4 out of 5

Created by: Tom McCarthy

covers season 1

Meanwhile, over at Paramount+ a while back, Kate Beckinsale played a journalist in a show which seemed completely unaware of how journalism might work, or what modern media looked like, or really provided any reason why Kate’s character might be a journalist. While all procedural shows suffer TV-ism to an extent – simplifying / glamorizing the particulars – news reporting has probably had the toughest job finding a modernized version of it, as it’s a medium in constant struggle with technology to find its place in weekly serialization (it seems harder for writers to fake some of the filler details that pass the time in such shows), causing such shows to either feel like they’re completely ignorant of, say, social media, or to focus squarely on a particular story, leaving the nuance of the job – and likely its main characters – aside.

But Alaska Daily shows this can be done, and it can be done full circle: why not make a show that seems to realistically handle modern day journalism; why not make this show also have a compelling central story; and why not have those working on that story – and at the featured paper (The Daily Alaskan) – be incredibly rewarding, fully fleshed out characters?

Well, like proper journalism, I’m sure that takes a lot of work. Surely it also takes some seasoned vets in the creative spots, and having a very talented, very well cast set of actors – led by an amazing Hilary Swank – also helps.

Eileen Fitzgerald (Swank) is cast out of NYC reporting due to accusations of falsified info in one of her stories. Headstrong, and trying to get a book going in her downtime, Fitzgerald finds herself somewhat adrift, and gets the bug to get back into the regularity of publishing via an offer from an old associate, Stanley (Jeff Perry), who’s running The Daily Alaskan in, y’know Alaska.

Some of AD mines typical fish-out-of-water subject matter, acclimating Eileen from NY to her new home, but this is very quickly set aside as a quick study in character: Eileen’s a hardened journalist, and adjust relatively easily. Continual tension is instead found by inserting this bigwig in what she views as a small paper, butting heads with journos who are doing quite well on their own, in a fascinating back-and-forth that organically has the staff each pushing each other to, over all, be better.

Eileen gets ahold of a story of the mistreatment of Alaska’s Indigenous population – surely a longstanding, complicated issue – focusing on some recent disappearances; this teams her up with the equally headstrong Roz (an excellent Grace Dove), who proves to be not exactly a foil for Eileen, and not exactly a partner, but a contentious and yet perfect pairing of strengths, each getting story details thanks to Eileen’s dogged way of pursuing things, and Roz’s more sympathetic approach.

Besides treating the Indigenous history in Alaska with what feels like a realistic and researched approach, and not being ignorant of continued prejudices, Alaska Daily also steps into the politics of running a paper – balancing getting funding with gaining favor, with printing the truth, and etc. Blend this with sidesteps into the pressures of reporting, faced by junior and senior staffers, and juggling the different communication channels – such as the aforementioned social media – and you get a show that really feels like it brings to life a living and breathing and modern workplace.

As the show has a somewhat slow pace, putting in its time to take us through its central story bit by bit, it can occasionally feel like some confrontations are forced, just to up the ante – Eileen’s rough edges especially sharpened in ways that seem a little doubtful, like not helping her get the interviews she wants – but the actor (and her surrounding cast) help to pull this off, especially Perry and Dove.

There are shows airing concurrently with Alaska Daily that continue the “tradition” of making procedural journalism shows… completely unbelievable. The entertainment value can be there, but just a small dose of relative reality can go a long way in such series, and AD goes much further than that.