02x02 - People Like You and Me

[bunniefuu]

HOST: News At Six's very

own golden couple of news.

Please welcome the magnificent

Miss Helen Norville

and Mr Dale Jennings.

INTERVIEWER: Geoff,

Saturday's the first time

that you'll be in direct competition

with your former colleagues

at the News At Six.

EVELYN: With Kay back from London,

I'll be doing all the favourites.

People say I'm a bit

like Keating, actually,

just a sort of, uh

certain gravitas or something.

ROB: I thought you wanted to start

telling the office post-election.

NOELENE: Well, not the very next day.

You've maintained a dignified silence.

It's time the truth about her emerged.

Helen

It's just she's so

shrill and aggressive.

I reckon we give her a couple

of months to pull it in.

If she can't

we talk replacements.

(LIQUID TRICKLES)

(CUTLERY CLATTERS)

(LIQUID TRICKLES)

(CUTLERY CLATTERS)

CHARLIE: My father was a print newsman.

To him, a broadsheet under one arm

was the mark of the refined gentleman.

LINDSAY: Hear, hear.

To me, it was like a wall that he

put up every morning at breakfast.

Oh. Mm.

See, TV news is not

like that. Not anymore.

Television

is for the whole family.

So, I'd like to propose a toast

to the News At Six family.

To us. Cheers to you

all. News At Six family.

News At Six. To us.

- Welcome.

- GERRY: Cheers.

Which brings me to the main

event. Marta, if you wouldn't mind.

Here we go.

Drum roll, please, Robert. Ah.

(DRUMS)

Well done, son.

(IMITATES TRUMPETING)

Hey! Yeah! There you go!

That's another promo.

Nice. Yeah. Our biggest yet.

Especially for the '88 bicentennial.

Yes. 1988. Yep.

The year Australia is gonna chuck

itself a year-long birthday party.

How good? Mm.

We are going to be central

to Bicentennial Cup.

Actually, we're gonna

BE the bicentennial.

That's right, we are. We are

going to be the bicentennial.

That's completely right. And, Dale,

you will be covering the pageantry.

Now, mate, if it floats, flies

or flounces, it's for you.

You'll be all over it like a rash, mate.

And, Helen,

you'll be covering Prince Charles

and Princess Diana, of course.

- Oh, come on.

- Oh, come on yourself.

It's a major international event

and they're major

international celebrities.

And speaking of

international celebrities,

we welcome the newest member

to the News At Six team.

Gerry. Hey! Good to have you, mate.

Now, you will be in charge of

the international perspective.

You will be doing a shitload of

satellite interviews all over the world.

And some of the guests we've

got lined up for you, Gerry,

they are top shelf.

We've got Jackie Collins,

Joan Collins, Barbara Cartland.

Uh Mel Gibson our Mel.

- That's good.

- Zsa Zsa Gabor.

(CHUCKLES) Zsa Zsa Gabor,

Cliff Richard and Danny La Rue.

And it's gonna be called

Celebrity

BOTH: Smorgasbord.

- (LAUGHS)

- Bloody good, though, right?

So, is this gonna be the whole year

or just the days

leading up to the event?

All year

- long.

- Actually it's gonna start in December.

Of course. December.

Hence the promo. (CHUCKLES)

What we want is, when

you sweep over to us,

we want to feel it coming home.

Yeah.

Mm.

What about the Aboriginal perspective?

(HALF LAUGHS)

Well Uh

(CLEARS THROAT)

I didn't check.

And, uh

Ernie Dingo was taken, so

Well, we have the the

Irish comedian perspective,

but we can't have a

single Aboriginal person?

Oh, come on!

Helen, honestly, look,

Ernie Dingos

they don't grow on trees.

Come on. Come on. Don't

worry about them, alright?

We don't need them.

We've got the team here

to cover all the bases.

Come on, Helen. Mm!

We've got the newsman, the

sportsman, the comedian.

And a woman.

The perfect cross-section of Australia.

Yes. The faces of a nation, right?

Actually, that's bloody beautiful.

Um You might wanna write that down.

I don't think anyone at this table

is gonna forget that one, Charlie.

'A' or 'the'?

'A'. "Of a."

"Of a." "Of a." Yep.

Mm. That's good.

I am not gonna go trawling

up and down the East Coast

- looking at f*cking dresses.

- Oh, yes, you are.

And you're gonna do it with

your lovely Helen Norville smile

because, if you don't, little

Chuck's gonna turf you out.

Me or you?

- MARTA: Excuse me, sir.

- I've got a drink, thanks.

- No, there's a telephone call for you.

- What do you want?

- It's the newsroom.

- Oh, my God.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

I've got some deeply distressing news.

Charlie Tate has a double

jacuzzi in his en suite.

- What?

- Yeah.

And a two-metre-wide

chandelier down that hallway.

He does get a lot of things imported.

Um

I've got a little source

in Charlie's office.

