Two Years on Another Planet: ...or is it Alaska?

by David Bernknopf

A workplace dramedy set in the wildest environment on this or any planet.   The team at Alaska's only TV newsroom try their best to keep residents of the largest, loneliest and most isolated part of the country informed. They do it while avoiding wild moose, angry bears, and angrier politicians...all while suffering through piles of snow and months of dark. You'll wonder how some of the staff at Alaska's News Spot ever got hired, but then, who you gonna get who's any better up there? 

It's beautiful, but nuts. 

Dan Rilman moves to Alaska as Executive Producer of the state's only investigative news team. He immediately butts head with his oddball chief reporter Jeff Taggert. Somehow, they must figure out a way to work together and cover the entire giant state of Alaska. Their most persistent adversary is Anchorage Mayor Maeve Grambel. One of her ideas is to give homeless people fishing gear so they can feed themselves. The Alaska News Spot newsroom is filled with hardworking, dedicated staffers, but not necessarily folks who'd easily find work elsewhere.

274 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 28, 2026

Reviews

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I LOVE this book. It is written with a humor that made me laugh out loud. It was engrossing and I honestly couldn't wait to see what was next. I haven't gone through the playlist yet but plan to.

It tells the story of a journalist who spends two years in Alaska and even though it is fictional, it is telling plain truths about Alaska that I find fascinating. It gently pokes fun at those truths while being poignant at the same time. I highly recommend it.