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Ann Curry Leaves Today Show on NBC

post #1 of 64
6/28/12 at 6:46am
Thread Starter 
After all the rumors and speculation, Ann announced she's leaving. Replacing her? Savannah Gutherie?!?!?!?!?!?! Are you kidding me?
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post #2 of 64
6/28/12 at 7:58am
We have watched The Today Show for years- sad to see her go, I thought she did a fair job.
She was soft on her interviews- not asking the hard questions and all- but that's Today's style after-all, it's not in-your-face journalism at 7am.

I like Savannah Gutherie, but... gee, qualifications? She's been there like 5 minutes and now she's the replacement anchor?
Wow... typical NBC eek.gif
Savannah better start putting out feelers now for her next gig!
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post #3 of 64
6/28/12 at 8:13am
Thread Starter 
That's what is so puzzling to me. I thought Ann was very personable and which she was no Barbara Walters, I thought she did a fine job based on her personality and style. And regardless, to move her out for Savannah who, as you said, has only had a cup of coffee at the desk really doesn't make sense. What's further interesting to me is that this wasn't an overnight decision. They've been discussing this for a good while now and if that's the case then you would think they would have given Amy Robach a shot before Savannah. But they moved her out too.

IMO, NBC as a whole has really been making some very questionable and even ridiculous moves news-wise. I say that based on my local affiliate in St. Louis that has completely ruined their news programming over the 12-18 months.
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post #4 of 64
6/28/12 at 8:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Closet Geek View Post

IMO, NBC as a whole has really been making some very questionable and even ridiculous moves news-wise. I say that based on my local affiliate in St. Louis that has completely ruined their news programming over the 12-18 months.
Well, maybe the brain-trust that's ruined their nighttime TV programming over the last few years has started "working" on their news division now?
I don't even bother watching NBC nighttime TV any longer- because no matter if the show is good or bad- NBC will cancel it sooner or later. I just ignore them as a network now....
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post #5 of 64
6/28/12 at 9:06am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by replayrob View Post

Well, maybe the brain-trust that's ruined their nighttime TV programming over the last few years has started "working" on their news division now?
I don't even bother watching NBC nighttime TV any longer- because no matter if the show is good or bad- NBC will cancel it sooner or later. I just ignore them as a network now....

You know, I never realized it until just now but I'm doing the same thing. They're just kind of there and I can't think of anything right now that makes me think "NBC". Oh well, Ann apparently has just been "reassigned" and she'll get a nice check out of it, which isn't the point, but regardless, she'll land on her feet. However, I'm in agreement with you about Savannah not being around long and all of this will only help Good Morning America IMO.
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post #6 of 64
6/28/12 at 9:40am

Ratings. I think they are in a panic as their ratings tumble and there's more than a ton of cash involved in the franchise. Just like a Hail Mary in football you have to try something whether it works or not... you're going to get fired if you do nothing so at least you have a shot. :) If it turns into an interception... what difference does it make as you were losing anyway. Your replacement will have to deal with it!

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post #7 of 64
6/28/12 at 10:08am
NBC is blaming Ann Curry for the ratings drop. I like Ann Curry, I think she was perfect for the show, When Meredith Vieira left Ann was put in her place.
I don't know who they will get but it is a bad move for NBC.
Meanwhile they are paying Ann 10 million to leave.
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post #8 of 64
6/28/12 at 11:11am
Thread Starter 
For all intents and purposes, this is an ensemble cast and to say that ratings suffer because of Ann Curry is ridiculous. The whole Today Show format is stale, not the personalities. It's not even visually appealing, very bland.
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post #9 of 64
6/28/12 at 12:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by replayrob View Post

We have watched The Today Show for years- sad to see her go, I thought she did a fair job.
She was soft on her interviews- not asking the hard questions and all- but that's Today's style after-all, it's not in-your-face journalism at 7am.
I like Savannah Gutherie, but... gee, qualifications? She's been there like 5 minutes and now she's the replacement anchor?
Wow... typical NBC eek.gif
Savannah better start putting out feelers now for her next gig!

I've been a Today show viewer for decades. It's a bit sad for Ann to see her go but in all honesty she actually seemed in a bit over her head to me. And I say that with her being a local girl from my area too! When Meredith decided to leave, I thought Ann would be a good choice based on her previous work. But moving into one of the two big chairs she kind of felt like she was a little overwhelmed. She often seemed like she was always a half step behind and never quite at ease or something. Savanna on the other hand seems perfectly at ease, always in control and never struggling to keep up. Her background coming in from the political news arena and as an attorney shows in how on the ball she is.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Closet Geek View Post

For all intents and purposes, this is an ensemble cast and to say that ratings suffer because of Ann Curry is ridiculous. The whole Today Show format is stale, not the personalities. It's not even visually appealing, very bland.

