Will McAvoy is the main anchor of ACN (Atlantis Cable Network) prime time news show - News Night. He was a star high school athlete who blew out his knee on a bad pitch. This led him to study law instead, becoming an assistant US prosecuter with a stellar winstreak. He became a legal commentator for ACN by 2000. This was why his boss, Charlie Skinner, head of the new division, had to put Will on the air during the Twin Towers attack on September 11, 2001, because the original main anchors for both NYC and DC bureaus were stuck in the traffic mess throughout New York City and Washington DC. Will's calm demeanor and compassionate persona helped carry ACN's broadcast over the following 24-hours and earned him the chair that he has since occupied.Around 2005, he became seriously involved with his then executive producer, MacKenzie (Mac) McHale. Together, they produced a widely respected and popular news show that regularly had high ratings. However, Will found out Mac was also sleeping with her ex-boyfriend. He broke off with her, and Mac left the show and ended up as an embedded journalist with various Marine and Army units in Afghanistan, Iraq, and (unofficially) Pakistan. Will withdrew into himself and decided to become the perfect anchorman, expressing no political agendas, and taking no sides.As the series starts, Will has been in the anchor chair of the 2nd most watched news program on cable television. He obsesses about his overnight numbers, to the point of daily morning reviews and strategy sessions with the president of ACN, Reese Lansing. However, Charlie wants his original anchorman back. So when Will finally breaks down and gives his real opinions on politics, priorities, and American's self-delusion of greatness, he really makes the news since the rant was uploaded to YouTube, going viral. He takes a three week vacation. In the meantime, Charlie leaps at this opportunity to get rid of the current executive producer and bring back MacKenzie McHale to produce Real News , instead of the bland stuff he's stuck with since her departure.The first program they do together - on the fly - is about the Gulf oil blowout that might be the largest environmental disaster. Life gets more interesting for Will as he reluctanly adjusts to the new priorities Mac brings to the new and improved ACN newsroom. Show less «