5. The Abdication Of Pope Benedict XVI
While ACN in their freshman season tended to stick mainly to national headlines, the unprecedented abdication of Pope Benedict XVI this past February rocked the foundations of the Catholic Church worldwide. While it wouldn't necessarily produce the most captivating hour of television of all time, this story is at least worth a mention or two, possibly as a tool for character development. Maybe Will, a moderate Republican, is a man of deep faith and the Holy See's resignation affects him in some way. Maybe a member of the news team was a victim of childhood sexual abuse by the clergy and begins to question the Pope's motives in resigning office. The possibilities are endless and it would be a shame to see this event go unnoticed.