And with only five more sleeps to go,
royalty is about to descend on Australia.
And by "royalty", I of course mean pop singer Cliff Richard.
Now…
…my co-host for next Tuesday's Bicentennial Spectacular
is of course News at Six's very own Dale Jennings.
Yes.
But you might have noticed we haven't seen a lot
of the Golden Couple of news recently?
In fact, Mr. Jennings has been on the news desk alone,
and just this week we heard Helen Norville's heading to Washington.
What on earth is going on?
Well, only two people can tell us and one is here tonight,
so please join me in giving a very warm Gerry Carroll welcome
to Mr. Dale Jennings!
So, Dale, how was your Christmas break?
Slightly hectic, Gerry. Yours?
Absolutely no-one cares.
And…
So, put us out of our misery, Dale.
What is going on? Are you and Helen okay?
Well, look, Gerry, I'd love to deliver a juicy drama, but…
Well, yes, that's why we're here.
Helen and I are great, thanks.
- But she's been offered a new job? - She has.
What could possibly surpass sitting beside you on camera?
Honestly, I'm doing it right now.
I can confirm it's electrifying.
Uh, well, Helen's always been riveted by US politics,
and so when the opportunity came up
to cover the US 1988 elections, she couldn't turn it down.
But what does this mean for the Golden Couple, Dale?
My wife's very anxious about it.
Helen and I love and respect each other enormously.
But… given the distance
and the demands of her new job,
we've both decided, with a lot of love and a lot of sadness,
to separate.
Oh, I'm sorry, erm…
Oh, Carla will be devastated.
Erm…
Not so much our neighbor, Debbie,
who I'm sure will want me to ask, are you dating yet?
Gerry, it's very recent.
I know. How insensitive of you, Debbie.
Erm…
Shall I ask again mid-year?
Let's say Easter.
Very good.
And, ladies and gentlemen, that was Mr. Dale Jennings!
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
- Hi! - Hi. Nice to see you.
It's good to see you too.
- How are you? - Yeah, I'm really good.
- How are you? - Good.
It's so strange being in the office without you.
Oh, yeah? Boring?
I can't stay long.
No. Um… okay.
All right. I'm sorry to put this on you so suddenly.
But, um…
you know that I'm flying to Washington on Wednesday.
- Yes. - Okay.
So we're starting to put a crew together.
And…
and I've mentioned you to the execs.
As my producer.
'88 in the US, it's gonna be incredible.
It's the election, it's Reagan's last year in office.
He's gonna be putting immense pressure on Gorbachev.
- I'm contracted to News at Six. - It's a shitty contract.
You'd only have to give two weeks' notice.
We'd have limited interference from the network.
We'd be able to pursue our own stories.
Noelene, it would catapult you.
It would set up your career.
Wow.
Noelene playing hard to get.
Well, we have a number of options for the producer role
- if you're in trouble. - No, I'm not.
- Plenty of good people. - No. I am…
I'm pretty sure she's a yes, but she'll need another week.
She'll then need another two weeks
- to give notice to News at Six. - Cutting it fine for Iowa.
I know, but I think she's worth it.
She's smart as hell, she's seems unassuming…
Helen, if you think she's right, then we'll get her.
It's your choice.
Okay.
I've received a few phone calls from Lindsay Cunningham.
Four, as a matter of fact.
Right after we announced you were joining us.
Right. I'd recommend ignoring them.
Well, I've avoided him so far,
but he will get to me eventually.
Is there anything I need to say or not say?
No.
Might leave him hanging for a bit longer.
Prick.
Our top stories again.
The First Fleet re-enactment leaves Botany Bay
for the final stage of its Bicentennial voyage.
And Chris Evert advances…
Why does he have to shout?
…she'll face Steffi Graf on Saturday.
And, of course, on Sunday,
Aussie legend Pat Cash takes on Mats Wilander.
A week every Australian will long remember.
- Have a great weekend. - And carn, Pat Cash!
Hey! Well done, you! Young Dale!
- Good on him. - You're not gonna hang out for Geoff?
Oh, turn it up.
Before we commence tonight…
- Hey, wait, wait. - …I have an announcement.
I'll be taking a break next week as we cover
the spectacle of the Bicentennial festivities.
And I'm sorry to say that I
will not be returning to this desk the following week.
I've made the difficult decision
to take an extended break from The Walters Report.
