Who Do You Think Should Replace Matt Lauer?

Lara

Lara

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Who will replace Matt? Care to place a bet? Maybe Carson Daly but I've never seen him do a high-profile interview. They need someone strong in that area. Or maybe a new face? They may take a year of trying out new people.

The public likes Ann Curry but that's unlikely since Lauer and the CEO's mistreated her, making fun of her constantly behind her back about the way she dressed etc. I always thought she deserved to be in the top spot though (and there was nothing wrong with the way she dressed). She's professional, intelligent, and has class.

Why did they fire Natalie Morales or should I ask why did she choose to leave? She was always at the top of my list too.

Let's hope they don't give Matt's seat to Megyn Kelly or Anderson Cooper. She's annoying and he's so ho-hum...but then so was Lauer.

It might go to Craig Melvyn or Willie Geist of the NBC Sunday Today show. What happened to Meredith Viera? I think her focus shifted to her husband's health issues? Jane Pauly left long ago and moved to CBS's Sunday Morning Show. Katie Couric maybe?
 

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A woman, hopefully, and long overdue. Meredith Viera would be wonderful. Not sure that much pressure and extra hours would work well for Jane Pauly. It's always fun to see her working without Bryan Gumbel in control. Katie Couric could do it, if she wanted to. There are any number of women with actual journalism credentials who could do the job far better than Lauer ever did, but that's not really saying much.

I like Ann Curry. She's a terrible interviewer, but so was Matt Lauer. I actually like the way she dresses. At least she doesn't look like a mole. Maybe the problem was her clothes weren't skin-tight and revealing.

I don't see NBC as being overly biased, certainly not compared to one "news" source we could name.
 
I used to be a faithful follower of Today but was not happy with the way Ann Curry and Tamron Hall were treated. I also grew tired of Matt Lauer's apparent lack of interest or enthusiasm and the fluffy content so I gradually switched to CBS. Now without Charlie Rose CBS is not holding my interest.

I would try to get Katie Couric to come back to the Today show for a couple of years.

I think a familiar face would be good in the short term while they attempt to reinvent the Today show.

IMO the new Megyn Kelly hour is not adding any value to the show and it's time for a complete overhaul of the shows format and staff.

We'll see.
 

Smiling Jane said:
...I like Ann Curry...I actually like the way she dresses. At least she doesn't look like a mole. Maybe the problem was her clothes weren't skin-tight and revealing.
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I liked the way she was dressed too, Jane. Very conservative and professional. Her exit from the Today Show is once again in the news now. Here's what I had read long ago about how Ann Curry was treated by Matt Lauer, her producer, and staff. This is copied and pasted from Vox:

"[Ann Curry] told friends that her final months were a form of professional torture. The growing indifference of Matt Lauer, her co-host, had hurt the most, but there was also just a general meanness on set. At one point, the executive producer, Jim Bell, commissioned a blooper reel of Curry’s worst on-air mistakes. Another time, according to a producer, Bell called staff members into his office to show a gaffe she made during a cross-talk with a local station. (Bell denies both incidents.) Then several boxes of Curry’s belongings ended up in a coat closet, as if she had already been booted off the premises. One staff person recalled that “a lot of time in the control room was spent making fun of Ann’s outfit choices or just generally messing with her.” On one memorable spring morning, Curry wore a bright yellow dress that spawned snarky comparisons to Big Bird. The staff person said that others in the control room, which included 14 men and 3 women, according to my head count one morning, Photoshopped a picture of Big Bird next to Curry and asked co-workers to vote on “Who wore it best?”
 
DAVE GARROWAY (1952 TO 1961)
JOHN CHANCELLOR (1961 TO 1962)
HUGH DOWNS (1962 TO 1971)
FRANK MCGEE (1971 TO 1974)

Co-hosting began:

BARBARA WALTERS (1974 TO 1976 and co-Host JIM HARTZ (1974 TO 1976)
TOM BROKAW (1976 TO 1981) and JANE PAULEY (1976 TO 1989)
BRYANT GUMBEL (1982 TO 1997) and JANE PAULEY (1982-1990)
co-Host DEBORAH NORVILLE (1990 TO 1991)
co-Host KATIE COURIC (1991 TO 1997)
MATT LAUER (1997 TO PRESENT) co-hosted with KATIE COURIC (1997-2006)
co-host MEREDITH VIEIRA (2006 TO 2011)
co-host ANN CURRY (2011 TO 2012)
co-host SAVANNAH GUTHRIE (2012 TO PRESENT)
 
Smiling Jane said:
They were co-hosts, and for the most part they got to do the fluff pieces.
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Looking at it that way, Savannah can host alone.

