Goodbye TV Dinner Boy as MSNBC Drifts ‘Funny Left’
Tomorrow Will Be Another Day — Without Tucker: Just got the good news that perennial MSNBC pain-in-the-rump Tucker Carlson is soon to be Gwine with the Wind, back to the Swanson plantation down home, oh lawzy, lawzy. Seems I’m not the only one who can’t stomach this pinheaded Connivy League huckster who claims wide-eyed that he’s a libertarian while he lugs water jugs for the Bush neocons. Rejoice and burn your bow-ties, people! And don’t worry about Tuck; he’ll have his very own fevered little column at The Corner and his family’s frozen TV dinner money to keep him from starving in the gutter. Hey, Friar Tuck (or is that Tired F…?) — say hello to Dennis Miller on your way down!
Speaking of which, MSNBC has made a conscious decision to ‘go progressive’ but, lest you think the Corporate Suits at GE/Universal have gone soft, it’s strictly a profit-motivated lurch to the left. Based on the ratings heat generated by the cable channel’s number one show, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, and various surveys demonstrating that, while competitor Bill O’Reilly may own the white walker crowd with one foot on the graveside banana peel, Olbermann pulls in the advertiser-coveted demographic, the 18-49s with more disposable income and a better education than the Fox News core audience. On top of that, he’s lately been beating Billo’s ratings part of the time to boot. As the polls show, the country is shifting left, becoming as liberal as it was in the 1960s, and NBC is hopping up on the bandwagon.
Right now, MSNBC is desperately seeking a good liberal follower for Keith to sew up prime time. While talks with Rosie O’Donnell have fallen apart, other names are rumored to be floating in the Peacock’s newly ‘green’ universe, including:
Jon Stewart: Yep, rumor has it that a pitch will be made to The Daily Show’s major domo, accompanied by an offer of a hefty bag of bucks to lure him to MSNBC and an hour-long version of TDS. Stewart’s show is Comedy Central’s ratings flagship and Viacom may balk at selling Jon’s contract, but enough money would settle that tiff quickly, and his contract is up in 2008 at any rate. Would Stewart make the jump? In a heartbeat, says the peanut gallery — he thinks he could build the time-slot into a numbers ‘millionaire,’ but he hasn’t been asked yet. Besides, Jon has a hankering for the NBC Late Night spot once Conan moves to The Tonight Show and a hit on MSNBC wouldn’t hurt. BTW, would Stewart bring DeeCee and NY Times satirical fave Stephen Colbert with him? Stay tuned.
Bill Maher: Word is Maher isn’t interested in the grind of an hour-long show five nights a week, and he’s still got time on his HBO contract. He might do a “Politically Incorrect” half-hour reprise, but only if the money’s big, maybe bigger than MSNBC wants to go. Another hold-up: Maher can let it all hang out on HBO — how far is NBC willing to back him if he goes crude, rude or politically outside the box?
Janeane Garofalo: She’s a verifiable celebrity to the youth market, and can write her own humorous political material, which is good and bad to the cable channel’s brass — how far over the edge would she go? She’s said to be disgusted by the way Air America Radio treated her, and not anxious to put her acting and stand-up career on hold just to be bossed around and censored by a bunch of MSNBC dweebs. If guaranteed her freedom and the money’s right, she might jump onboard, especially since she doesn’t have to leave New York to do it — she’s devoted to her dogs and wants to stay home with them. The betting is 2 to 1 in favor of this happening if Stewart and Maher bail.
Stephanie Miller: Impressed the suits on her brief fling in the morning slot replacing Imus, and MSNBC wants mucho comedy mixed with the news and politics, emulating Olbermann’s successful formula, but they’re concerned she doesn’t have enough of a name to draw viewers and they aren’t willing to give her time to build an audience. Still, her easy-going but trenchant style is appealing; she may get the slot by default, and she’ll benefit by holding onto Keith’s fans.
Lizz Winstead: The brilliant co-creator of The Daily Show is said to be near the top of the list but, like Miller, the execs don’t think she has the name or drawing power of a Stewart, Maher or Garofalo. That said, she’s an expert at the funny phony news program and that’s exactly what they want in the 9:00pm Eastern slot, so she’s alive if the top names turn it down.
Lily Tomlin: She’s got the celebrity, humor and politics, but she’s semi-retired and older than most of the Olbermann audience. Outside chance she’d do it, but she’s reportedly happy out of the show biz fray.
Samantha Bee: Hilarious TDS fake journalist suffers from the same ‘name reco’ problems of Miller and Winstead, and the added burden of whether she can handle the anchor chair for a full hour. She might snag it, if all other possibilities are exhausted.
Craig Kilborn: Not likely. Even though he hosted TDS prior to the Stewart era, he notched a late-night flop on CBS and is a little too smarmy/oily for what MSNBC is trying to do, but rumored to be on the short list, albeit near the bottom.
Other names that are said to be under consideration: Mark Maron (probably not — low name recognition and a ‘loose cannon’); Phil Donahue (forget about it after his last experience with MSNBC — besides he’s not a comedian); Jim Hightower (a long shot); Ed Schultz (faint chance, not telegenic, and, again, they want a comic); Greg Kinnear (The wildest of wild cards — he wants to stay a movie actor, but enough money might turn his head).
Expect Morning Joe to retire to Scarborough Country off-air once his contract’s up and Garofalo, Miller or Winstead to move into that AM slot. Although Joe’s desperately been leaning left to hold onto his gig, no one really buys his conversion and his braying style is annoying to half-awake viewers. Word is, Chris “Ha!” Matthews might also need to start looking for a job if the ‘funny politics and social commentary’ format takes hold, as his Hardball has been drooping of late.