I've always maintained that
newsmen should never become the news.
But this country is in the grip of a crisis.
And it is the crisis of drug addiction.
That crisis has now reached my own family.
As you can imagine, this is a deeply personal matter.
And I will not be talking in detail tonight.
But I do feel compelled to…
to say two things.
Addiction is an illness…
and it is an insidious one.
And I hope that my honesty tonight
shows that it can affect…
any Australian family.
And, secondly…
…secondly…
I love my daughter.
Kay Walters is a beautiful, intelligent…
creative young woman.
And she will be facing this recovery with her mother and I.
We will devote every effort to it.
Paddy Hewitt will be taking on my position
as Bicentennial host
and be commandeering this desk in my absence.
I know he can look forward to
the support of our many, many loyal viewers.
To our first story tonight.
- What does this mean? - An exclusive look at Britain's…
It means…
we are going to win Bicentennial Week
hands fuckin' down!
Ha!
…by their Royal Highnesses,
Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
Would you like to do the honors?
Goodness. A lot of space.
Magnificent, isn't it? You must be so proud.
Well, enjoy.
I feel like I'm in a museum.
It won't feel so big once there's furniture in.
It's very modern, isn't it?
I know it's not a family home, Mum.
I didn't say that.
I'm sure you'd prefer something cozier.
I just want you to be happy.
That's all I've ever wanted.
You won't be lonely here? So much space for one person.
I love it.
I never thought I'd step foot in a house like this…
let alone own one.
This is ABC News on the 25th of January.
Bicentennial eve,
and crowds are already gathering at Sydney Airport
for the arrival of the Prince and Princess of Wales,
who are expected to land…
…any moment now.
The royal couple's stay in Australia will last ten days.
- Hello? - It's…it's, um, Gerry.
Have… have you seen The Sun?
No. Why?
Erm…
I… I was arrested yesterday in Sydney.
What?
The charge…
- Erm, the charge is indecency. - Hang on.
Listen, could you…
Could you come over here?
Before work?
Um…
- Yeah, of course. - The network knows.
I'm just not sure how they're gonna manage this.
I might need your help.
Yeah, I'll be right over.
Thank you.
Dale! Dale!
Mr. Jennings! Mr. Jennings!
Mr. Jennings, any comment on the arrest?
Have you seen the article…
That's it, that's it. That's as far as you go.
Is that reporter still out there?
There were at least five that I could see.
You all right?
I think we need to get Alison off to school.
- No, let her stay at home. - It's important
that the reporters see you and I together…
No, the other kids.
Hey…
we keep smiling, we say nothing,
and we never, ever apologize.
Okay? That's how we get through this.
Yeah?
Okay?
- I love you. - I love you too.
You read it?
Yeah. It didn't go into much detail.
It said "arrested" and "public bathroom". It's… It's enough.
Do you have a lawyer?
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, we think we can get the charges dropped.
What am I doing here?
I need… I need you to fight for me to stay on air, Dale.
People aren't answering my calls.
The sponsors have cut me. I am…
If I disappear, I'm done.
Do you understand?
Yep.
We've got each other's backs, don't we?
Don't we?
Of course.
'Cause, you know, um…
if you were in this position…
you know I'd do the same for you.
Of course.
Oh, Jeez, come on… Dale! Dale. Come here.
Uh, you across all this Gerry business, are you?
- The Sun? - Yeah.
And The Sydney Morning Herald.
Jean said she heard it on the radio twice.
Did you know he was a poof?
I'm not drawing any conclusions.
Come on, he makes Bernard bloody King look like Tarzan.
Mate, he was sprung in a public toilet in a park.
- Imagine his poor wife! - She's alright.
She's pretty switched on. I'd say she'd know about it.
We've been hosing down stories about this fella for years, haven't we?
Can't hose down an arrest. So he's off air tomorrow.
It's a little premature, don't you think?
It's an arrest! For public buggery!
Tomorrow is the biggest family day viewing
in Australian television history. He's gone.
Rob's gonna take over the Fleet.
We'll get the royal watcher to help you with Charles and Di.
- Simple. - If you take Gerry off air,
- that's just confirming he's guilty. - He is guilty.
I just dunno how comfortable I feel about being up there
beside a bloke who does that kind of thing.
Dale. Morning update.
Jean.
