Posted in: Preview, Showtime, Trailer, TV | Tagged: 2008, bleeding cool, cable, drama, episode 3, fox, fox news, Gretchen Carlson, naomi watts, preview, Roger Ailes, russell crowe, Season 1, showtime, streaming, television, the loudest voice, tv

"The Loudest Voice" Episode 3 "2008": Roger Ailes, FOX News Look to "Big Bad" President Obama [PREVIEW]

This Sunday, Showtime viewers continue witnessing the birth of Fox News (we'll leave it to you to determine if that's a blessing or a curse) and the fall of Roger Ailes (Russell Crowe) as the cable network continues its seven-part limited series The Loudest Voice. Based on Gabriel Sherman's bestselling book The Loudest Voice in the Room as well as his reporting for New York magazine, the event series focuses on the allegations of sexual harassment that brought an end to the late FOX News founder's career. With Sherman and Tom McCarthy (Spotlight) co-writing the pilot and Kari Skogland (The Handmaid's Tale) directing, The Loudest Voice is one of this summer's most anxiously-awaited series.

Now, Showtime is offering a look at the third episode of the series "2008," when the election of President Barack Obama creates the ultimate "big bad" for Ailes' paritsan network. But for us, the episode's highlight is the introduction of Naomi Watts' Gretchen Carlson… as you'll see in the following promo:

The Loudest Voice season 1, episode 3 "2008": With the election of "Barack Hussein Obama," Roger and Fox News Channel have found the ultimate enemy—one that will drive Fox's coverage as well as cement their ratings at #1. Fighting to take full editorial control of Fox News, Roger finds himself in conflict with both his boss, Rupert Murdoch, and the Obama Administration. What no one suspects are the hidden depths of Roger's secret world. Directed by Jeremy Podeswa, and written byGabriel Sherman and Jennifer Stahl.

In the following preview, Ailes and Rupert Murdoch (Simon McBurney) clash about coverage of President Obama on FOX News.

Here's a Look at Showtime's "The Loudest Voice"…

In today's politically charged media landscape, no figure looms larger, even after his passing, than Roger Ailes, molding Fox News into a force that irrevocably changed the conversation about the highest levels of government. To understand the events that led to the rise of Donald Trump, one must understand Ailes.

The upcoming limited series takes on that challenge, focusing primarily on the past decade in which Ailes arguably became the Republican Party's de facto leader, while also touching on defining events in Ailes' life, including an initial meeting with Richard Nixon on the set of The Mike Douglas Show that gave birth to Ailes' political career and including the sexual harassment accusations and settlements that brought his Fox News reign to an end. Told through multiple points of view, the limited series aims to shed light on the psychology that drives the political process from the top down.

A Look Behind the Scenes…

Go behind the scenes to learn a little more about the late media giant, the network he created – and the Academy Award-winning actor who chose to portray him:

Annabelle Wallis (former Fox News booker Laurie Luhn), Aleksa Palladino (Ailes' longtime assistant Judy Laterza), and Naomi Watts (former FOX News anchor Gretchen Carlson) discuss their characters and how Ailes impacted their lives:

Showtime's The Loudest Voice also stars Sienna Miller as Ailes' wife Elizabeth, and Seth MacFarlane as former Fox News PR chief Brian Lewis. The limited series also stars Josh Charles as Casey Close, Gretchen Carlson's husband; and Josh Stamberg as former Fox executive, Bill Shine.

The Loudest Voice is a co-production between Showtime and Blumhouse Television (Sharp Objects, The Purge, Get Out). Crowe, McCarthy, and Skogland executive produce alongside Alex Metcalf and Jason Blum, as well as Marci Wiseman and Jeremy Gold for Blumhouse Television, and Liza Chasin for 3dot Productions.

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