I don't know how many of you have access to HBO but for those who do I would recommend my favorite show next to Sherlock. It is called The Newsroom.

The basic premise of the show is this, A famous long time news anchor at a major tv network named Wil (Jeff Daniels) oversees a safe and boring nightly news show that tends to play it safe, take no chances, alienate no one and bend over backwards to portray stories as fair and balanced. Off camera Wil who in an earlier life was a hard hitting principled corruption rooting prosecuting attorney has become cynical of his profession and his role in it. His personal life is also a mess as he careens out of control fueled by his breakup years ago from the woman he loved who had cheated on him. He is rude and dismissive of his staff and all who work fr him want to flee to greener pastures.

At some sort of panel discussion at Northwestern University a student asks him what makes the U.S. the greatest country on earth. Wil pauses looks up into the crowd and sees what he thinks is a vision of his ex GF holding up a sign that says: "It isn't" Fueled by this he launches into a brilliant and cutting speech explaining why the US used to be great but no longer is. The speech goes viral, Wil freaks out and he takes a leave of absence.

When Will returns from his hiatus he finds that the the executive producer of his show has opted out to work with another anchor for another news show at the network. When Wil goes to complain to the News Director Charlie (Sam Waterston) he finds that Charlie was so taken by Wil's speech at Northwestern that Charlie has decided to change the format of Wil's show. Charlie has hired Wil's ex girlfriend McKenzie (Emily Mortimer) as Wil's new Executive Producer.  She wants to change the show from a safe middle of the road news show to a hard investigating program that takes a progressive and humanistic view of life and pulls no punches in setting up, exposing and publicly calling out and chastizing those conservatives who promote corporate greed, bigotry, religious fundamentalism, curtailing of women's rights and the like.

THe show wrestles deliciously with McKenzies undying belief in Wil as a great journalist who has lost his way, her guilt and desire to get Wil to forgive her for her romantic indiscretion as she still loves him. It deals with Wil's anger towards her and his denial that he still loves her. And it deals with all the subplots and inside look at running a newsroom and tackling all the hot button issues of the day. The show also uses a brilliant technique of using real news stories of 2 years ago (BP oil spill, debt crisis, Citizens United, Teaparty, killing Osama) so that we  as viewers already know the issues and are familar with what really happened.

The show is the creation of Aaron Sorkin who did The West Wing.

If you are a political progressive, moderate and love romance, this is a show for you. I highly recommend it.