Gerry's the most popular personality on this network.
I am not doing it without him.
He's turning into Helen.
20 seconds!
Ten seconds!
And in six, five…
Dale Jennings here with a morning update on this sunny Bicentennial eve.
And today we have already seen a double royal celebration.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have just arrived in Sydney,
and Buckingham Palace has announced
that the Duchess of York is expecting her first baby.
And we're out!
The royal couple emerged from…
Vincent Callahan's on the line.
Oh. Thank you.
Vincent, mate, how are you?
Lindsay, mate. Sorry I missed your calls.
Oh, that's okay. You're a busy fella.
You're doing well for yourself, aren't ya?
Now, I reckon I know why you're calling.
- Ah, do you just? - Lindsay, I just want to say
that we didn't approach Helen
until well after she left News at Six, honestly.
Ah, no, no, no, no, no, no. Mate, sorry.
Did she say she left?
Well, she said there was an editorial dispute.
Quite a heated one.
And of course we know she walked off air.
Oh, mate, I hate doing this, but…
…that was no walk-off, Vincent, that was a breakdown.
And if you're gonna hire this woman
you need to know that she has breakdowns regularly.
Well, I know she's volatile and very passionate.
Do you know that she was also in a mental institution?
A nuthouse? And that some of the press know?
Hmm?
You've hired a woman…
with real problems in her head.
Now, I don't know whether it's manic depression
or whether the poor thing's got schizophrenia.
But if Helen Norville can't read an autocue.
If she can't manage to do that,
how the fuck is she gonna navigate a US election campaign?
Well…
I appreciate the candor. Listen, Lindsay, I gotta go.
Thank you.
Fuck you, Helen.
No, not Olivia Newton-John. You know she's from Neighbours.
- It's getting late. - Hey? It can't go much longer.
Also, I need to speak to you.
Who's singing tomorrow?
Okay, I've got to be up at 5:00, so…
Hey, Jen, could you turn down the telly? Noels.
All right.
Noels.
Ah…
You bring out the best in everyone around you.
Especially me.
Um, and…
I want to spend the rest of my life with you
and build a family with you.
Noelene Kim…
I love you.
Will you…
Will you marry me?
Just calm down.
- Yes. - Yeah?
Yes!
He asked me how to propose in Korean.
So I've known for four days!
I told Jen I was gonna do it tonight,
then I couldn't find the right spot and was getting panicky.
Um…
Oh, yeah, thank you, Jen.
Yeah, Mr. and Mrs. Kim, I wanted to… bow for blessings.
Honey, take a seat.
Don't go.
Let's take a photo.
Dad, come back for a photo.
Um… no, it's okay.
I think I just want one with the both of us.
Okay.
Hey.
Sorry, should I not have done that in front of your family?
They're fine.
I just thought it might help with your dad,
but he still seems pretty suss on me.
It's not you. That was actually a good reaction.
- Really? - Mm-hm.
Yeah. Come here.
I love what you did.
You've made me very happy.
How about one last drink?
It's late.
Please, now that I can relax, just one more.
I have one thing I need to tell you.
All right.
I've been offered another job.
At another network.
Jesus, Noels.
You just had me shitting bricks for a second there.
I was thinking, "You idiot, what else have you ballsed up?"
That's great. Good.
Of course other networks are gonna be chasing ya.
What is it?
Helen asked me to be her producer.
For election coverage.
In America.
Over there, in America?
How long for?
Until the end of November, at least.
And here I am, signed for another two years.
- Um… - I know.
So, hang on, when do you have to decide by?
I said tomorrow…
You said tomorrow? Jesus. Ah…
I made it very clear I needed to speak to you first.
Uh…
I don't know what to say. I…
I feel like I've been very patient,
sneaking around for a whole year.
And then, uh…
I…
Did you want to say yes to this?
I want to do what's best…
for both of us.
Right.
What… what time is it?
Too bloody early.
- Seven o'clock? - Yeah.
Oh, I hope I didn't wake you.
Could I have a word in private?
Sure.
I understand you've accepted a new position.
Geoff and I spent two months in Washington
in the wake of the Kennedy…
What do you want to talk about, Evelyn? Why are you here?
I'm aware of what you did. With Kay.
I wanted to thank you for your decency
in a troubling situation.
Well, that was for Kay, not for you.
