Initially proposed and broadcast as a 13-episode series for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Ken Finkleman's The Newsroom (1996-2005) earned a televised resurrection roughly six years later and went out with a bang. Those familiar with hit shows like The Office (both the US and UK programs) and older favorites like The Larry Sanders Show will find The Newsroom's documentary-style format refreshing but pleasantly familiar...not to mention its dry, scathing portrayal of an office environment and the neurotic folks that work there. Revolving around the exploits of George Findlay (Finkleman) and his unfortunate staff, The Newsroom aims its razor-sharp eye at television production---or the lack thereof---in the same vein as Sidney Lumet's Network, so unsuspecting audiences will be all the better for it.

From start to finish, it's fairly obvious that The Newsroom rests squarely on the shoulders of creator/writer/star Ken Finkleman (director of Grease 2 and Airplane 2)…not to take away from the fine supporting cast, of course. Finkleman portrays a boss nearly as loathsome as Ricky Gervais and Steve Carrell combined: obsessing over little more than his personal life and lunch break, Findlay's all-or-nothing attitude towards ratings echoes that of Network's fictional femme fatale, Diana Christensen. Supporting characters like Jim Walcott (Peter Keleghan, The Red Green Show) and Karen Mitchell (Karen Hines, Hedwig and the Angry Inch) remind us that no matter how dimwitted (or intelligent) the staff is, a bad captain will always sink the ship.

The 13 episodes included in this two-disc set represent the first season of The Newsroom…or more specifically, the initial run of the series (some online indexes divide these 13 episodes into two seasons). Originally airing from 1996-97, the show made a comeback with the made-for-TV movie Escape from The Newsroom (2002), followed by a proper revival in 2003 which included a second and third run of episodes. For now, this collection includes the following content:

As evident from series opener "The Walking Shoe Incident", The Newsroom is a perfect example of "what you see is what you get" TV; that is, anyone not remotely interested in the series by the end of the first episode probably won't change their mind later on. This is a series that demands a certain mindset from its audience: the more cynical, the better. You don't have to be a former production flunkie to understand and appreciate the humor; more often than not, anyone who's suffered through a 9-to-5 desk job will feel uncomfortably at home. Chock full of meetings, petty middle management, office politics and the like, The Newsroom will make you cringe and chuckle at the same time. It's a great pick for anyone whose day job is irritating and mind-boggling…but can have a good laugh about it on the ride home.

Sharp-eyed viewers should also be on the lookout for Canadian director David Cronenberg (appearing in Episode #10, "The Meltdown, Part I", during production of Crash). Such guest appearances by "real life" personalities usually add a nice layer of realism to already-convincing environments, and this is no exception.

Presented on DVD by Goldhill Entertainment, this two-disc set is filled to the brim with scathing comedy, reprehensible characters and stomach-churning situations…all in a good way, of course. The technical presentation is relatively strong, while the bonus features are light but interesting. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Presented in their original 1.33:1 aspect ratio, all 13 episodes look very good overall. The natural color palette and documentary feel of the series plays well on DVD, while there aren't any major digital problems to speak of. The English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo mix is roughly the same quality; it's a bit leaner than most television productions, but good enough to get the job done. No subtitles have been provided, but Closed Captioning is available if your TV supports it.

We're also treated to an additional layer of insight during Inside "The Newsroom" (21:44), a light but interesting behind-the-scenes featurette that should be new to most fans of the series. Closing things out are a few pages of Cast Biographies and a pair of Promos for the 2002 made-for-TV movie, Escape from The Newsroom (1:01 total).

There's no doubt that The Newsroom is great television…that most Americans probably haven't seen yet. Fans of The Larry Sanders Show, The Office and even Curb Your Enthusiasm will enjoy its biting humor and scathing satire from start to finish. This pleasing collection from Goldhill Entertainment presents the series' initial 1996-97 run of episodes with a decent technical presentation and a few interesting extras at a great price. Overall, The Newsroom: The Complete First Season is a fairly safe bet for those who like their comedy black, dry and unrelenting. Highly Recommended.