Last week, I took a look

at some audience testing.

You're getting very

promising audience scores.

Do you have a copy?

No.

But I can say you're almost

at 30, on par with Helen,

which is astonishing after only a year.

You're cited as

'trustworthy' and 'consistent'.

Were there negatives?

Oh, yeah, but everyone gets negatives.

What are they?

'Robotic' and 'stiff'.

Uh Right, there's been a sh**ting.

There's gunmen in in Clifton Hill.

- What?

- Clifton Hill?

Dennis said first shots

were reported 15 minutes ago

and they're firing into traffic.

- Are we breaking into

- Can I use this phone?

There's little information,

- there's no footage.

- That's fine. Dale?

You're going in blind. I'm just gonna

We should avoid Plunkett and Hoddle.

They'd have closed those roads off.

(PHONE LINE RINGS)

Come on, Noels. Pick up. Pick up.

(PHONE LINE RINGS)

Pick up.

VOICEMAIL: G'day. You've reached Rob

sh*t!

Thank you, Charlie.

- Thanks for having me.

- No worries, mate.

(ENGINE STARTS)

(TYRES SKID)

Dennis!

Dennis! Who have we got at the scene?

DENNIS: Brian and Ross. I

sent them straight there.

How many shooters are there?

Well, the cops reckon

there's at least two.

What? They don't actually know?

Well, it could be a g*ng

from the sound of it.

Locals are calling us non-stop. They

reckon Hoddle Street's a w*r zone.

- When are we gonna get some footage?

- I don't know.

Even without footage, we've got

enough for a three-minute brief.

More if we cover recent shootings.

Yeah. I mean, people who want

the information sit at the phones.

We can be on the desk in 10.

(HELICOPTER ROTORS WHIRR)

RADIO NEWSREADER: Reports

of shootings have emerged.

Several civilians have

reportedly been hit

with the total number of casualties

unknown, as ambulances await

POLICE: No, no. Sorry,

mate, this road's closed.

- (g*nsh*t)

- Agh!

- Shots fired. Shots fired.

- (g*nsh*t)

Back into your car! Sir,

get back into your car!

We need back up.

(STARTS ENGINE)

- sh*t!

- Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

- Sorry, mate! Sorry!

- You right there?

- Sorry!

- Get out of here. You can't be here.

(TYRES SKID)

(TYRES SKID)

Noels!

Noelene!

(SIGHS)

(BREATHES HEAVILY)

f*ck me!

So, how many casualties are there?

None confirmed yet, but

reports say there's a few.

- Is the g*nman still at large?

- Yes, and still armed.

One just fired at a police helicopter.

(NEWS AT SIX THEME MUSIC PLAYS)

CREW: 10 seconds!

And six!

Five!

Four!

(NEWS AT SIX THEME MUSIC PLAYS)

Good evening. I'm Helen Norville.

And I'm Dale Jennings.

We interrupt our programming

with breaking news from

the heart of Melbourne

as terror unfolds on

a Clifton Hill street.

(HUBBUB)

Sustained g*nf*re on Hoddle Street.

Witness accounts described an

armed g*nman firing indiscriminately

into passing traffic.

There are reports of

multiple casualties,

but no confirmed death

toll at this stage.

It's also unclear as yet

how many perpetrators

Noels, have you contacted

St Vincent's Hospital yet?

- Um Not yet, but I will hurry up.

- Police are advising stay inside

and motorists to avoid

the area entirely.

Our understanding is that

the sh**ter or shooters

have fled the scene

but are still at large

and heavily armed.

A manhunt is currently underway.

The timing of police-radio reports

suggest Hoddle Street

endured heavy g*nf*re

for approximately 45 minutes.

(BIRDS SQUALL)

Dale? Dale. Dale.

Murray's in. They've got the footage.

We're just about to

go through the tapes.

- DENNIS: OK. So, this would be what time?

- BRIAN: This is when we first got there.

It was just before you could

hear the helicopters, so

It was 9:45 when the

initial g*nf*re died down.

- That's when I left to head here.

- Yeah, right.

Wait, I thought you

lived out in Burwood?

I was visiting a friend.

OK, so, now we're moving up the scene.

Shooters had already split, but we

got the smashed-up cars, the ambos.

OK, so, you guys were

the only crew out there?

- Yeah. For ages.

- Yeah, right. Bloody heroes, eh?

First on the scene.

MURRAY: Is that a dead body?

Yeah, they just left him there.

Am I cutting around that or

No, I mean, we should keep it, right?

- DALE: What?

- He's in every second shot.

Yeah, because no-one

f*cking moved him for hours.

Yeah, Jean, is Lindsay

Yeah. Alright. Thanks.

We're not showing dead bodies.

We can show dead bodies, man.

We've shown dead bodies before.

That Beirut footage was worse

than this. Vietnam definitely.

- On a Melbourne street?

- So, it's OK to show overseas bodies

- but not local ones?