Uh, also, Geoff heard something last night,
something concerning. I felt I ought to warn you.
He's had several calls in the wake of the Gerry Carroll business.
Last night, Donna Gillies specifically mentioned Dale repeatedly.
She mentioned something about a tryst with a news cameraman.
Geoff said nothing, of course,
but she proposed that was the real reason for your separation.
- Well, I think next time… - I think you should answer…
I think you should answer and you should deny it firmly.
A denial from Geoff Walters would carry a lot of weight.
Thank you very much, Evelyn.
I asked you to stay in that room!
She is the last person in the world I would want to know
about whatever the fuck this is. Jesus Christ.
It sounded like a crisis, I just didn't… All right, alright. I'll grant you,
we've never had a conversation about Dale before?
- What? - We've never spoken about…
- A conversation about what? - About the fact that…
What are you trying to say?
We both know what team Dale bats for, Helen.
Get dressed, get your shit
and get the fuck out of my house!
Go.
- Hello? - Dale, it's Helen.
Can you please stay at home? I'm coming right over.
- I'm already late… - No, I need you to stay there.
- Hi. - Hi. Thank you for, um…
Fuck. Thanks for staying.
Um… Oh. Okay, Dale.
I need to tell you something and I just need you not to…
not to freak out.
But, um…
Evelyn Walters came to my house this morning.
- What? - And, um, well, uh… Fuck.
- What, Helen? - No, no, it's…
So, Geoff… Geoff's been getting phone calls from Donna Gillies
about, um, information that she might have in regards to
you and a male cameraman.
She called me too.
She called me yesterday, twice,
and left messages, which I ignored.
Geoff.
Geoff's made no comment.
Dale, has something happened since, um…
since we separated that…
Dale?
Okay.
Okay. Well…
I mean, that means it's… it's just…
it's just Geoff and myself that she's called.
And nobody else knows, do they?
Gerry knows.
I told Gerry.
What do I do?
You know what? I still think that there's a huge chance
that this'll just blow over.
Just go in. Just do your job.
Act confident.
It's… It's what you do.
Come on, get up.
Get your bag.
You go into work and you act like everything's normal.
And I do… I do think this could blow over.
I just…
I just needed you to know.
- Happy Australia Day! - Thanks.
We're putting Rob on with you right from the start.
Then Gerry will take over for the royals and the ceremony.
Then it will be you alone for the fireworks.
Okay.
Ah, Dale. You've had several messages.
Former cameraman. You remember Tim Ahern?
Ah, 'course.
He stressed for you to call him as soon as you get in.
- Hello? - Uh, hi, it's Dale.
Just returning your call. Dale Jennings.
I don't know any other Dales, Dale.
Hey, are you somewhere quiet?
Yeah.
Uh, so I've been getting a couple of calls from a gossip columnist.
- Donna Gillies? - Yeah.
Yeah, she's been asking a lot of questions about you.
And me.
And, uh, I said nothing, obviously, and hung up.
Well, great. Thanks.
If she calls back, could you just… could you clarify…
I… I won't answer again.
If you could just say we were in a professional relationship,
that would be appreciated.
I'll ignore her, but I'm not lying. I'm past that.
Did she say who fed the story?
Look, I, uh…
I know you're gonna deny everything,
and I didn't expect anything different.
I gotta go.
Good luck.
No one wants to hear from Sir Ninian Stephen
when you've got the Princess 200 meters away.
- But we've gotta… - Waste of an OB.
- What do you want? - Uh, upon reflection,
I've been thinking about what you said, about Gerry,
- you're right, he should be off the desk. - Jesus Christ. We said this yesterday.
I'm hearing more and more about his behavior.
- Ooh, fuck me. What? - I don't know specifics,
but for such a landmark broadcast,
it's not worth the risk.
Oh, Jesus. We said this yesterday, Dale!
Ring Gerry, tell him not to come in.
- Fuck! - Well done, mate. Music to my ears.
Well done you. You do realize, though, you're signing up
for 14 hours plus on the desk?
I can handle it.
Good morning.
I'm Dale Jennings.
Ten seconds!
And five, four…
Good morning, I'm Dale Jennings,
and wherever you are in Australia,
thank you for joining us as we celebrate our 200th birthday as a modern nation.
And what a spectacular day we have ahead of us.
- Isn't that right, Rob? - That's right, Dale.
