Patton Oswalt has been cast in a recurring role in the second season of Aaron Sorkin's talky HBO series The Newsroom, Deadline reports. Oswalt is playing Jonas Pfeiffer, the new Vice President of Human Resources at the Atlantic Cable News Channel. Who better than a comedian to deliver preachy Sorkin sermons?
At its heart, HBO's The Newsroom has been a sitcom. Sure, it might be an hour-long and take itself really, really seriously, but consider the following: most of The Newsroom takes place in a single location, and most episodes tends to focus more on witty banter and romantic entanglements instead of, you know, reporting the news. Running time and “Fix You” montages aside, the show is an old-fashioned workplace sitcom. Reshoot it with three cameras in front of a studio audience, and The Newsroom could fit right at home on Must See TV, alongside Cheers and Night Court. (Although The Newsroom’s treatment of female characters might seem antiquated even for the 1980s.)
Aaron Sorkin is no stranger [...]
