Sorkin stands by 'Newsroom', denies firing writing staff

Sorkin also shrugged off criticism that his female characters mess up more on their jobs than the male journalists, saying all the characters in the show were deeply flawed.

And he said the first season has already been filmed, so he could not make changes even if he wanted to.

Jeff Daniels plays cranky TV anchorman Will McAvoy, who is on a mission to present the news without commercial or corporate obstacles. Daniels has made clear he had no time for critics.

"It took me a long time as an actor to stop reading you," Daniels told the TV critics on Wednesday. "If Aaron is happy, if HBO is happy, and I am happy when I leave the set, I hate to say it is great. ... There is nothing you can tell me, I am sorry to say, that will help me as an actor."