Alaska Daily

2022 - 10 - 6

Post cover — Image courtesy of "IndieWire"

Hilary Swank's 'Alaska Daily' Doesn't Live Up to Its Top-Line Talent ... (IndieWire)

The Oscar winner leaves ambition behind for a by-the-numbers ABC drama about a big-shot reporter forced to start over at the local level.

Such eagerness to be found out can be partly chalked up to the way procedurals work: Each week, there’s a mystery, and each week, the mystery is solved. Everything you expect to happen in “Alaska Daily” will happen, and there’s too little humor, romance, and wit to turn a rote crime procedural into a comforting weekly watch. And after two episodes, the show could set itself on a better course. (“Alaska, Daily” also has a long-term, serialized investigation focusing on a pattern of murdered Indigenous women.) Audiences can take comfort in getting firm answers to one plot while anticipating answers to the other plot in future episodes. With a staff of 25 covering the largest state in America, there’s plenty of stories to be found north of Vancouver, he promises, and the paper (yes, they still print a physical paper) needs Eileen’s experience, instincts, and tenacity to keep the citizens of our country’s third least-populated state in the know. Within the first two episodes, multiple adults confess to major felonies without so much as light pressure being applied — and confess on the record! The latter point proves particularly vexing — given the series’ half-assed attempt to explain the divisive state of America by claiming a lack of effort on “both sides” — but that, at least, is an Episode 2 problem. At worst, they’re insulting — to anyone who’s actually lived in a “small town” and to anyone who expects more from people clearly capable of it. [Alaska Daily](https://www.indiewire.com/t/alaska-daily/),” created by McCarthy (who writes and directs the pilot), and starring Swank (who also serves as an executive producer), is objectively not good. The second-most senior editor is similarly in the dark over why journalists and cops may not always see eye to eye. One young reporter is so naive, she needs a pep talk to understand the basic purpose of her job. Harnessing the power afforded an Oscar winner, let alone someone with two little gold men on their mantel, is a delicate endeavor.

Alaska Daily: Will You Subscribe to the New ABC Drama? Grade the ... (TVLine)

Hilary Swank stars in ABC's 'Alaska Daily' as an investigative journalist who moves to Alaska to start over — read our premiere recap.

Eileen clashes with Roz when she theorizes that Gloria may have just committed suicide, but she also gets a threatening call from “a concerned citizen” telling her to go back to New York “before something bad happens.” So she must be on the right track, somehow. She’s just as fiery as Eileen (“Do you know anything about Alaska?” she sniffs), and neither of them want to share the story — which probably means they’ll make a good team. She also calls in a favor and gets some records on another case the cops didn’t want to release. Eileen is intrigued and does a little digging on her own — and before she knows it, she’s on a plane to Alaska. Eileen combs through Gloria’s social media and finds a guy, Toby Crenshaw, who invited her to the party where she went missing. Eileen works for a Buzzfeed-esque news outfit called The Vanguard — one of those places that has screens up all over the office telling them which stories are getting the most clicks in real time — and when another employee warns her about going to press with only one source, Eileen curtly dismisses her: “I’ve been doing this since you were finger-painting with baby food.” She goes ahead and publishes the story, but the next day, the general claims the documents Eileen used as proof of his wrongdoing were forged.

'Alaska Daily' is one of fall's new broadcast shows to watch (Los Angeles Times)

Hilary Swank plays a New York reporter who moves to Anchorage to work at a local newspaper in ABC's new drama, from 'Spotlight's' Tom McCarthy.