And the centerpiece of it all…
- …the re-enactment of… - Jean speaking.
- …Captain Phillip's First Fleet… - Shit.
Apparently Gerry's down in make-up.
What? Fuck!
Why don't we cross to the air right now
for our first live pictures?
Well, as you can see, it's a stunning day
and there has been a massive spectator fleet
out there on the water all morning.
Hey, there he is! Gerry! Hang on a tick, mate! Hey!
Here! We've been trying to call you.
We've taken the home phone off the hook, so…
- But I'm here and I'm ready. - We appreciate that, mate.
But, you know, just on reflection,
we were thinking it might not be a bad idea
if you rest off air, just for now.
- And who's "we"? - Ah, well, you know, it, uh…
It's a combined decision, isn't it, Dennis?
Uh… yeah, yeah.
Like-like, um… administration, publicity…
Just until this whole business blows over.
Yeah, it has blown over. Story peaked yesterday.
No, no, no, mate, just worthwhile letting the dust settle.
What is this?
Huh?
Look, I want to talk to Dale.
Dale's on air and he will be for the next few hours.
Well, I'll wait till the break, then.
He wants to speak to Dale.
Dale is behind this decision, mate.
Dale Jennings came to us and he said,
"Listen, you know, it's an unfortunate situation,
- "and just until…" - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Unfortunate situations happen in this place every fucking day!
- Do they? - Camera boys
touching up make-up girls, execs doing drugs in boardrooms.
I haven't done anything like that.
I've done nothing like that.
I haven't hurt anyone.
Well, I don't know whether your wife would agree.
You don't know the first thing about my wife.
Or me.
Well, I know a hell of a lot more about you
than I want to, Gerry.
Listen, mate, I didn't think you were a bad sort of a fella
and I couldn't give a rat's toss about what you fuck or suck.
But you broke telly's golden rule!
You got caught with your pants down!
Mate, this is gonna end one way.
You can either walk out of here under your own steam
or get dropkicked out of here on your filthy arse!
But you're gone!
By you?
Come on, Gerry.
Yeah.
- Oh, fuck! - Fuck!
Aerial shots there. What a sight that is.
- Gerry! - Now we can see the crew climbing the ma…
…of the…
…crews climbing up there on the masts of the ships.
Just hundreds of thousands of spectators.
Right, Rob?
And millions more tuned into the telly, too, Dale.
And look at all those spectator crafts,
from yachts, to ferries, to families piled into dinghies.
They're all feeling that same sense of excitement.
You know what that looks like to me, Rob?
It looks like a birthday cake. And what an awful lot of candles
glittering on the ocean today.
Isn't that beautiful, Rob?
That is a sight to behold, Dale.
Gosh, it's hard not to feel a sense of that Aussie spirit.
Isn't it? What an absolute ripper.
What a ripper indeed.
Now let's go again back to those gorgeous aerial shots.
Magnificent. You can see the…
Oh.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!
Listen, mate, I'm nervous, I'm still nervous,
you keep an eye on things here.
- Keep an eye on things here. - Okay.
Okay?
…summer day,
and here we are, another glorious view of the tall ships,
with the News at Six exclusive helicopter
off Sydney Harbor.
Hope we haven't interrupted any of your Bicentennial celebrations?
No. I promise you, no.
Um, so I have Alan confirmed.
And Noelene I should hear back from tonight.
I think she's a yes. I'm sorry it's taken so long.
We actually wanted to discuss the producer position just one more time
'cause Walshy reminded me
that we have a great candidate that I'd overlooked.
Bill McFarlane.
Covered Washington for us in the '70s.
He's been back recently
doing some exceptional work on the Iran-Contra affair.
Really strong.
There's no Australian who knows the terrain better.
- And he's a major fan of you. - Huge fan.
Okay.
I mean, for me, it's really more about energy and tenacity.
Noelene's hungry and I really feel that she's…
Well, from our perspective, it's…
The US campaign trail is incredibly stressful.
It's a marathon. And we just feel that
having a more experienced set of hands would help.
Oh.
So this is about me?
This is about who would best complement you.
And that's no longer my choice?
Could we have a minute?
Of course.
- Walshy? - Sure.
I mean, I was pretty clear in our first meeting
that I don't work well under older, rigid sets of hands.
It's the reason I left News at Six and why I wanted to work with you.
