates but Lindsay rejects this. After a failed attempt to get Geoff as newsreader, Lindsay asks Dale to find Helen to do the update instead. As Dale informs Helen of the facts between live feeds, she reads the emotionally devastating **Challenger Disaster** story.  Afterwards, Geoff digs as Helen, spiteful that she got the story over him calling her overemotional. Helen returns permanently to the News At Six with a few conditions.

Dale and Helen return to her home, and she thanks him for saving her life. They go inside to have drinks and Dale asks Helen why she took the pills. She thinks it over before she speaks *“You know those nights when everything horrible that anybody’s ever said to you, or about you, and all the, you know, awful things that you've ever done, just keep playing... over and over in your head? And I just wanted silence.”* Dale reassures her and says she’s incredible as Helen makes him pick a news story to practice reading. They talk and drink into the night, happy in each other’s company.

## Historical Events

Episode One takes inspiration from the Challenger Disaster; On January 28 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members aboard. The spacecraft disintegrated 46,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 11:39 a.m. EST.

More information can be found on the Challenger Disaster section.

1. ↑ Wikipedia // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space\_Shuttle\_Challenger\_disaster

## Influences and References

Although Episode One is primary focused on The Challenger Disaster, it mentions other events and people of the time, including various pop culture references.

### News Stories

* Paul Hogan
* Allan Border
* Jeff Fenech
* Australia Day
* British MP Margret Thatcher
* Melbourne Zoo butterfly house
* CSIRO
* Allan Border: World Series Cup

### Celebrities

* Jack Thompson
* Stephen Hawking
* Ferdinand Marcos
* Corazon Aquino
* President Ronald Reagan
* Mikhail Gorbachev

### Music

* *Kyrie* by Mr. Mister
* *Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler*

### Objects

* VCR
* Cabbage Patch Kids

### Events

* Vietnam War
* ABC News
* Apollo