The Tattlesnake — Here’s Your Hat, You Little Tucker, and Who’s Following Olbermann? Edition
Goodbye TV Dinner Boy as MSNBC Drifts ‘Funny Left’
Tomorrow Will Be Another Day — Without Tucker: Just got the good news that perennial MSNBC pain-in-the-rump Tucker Carlson is soon to be Gwine with the Wind, back to the Swanson plantation down home, oh lawzy, lawzy. Seems I’m not the only one who can’t stomach this pinheaded Connivy League huckster who claims wide-eyed that he’s a libertarian while he lugs water jugs for the Bush neocons. Rejoice and burn your bow-ties, people! And don’t worry about Tuck; he’ll have his very own fevered little column at The Corner and his family’s frozen TV dinner money to keep him from starving in the gutter. Hey, Friar Tuck (or is that Tired F…?) — say hello to Dennis Miller on your way down!
Speaking of which, MSNBC has made a conscious decision to ‘go progressive’ but, lest you think the Corporate Suits at GE/Universal have gone soft, it’s strictly a profit-motivated lurch to the left. Based on the ratings heat generated by the cable channel’s number one show, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, and various surveys demonstrating that, while competitor Bill O’Reilly may own the white walker crowd with one foot on the graveside banana peel, Olbermann pulls in the advertiser-coveted demographic, the 18-49s with more disposable income and a better education than the Fox News core audience. On top of that, he’s lately been beating Billo’s ratings part of the time to boot. As the polls show, the country is shifting left, becoming as liberal as it was in the 1960s, and NBC is hopping up on the bandwagon.
Right now, MSNBC is desperately seeking a good liberal follower for Keith to sew up prime time. While talks with Rosie O’Donnell have fallen apart, other names are rumored to be floating in the Peacock’s newly ‘green’ universe, including:
Jon Stewart: Yep, rumor has it that a pitch will be made to The Daily Show’s major domo, accompanied by an offer of a hefty bag of bucks to lure him to MSNBC and an hour-long version of TDS. Stewart’s show is Comedy Central’s ratings flagship and Viacom may balk at selling Jon’s contract, but enough money would settle that tiff quickly, and his contract is up in 2008 at any rate. Would Stewart make the jump? In a heartbeat, says the peanut gallery — he thinks he could build the time-slot into a numbers ‘millionaire,’ but he hasn’t been asked yet. Besides, Jon has a hankering for the NBC Late Night spot once Conan moves to The Tonight Show and a hit on MSNBC wouldn’t hurt. BTW, would Stewart bring DeeCee and NY Times satirical fave Stephen Colbert with him? Stay tuned.
Bill Maher: Word is Maher isn’t interested in the grind of an hour-long show five nights a week, and he’s still got time on his HBO contract. He might do a “Politically Incorrect” half-hour reprise, but only if the money’s big, maybe bigger than MSNBC wants to go. Another hold-up: Maher can let it all hang out on HBO — how far is NBC willing to back him if he goes crude, rude or politically outside the box?
Janeane Garofalo: She’s a verifiable celebrity to the youth market, and can write her own humorous political material, which is good and bad to the cable channel’s brass — how far over the edge would she go? She’s said to be disgusted by the way Air America Radio treated her, and not anxious to put her acting and stand-up career on hold just to be bossed around and censored by a bunch of MSNBC dweebs. If guaranteed her freedom and the money’s right, she might jump onboard, especially since she doesn’t have to leave New York to do it — she’s devoted to her dogs and wants to stay home with them. The betting is 2 to 1 in favor of this happening if Stewart and Maher bail.
Stephanie Miller: Impressed the suits on her brief fling in the morning slot replacing Imus, and MSNBC wants mucho comedy mixed with the news and politics, emulating Olbermann’s successful formula, but they’re concerned she doesn’t have enough of a name to draw viewers and they aren’t willing to give her time to build an audience. Still, her easy-going but trenchant style is appealing; she may get the slot by default, and she’ll benefit by holding onto Keith’s fans.
Lizz Winstead: The brilliant co-creator of The Daily Show is said to be near the top of the list but, like Miller, the execs don’t think she has the name or drawing power of a Stewart, Maher or Garofalo. That said, she’s an expert at the funny phony news program and that’s exactly what they want in the 9:00pm Eastern slot, so she’s alive if the top names turn it down.
Lily Tomlin: She’s got the celebrity, humor and politics, but she’s semi-retired and older than most of the Olbermann audience. Outside chance she’d do it, but she’s reportedly happy out of the show biz fray.
Samantha Bee: Hilarious TDS fake journalist suffers from the same ‘name reco’ problems of Miller and Winstead, and the added burden of whether she can handle the anchor chair for a full hour. She might snag it, if all other possibilities are exhausted.
Craig Kilborn: Not likely. Even though he hosted TDS prior to the Stewart era, he notched a late-night flop on CBS and is a little too smarmy/oily for what MSNBC is trying to do, but rumored to be on the short list, albeit near the bottom.
Other names that are said to be under consideration: Mark Maron (probably not — low name recognition and a ‘loose cannon’); Phil Donahue (forget about it after his last experience with MSNBC — besides he’s not a comedian); Jim Hightower (a long shot); Ed Schultz (faint chance, not telegenic, and, again, they want a comic); Greg Kinnear (The wildest of wild cards — he wants to stay a movie actor, but enough money might turn his head).
Expect Morning Joe to retire to Scarborough Country off-air once his contract’s up and Garofalo, Miller or Winstead to move into that AM slot. Although Joe’s desperately been leaning left to hold onto his gig, no one really buys his conversion and his braying style is annoying to half-awake viewers. Word is, Chris “Ha!” Matthews might also need to start looking for a job if the ‘funny politics and social commentary’ format takes hold, as his Hardball has been drooping of late.