Personalities: September 2003 Archives
After taking about a year off from watching the news (due to a complete loss of confidence in most news reporting in a post 9/11 U.S.) I have just recently started watching again and the news show I find most interesting, informative, and enjoyable to watch is Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN. The show just started a few weeks ago, but I find myself watching it almost everyday. It is not a normal sit at the desk sorta show. It's a little faster paced and has a sense of humor. The reporting is strong and the topics covered are relevant and interesting. Anderson Cooper is a great host. He has been at CNN for a while doing desk stuff but previous to that he was at ABC where he did stuff for Primetime Live, hosted their reality show The Mole, and I loved him as the host of the great overnight news program World News Now. He got his TV start on the in the classroom news show Channel One, which is a 12 to 14 minute news show shown in thousands of high schools every morning. Channel One's alumni also features Lisa Ling of The View and Serena Altschul of CNN and formerly of MTV.
I just read something that said Anderson Cooper 360 is getting really crummy ratings. When I read this about shows that I like it makes me feel helpless and manic (I also just read something about Craig Kilborn doing poorly). What do you folks think I can do as a caring supporter of these shows to help them stay on the air long??
A new newsman for a new world.
I have had the Replay TV tape each of the 5 big late night talk shows (leno, letterman, kimmel, conan, kilborn) once a week for the last couple weeks. It has been oppressive. Having to watch Leno once a week has been miserable, and Letterman is no better. I used to be a huge Letterman fan (1980's NBC show), but his show now is so tired. Leno is just flat out unfunny, and I find his report with guests to be depressing. If he has someone interesting on it is clear that he has a hard time following their more complex humor or intellect. Jimmy Kimmel's show is interesting. I really enjoy the rotating weekly guest host, and doing his "monologue" at the desk is interesting. He always has one more guest (usually 4 a night) than the other shows due to a shortened monologue, but Kimmel's humor is not outstanding. With all that said, the show can be interesting. Conan is good. I have been entrenched in a battle for years because nobody will ever watch Kilborn because Conan is so good, and that made me bitter for awhile, but Conan is funny. Sometimes he is a little predictable (in the way that he sorta repeats the same thing a lot) at times, but puts on an entertaining show every night. Kilborn is the underdog. I love him. I love his smarmy style. I love how he can have a guest who I don't give a rat's ass about and still make it interesting. I love his glamorous 1950's Hollywood character and set. Watch him if you never have!
Ratings:
Leno
2/10 - Sometimes good guests can make the show interesting. Otherwise - don't bother
Letterman
3/10 - A once brilliant comedian is now old and tired.
Kimmel
5/10 - Interesting new ideas. Sometimes really flat. Sometimes pretty fresh.
Conan
7.5/10 - Consistently good. Skits, banter, musical dudes. Sometimes feels like you've seen the same jokes before.
Kilborn
8/10 - A great talk show. Not perfect, just barely better than Conan, but a great personality, and feel.
Well, that was over quick. MTV just cancelled Tom Green's newish talk show (The New Tom Green Show). MTV is blaming it on plummeting ratings, and is quick to point out that Tom will still be developing new projects with MTV. It never seemed to be the right format for Tom, as an unhealthy awkwardness always ran the show it seemed. Also, one of the huge problems with the show was their inability to land interesting guests. It seemed like they never knew who would be on the show the next day, and the majority of the guests were just from other MTV shows. I like Tom Green. I hope he finds something that works soon.