- We can just stay on the wider shot.

- Alright, what have you got?

- A shot of a body.

Ooh. Body.

Right, if we're gonna make the

hour, we've got to hurry up.

So, Lindsay, what do you reckon?

Um

We're the only network

with these images?

Mm-hm.

Run the bloody things

in with a big graphic

"First on the scene."

I can't cut a story in 15 minutes.

No, you just use the raw

footage and we'll talk over it.

DALE: Oh

Come on, let's go, man.

- 15 minutes. Hurry up.

- Alright, alright, alright.

Do you wanna do this together?

I don't think rolling raw footage

just hours after the event has happened

- is a good idea.

- Oh, Christ Almighty.

Hey, they've released the

identity of the sh**ter.

- It's just the one?

- Yeah. He's alive and in custody.

Oh, my God. He's just a kid.

Discharged from the army

about a fortnight ago.

Also, the official

death toll just hit six.

Alright, no, we both haven't

slept. We're exhausted.

I think we should wait until

the footage has been cut.

No, I'm going on now. You can

do the edited version later.

(NEWS AT SIX THEME MUSIC PLAYS)

CREW: And in six!

Five!

Four!

(NEWS AT SIX THEME MUSIC PLAYS)

Good morning. I'm Helen Norville.

Police have now arrested a

19-year-old former military cadet

in the wake of last

night's sh**ting spree,

which has left six confirmed dead

and another 18 people wounded.

News At Six was the first on the scene,

and we can now reveal exclusive

footage of the aftermath.

We're now seeing Hoddle Street

in the wake of the m*ssacre.

They're airing the footage already.

They're the only ones airing footage.

Shattered glass.

Shocking reminders of a night of terror,

where motorists going about

their lives were caught

The kids wouldn't have

left for school yet.

Yeah, I know.

If it bleeds, it leads.

None of the victims have yet been named.

But we do understand a

formal identification process

is currently underway.

(GASPS) God.

(GASPS)

And we're out!

JEAN: It may be better to

call the police or to

- Bludging.

- We do understand.

- I might need you to take this.

- What do you mean?

I'm so sorry. Would you mind

holding for just one moment?

I promise I'll be right back.

A family's called in.

They're very distressed.

Well, just say we appreciate

the call and we apologise.

They were watching the news

and they think they spotted their

father's sedan in the footage.

Oh, not our footage?

They saw their father

dead on television.

Oh, for

(GRUNTS)

- Jen, stop.

- What's going on?

Anyway, I should make tracks.

Here, take some.

Oh, no, I can't, I can't, Mrs

Kim, I'm driving, but, uh

Gamsa hapnida.

Noels, can I have a quick word?

Mm.

(SIGHS)

They're still looking.

(LAUGHS)

They're driving me around the bend.

Oh, they just want you safe.

Yeah, and I am. I am safe.

Yeah, I know. I know.

Hey, listen, um

Dennis asked me today

if we were a couple.

When?

Hey? Uh This arvo. He

just pulled me aside and said,

"Are you and Noelene an item?"

What did you say?

I said there was nothing going on.

Yeah, and what did he say after that?

I don't know, Noels, he

he didn't ask about it again.

He had a million things happening.

If you don't see us having a

future together, just tell me.

- What?

- Well, you never wanna tell anyone.

You know what's at stake for

me if we tell the office and

You didn't think your parents

would be alright with it,

- and they came around.

- They accept it,

but they haven't told our community

or my family back in Korea.

Oh, brilliant. So, THEY

think I'm bad for you too?

- No! I

- No.

No.

I'm just being cautious

because I care about us

and I want to protect us.

Yeah, so do I.

I

Look, maybe I'm just

it's catching up with me,

the lack of sleep or

something, but I should go.

(CAR DOOR SHUTS)

(ENGINE STARTS)

(SIREN WAILS)

(HELICOPTER ROTORS WHIRR)

(g*nsh*t)

(g*nsh*t)

I'm afraid this is all

we've got for tonight.

It's great. Thanks.

Mate, uh I know you

probably get this a lot,

- but, uh

- (CHUCKLES)

you were a brilliant player.

Yeah.

I reckon the Saints could do

with a few more guys like you.

Oh, thank you.

That's, uh Anyway,

listen, what do I owe you?

- Oh, 20 bucks.

- 20 bucks?

20 for the night. Five extra for guests.

But, for you, I'll waive it.

- What? Oh, no, no. It's just me.

- No, it's alright, mate.

- We're very discreet.

- (CHUCKLES)

(EXHALES HEAVILY)

DENNIS: OK, great. Good, good, good.

So, now, what do we have on

the background on the sh**ter?

I think I found one

of his old schoolmates.

She's pretty nervous to speak,

but I think I can get her there.

Yes, do it. Do it, do it.

Keep finding others. OK?

I wanna know everything

about this guy

childhood trauma, drugs,

trouble getting laid.

