10. Dana Whitaker
Show: Sports Night Played by: Felicity Huffman Sports Night shares a lot of the same make-up as The Newsroom. Both shows are a behind the scenes look at a broadcast news show. So naturally, a lot of the character make-up is the same. One of the most frustrating parts of The Newsroom is the character MacKenzie McHale. Emily Mortimer is a fine actress, but she never seems to deliver the lines in a way that makes me believe shes in that universe. Why do I bring this up now? Dana Whitaker is the Executive Producer for Sports Night, essentially the MacKenzie to the two anchors of the show Casey McCall and Dan Rydell oh, and she was also romantically connected to Casey McCall in the past, familiar?). Dana is a fleshed out character. Her career and putting on a good show are the most important things in her life. Shes sharp, witty, and is usually a driving force for story in Sports Nights two year run. Her mic-to-mic banter with the two anchors is wonderful, and she introduced me to the word persnickety. Oh, and dont ask her about Sally Sasser.
Fun Fact: Her brother plays defense for the Denver Broncos