The ten best TV shows and films about journalists of the last 70 years
Last night saw the first episode of Lowdown, the ABC’s new comedy drama about journalists.
We didn’t love it. But it did create a debate about the best films and TV shows about journalists of all time.
This is Mumbrella’s list:
1. All The President’s Men – 1976
I’d include the original 1931 Front Page, which I think is better than His Girl Friday.
Great list.
But how about Network?
Good suggestion, Grog. That was on our list of nearly-made-its.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
Good list – but the top of my pops would be the Sweet Smell of Success and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
Press Gang re-runs you say? Best reason to pack in gainful employment and watch Seven yet….
Great list, but missing my No. 1:
George Clooney’s Good Night And Good Luck is the most inspiring film about the meaning and power of journalism that I’ve ever seen.
Haha – the execrable “Up Close and Personal” failed to make the grade!
What about Scoop though? Not that I’ve seen it, but there is a TV version of it (1987). I haven’t seen it, but the original novel should be the training bible for every young journalist.
Phillip Noyce’s Newsfront is a good one for this list.
ROSEBUD!
The Russell Crowe remake of State of Play was woeful compared to the TV series. And Frontline should be up much higher. Apart from that, good list.
caught a surprise snippet of press gang the other morning… legendary. Can’t beat that American accent
Drop the Dead Donkey is #1 for me. Brilliant!
What? No ‘Fletch’?
Deadline USA with Humprey Bogart.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgdE-qPv6kw
I know you’re all going to groan… but what about Murphy Brown????
Sydney Pollack’s “Absence of Malice has to be up there for me. Alonog with all the Superman and Spiderman movies.
@aj, yes it was the best bad American accent ever.
Press Gang was great when I was a kid and is terribly dated by today’s standards. But still well written.
State of Play (the movie) although good, felt too much at times like it wanted to be All the Presidents Men, the ultimate journalism movie.
TV’s “Just Shoot Me”, undoubtedly one of the sharpest and bitingly witty insight into the minds and of journalists and the spaces, both physical and metaphysical, that they enjoy. Plus that David Spade is just hil-arious!
Citizen Kane
Great list Tim, but I agree that Newsfront should be in there too – it seems especially poignant now in the way it captures journalism in a state of transition, and it’s one of Phil Noyce’s finest films. Lawrie
C’mon – Scoop, and Good Night, Good Luck…and what about the more recent Frost/Nixon!!!
The Hunting Party with Richard Gere.
More for entertainment than genuine journalistic insight though. Also shows what a farce the ‘search’ for international war criminals actually is!
Osama bin who?
Would have had Good Night And Good Luck for sure, and perhaps Frost/Nixon (so ditto # 20 essentially)
Shattered Glass is my pick despite the awful title.