OK? Anything that made

this guy a bloody psycho.

I think that we should

interview Stephen Bramhall.

- Who?

- g*n lobbyist?

- Yeah.

- Who, Noelene?

We interviewed him when they caught

the Kimberley k*ller. g*n rights.

Yeah. Nearly every letter

to the editor this morning

is about tightening g*n control.

I think that there's about to be

a really big shift with g*n legislation.

- In Victoria?

- No, nationwide.

- Ha! Good luck with that. (LAUGHS)

- This g*n lobbyist is pro g*ns?

Yeah, he's he's pro sh**ter.

Ah, I don't think we should putting

a sh**ter on the desk right now.

I think now's exactly the

time we should be doing that.

I mean, it's it's

making somebody answerable.

- LINDSAY: Dennis!

- Uh In here.

OK, Helen, look, we'll

just send a crew out.

No, I think we should

do it on the desk live.

(SLAMS DOOR)

Right, we, uh

We are softening our

approach to Hoddle Street.

- What?

- Last night a family rang in.

They recognised the body of

their father in our footage.

They learned about his

death by watching us.

That That angle was so wide

there's no way that they'd

be able to identify a

Oh, shush up, Helen. Shush up.

They recognised the car.

I think we should apologise on the desk.

No, no. Christ, no, no, no.

We're dealing with this privately.

I don't want this going public.

And no-one in this room

wants this going public.

Jean is dealing with them directly.

I think maybe I should call

the family personally and

Oh, Christ, Helen, take a breath!

Honestly.

I mean, haven't YOU done enough already?

You are the last person

that should contact

that poor, bloody family.

You were the one that

signed off on that footage.

(GROANS) You see,

now, I remember someone

that looks a lot like you

running around the newsroom,

pointing to the phone, saying,

"People want some information!"

Well, THEY'VE been giving US

some information, Helen complaints,

hundreds of them about our coverage

too confronting

but mostly they're complaints about you.

Too uncaring. Too abrasive.

Too cold! You!

OK, so, g*n lobbyist

off the table then, eh?

Tell me that's a f*cking joke! If

it's not, I'm strangling someone!

It was an interview. It

wasn't gonna be traumatic.

It wasn't gonna be confronting.

- Jesus, Helen!

- We have to talk about g*n laws.

I think it's one thing

to cover g*n laws,

I think it's another thing

to put a g*n nut on the desk.

Dale, thank you. He is gone.

Alright, we are going to take

a gentler approach to this

story, a softer approach.

We're going to be doing

bios of the victims.

We're doing hero stories on

the first people on the scene.

Mm. Orders from little Charlie?

Well, Helen, that's the way

it's going to be tonight.

(PHONES RING)

You didn't have to

cut me down like that.

We should never have shown that footage.

I agree. OK? The footage was a mistake.

But to be fair, the police really

should have told the family by then.

They will never get that

image out of their heads.

Dale, I have been doing

this much longer than you.

Now we can back away

from confronting footage,

but we cannot back away from g*n laws.

The whole country is on the

brink of a colossal change,

and it is our job to report it.

And you really think

the best way to do that

is by putting a g*n

lobbyist on the desk tonight?

I do.

I'll talk to Lindsay.

Great.

(DOOR SLAMS)

EVELYN: I can't tell you how

much I appreciate this, Cheryl.

This event is so ill-timed.

No, it's good to have a distraction.

I can't listen to it anymore.

The details are just

ghastly, aren't they?

Yeah, I had nightmares about it.

KAY: Hey!

In here, darling!

(WHISPERS) Promised

she'd be here by 10:00.

Anyway, let's not talk about it anymore.

- Talk about what?

- Hey.

The madness on the streets.

What?

The sh**ting spree in Clifton Hill.

Is this the first you've heard of it?

Your father dedicated

his entire program to it.

I got rid of my telly.

(GASPS) What?!

That's all Scott and I ever did,

we just sat there every

night getting square eyes.

Was it I mean

How many people

Uh

At least six dead and dozens wounded.

Jesus.

I must say, I was

shocked at your coverage.

Airing a dead body on morning news.

I know.

Oh, and you wanna know the worst thing?

That man's family,

they saw it and they rang in.

What?!

Yeah. That's how they

found out he was dead.

- That's awful.

- Oh!

Goodness!

Oh, uh look,

why don't you get started on Kay?

Mm.

What can I get you to drink?

Yeah, I'll have a white

with three, please.

I'll just have a vodka, please.

Do you have to watch it?

I mean, can't you just

stay in the make-up room?

Uh Well, Helen does most of it,

so, I've got to be there for touch-ups.

sh*t.

Yeah, I try and look away,

but she describes it all.

I don't know how she does it.

It's like it doesn't affect her.

Mm.

I'd be a mess if I had

to talk about it all.

(KNOCKS)

Yeah.

Sorry.