Doesn't matter to me. I watch GMA 90% of the time. Only looked at Today this week because of the Matt controversy and looked at CBS the day the Charlie was fired.

btw saw Kathie Lee talking about how she texted Matt to tell him she adored him and tossing in religion.

eye-yi-yi.
 
Frank did a lot more than grope - they were in a hotel room together. But supposedly he was set up.

CTE ...yeah. And maybe Matt et al have ADHD or OCD or some other condition.
 
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I doubt the 'powers at be' at NBC will choose another woman to replace Matt
One name that has been rumored about,is NBC sportscaster,Bob Costas,which I think would be a good fit. He's smart,knowledgeable regarding sports,has a funny sense of humor.He's been the prime time host of many NBC Olympic Games coverage.He's a much better interviewer in my opinion than Matt ever was Sue
 
applecruncher said:
Looking at it that way, Savannah can host alone.

Doesn't matter to me. I watch GMA 90% of the time. Only looked at Today this week because of the Matt controversy and looked at CBS the day the Charlie was fired.

btw saw Kathie Lee talking about how she texted Matt to tell him she adored him and tossing in religion.

eye-yi-yi.
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It's hard for me to take seriously Kathie Lee when her morning show features Hoda Kotb and her getting drunk every day. She can quote Jesus until she's blue in the face, but she's probably drunk when she's saying it.

The point I tried and failed to make earlier is that the women on the Today Show are called "co-hosts" while men like Matt Lauer are referred to as "hosts." That's an old pattern and I've always disliked it.

I was channel-surfing one morning and came across Lauer interviewing a woman (I don't remember who she was or what it was about, if I ever knew). I thought he was openly disrespectful to her and that he obviously thought he was being very clever. He has every right to disagree with guests, but not to be disrespectful. I remember thinking this is why I never watch him.
 
I'm not sure who should replace him, but since they were paying Matt twenty million dollars, I am willing to do it for five million. I can talk the talk just like he did and I promise to leave the ladies alone, other than to say, "Good morning" and "Good evening."
 
Just my opinion.

Meredith Viera would be wonderful.

You have to be kidding. She was on the Millionaire or something like it. She is so slow it's like watching paint dry.

In her defense I will say that I think the contestants are coached to drag it out for time.

I get a kick out of it. The contestant says "D. Final answer" and the response comes from the moderator, "Is that your final answer?"

And I just wish one contestant would say. "What did I just tell you?" :confused:
 
People keep digging up old names of people who have already done Today show and moved on.

Meredith Vieiria already co-hosted the Today show for 5 yrs.
She did Millionaire for from 2002 to 2013
She had her own talk show for 2 yrs.

Surprised someone hasn't suggested Barbara Walters. :rolleyes: btw she co-hosted Today for 15 yrs. (1961 - 1976 when she went to ABC News).

And Natalie Morales was not fired. She was with Today several years and in 2016 became the west coast anchor and she also replaced Billy Bush on Access Hollywood.

Let Google be your friend.
 
Kate Snow is another one who would be good even though she's currently an NBC anchorwoman on the weekends. Ann Curry could take over that weekend position if NBC doesn't want her for the Today Show.

Meanwhile, Lester Holt is good as anchorman for the Nightly News but many think he doesn't warm up to the audiences well because of how serious he is. In fact, the network is now doing commercials for him showing his "warm side" with the people. I'm not sure that's helping.
 
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I remember the Ann Curry situation and I didn't understand it.
I thought she did a good job altho I didn't watch everyday, and imo Ann is beautiful.
 
hearlady said:
I like Ann too and would love to see her return. She seemed to have a lot of class.
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From what I read/heard reported, Ann got a raw deal and so did Tamron Hall. (Tamron left on her own - they offered to renew her contract but she said No thanks and told them to stuff the contract and their money....the Megyn Kelly mess.)

However, I don't think anyone who has already "served time" on the show should return (most wouldn't even want to). I also feel they need a male/female team.
 
I think they need either a female/male team, with a woman host and a male co-host or a female/female team with women in both positions ala Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff (those two would never do a fluff show like Today, so don't jump on me applecruncher because I'm not suggesting them). I'm just saying it could be done, and done well.
 
Smiling Jane said:
I think they need either a female/male team, with a woman host and a male co-host or a female/female team with women in both positions ala Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff (those two would never do a fluff show like Today, so don't jump on me applecruncher because I'm not suggesting them). I'm just saying it could be done, and done well.
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Gwen lfill passed away a year ago. (Hope that's not jumping :rolleyes: )
 
I don't mean to speak for Jane but, if I may, "Ala" means "in a manner of style". I don't think she was suggesting "in person".
 

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