There has been a lot of buzz lately in the morning television world surround the Today Show. I will first start off by saying that I have been a huge Today Show fan ever since I was a little girl and could barely keep up with the news on the TV, but the Today Show has always and will forever be the morning program I watch when I wake up. That being said, there are countless rumors surrounding the Today Show from its recent drop in ratings to the dismissal of Ann Curry last year. With rating drops and the Today Show giving up its number one spot in morning programing in America (which they held for sixteen years) to Good Morning America it seems that the Today Show has been doing everything in its capacity to keep the show alive and try to gain back viewers. As a long-time viewer of the morning show it saddens me to see the show struggle so much recently. If only it could return to its days of Matt Lauer, Katie Couric, Al Roker and Ann Curry.
Last summer as the ratings began to drop, the Today Show made the decision to basically fire Ann Curry, giving her a new title at NBC and sent her on her way. It was quite an awkward moment when she said goodbye to the viewers on her last morning on the show. When she was fired I didn't realize at the time just how much controversy there was surrounding the change in the co-anchor spot. Finally I got a better understanding of the whole situation after reading an article in New York Magazine, Long Night at Today, which places a lot of the blame of Curry's firing on Matt Lauer, the current male co-anchor of the morning show. I've always really liked Matt Lauer and although this article at times makes me question him it is hard for me to believe that Lauer has that much power to decide who will be his co-anchor. I recommend giving the article a read and deciding for yourself.
It will certainly be an interesting next two years for the Today Show as Lauer's contract will be up within that time frame. It seems like they will have to do a bit of rebranding and maybe with the addition of a few new anchors they can get the show back on track. Recent reports have said that Anderson Cooper may be a possible candidate to replace Lauer in the coming year or so (I mean, I wouldn't hate it).
Watching the Today show this morning though, I am still convinced that the today show is the best morning show around. Savannah Guthrie has been a great addition to the program, as well as Willie Giest in the third hour of the show (another front runner for Lauer's spot) and Tamron Hall has been a fantastic anchor as well. And don't forget about the fourth hour of the Today Show, nothing beats a morning cocktail hour and a good laugh with Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford!
Stay tuned for what's to come for the Today Show, but don't loose hope, no matter what happens I know I'll always be waking up to the Today Show!
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