Cub reporter Jieun Park (Ami Park) looks into the story behind the arrest of a naked young man waving a gun, which leads her to confront the question of whether protecting a subject’s personal life is more important than telling the truth about him. Veteran Claire Muncy (Meredith Holzman), one of whose several children spooks Eileen by popping out from beneath her desk, investigates the pending sale of a beloved diner to a hamburger chain, which has locals up in arms (the classic “couple of dozen people in a parking lot carrying picket signs” scene), which gets us to thoughts about an angry world where opinions are valued more than facts. This commences with the arrival of Stanley Cornick (Jeff Perry), an editor Eileen hasn’t seen in 17 years (another job she left on bad terms), who is now running a newspaper in Anchorage, the Daily Alaskan. Her first reaction is to be insulted (”It’s the minor leagues, I’ve paid my dues”) and turn him down. Then, to their mutual initial displeasure, each claiming she only works alone, Eileen is teamed with local star reporter Roz Friendly (Grace Dove), who is temperamentally her twin — which is to say, heads will butt. Helpful Austin Teague (Craig Frank) lets her know that they have no LexisNexis account for research, and that the printer sometimes works. Swank plays Eileen Fitzgerald, a hotshot investigative reporter who leaves a job at a New York publication called the Vanguard when the veracity of an article she had researched for months is called into question; on top of that, complaints about how she treats the staff, “especially women,” have crept into social media. Chatty Gabriel (Pablo Castelblanco), who used to work at the drive-in coffee place outside, welcomes her with excitement; senior reporter and acting news editor Bob Young (Matt Malloy) is ready to be irritated. And it’s completely enjoyable, made by people who seem to be having a good time, with a diverse cast of characters who take no more than a minute to fully classify and comprehend and are all the more enjoyable for it. (And even the worst.) The venue will tolerate a good deal of cliche and corniness and obviousness. It’s not that network series are without gravitas, or art, or nuance, or something to say — they sometimes have a lot to say, in a very loud voice — but the rate at which they unfold and the way they relate to their viewers are special to the platform. Dramas are nearly always leavened with comedy and characters who are designed to be liked, and who you hope will like each other.

Meet the Alaska Native creatives in the NYC writers room for 'Alaska ... (KTOO)

For the past few months, Vera Starbard and Andrew Okpeaha MacLean have been sequestered in what they call “The Writing Room” in New York City, ...

“I have such a strong belief,” Starbard said. “And that’s a powerful thing. And that includes a sense of humor. “It’s literally hour by hour,” Starbard said. The new TV show “Alaska Daily” premieres on Thursday. So many different peoples and tribes and ethnicities.

'Alaska Daily': Details on the Filming Locations (Distractify)

Where was 'Alaska Daily' filmed? Here's what you need to know about the filming locations used in the ABC series. Plus, is it based on a true story?

The community was used as the backdrop for a fictional community in Alaska called Meade. And she hopes that the ABC series will do exactly that. Read on for details on the filming locations used in Alaska Daily! What’s funny is that my husband just turned 50, and it was on his bucket list to go to Alaska, so we went to a very remote area with no phone service that you had to take a seaplane to the middle of nowhere to get to.” But the story was just [shocking]." After an indigenous woman goes missing in Alaska, Eileen packs up her belongings and travels from New York to the Great North with hopes of cracking the case.

'Alaska Daily' free live stream: How to watch online without cable (nj.com)

Alaska Daily premieres its first season on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 10 p.m. There are several ways to watch with a free live stream.

Price, TV channels, how to get a free trial](https://www.nj.com/tv/2020/06/what-is-philo-price-tv-channels-how-to-get-a-free-trial-without-entering-credit-card-info.html) [How to watch ‘Yellowstone,’ the hottest show on TV right now](https://www.nj.com/tv/2021/11/how-to-watch-yellowstone-the-hottest-show-on-tv-right-now.html) [The best streaming services for live TV in 2022: Prices, features, free trials](https://www.nj.com/tv/2022/01/best-streaming-services-for-live-tv-in-2022-prices-features-free-trials.html) [How to watch HBO Max: What is it? The premiere episode [will be available to watch on-demand through the service](https://www.fubo.tv/lp/ent/?irad=356360&irmp=1810072&subID1=advance-nj-tv-alaskadaily-10622) for a few weeks, as well. [Hulu raising prices: Is the streaming service still worth it?](https://www.nj.com/tv/2021/09/hulu-raising-prices-is-the-streaming-service-still-worth-it.html) [What is Philo? The streaming service offers a free trial, and has [live TV and a DVR function](https://www.fubo.tv/lp/ent/?irad=356360&irmp=1810072&subID1=advance-nj-tv-alaskadaily-10622), so viewers can watch “Alaska Daily″ on ABC in real-time or on-demand. 6 at 10 p.m.](https://tvlistings.zap2it.com/?aid=gapzap) The series stars Hilary Swank. What movies and TV shows does it have?](https://www.nj.com/tv/2020/12/how-to-watch-hbo-max-what-is-it-how-much-does-it-cost-what-movies-and-tv-shows-does-it-have.html) [subscribe today](https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nj.com%2Fdigitalsubscription%2Finline%2F%3Futm_source%3DINL%26utm_medium%3DACQ-ADH0-123b%26utm_campaign%3DACQ%26utm_content%3Dreporter_tagline&data=02%7C01%7CJRejent%40njadvancemedia.com%7C0dbc86b998a144cc46fe08d7e6b2bba1%7C1fe6294574e64203848fb9b82929f9d4%7C0%7C0%7C637231527654939351&sdata=F%2FN4yE4bkZF6Oic3oUBP4IlM%2BUZRC08%2BFsSjfpMKzf0%3D&reserved=0) to [NJ.com](http://nj.com/). “Alaska Daily″ will premiere its first season on Thursday, Oct. [Fubo TV (free trial)](https://www.fubo.tv/lp/ent/?irad=356360&irmp=1810072&subID1=advance-nj-tv-alaskadaily-10622) to record and store episodes of the series, along with anything else that airs on ABC. [Fubo TV (free trial)](https://www.fubo.tv/lp/ent/?irad=356360&irmp=1810072&subID1=advance-nj-tv-alaskadaily-10622). [Verizon Fios](https://www.verizon.com/local/new-jersey-fios/), [AT&T U-verse](https://www.att.com/tv/u-verse.html), [Comcast Xfinity](https://www.xfinity.com/), [Spectrum/Charter](https://www.spectrum.com/), [Optimum/Altice](https://www.optimum.com/alticeone), [DIRECTV](https://www.directv.com/), [Dish](https://www.dish.com/). “

