Today Show

[MorningNews 1437]

Weekend Today coming from Washington DC to limit travel for their two weekend anchors Alexander and Welker.

[TheRolyPoly 2377]

On 3/11/2020 at 7:14 PM, DonDonP1 said:

If that happens, then may I suggest that hour five would be stream exclusively on Peacock?

Or make the fourth and fifth hours available on Peacock. Because even 13 years later, I still think a four-hour morning show from NBC is just too much. Affiliates would love to take that 10AM hour to themselves again.

 

EDIT: If affiliates like WBAL-TV Baltimore don't even air the 10AM hour, then just put it on Peacock and leave it there.

Edited March 14, 2020 by TheRolyPoly

[nydem2015 52]

52 minutes ago, TheRolyPoly said:

How about just having two hours of today?

 

[RGSJenkins 434]

COVID-19 has reached Today. Al Roker and Craig Melvin off for a day while Savannah and Hoda sit further apart at the main desk.

https://pagesix.com/2020/03/16/al-roker-craig-melvin-off-today-after-staffer-diagnosed-with-coronavirus/?_ga=2.214180887.1207132350.1584370427-260823490.1584370427

[nathannah 2402]

1 hour ago, RGSJenkins said:

COVID-19 has reached Today. Al Roker and Craig Melvin off for a day while Savannah and Hoda sit further apart at the main desk.

https://pagesix.com/2020/03/16/al-roker-craig-melvin-off-today-after-staffer-diagnosed-with-coronavirus/?_ga=2.214180887.1207132350.1584370427-260823490.1584370427

And because of the situation, a number of taped interviews with Al and Craig usually presented as 'live' through the day had a subtle 'Pre-recorded' bug in the corner.

[MediaZone4K 2161]

On 3/14/2020 at 5:17 PM, nydem2015 said:

 

If anything they need to shorten Today and improve the 7-9 block. The content is already dumbed down enough in the first 2 hours, even worse in the following two. IMO, networks need to adopt a less is more attitude given how satuarted the market is, and how much quality seems to be suffering in the name of quantity (especially cable news). 

Edited March 16, 2020 by iron_lion

[JacobC 44]

On 3/14/2020 at 5:17 PM, nydem2015 said:

On 3/14/2020 at 5:17 PM, nydem2015 said:

 

We need NBC to give the 9-11am slots back to their affiliates PERIOD. No more third and fourth hour please, it is enough

Edited March 16, 2020 by JacobC

[MorningNews 1437]

I don’t see that happening. Isn’t the 4th hour of Today pretty successful and generally more popular than the 3rd hour? Plus the show’s arch rival is eagerly finding opportunities to expand their current 2-hour format.

[nydem2015 52]

3 hours ago, MorningNews said:

I don’t see that happening. Isn’t the 4th hour of Today pretty successful and generally more popular than the 3rd hour? Plus the show’s arch rival is eagerly finding opportunities to expand their current 2-hour format.

Then at the very least put the forth hour on at the third hours time and get rid of the third hour. Have Hoda just do the third/forth hour and make Craig Melvin a co-anchor.

[nickp 337]

If Al Roker can do National Weather from his kitchen, we can all work well from home!

[Spintech33 126]

12 hours ago, JacobC said:

We need NBC to give the 9-11am slots back to their affiliates PERIOD. No more third and fourth hour please, it is enough

Not happening anytime soon. NBC is very creative in finding ways to make their 3rd and 4th hours of today and as @MorningNews indicated those 2 hours are pretty popular.

[MediaZone4K 2161]

16 hours ago, nydem2015 said:

Then at the very least put the forth hour on at the third hours time and get rid of the third hour. Have Hoda just do the third/forth hour and make Craig Melvin a co-anchor.

I could 100% get on board with that (I'd prefer Craig & Hoda as the co-anchors though). 

 

If the fourth hour should remain, I'd axe Today's Take, rebrand Hoda & Jenna as Later Today ('The Today Show After Show'), give them a live studio audience, and have them do the show from the plaza (on weather permitting days). The plaza has been really underutilized in the past few years.

 

The current Today show is no prize but its a bit better than the OTT tabloidness of GMA. 

Edited March 17, 2020 by iron_lion

[Action Newsroom 1263]

17 hours ago, nydem2015 said:

Then at the very least put the fourth hour on at the third hour's time and get rid of the third hour. Have Hoda just do the

third/fourth hour and make Craig Melvin a co-anchor.

The third hour still has good ratings (and still makes bank for the network). Replacing it with a syndicated talk show that has a bigger chance of cancellation and smaller chance of earning revenue more than possibly won't work.