I know you're busy, but

can I run something by you?

Sure.

It's a personal question.

(CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY)

Um (CLEARS THROAT)

I know that you and Dale are

so, I thought you might

be a good person to

(EXHALES SHAKILY)

Rob and I are together.

Yeah.

Um Hm

We've tried to keep it quiet,

but now Dennis suspects,

and Rob wants to say something,

but I'm worried it would

change things in the office,

how I'm seen.

Well, it will.

So, I guess you just have to ask

yourself, "Is he really worth it?"

He is.

OK. Well, just be prepared for a

lot of gossip, a lot of innuendo.

And they're gonna look at you like

you're Rob's little girlfriend.

I'd recommend investing in a suit

and stop dressing like a schoolgirl.

You're a producer now, Noelene.

Be assertive and stand your ground.

Anything else?

- No.

- OK.

- Thank you, Helen.

- Mm-hm.

DALE: A fellow Duntroon cadet

described him as an immature boy

obsessed with fantasies

LINDSAY: Christ, I better

not regret this, Dale.

discipline required of a soldier -

a toxic combination that

erupted into violence.

As the initial shock of

Hoddle Street subsides,

the community now turns

its gaze to g*n legislation.

Joining us tonight is Stephen Bramhall,

chair of the Australasian

Firearm Alliance.

- Stephen, welcome.

- Thank you for having me.

Stephen, could you talk us through

the firearms used in the

sh**ting on Sunday night?

Well, the thing you have to

understand about those g*ns

is it's not unusual to have a

spread of firearms like that.

The Mossberg pump-action shotgun

and the Ruger semi-automatic r*fle

farmers might typically

use them to control vermin.

And, Dale, you're Bendigo

stock, you'd know that.

And the third weapon?

It was another r*fle, a Norinco M14.

And the Norinco is

military-grade, correct?

Yes.

I assume he was qualified from

his time in the Army Reserve.

And all three weapons

were owned legally.

Well, the facts about the g*nman

paints a portrait of a rather

angry and volatile young man.

How was he able to gain a g*n

licence in the first place?

Well, Helen, psychological

unfitness is hard to catch.

This is a man who scored 100%

on the test for his licence

and who passed the psych evaluation

for Australia's finest military academy.

I mean, it does cause grave concern

about Duntroon's screening process,

- don't you think?

- Well, you'd have to ask them.

- He's a slippery b*stard, isn't he?

- It's good, it's good.

If there are calls to toughen

firearm legislation, Stephen,

what restrictions would you welcome?

Mm. No, none of them.

Ah. But we've

We've already tightened g*n

laws, and this still happened.

Restrictions just allow the state

to better control its citizens.

Mm. So, you believe that civilians

should be able to just walk

around with military-grade weapons,

- even if that means something like

- No, no, no, no, no, no, easy, Helen.

- Jesus.

- At the end of the day

responsible g*n owners aren't to

blame for this, that looney was,

and I think you in the media also

bear a lot of responsibility

- Go to sports now.

- for what happened

Now!

(PHONE RINGS)

- CHERYL: Yeah?

- Cheryl, get Rob onto the desk now.

Now!

They want you on the desk.

- What? Already?

- Yeah, yeah, right now.

- What?

- Come on.

Here!

You know, it's a common response

for g*n lobbyists, isn't it,

to blame everyone and everything

except the readily available firearms?

Sick minds do this kind of

thing for one reason alone

attention, attention that you give them.

When this happened, you lot

couldn't have been more excited.

- That is not accurate at all.

- You literally put his name in lights.

What a shitshow.

(PHONES RING)

This happened because a civilian

was able to walk into a shop

- Ohh

- on High Street

and walk out with a military-grade

weapon made for w*r zones.

Now, if you condone that,

are you not essentially condoning

all the deaths on Hoddle Street?

Do you know what your network

was broadcasting on Sunday

when all those people died?

A crime thriller with a body count,

I'm told, in the double digits.

Now, you said yourself this boy's

head was full of fantasies of w*r.

Where do you think they came from?

Well, I'm afraid that's

all we have time for.

- Can I have an answer?

- Thank you very much,

Stephen Bramhall, for

a very spirited debate.

But right now we're

joined by Rob Rickards

and all the latest in sport.

Jesus, Dennis.

Why did you agree to this?

Why?!

ROB: Australia's highest test

run scorer, Greg Chappell,

has won a place on the

tountry's c*ck (CLEARS THROAT)

rather, the country's

top cricket admin

Let's try that again, shall

we? He's won a place on the

Get it out, you cloth-haired

b*stard. Get it out!

(SIGHS) Sorry.

The former test captain is already

a national selector. Chappell

This is a f*cking debacle!

A f*cking debacle!

I wanna see that rabble in my office

as soon as his bulletin is over.

Get him in!

Brett McKenna has more.

- CREW: And we're out!