Q&A: What is 'Alaska Daily,' what is it based on and who's involved? (Anchorage Daily News)

The fictional newsroom in “Alaska Daily” bears some similarities to the real-life Anchorage Daily News. Here's a rundown of the new series on ABC and Hulu.

ADN staff don’t control what’s depicted on “Alaska Daily.” Our focus at the real-world Anchorage Daily News continues to be centered on how we can best serve the needs of our community and our audiences. [Resources: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women](https://abc.com/shows/alaska-daily/news/updates/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-resources) [Alaska’s first MMIP investigator stayed on the job 5 months. For example, “Alaska Daily” zooms in on a handful of staff in its newsroom. How all of this translates to the screen in a network television drama series is ultimately up to the creators of the show. Adding to the confusion is that in real life, our news organization is called the Anchorage Daily News. It’s understandable if you find it confusing — the show is called “Alaska Daily,” but the newsroom it’s following is called The Daily Alaskan. The fictional events depicted on the television show are bound to diverge from how the ADN, and other news organizations, operate in the real world. [“Alaska Daily”](https://abc.com/shows/alaska-daily/about-the-show) bears some similarities to the real-life Anchorage Daily News. The Anchorage Daily News agreed to work with McCarthy and ABC on the project. [Hilary Swank](https://www.adn.com/arts/film-tv/2022/10/05/alaska-daily-star-hilary-swank-reveals-she-is-pregnant-with-twins/) stars in the series as reporter Eileen Fitzgerald. In 2020, the series [was awarded a Pulitzer Prize ](https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2020/05/04/anchorage-daily-news-lawless-series-wins-pulitzer-prize-for-public-service/)for public service, the ADN’s third. In Anchorage, she works with another reporter at the newspaper, Roz Friendly, to report on the [missing and murdered Indigenous persons crisis](https://abc.com/shows/alaska-daily/news/updates/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-resources) in Alaska.

Alaska Daily Cast: Where You've Seen The Actors Before (Cinema Blend)

Hilary Swank (Eileen Fitzgerald) · Jeff Perry (Stanley Cornik) · Matt Malloy (Bob Young) · Meredith Holzman (Claire Muncy) · Grace Dove (Rosalind 'Roz' Friendly).

