RIP - "Today" Show?

[htmlcc92]

For anyone who watches (or is familiar with) Today on NBC:

Ann Curry announced this morning that she has a new role at NBC, basically, a role that they've given her to keep her off of Today and (hopefully) what they think will improve ratings. This comes after over a week of speculations that Ann would be kicked off of the Today show. I personally think it will drop ratings. Ann is far from the problem of the ratings falling short during the so-called "ratings wars" over the past 16 years, especially so this past May.

She is a heck of a lot better than Kathie Lee and Hoda, and even Matt. She, in my opinion, was the only real true journalist on the show. I do admit that she deserves a lot better than what Today has turned into (a variety show, "fluffy stories", etc.), but the way she left / was let go was like what some people say when NBC gave Conan O'Brien the Tonight Show job, and then pulled the plug after five months. At least they gave Ann a year.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/ann-curry-breaks-down-tears-today-video-130451298--finance.html

Anyone's thoughts?

[JohnHolder]

NBC is fourth in prime-time ratings, which affects the audience for the entire broadcast day. They're making Ann Curry the scapegoat for something that isn't her fault.

[JerseyBob]

I have never been a regular viewer of The Today Show and this move by NBC will certainly not change that.  Curry seems nice enough, so I doubt she is the problem.  NBC is in bad shape in almost every aspect which leads me to believe the real problem, at least in part, is in management.

[howierules86]

I'm actually one of the few people who thought Ann Curry was actually a step up from (the incredibly overrated, IMO) Meredith Vieira. If I find out Ann gets replaced by either Hoda or Kathie Lee, I'm never watching the first two Today hours ever again. However, if either Natalie Morales ( ) or Savannah Guthrie ( ) replaces Ann, then I won't mind it nearly as much. Oh, and for the record, IMO:

Natalie Morales & Savannah Guthrie >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 4th hour hosts

[William]

Oh, and for the record, IMO:

Natalie Morales & Savannah Guthrie >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 4th hour hosts

I'll give you one better: replace the third and fourth hour with Card Sharks, Wheel of Fortune, High Rollers, and The Hollywood Squares.

[JohnHolder]

The Today show's current formula:
First two hours: Hard news
Third hour: Features, interviews, soft news
Fourth hour: Kathie Lee Gifford talking about her kids

[htmlcc92]

I'm actually one of the few people who thought Ann Curry was actually a step up from (the incredibly overrated, IMO) Meredith Vieira.

I did not like Meredith on a show like Today. She is perfectly fine (in my opinion) as host of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, but not a network news program.

I also like Savannah, and from what I read yesterday, NBC had officially offered Ann's co-anchor job to her, and I hope she accepts (light years better than, like you said, Hoda Kotb or Kathlie Lee - especially Hoda).

[JerseyBob]

I'll give you one better: replace the third and fourth hour with Card Sharks, Wheel of Fortune, High Rollers, and The Hollywood Squares.

What, no room for a Password revival?   

[someguy23475]

Cancel the show and give at least two hours back to the affiliates. The local stations could probably bring in more revenue expanding their local news.

[JohnHolder]

Cancel the show and give at least two hours back to the affiliates. The local stations could probably bring in more revenue expanding their local news.

Thereby reducing NBC's network programming between 9 AM and 6:30 PM to one hour?

[someguy23475]

I thought it was two hours- Today is three hours, plus Days of Our Lives.

[SuperMatch93]

Serious question here, being a GMA fan:

What exactly is the point of the fourth hour?

[William]

What exactly is the point of the fourth hour?

There's not a point to it. It was just laziness on NBC's part as a quick replacement for Passions. It's been said numerous times that they were actually going to replace Passions with a new hour-long revival of Concentration, taped at 30 Rock and hosted by Matt Lauer (who is actually my first choice to host a revival if there ever is one).

Why they went with Kathie Lee and Hoda is a mystery, but the "official" reasoning is because NBC was afraid that there wouldn't be enough station clearences. So I guess they just went with something cheaper.

I have also heard elsewhere that it was the third hour of Today that was originally supposed to be Concentration back in 2000, but I'm not sure that is true or not.

What, no room for a Password revival?

I only listed NBC game shows. But it would be nice for CBS to cut The Talk in half and have a Password revival at 2:00pm.

[JohnHolder]

I thought it was two hours- Today is three hours, plus Days of Our Lives.

Today is four hours, 7-11, on most stations, and Days 1-2 Eastern. There are some stations that don't clear the third hour and quite a few that don't clear the fourth or run it on tape-delay.

I don't think the fourth hour was intended as just a cheap replacement for a soap or game shows. I think they had something like The View in mind.

[BRB_TheFireball]

But it would be nice for CBS to cut The Talk in half and have a Password revival at 2:00pm.

Fixed that for you...