Is that the only reason you left News at Six?
You been talking to Lindsay?
Anything he says I take with a grain of salt.
Well, what did he say?
That campaign trail would test anyone, physically and psychologically.
So we'll get back to you with our decision.
Have a great flight.
Thank you.
Carol.
Can you send Walshy back in, please?
And coming into view right now
the Prince and Princess of Wales.
And isn't the Princess looking stunning?
Both elegant and festive
in a beautiful aqua-green ensemble with cream trim.
Reception's on the line.
- Helen's here. - What?
Asking for you.
- She's been calling as well. - Tell her I'm not here.
She knows you're here.
Apparently she's already on her way up.
Oh, Jesus… Better make meself scarce.
What a day for my bloody gout to flare up.
Jean.
Hello, Helen.
I know what you've been saying to Vincent Callahan and I want you to stop.
We're done, we're out
and we never have to see each other again.
Okay?
Fair enough by me.
But you know it's, um, not just me who's been talking to Vincent.
Everyone has something to say about you, Helen.
I mean, everyone in this office has a Helen Norville story to share.
Oh.
And you think any of them have anything nice to say about you?
Everyone fucking hates you.
Even fucking Dennis had a knife out for you.
Do you know that?
Had it all set up with Charlie Tate.
And they don't even know the worst of it.
What is the worst of it, Helen?
You really want to go there?
Oh, why not? We're both here.
What's the worst of it?
I don't have any friends. Boo-hoo-fuckin'-hoo!
I don't need these people to be my friends.
They fucking work for me.
Whatever you think I've done to you,
whatever you think anyone has done to you,
it pales into insignificance to what you've done to yourself!
You're all over the place like a mad woman's shit.
What happened to that ambitious young woman?
Do you remember her?
She came here and she would do anything to get on the desk.
And she did everything, and more.
She got there.
But when she got there, she didn't use her talent,
or her integrity, and certainly not her looks.
Did she, Helen?
You remember?
And she had it all.
And she threw it all away.
And now she's all alone.
No one to clean up after you. No one to cling to. Alone.
And off to America. Whoo!
How's that gonna go for you, do you think?
Best be careful, Helen,
'cause you might come home in the cargo hold.
But you know, Helen?
Good luck in America, Helen Kaasik!
Or whatever you're gonna call yourself.
You make sure, Helen…
…historic and splendid occasion…
…you pack lots of valium!
You're gonna need it!
…and not least in the United Kingdom…
Well, what are you looking at, ya bunch of raggedy-arsed gypsy bastards?
Nothing to do?
There's a one-in-200-year news event!
Nothing to do? Get on with it!
Jean.
Get Dennis.
Hello?
Ah, okay.
That was Noelene.
Says you'd better think twice about going back to the office.
You need to go after Helen?
Noels…
I feel like such a dickhead for saying all that last night.
Well, you didn't say anything I wasn't expecting.
A year's a long time.
Well, I woke up this morning and I just thought,
"You absolute wanker.
"You had one dream in life, right?
"To play in a grand final team. And you got it.
"But Noels hasn't had that yet."
You really want it? The job?
And for those of you who've been with us since early morning,
what a fitting crescendo this is.
Sydney Harbor alight…
- …like never before. - What are you doing in here?
Rob's been looking for you, Jean's been looking for you.
Dennis, tell me, are you hiding from me?
- No, I was just coming out. - When? After midnight?
Now, mate, I realize this is coming from Helen,
which means it's about eight times removed
from even a skerrick of the truth,
but are you doing deals with Little Chuck about me?
- Jesus Christ! - Look, look, look.
I met with Charlie. It was only brief.
- There's no deal, Lindsay, okay? - You hear from the CEO,
- you come to me, I'm your boss. - He owns the network.
- He owns half of Australia! - He owns fuck-all, Dennis!
Jesus, mate, you do not realize how lucky you've been.
There is no other bloke in Australian television
that would've given you the chances I gave you!
A pissweak, half-arsed
coffee boy in a bad acrylic vest…
Sorry.
I should call first-aid.
No, no, no. Don't call anyone. Give me a hand.
Come on.
Dennis, you never apologize for a good punch in the face.
It is better than a head job to give you focus. Huh?
What did you get in your deal?
Come on, tell me. Tell me, tell me.
$50,000, Lindsay.
50 grand?
You never even got anywhere near that.
