The Newsroom

Series Pilot. Surviving the fallout from a meltdown, ACN 'News Night' anchor Will McAvoy returns to his job and finds that his executive producer and most of his entire staff are leaving his show. Will learns he's been assigned a new EP: MacKenzie McHale, a former girlfriend. Will and his overhauled staff face an immediate challenge when breaking news comes over the wire.

Mac asserts control over the new incarnation of News Night and enlists a beautiful and brainy on-air economist, Sloan Sabbith, to do a nightly segment. Jim takes the fall for a Maggie miscue; Charlie forbids Reese from continuing his furtive meetings with Will; a long-festering breakup secret gets out.

In an on-air editorial, Will apologizes for past newscasts and promises a new era of integrity for News Night. Will's new approach rankles Leona Lansing, CEO of ACN's parent company Atlantis World Media, who warns Charlie that Will's stance will not be tolerated. Jim soothes Maggie during a panic attack; Don charges Elliot to get in the game; Will parades a string of arm-candy dates in front of Mac.

Will's 'mission to civilize' takes a hit when he finds himself in the tabloid spotlight. Wade approaches Will with info on the government's flagging ability to fight financial crime; Don gets Maggie to fix Jim up with her roommate, Lisa; Neal's 'Bigfoot is real' pitch falls on deaf ears. Will refuses to follow the media rumor mill and make a call on a breaking story.

In the midst of its coverage of the ouster of Egyptian President Mubarak, the 'News Night' team learns of a protest in Wisconsin condemning Gov. Scott Walker's bill to balance the budget by cutting teachers' jobs. As Maggie, Jim and Don hustle to get side-by-side views of the simultaneous uprisings on air, Neal tracks down an Egyptian insider, who can get on-the-ground updates.

A lingering bout with insomnia drives Will to keep a long-standing therapy appointment. Subbing for Elliot during the Japanese nuclear crisis, Sloan's strident interrogation of a Tokyo power-company spokesperson ends up jeopardizing her own career. After his rough handling of an interview subject, Will comes to recognize the causes and effects of being a bully.