Tabloid Wars

Bravo's original series debut of "Tabloid Wars" kicks off with two major cover stories. City reporter Kerry Burke races against time to cover a brutal Howard Beach beating that leaves three men hospitalized. This complex attack brings up many questions and dilemmas for Michael Cooke, editor-in-chief, who worries about the race issues this will conjure up for the city. Burke is then sent to investigate a tip about Robert De Niro's thieving nanny with the help of crime reporter Tony Sclafani. With the 10:30 p.m. deadline looming and his wedding just one day away, Sclafani is then thrown into another celebrity news scandal -- actor Christian Slater allegedly pinched a woman's derriere and was arrested. Sclafani heads to the Barrymore Theater, where Slater is performing in "The Glass Menagerie," to get the audience's reaction, and is late to meet his bride-to-be. Married gossip columnists George Rush and Joanna Molloy balance family life and work when their son’s sudden injury leaves Rush to cover a Gotti family party solo.

The second episode of Bravo's original series "Tabloid Wars" continues with city reporter Kerry Burke hot on the trail of a two-cop shooting in Harlem. With the help of city reporter Jonathan Lemire, a young but very aggressive and talented reporter, the two team up to report on the shooting and the subsequent jump of the shooter from a high-rise window. Columnist Lenore Skenazy scours the city for "intriguing oddballs" featuring such well-known characters as "The Reptile Man" who can often be found walking his turtle through midtown. Hudson (Hud) Morgan, junior gossip columnist to Lloyd Grove, is charged with hunting down the hottest stars at New York’s nighttime hotspots. Whether he's trailing Kate Moss or chatting it up with P-Diddy, his job is to go where they go and try to stay afloat in the gossip shark tank. It's a somber mood back in the newsroom when news breaks about the untimely death of NYPD police officer and soldier, James McNaughton, who becomes the first officer killed in Iraq.

Breaking News! An alleged affair between Monsignor Eugene Clark of St. Patrick's Cathedral and his secretary Laura DeFilippo screams scandal of mythic proportions forcing The New York Daily News editors to worry about its delicate nature. The extra time needed to secure the truth causes editor-in-chief Michael Cooke to be concerned about the competition breaking the story first. City reporter Adam Lisberg is left searching for information about the newly discovered murder of a 21-year-old Brooklyn babysitter. When her last breaths reveal her killer, reporters across New York scramble for eyewitnesses and the exclusive details to give their paper the cutting edge. City reporter Kerry Burke covers the lighter side of the news when the Harry Potter book release party draws thousands of people to Times Square.

Staff writer Tracy Connor must balance the good with the bad as she is forced to tell loved ones about the ruthless murder of their family members. To break up the monotony of the dark side of the news, Connor joins a make-believe assassin game to show that adults are still big kids after all. Deputy metropolitan editor Greg Gittrich battles his conscience when he is forced to write a detailed account of the gruesome decapitation of a child. Finding the balance between compelling and shocking proves a difficult struggle for the entire staff. On the lighter side of news, new sports intern, Ian Begley, covers the New York Liberty game and learns the true meaning of a deadline as he races the clock to have his first byline submitted in time.

The fifth installment of Bravo's "Tabloid Wars" shows the struggling yet promising intern Rich Shapiro in his first few days at The New York Daily News. The paper puts Shapiro right in the middle of the action as a helicopter crashes in the East River. A local hero is made when stranded victims are saved and the intern gets lucky enough to catch the miracle-maker at the scene. Spot news photographer Todd Maisel uses vivid pictures and dramatic memories to recount his experience on 9/11, and reveals the inner-war he felt in regards to photographing the chaos. Married gossip columnists Joanna Rush and George Molloy receive secret details from "The Dukes of Hazzard" film set that help put Jessica Simpson in the limelight.

The final installment of Bravo's "Tabloid Wars" puts the spotlight on teen drug issues as city reporter Adam Lisberg and intern Rich Shapiro are forced to report on the death of two young women who died from an overdose of "tainted" heroin. Shapiro battles between the truth and an obligation to the victims' family as he nears the end of his internship at The New York Daily News. His commitment to the readers versus his loyalty to his subject will ultimately decide whether or not he is hired back as a reporter. On the war beat, Debbie Egan-Chin, photographer and mother of two, prepares for her assignment abroad to cover the war in Iraq. Once overseas, the gruesome reality of war causes her to put her own life in perspective as she is forced to see the daily struggles of the soldiers.