Friday, September 23, 2011

TV tidbits

I love Ann Curry.  I have always enjoyed her when she pinch hit for Meredith Vieira.  When they announced her permanent position as Meredith's permanent replacement, I thought, "okay, great. She's paid her dues."  Kind of like when the understudy on Broadway gets the replacement, it always feels fair.  

Ann Curry has had this position for a couple of months now and she isn't Meredith.  Not even close.  She seems phony and two dimensional.  Fawning over every interviewee.  What happened to the hard hitting newscaster?  Maybe the cringe inducing title "newsreader" fit.  Previously, the only time I ever felt she was fawning was when she interviewed Brad Pitt and she went positively girlie.  I think that the Today Show may be in trouble.  It's not like I can come up with a better replacement. This show for the past 20 years has had huge shoes to fill and this is the first one that I think may tank the show.  I know that the ratings are down.  I can't put my finger on what the problem is with Ann.  Maybe she is too serious or not able to ad lib easily.  I am sorry for her, the show, and the audience.  It isn't her fault.  Something isn't gelling.

Moving on to a very difficult topic that I have really tried to ignore is the conclusion of All My Children.  I have watched that show since the day the book opened in 1970.  I haven't watched it much in the past 10 years or so.  I guess life got too busy and it was too difficult to keep up.  It's not as if it is the same show as it was 40 years ago.  In its day, AMC was a revelation. Agnes Nixon always tackled taboo subjects head on: abortion, domestic violence, homosexuality, aids, etc.  There wasn't a topic that she wouldn't put her spin on and it was very affecting. The cast over the years was incredible. The fabulous Ruth Warrick, the gorgeous Susan Lucci, the incomparable Eileen Herlie, the comforting Frances Heflin and Mary Fickett.  The women were stellar on this show.  The men had their day too: Larry Keith, Ray McDonnell, David Canary, Michael Knight, Larkin Malloy, Nicolas Surovy and Walt Willey.  I really can't adequately put into words how important All My Children has been in my life.  It's been an incredible ride and the book closes today, Friday, September 23rd, 2011. RIP

One tiny little sidebar:  there is a huge media campaign for the new and last season of Desperate Housewives.  I am not a fan but do know who's in the cast.  So, I saw this campaign and recognized Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, and Eva Longoria. There is a woman on the left. The 4th housewife.  For the life of me, I couldn't place her or recall her name. I thought there was a new addition to the cast of characters.  I IMDB'd the show today.  I can't tell you how completely shocked I am that it is Teri Hatcher.  What happened there? Did they photoshop her to death or is there something else going on....

2 comments:

  1. Ann Curry is a nice person, and you're right, she's not meredith, to be sure. The Today Show would have been much better off going with CNBC's Erin Burnett, who is younger, breezy and bright. But when they passed, she went to CNN, a mistake on her part, too.

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  2. I can't really comment on Ann Curry or Teri Hatcher but I am sad to see AMC go, even though I haven't watched it in years. It was such a part of my younger years. . .and I swear Susan Lucci has hardly changed a bit. Maybe Teri Hatcher should have gone to see HER doctor??

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