Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Sunday Morning

 

The Washington Post had an interesting story this week on the Sunday morning network talk shows.  The bottom line is that the networks are tweaking formats to bring back some of the luster the shows once had.  Talking heads are out.  Remote locations are in.

Mixed feelings.

Talking heads are good-- if they are the right talking heads.

Roone Arledge and David Brinkley invigorated Sunday mornings when "This Week" launched in 1981.  It was a simple, yet interesting format:  a quick review of the news since the Sunday newspapers went to bed, a story that set up the day's topic, a major interview, and the roundtable discussion.  Brinkley wrapped it up with a quick and wry essay at the end.  It was simply a fun show to watch and Brinkley made it work.

Bob Schieffer had that folksy charm at CBS and Tony Snow was razor sharp on FOX.

Snow and Brinkley are gone.  Schieffer retired.  The replacements on all four networks, plus cable are OK, but they don't have the charm and charisma of their predecessors.

It's not the formats.  It's the people.

Maybe the formats have to be tweaked because there are no replacements for the giants.