Helen: Good evening, I'm Helen Norville.
Dale: And I'm Dale Jennings.
Leigh Sales: And I'm Leigh Sales.
Lisa Millar: And I'm Lisa Millar and we're so excited about the return of The Newsreader on ABC TV. Salsey, what are you most excited about?
Leigh: Look, I loved season one because I felt like it put me back into an 80s time warp really. It was the shoulder pads, it was the hair, it was just everything about it.
Lisa: And remember when news networks used to have themes that went like, love you Brisbane, yes you mean the world to me.
Leigh: Or the theme music where it sounded like da da da da da da da da da da.
Gerry: Please welcome the golden couple of news.
Helen: We interrupt our programming with breaking news.
Leigh: But even more exciting is that this season we are doing a companion podcast.
Lisa: Season two of The Newsreader promises more of the same newsroom power plays, complicated romances and general 80s goodness that made season one the ABC's biggest drama last year.
Helen: Stop dressing like a schoolgirl. You're a producer now, Noelene. Be assertive and stand your ground.
Lindsay: This is a bullshit story that's not going to print.
Dale: I feel like the way I love doesn't fit in anywhere.
Helen: I knew that you were low but I didn't think even you would stoop this low.
Leigh: We were baby journos back then and that means we are eminently qualified to host the ABC's official The Newsreader podcast.
Lisa: Yeah, like Helen and Dale. We're the duo nobody asked for.
Leigh: But are you a Helen or a Dale?
Lisa: I've got the Dale nervousness. I always had that. I had the Helen shoulder pads, that's for sure.
Leigh: Yeah, you're definitely Helen because you also had a perm. I'm happy to let people know. I had the shoulder pads too because it was pretty much mandatory, right? You couldn't get a job in the 80s or 90s unless you had shoulder pads.
Lisa: What about all those editors screaming at you?
Leigh: So triggering. It just reminded me of being a young reporter and how constantly scared you were of everybody in the newsroom.
Lindsay: Haven't you done enough already? A piss weak. Half-assed coffee boy in a bad acrylic vest.
Lisa: This podcast is for you if you're somebody who needs a debrief while you wait for the next episode.
Leigh: And we're the friends you can do that with. But we'll bring our journo skills to it too. We'll talk about what's happening in the show but also give you some context around the real 80s news events plus what it's like working in actual newsrooms.
Lisa: Yeah, we're gonna have some great conversations with the creative minds behind the show and of course the stars.
Gerry: Place your keys in the bowl.
Carla: No, no, no, he's serious. Keys in the bowl.
Lisa: The Newsreader season 2 starts Sunday September the 10th with this podcast dropping straight after the episodes go to air.
Leigh: Make sure you follow the Newsreader podcast on the ABC Listen app or wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss a thing.
Lisa: That's it from us. Back to you in the studio, Dale.
Dale: I'm Dale Jennings. This has been News at Six. Good night, Australia.
Floor manager: And we're out!