Who should replace Larry King?
Occasionally, I'm asked why the "Larry King" lineups don't appear on my site. It's the same reason I don't list "Charlie Rose" or any of the morning shows ("Today," "GMA," etc.): if a big, breaking story happens, those programs dump their previously scheduled guests in favor of newsmakers and pundits. Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel will never deep-six Taylor Lautner or Cameron Diaz in order to talk about the latest roll call on Capitol Hill.
The weird genius of "Larry King Live" is that the host has to tackle hard news topics and fluff. He has to discuss the Elena Kagen hearings with pundits, and then talk with Lady Gaga. I don't think King did it very well -- I mean, this is a guy who bragged that he never read the books written by his guests and prepares as little as possible for his show. Still, "Live" has been on the air since 1985, which is a pretty remarkable run.
Now, everyone is wondering who should replace King when "Live" goes off the air this fall. Some of the contenders:
Ryan Seacrest: King's pick, and someone who's already proven he can interview entertainment figures, but it remains to be seen how he'd do with, say, Vladimir Putin.
Joy Behar: She has her own show on CNN sister station HLN, so she might be ready to move up.
Tavis Smiley: Has a PBS show, but he's guest hosted for King and might want the wider exposure he'd get in prime time.
Katie Couric: Seems like a natural choice, but she's reportedly taken herself out of contention.
Piers Morgan: The "Celebrity Apprentice" winner and "America's Got Talent" judge could follow in the footsteps of fellow Brit newsman Martin Bashir ("Nightline").
Anderson Cooper: Already a familiar face on CNN, and he's winning this poll by a landslide.
Will you miss Larry? Who should replace him, and can they help revitalize the channel's sagging ratings?
3 comments :
Do we know whether or not the replacement show will even be in the same format? Ryan Seacrest Live?
My choice would be Katie Couric. I think she's at her best when she's talking with and interviewing people, rather than just reading the news.
Uncle Frank Live or Jimmy Kimmel Live would work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SCw9Fjr2Ww
Will I miss Larry King?
hell no....I forgot he even had a show
Best replacement --
Whoopi Goldberg (she is funny, sharp, has a point of view, not afraid to ask tough question and very personable..plus against hannity, oreilly, keith and rachael-she would fair very well in ratings too)
Although I am a big fan of Anderson Cooper, but he would not do well in that format--he is best at reporting on locations.
Katie is ok- but I don't think she is gonna leave the evening news with that pay.
Regis is great, but he cannot do hard news stuff.
Joy B- not a big fan, cuz she is just dumb.
Matt Laur- he is ok but i don't think he would do well in 1 hr long interview format & he gets paid really well in his morning show gig.
Oreilly and hannity are way better than larry king --although i donot agree with them 60 percent of the time (hannity 95%) and also not a big fan of rachael or keith either ..i need a show right at the middle or at least close to it--something like 60 minutes with some fun segement :-)
Post a Comment