- BRETT: Any doubt surrounding Chappell's ability

to sit on the ACB is whether he's had

enough experience as an administrator.

Suggestions he needed to

serve an apprenticeship

are rubbish in his eyes.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

OK, so, Geoff, we got the latest

version of the script is on autocue.

- Sorry, Paul. I've amended it again.

- Uh

I think I've added 40 seconds or

so. I'll make the additions as I go.

- OK

- 30 seconds!

Don't worry. I won't

mention the News At Six.

At least not by name.

Yeah. OK.

(CLEARS THROAT)

Good evening. I'm Geoff

Walters, and welcome to

Dale!

I wasn't gonna just let him continue

- spouting absolute bullshit.

- We agreed to maintain a calm tone.

I wasn't the one losing it.

Hey. Geoff's show just started.

I think something's happening.

It's brought out some of the

finest qualities of Melbourne.

Unfortunately, it has also

brought out some of the worst.

I'm talking about the actions of

one television network in particular.

What should be a vital community

service provided by the media

has clearly become a race to the bottom,

and the approach taken

by the network in question

represents a troubling new low.

Yesterday morning, mere

hours after the tragedy,

the network rushed to air,

crowing that they had

been first on the scene.

But in their haste

they aired footage of a deceased victim

before the police had a

chance to inform his family.

A loving family learned

of the senseless m*rder

of their husband and father

via a TV news program.

I won't further insult

this family by naming them

or parading them in front of cameras,

but I do want to offer my condolences

and my sincerest apologies

on behalf of all respectable media.

I want to assure our viewers

you will not see any

graphic, damaging images here.

Yeah, that's because you

don't bloody have any.

Now, I believe journalists

should conduct themselves

with unwavering integrity at all times,

but particularly in the

face of a tragedy like this.

Charles Tate on the line for you.

When the pursuit of a story becomes

a desperate scramble for ratings,

we lose sight of humanity.

That network and the

newsreader in question

was out of line and out of control.

Hello, Charlie. How are you?

She's clearly lost touch with

the values of our community.

(STAMMERS) You know,

I technically might be, but

other people did cover the story.

You assured me you go through every

single story with a fine-tooth comb.

So, I'm just a bit confused

how your comb didn't catch

this giant f*cking knot.

Well, that, um That incid

That That incident occurred

during an update,

uh and that is

that's Dennis Tibb's

responsibility, I'm sorry to say.

Now, while we're here on

this subject, you know,

apparently, the other

day, Helen was, um

(SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)

NEWSREADER: But he says it was only due

to quick manoeuvres by the police

that his team could

reach the wounded here.

GUEST: They drove into the line of

what they thought was the line

of fire at the time to protect

Dale, Helen, in here, please.

Charlie Tate wants you off the desk.

For how long?

Well, for as long as it takes

for the Hoddle Street

story to die down.

She's off.

This is only gonna fuel the critics.

Oh, Dale. Listen, son

you're doing alright with Charlie Tate.

She's not.

And, between us, Helen is very lucky

this is not a permanent decision.

- Are you OK?

- Yeah. Yep.

Just I hadn't

I got chucked out there. I just

couldn't get my head around the script.

Could we go over a couple

of things for tomorrow?

(SIGHS) Now?

I'm pretty buggered. Can we

Can we do it in the morning?

"Tountry's c*ck."

- Good work, Rob.

- (UNDER BREATH) f*ck.

(INSECTS CHIRP)

May I come in for a minute?

Drink?

No, I'm fine, thank you.

No, I mean

do I need one?

So, you want me off the desk?

For now, yes.

It's a mistake.

We shouldn't have shown

that footage. I accept that.

- But we all signed off on it.

- Oh, you all signed off on it?

- Yes.

- Mm.

And when things like this happen, you

you have to hold your nerve, you

have to keep moving forward

Something about the story, Helen,

I don't know what it is,

your instincts are just off.

How?

I don't know. It's just

your whole approach.

I mean, it's just

gruelling, it's aggressive,

- it's

- A f*cking m*ssacre.

Yeah.

What, you want me to soft-pedal this?

No, it's just that I've seen you

cover tragedies in the past, right?

When you were beside

Geoff, Geoff was the star,

you were his counterweight.

You let the news affect you.

It was as if you were

channelling our emotions for us.

I mean, I've seen you cry

on the bloody TV before.

So, because I'm a woman, that's

how I'm supposed to respond?

Yes.

OK.

Then I'll recalibrate.

But I can't do that sitting at

home. I need to be on the desk.

OK.

OK.

If you think you can right the ship,

I will call Lindsay.

But I will be switching

on tomorrow night,

and I need to see that change.

Understood?

(DOOR OPENS)

(DOOR SHUTS)

Rob!

(BIRDS TWITTER, DOG BARKS)

(ON PHONE) I know it's silly,

I'm just not keen to drive

through the city just yet.

It's all clear now, Mum. They

had the road opened in hours.