 

39 minutes ago, iron_lion said:

rebrand Hoda & Jenna as Later Today ('The Today Show After Show')

Why should Hoda and Jenna's show be named after a failed expansion in the late '90s that everyone's forgotten by now or a name that (IMO) would turn most away, when their names and chemistry will bring in viewers in droves?

[MorningNews 1437]

Exactly. Especially in morning television you don't have to be #1 to still make an insane amount of cash for the network. It's much cheaper to produce more Today instead of finding a syndicated program and it's a model that Good Morning America is trying to mold around to as well.

[MediaZone4K 2161]

I get the business perspective. IDK if others agree, IMO the reason there is a call for axing the last two hours is from a content POV. Unfortunately in broadcast news these days, quality and profitablity seem to be mutally exculsive (CABLE NEWS). I'll agree that yet another generic talk show isnt the answer. But as you both pointed out they will most likely go with the cheaper option.

Edited March 18, 2020 by iron_lion

[Georgie56 3293]

Savannah is anchoring from her house tomorrow.

 

 

 

[nathannah 2402]

15 minutes ago, Georgie56 said:

Savannah is anchoring from her house tomorrow.

Let's just hope she's made sure to keep all eye-seeking toys from her kids out of the room.

[atlnewsfan03 78]

On 3/16/2020 at 7:55 PM, JacobC said:

We need NBC to give the 9-11am slots back to their affiliates PERIOD. No more third and fourth hour please, it is enough

I doubt NBC would return 2 hours of daytime programming back to its affiliates.  My thinking would be... Why not bring back the soaps?

I miss seeing the soaps, especially Another World.  At least NBC still has Days of our Lives, which got renewed for its 56th season.

[JacobC 44]

19 minutes ago, atlnewsfan03 said:

I doubt NBC would return 2 hours of daytime programming back to its affiliates.  My thinking would be... Why not bring back the soaps?

I miss seeing the soaps, especially Another World.  At least NBC still has Days of our Lives, which got renewed for its 56th season.

Ohh that’s the question we can observe. 

[MorningNews 1437]

1 hour ago, Georgie56 said:

Savannah is anchoring from her house tomorrow.

 

 

 

Gimmicky. Al presented the weather from his kitchen today. Seems like they could easily find someone to fill in.

[24994J 5560]

37 minutes ago, MorningNews said:

Gimmicky. Al presented the weather from his kitchen today. Seems like they could easily find someone to fill in.

 

This.

[Jase 1042]

2 hours ago, Georgie56 said:

Savannah is anchoring from her house tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

Guess it's asking too much for people to take this matter seriously and not make it about themselves. Disgraceful. 

[MediaZone4K 2161]

3 hours ago, atlnewsfan03 said:

I doubt NBC would return 2 hours of daytime programming back to its affiliates.  My thinking would be... Why not bring back the soaps?

I miss seeing the soaps, especially Another World.  At least NBC still has Days of our Lives, which got renewed for its 56th season.

Said the same thing to myself, would love to have so many of them back. Sadly soaps have displayed poor writing & budget in the past 15 or less years so we may face the same dilema as bad talk shows.

 

(BUT) If we were to reboot any soaps Id say bring back 30 min reboots of All My Children and One Life to Live, if NBC could get the rights. They have a decent amount of fanbase and momentum left behind them, and the 30-minute format should help cut down on the actors and overall budget to deliver better produced programs. But again from that pesky business perspective networks most likely wouldn't do it.

 

The other hour in the gap could be filled by bringing Steve Harvey's talk show back. He was better than a lot of the newer talk shows, and that's a safe bet, because if I'm not mistaken he had decent ratings. (Kelly Clarkson's show is surprisingly not terrible though). I'm sure NBC wouldn't do that given the behind the scenes production dispute.

Edited March 18, 2020 by iron_lion

[Action Newsroom 1263]

2 hours ago, atlnewsfan03 said:

My thinking would be... Why not bring back the soaps?

I miss seeing the soaps, especially Another World.  At least NBC still has Days of our Lives, which got renewed for its 56th season.

Nope. Soap operas cost way more than talk shows. They're extremely expensive and need to be a hit out of the gate - with the actors, writers, directors, producers and BTS staff needing to be paid to do this stuff every day in advance of their airings. Meanwhile, a talker host could say corny jokes, interview B-listers and shill women's products for half with interns for staff (hyperbole).

 

Exhibit A: The TOLN Revivals of All My Children and One Life to Live. 

[MorningNews 1437]

Is Saturday Today now 7-8:30 around the country? KXAS, WNBC and others air it for 1.5 hours but WMAQ is still showing a 2 hour program. 
 

Anyone know when this change took place?