Scarsdale's Aaron Sorkin returns to TV with 'The Newsroom'

Tuesday June 19, 2012 11:00 AM By Kirthana Ramisetti

Photo credit: Getty Images | "Social Network" writer Aaron Sorkin attends the 2011 National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street in Manhattan. (Jan. 11, 2011)

Aaron Sorkin is one of the most esteemed writers in Hollywood, best known for creating the popular political drama “The West Wing” and winning the best screenplay Oscar for 2010’s “The Social Network.” After a bumpy run in television the past few years -- leaving “West Wing” in its fourth season and having his most recent series, “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” get axed after one season -- the Scarsdale native returns to TV this weekend with his new HBO drama, “The Newsroom.”

As the title suggests, Sorkin’s latest drama goes behind-the-scenes at the fictional Atlantis News Network. Jeff Daniels stars as Will McAvoy, ACN’s lead anchor. After he’s accused of being “the Jay Leno of news anchors” during a college Q&A (i.e. bland, inoffensive and apolitical), McAvoy launches into a tirade that goes viral, making him a media sensation and also a liability to his network.

Besides Daniels, “The Newsroom” cast includes Emily Mortimer, Dev Patel, Allison Pill and Sam Waterson. And the show has one more Hudson Valley connection besides its creator: Jane Fonda, who attended Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, will have a recurring role as Leona Lansing, the CEO of ACN’s parent company. (It’s a nice bit of casting, considering that Fonda was once married to Ted Turner, the founder of CNN).

“The Newsroom” premieres June 24 at 10 p.m. on HBO. Check out the trailer for “The Newsroom” below and then tell us: do you plan to tune in?

Tags: Aaron Sorkin , The Newsroom , TV , HBO , Jane Fonda , Scarsdale , Poughkeepsie