[Hulu subscription](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2570844/subscribing-to-hulu-the-price-whats-included-and-everything-else-to-know) can catch up the following day. Prior to landing a role on the new ABC newspaper drama series, Park made brief appearances on a list of shows that include intense family dramas like This Is Us and High Notes, as well as various others. These are just the major players in the Alaska Daily cast , and you can expect to see even more recognizable faces when new episodes of Tom McCarthy’s drama series debut at 10 p.m. Following a [break from acting](https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2391581/why-hilary-swank-took-a-break-from-acting) in the early 2010s, Swank returned on shows like Trust, BoJack Horseman, and Away. Throughout her career, Holzman has also popped up on shows like Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Only Murders in the Building, Chicago Fire, Madame Secretary, and The Blacklist. In the years since then, Dove has landed roles in movies like O for a Thousand Tongues, How It Ends, Monkey Beach, and the World War II-era drama, Bones of Crows, which premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. When he's not writing about movies or television, Philip can be found being chased by his three kids, telling his dogs to stop yelling at the mailman, or yelling about professional wrestling to his wife. His film credits are just as impressive, with movies like In the Company of Men, Armageddon, Jeff, Who Lives at Home, Battle of the Sexes, and The United States of Leland. [ABC 2022 fall lineup](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/abcs-2022-fall-schedule-reveals-new-jeopardy-spinoff-the-conners-new-time-and-a-surprise-for-the-rookie-spinoff), there’s a good chance you’re asking yourself why everyone in the Alaska Daily cast looks so familiar. [2022 fall TV schedule](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2022-tv-premiere-dates) is in full swing, which means there are loads of new and returning shows coming out on just about every channel and streaming service imaginable, with more being released each day. After taking even the briefest of glances at his filmography, you’ll pick up shows like Nash Bridges, Chicago Hope, Prison Break, Scandal, and dozens of others that saw Perry appear in smaller roles. He’s also had larger roles on shows like Alpha House, Six Feet Under, and Tanner ’88, to name only a few.

New ABC Drama 'Alaska Daily' Highlights MMIW Crisis (nativenewsonline.net)

Tonight, a new network television series that centers on the inner workings of a scrappy Alaskan newsroom tackling complex Indigenous storylines will ...

[Lawless](https://www.adn.com/lawless/), a two year investigation into the failures of the criminal-justice system in primarily Alaska Native communities across the state. People who are aware of it, I hope it will bring them [a look into] foundational reasons for why these things happen, as well as the excellence and the joy and the beauty of living in Alaska, as well.” [ wrote on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/CjWqYZhgm-L/?hl=en) leading up to the premiere. In addition to Native representation on real-life issues, the show was also created in part by two Alaska Native writers, Andrew Okpeaha MacLean (Iñupiaq) and Vera Starbard (Tlingit/Dena’ina Athabascan). "I hope that people will be introduced to the issue—whether its Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women or it’s forced boarding schools—as most people I don’t think know about it across the country. For the past decade-plus, we’ve covered the important Indigenous stories that are often overlooked by other media. Alaska ranks fourth in the nation for the highest number of MMIW cases—behind New Mexico, Washington and Arizona—according to a 2017 Urban Indian Health Institute study. “Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women runs through every single epsiode, and that’s not unrelated to boarding schools. Additionally, Starbard said it’s refreshing to see realistic issues that plague Alaskan Native communities represented on network television. “And I thought, wouldn’t it be interesting to really get to know who are these journalists, specifically involved in local journalism. “So I thought, man, what’s something I could do if I had an opportunity to make a TV show,” McCarthy said. The scripted show, Alaska Daily, follows an award-winning investigative journalist, played by two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank, who leaves her high-profile New York life behind to join a daily newspaper in Anchorage.

Stream It Or Skip It: 'Alaska Daily' On ABC, Where Hilary Swank Is A ... (Decider)

Jeff Perry and Matt Molloy star with Swank; another Oscar winner, Tom McCarthy, wrote and directed the pilot.

Parting Shot: Like she did on the plane from New York to Anchorage, Eileen has a panic attack in the parking lot of the strip mall where the paper’s tiny office is located. It also has McCarthy and showrunner Peter Elkoff (The Resident) there to make sure the show doesn’t spin into network ridiculousness. What the show has going for it is that Swank isn’t throwing her Oscars around and trying to out-act her younger and mostly unknown co-stars. But McCarthy also knows how to let a story develop slowly, even under the restrictive 42-minute format. [Spotlight](https://decider.com/movie/spotlight/), albeit with a broadcast network sheen to it. There’s also the Alaska angle (the show was actually shot in British Columbia). Of course, her aggressive way of doing things makes people like the acting articles editor, Bob Young (Matt Molloy), who wants to maintain the already-shaky relationship the paper has with the Anchorage PD. So the show has the feel of his Oscar-winning film Because she needs a fresh start and he wants someone on the story of how Indigenous women are going missing or being murdered and the stories are being largely ignored, including by personnel-strapped papers like his. The Gist: Eileen presses her consulate source for a thumb drive that has information about General Raymond Green (James McDaniel), who was about to be confirmed as defense secretary. He goes to a restaurant to meet reporter Eileen Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank). She decides to quit than get canceled by the “scared, woke wussies” at her paper.

Alaska Daily

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