Oh, Dennis, you're not very good at this, are you?
You poor sausage.
But you are good at your job.
I'll give you 60.
What an extraordinary finish there.
A cascade of lights
spilling into the harbor, setting the city…
…and indeed the nation alight.
Of course the Bicentennial commemorations
will continue as we look towards the rest of the royal tour,
the cultural and sporting highlights
and, of course, to World Expo '88 in Brisbane.
I'm Dale Jennings.
This has been News at Six. Good night, Australia.
And we're out!
Great job, Dale.
Well done, Dale.
Great job, mate, well done.
Well done, Dale.
That was grouse, Dale.
Good stuff.
Righto, mate.
Hi.
- Hi. - Come in.
Sorry I'm late.
Please take a seat. Um… can I get you something?
Like wine or a water or a tea?
- Or… - I'm… I'm fine, thank you.
Okay.
- Hm. - Hm.
Rob and I got engaged.
Oh.
Congratulations.
Thanks.
He asked me last night.
I had to tell him about your offer straightaway.
It took him a moment,
but today he said he would support my choice.
That he would wait for me.
But I've decided to decline your offer.
I'm so sorry.
I really appreciate you thinking of me.
And… I know I would've loved the job.
- Mm-hm. - But…
It's okay. I totally understand.
I know this isn't the choice you would've made,
but the landscape looks different for me.
- Helen? - Mm-hm.
You're going to be incredible.
And I'll be watching.
Well…
…okay.
Let me walk you out and thank you so very much
for taking the time
to tell me…
…all that in person.
Congratulations again.
Bye.
You've reached Dale Jennings. I'm unable to attend the phone right now.
Please leave me a message.
Dale, it's Geoff Walters here.
I just wanted to offer my sincere congratulations.
We watched the entire telecast.
Geoff. Sorry. I'm here.
Stellar job, Dale.
You left the competition in the dust.
Well… thank you.
Means a great deal.
I feared…
as I left the desk, the, uh…
that there was a dearth of great newsmen left.
I underestimated you, Dale.
The, um, Golden Couple was clearly just a stepping stone.
If I was in PR, I'd brand you the 'King of News'.
You've earned it.
Good job, lad.
Hi.
When's your flight?
I'm… I'm not going.
What?
I've got Donna Gillies coming over today.
And I'm just…
I'm gonna give her the story.
The story about why I'm not leaving.
I'm gonna tell her that, um…
that I couldn't pack… yesterday.
That I…
That I watched you on the television all day…
…and realized…
how much I missed you.
And then you came over to say goodbye and…
and I just couldn't leave.
'Cause I…
I… I don't function without you.
Helen…
I don't have, um…
I don't have a ring or anything like that, but…
Dale Jennings…
will you marry me?
Helen, I…
Helen, I love you.
But we can't do this.
No.
What do I do, though?
You do your job.
Uh, sorry, I… I…
Helen's not here. Would you like to come in?
I'm aware of the story you're pursuing about me.
I know who you've been calling.
Obviously I was going to approach you for a response.
And I can take a comment now, if you like.
If you print that story, you will sell a lot of copies.
For one edition.
I can offer you so much more.
You see, Helen's left.
Geoff's stepped back.
I'm the face of the news now.
Millions of people turn to me for stability and assurance…
because they trust me.
And that relationship is very important to me.
It could be very valuable to you…
because they are going to keep turning to me,
every night, for decades.
For the rest of your life, Donna.
Because a great newsreader…
is forever.
Now…
if you print that story…
all that's gone.
But… if you don't…
I'll remember.
And I promise you…
it will pay off handsomely.
…please make your way to gate 12.
And in five, four…
Well, it's the morning after as Australia and the world reflect on
some of our nation's biggest ever celebrations.
Record-breaking crowds watched the spectacle on the harbor,
as protesters filled Sydney streets.
The re-enactment of the First Fleet
was cheered on by hundreds of thousands.
Among them Prince Charles, Princess Diana and Prime Minister Bob Hawke.
And the international media covered all of it extensively.
For a complete Bicentennial round-up
as well as highlights of all the key events,
you're in exactly the right place.
Our reporters around the nation are standing by,
and soon we'll be crossing live to Melbourne
as the Prince and Princess of Wales continue their royal tour.
I'm Dale Jennings. Welcome to News at Six.