Tom McCarthy has played a major role in two very different projects that focused on the profession of print journalism: first as an actor on the HBO drama series The Wire, and, years later, as the writer and director of the 2015 Best Picture winner, Spotlight. Though the two projects were drastically different in their treatment of the profession, both centered on complicated characters doing what they thought was best, either for themselves or the victims of a widespread conspiracy. And now McCarthy will get another shot at tackling the world of daily newspapers with new drama series, Alaska Daily.
The ABC show starring Hilary Swank as a reporter with a questionable past attempting to make a fresh start will be released before you know it, and will once again see McCarthy continue his history of tackling topics within the newspaper industry. In the event that you haven’t heard too much about the show that is slated to premiere during the 2022 Fall TV schedule, worry not, because we’re about to go over a few quick things we know about the series so far…
Alaska Daily Premieres October 6th On ABC
When the ABC 2022 Fall schedule was released earlier in the year, it boasted a ton of great returning shows as well as some newcomers to the network. One of those new shows was Alaska Daily (the working title was Alaska), which is set to premiere at 10 p.m. on Thursday, October 6th, and close out the night’s scripted programming (Station 19 and Grey’s Anatomy precede it).
those who don’t have access to cable, internet TV services, or over-the-air antennas aren’t out of luck, as anyone with a Hulu subscription will be able to watch Alaska Daily on the streaming service the day after it premieres on ABC.
The Alaska Daily Cast Is Led By Hilary Swank
Leading the Alaska Daily cast is Hilary Swank, who takes on the role of Eileen Fitzgerald, the talented award-winning investigative journalist who moves to the frozen landscape of Anchorage in the upcoming drama series.
Other members of the cast include Jeff Perry (Scandal) as Stanley Cornik, Matt Malloy (Drop Dead Gorgeous) as Bob Young, Meredith Holzman (Law and Order: Special Victims Unit) as Claire Muncy, Grace Dove (The Revenant) as Rosalind “Roz” Friendly, Pablo Castelblanco (Scream Queens) as Gabriel Tovar, Ami Park (This Is Us) as Yuna Park, and Craig Frank (Silicon Valley) as Austin Teague, ABC has announced.
The Series Centers On An Investigative Journalist As She Starts A New Life In Anchorage, Alaska
When Alaska Daily takes to the airwaves (and streaming the following day) in October, it will center on Hilary Swank’s Eileen Fitzgerald, as the investigative journalist experiences a fall from grace and leaves her life in New York City behind to get a fresh start working for a daily newspaper in Anchorage. While there, Eileen will find a way to redeem both her professional and personal lives during an ongoing investigation into at the death of a Native Alaskan, which could very well be a homicide.
When speaking with TV Guide (via TV Insider) prior to the Alaska Daily premiere, show creator Tom McCarthy revealed that he was inspired by a series of investigative reports about Native Alaskan communities in the Anchorage Daily that ran from 2019 to 2020.
The Alaska Daily Pilot Was Written And Directed By Show Creator Tom McCarthy
In addition to creating Alaska Daily and serving as one of the show’s executive producers, Tom McCarthy also wrote and directed the pilot episode, ABC has announced. Throughout his career, McCarthy has won an Academy Award for his screenplay for Spotlight and was nominated for writing the script for the 2009 Pixar film Up, meaning we have him to thank for that heartbreaking opening segment.
This also won’t be McCarthy’s first time writing or directing on the small screen, as the acclaimed filmmaker has worked on shows like 13 Reasons Why and The Loudest Voice in the past. McCarthy was also the director of the original Game of Thrones pilot, which was canned and reshot after the show’s creators, Dan Weiss and David Benioff weren’t happy with the results.
There is no word on whether or not McCarthy wrote or directed any additional episodes of Alaska Daily or who will also sit in the director’s chair throughout the show’s first season.
Peter Elkoff Is The Alaska Daily Showrunner
Brought in to keep Alaska Daily up and running on ABC is Peter Elkoff, who was announced as one of the executive producers and the showrunner earlier this year. Elkoff, who most recently served as co-showrunner and executive producer on the Fox medical drama, The Resident, brings with him years of experience working on TV sets as well as some work in the film world.
Throughout his career, Elkoff has worked on a wide variety of shows that includes everything from Sons of Anarchy to Gossip Girl (the original series) and Ugly Betty to Heroes Reborn, and so much more. When Alaska Daily lands on Hulu the day following its ABC debut, it will be the second show produced by Elkoff to end up on the platform, with the first being the Hugh Laurie-led drama, Chance, which ran there for two seasons starting in 2016.
The Alaska Daily Teaser Offers A Glimpse At The Show’s Central Mystery
In August 2022, ABC released the Alaska Daily teaser trailer which offers a glimpse at the show’s central mystery, while not giving too much away about the story that will begin to unfold upon its debut. Clocking in at exactly 30 seconds, the trailer shows Hilary Swank’s Eileen Fitzgerald as she learns more about the mysterious series of disappearances upon joining the staff of the show’s daily newspaper.
After watching the video, it’s easy to pick up on some of the themes of the show, especially when Jeff Perry’s Stanley Cornik begins to give a speech about the merits of journalism and responsibility of those in the profession. It almost plays out like a combination of McCarthy’s experiences with The Wire and Spotlight.
Alaska Daily is set to premiere Thursday, October 6th on ABC. If you’re looking for a way to spend the time until then, why not check out some of the best journalism movies while you wait for the show’s debut.
