Network (1976), Sidney Lumet
In September 1975, Howard Beale, the longtime anchor for the UBS Evening News, learns from friend and news division president Max Schumacher that he has just two more weeks on the air because of declining ratings. The following night, Beale announces to his audience that he will commit suicide on next Tuesday's newscast. UBS tries to immediately fire Beale, but Schumacher intervenes so that he can have a dignified farewell. Beale promises to apologize for his outburst, but once on the air, he launches into a rant about life being "bullshit". Beale's outburst causes ratings to spike, and much to Schumacher's dismay, UBS executives decide to exploit the situation. When Beale's ratings soon top out, programming chief Diana Christensen reaches out to Schumacher with an offer to help "develop" Beale's show. He declines the professional proposal but accepts her more personal pitch; the two begin an affair.
Rating: R (Sexual Material|Language|Some Drug Use)
Genre: Comedy /Thriller
Original Language: English
Director: Sidney Lumet
Producer: Howard Gottfried
Writer: Paddy Chayefsky
Release Date; November 1976
Runtime: 121 minutes
Where to meet:
Meet at Bull at 7.30pm for a drink. We will walk down to the cinema at 8pm.