No, I know, I know.

I'm a bit nervy still,

in the car, thinking about it.

It's getting a bit much.

Some of the stories

I've got to go, Mum. I'll

call you back, alright?

- Alright, love.

- Bye. Bye.

You OK?

Yeah.

(CLEARS THROAT)

Alright, well,

the police have released three

more names of the victims,

so, I think we can move

away from the specifics

of the night and the k*ller.

Noelene's already working on

a way to contact the families.

Dale, I'm not I'm

not gonna go in today.

What?

I thought you said Charlie backtracked.

Yeah, he did. But I still think

that my judgement's just kind of

just kind of off with this.

- I don't think so.

- No, you said it too.

Yeah

I thought that we

focused initially too much

on the horror of the

night and the k*ller,

but now we have the

names of the victims.

We can focus on their stories.

And I've seen you interviewing

grieving people, Helen, it's

Dale, I'm not gonna go and

talk to the victims' families.

I'm, like, the last person

that they'd wanna see.

(CLEARS THROAT)

OK.

OK.

Alright.

I'll call you at lunch.

(DOOR SHUTS)

(KETTLE WHISTLES)

(CONTINUES WHISTLING)

(RINGS BUZZER)

(LOCK CLICKS)

Uh

Uh That

detail that I told you yesterday

about the family that saw

their father on the news?

Yes. Tragic.

Oh, you didn't pass that on, did you?

Sorry?

Last night?

It Mr Walters, on his show,

he did, um a bit

about, like, a speech,

like quite a long speech

Cheryl, I would never exploit

a family's tragedy like that.

Oh, I know. (CHUCKLES

NERVOUSLY) Of course not.

I'm shocked that you would even

No, I I'm not saying that.

Well, what ARE you saying?

Um

Uh (COUGHS)

Sorry. I don't know. Um

Well, from what I can gather,

that poor family couldn't get answers

out of the police or the News At Six,

so, they were trying all the

networks, including Geoff's.

That's how he became

aware of the tragedy

and why he felt compelled to speak.

Oh. Um

(CHUCKLES AWKWARDLY) I must've just

Sorry. I must just still

be a bit rattled or

(CHUCKLES AWKWARDLY)

Can we just

Hey, ooh, I had a really good idea

for a hairstyle for the

Variety Club luncheon.

Oh, well,

we'll see.

(SIGHS)

- Where were you?

- When?

Last night.

I went straight to your place after

I finished work. You weren't there.

Where were you?

I was probably

What time was it? I, uh

Maybe probably asleep.

It was 9:30.

The house was totally

empty. Your car wasn't there.

Where were you?

Uh

Um

This is not what it sounds like.

I've been staying in a motel.

Not like that.

(LAUGHS) Not like that. I

Actually, I just needed to

This is so stupid.

- What?

- You're fine. I'm fine. I just

At home

I still can't sleep.

The slightest sound,

and it's like it's still Sunday night.

And me not knowing where you are and

(EXHALES HEAVILY)

Hearing those shots

I'm just f*cking such an idiot.

- No, you're not.

- I am, I

I was on the other side of the city,

you're fine,

everything that people went

through that night, and, uh

here I am, I still can't

sleep in my own bed.

(EXHALES HEAVILY)

It's OK.

GERRY: (OUTSIDE) And on

this week's show we have

When Did You Pop The Question?

(SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)

Oh, my Lord.

(CHUCKLES)

I didn't think it was possible, but

you look even worse than yesterday.

Have you heard?

About the bereaved

family, Geoff's diatribe

or Helen being stood down?

I knew that story wouldn't play well,

I knew it from the minute I saw it,

but I let her just go with it

because Helen thinks I'm preoccupied

with the viewers or

what will be popular,

and she's the serious journalist.

Dale, what you're describing

are good audience instincts.

You've got them.

Frankly, yours might be

better than Helen's these days.

When I popped the

question, I was in a field!

(LAUGHS)

(PHONE RINGS)

Hello?

(ON PHONE) Hi. So, get in

the shower. Get camera-ready.

I'm coming over with a crew.

No.

(PHONE RINGS)

I need you to trust

me. I've got an idea.

And I'll be there in 20 minutes, OK?

Bye.

(PHONE LINE BEEPS)

We've done the victims,

k*ller, cops, politician,

but no-one has looked at the impact

this has had on ordinary people.

You're pitching me vox pops?

I'm pitching a portrait

of a grieving city

trying to piece itself

back together again.

That's vox pops.

Alright.

Alright.

f*cking vox pops. (LAUGHS)

My kids know that street.

It's how we get into the city.

And everyone's talking

about it at their school.

So, how do you explain it to them?

Um (SIGHS) I just told them that,

"Something really terrible

happened, but YOU'RE safe."

I don't know if I believe it anymore.

I think the kids can tell that I don't.

There's posters up on High

Street for all the action movies.

Stallone with machine g*ns.

You can't see them the same way now.

Do you think that media plays

a role in real-world violence?

I don't know. Maybe.

Well, there's a new

Schwarzenegger movie out next week.

It's bloody called Predator.

Are you gonna boycott the film?

No. Probably still gonna watch it.

But for some there is cause for

hope amidst the fear and sorrow.

A lot of the victims

are my age, early 20s,

so, I guess that really shook me.

I started volunteering at the

helpline that they've set up.

There are a lot of

calls and a lot of hurt,

but it makes you feel

more connected, you know,

because I guess we've

just got to stay together,

especially in times like these.

As ordinary people demonstrate

such courage and grace

in the wake of such a tragedy

simply by carrying on,

we realise that the

spirit of this community

can never be extinguished.

I am Helen Norville, News At Six.

DENNIS: Oh, God. So,

when's it gonna be ready?

What? No, no, no, no.

I need it yesterday.

Well, hurry up.

What?

Rob and I have something to disclose.

Go on, it's alright.

Oh, great. This is like

a guessing game, is it?

We're seeing each other,

mate. We have been for a bit.

So, uh you were right.

You're keeping secrets from me.

This won't affect my work.

- Lindsay's gonna be painful.

- I can deal with Lindsay.

Reception girls are gonna eat you alive.

Let them talk.

Oh, Jesus, you two. OK, OK, OK.

So

(SIGHS) as far as I'm concerned

(CHORTLES)

broadcast it all you want.

- Oh, you prick.

- Oh, it's a fluff piece.

OK? It's a non-story.

I wouldn't put it any higher

than the fourth segment.

(PHONE RINGS)

(LAUGHS)

Hello? Dennis. Yeah. Are you done?

BOTH: Yeah. Yeah.

Uh Yep.

Oh. (CLEARS THROAT)

Um

Me?

Um

Yeah, yeah, I can, um

I can be there in an hour.

- Goodnight.

- BOTH: Bye.

(KNOCKS)

Charles Tate rang. He'd

like you to call him, please.

Thank you.

(PHONE RINGS)

Yes?

(ON PHONE) You watched?

As promised, yeah.

As threatened.

And?

Oh, I had a few notes.

Like?

I loved it.

It was exactly what I

didn't know I needed.

It was a great course correction, so

More of that, please.

OK.

Oh, and, Helen, um

in the future, if any directive

of mine rubs you the wrong way,

uh my door is always open.

You may regret that.

I'll take my chances.

Sorry. I was asked to come by.

Dennis Tibbs.

Dennis Tibbs for you.

Go through.

How do they get in there?

Who made this decision to

air the footage of the body?

Who signed off on it?

(CLEARS THROAT)

That was, um

It was discussed as

a as a as a team.

There was Lindsay, Helen, Dale, myself,

and oh, and our producer, Noelene.

She was She was She was there.

It's interesting. Um

This is strange because Lindsay had

told me that it was your decision.

And yours alone.

(SCOFFS)

(SCOFFS) I mean, it was

a pretty chaotic morning.

There was a lot

happening really quickly.

What are your thoughts

about Lindsay, Dennis?

Just in general, you

know, as a news director.

Oh, in general, Lindsay's

I mean, he's my boss.

Yeah, it's not what I asked you, mate.

Lin Lin Lin Lindsay's

He's hot-headed.

Volcanic

- Yeah.

- you might say?

(IMITATES expl*si*n)

He's a funny bloke, isn't

he? It's It's like

I don't know. It's like

he's stuck in the mid '70s.

(SIGHS) I think early '60s.

Yeah. (CHUCKLES)

Dennis, who would you

say, in your estimation,

is the best news director working today?

Um

Some would say Vincent

Callahan is the best.

- Oh, yeah?

- Yeah, yeah.

I know him. We started out together.

He's really smart. He's full of ideas.

I could I could

I could suss him out

if you wanted me to.

Mate, forgive me.

I have to ask this

question one more time.

Who signed off on that footage?

Well, um (CLEARS THROAT)

I was concerned,

so, I called Lindsay, told him

to come and have a look at it,

and he absolutely told us to use it.

Yes.

Yes, I'd appreciate it if you

could suss out this Vincent for me.

Cheers.

You're welcome.

(EXHALES HEAVILY)

(THEME MUSIC PLAYS)

Tonight, share prices

drop around the world.

DALE: And stock markets are

gripped by frantic selling.

My savings

that I was relying on, that I put

exactly where you told me to, Dad,

they've been decimated!

Lindsay's in trouble, is he? Why

didn't you go for the job yourself?

Well, mate, no-one that looks

like me is gonna get that job.

That trollop from The Sun,

Donna Gillies, the gossip woman,

she's got something going to

print, she wants a response.

GERRY: A couple of years

ago, someone was keen

to sell a story to her about

me, she needed compensation,

so, now we go to her for every

birthday, every announcement.

We need legal advice right now.