Well, they say that as much as anything it's about chemistry between the co-anchors and although I didn't think Ann's was bad with Matt, Savannah does seem to have very good and easy rapport with Matt. I do agree though that there's more to the ratings in this case. I very much agree that the visual appeal of their sets is beyond tired and lacking. The odd lighting in many of their sets has been a big turnoff to me for a long time. Compared to the more normal lighting on GMA and even the new set on CBS they really need to overhaul there IMO.


ron
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post #10 of 64
6/28/12 at 12:56pm
I've always had the utmost respect for Ann Curry. However, I thought there were times when she seemed out of her element and a bit uncomfortable as permanent co-host. Some of her interviews were downright painful to watch. She certainly hates leaving the show, however, as evidenced by the tears flowing before she got the first sentence out this morning. Count me as one who wished she would have worked out better. Leaving under any circumstance after nearly 20 years has to be tough. However, she still has a job and $10,000,000 which is more than most people who get fired (uh, reassigned) can say unless you play a major league sport.
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post #11 of 64
6/28/12 at 2:13pm
Ann never struck me as the Today Show type; too stoic, even somber at times. Savannah will probably do well because she's more bubbly. Ann seems more like a correspondent than an anchor, and more geared towards hard news than morning news.
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post #12 of 64
6/28/12 at 4:19pm
I never thought Curry was a good fit as an anchor, and I think Savannah will be a better fit. It's just too bad they couldn't have figured it out before they put Ann in the chair in the first place. Now it's going to be a giant clusterf**k and make Savannah's acceptance harder, and it all could have been avoided with a little foresight.
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post #13 of 64
6/28/12 at 5:08pm
Two words: Giada DeLaurentiis She is on the show often, has a great rapport with Matt, and is better looking than either Savannah or Natalie (although they are hot chicks also). And, if Matt gets hungry, she could always whip him up a little something-something. Not only that, Giada won't tower over him like Savannah does. Problem solved. smile.gif

Wonder how long it would take Giada to learn national and world politics, interview skills, and Ann's empathy?
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post #14 of 64
6/28/12 at 9:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jandron View Post

I never thought Curry was a good fit as an anchor, and I think Savannah will be a better fit. It's just too bad they couldn't have figured it out before they put Ann in the chair in the first place. Now it's going to be a giant clusterf**k and make Savannah's acceptance harder, and it all could have been avoided with a little foresight.
This as a long time watcher, I wanted Ann to succeed and was rooting for her...
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post #15 of 64
6/28/12 at 10:01pm
I stopped watching TODAY when Meredith Vieira came on board. She was simply unappealing in the role. Ann Curry--the few times I watched--seemed OK though a bit out of her element. She was certainly better than Vieira. IMO.

Maybe the TODAY format is done for, is history. For any/all of the three morning shows: Maybe time to leave NYC and go to Chicago, or Dallas, or SanFran, or Portland, or Miami, or Los Angeles. NYC and the the Rock is simply not very attractive to so, so many. The whole NY "street scene thing" is wildly filled with ennui. Time to move on--and out.
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post #16 of 64
6/29/12 at 12:21am
I always liked Amy Robach on the Saturday Today show and I think they should have appointed her to be the lead hostess before she jumped to ABC.
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post #17 of 64
6/29/12 at 12:29am
I don't really know how to rate Ann Curry's "professional" skills, but she was something of a turn-off.
She gave me an impression of spending way too much time on barstools with whiskey and stogies....
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post #18 of 64
6/29/12 at 3:09am
Didn't care for Ann either - stumbling over her words and didn't see the easy rapport with Matt. Good move NBC.
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post #19 of 64
6/29/12 at 10:50am
Have they officially announced Savannah Guthrie as the replacement anchor? She was on there today but not sure if any announcement was made.
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post #20 of 64
6/29/12 at 11:55am
Thread Starter 
I can't say I've seen a formal press release but all the reporting, including NBC affiliates, states Savannah as the replacement.
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post #21 of 64
6/29/12 at 12:07pm
It's apparently official:

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/television/today-puts-savannah-guthrie-ann-curry-old-co-host-chair-article-1.1104533
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post #22 of 64
7/1/12 at 4:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by replayrob View Post

Well, maybe the brain-trust that's ruined their nighttime TV programming over the last few years has started "working" on their news division now?
I don't even bother watching NBC nighttime TV any longer- because no matter if the show is good or bad- NBC will cancel it sooner or later. I just ignore them as a network now....



I worked for them at Rock Center for many years. If you knew what a zoo it is there you'd wonder how they are still in business.
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post #23 of 64
7/1/12 at 5:49pm
The Promo Monkeys have already made her vanish from the "Today" show Olympic material. Sometimes I think they and the IT Department are the first to know about 'reassignments'.
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post #24 of 64
7/1/12 at 6:37pm
Anne was a major part of the Today show for 15 years, as a news reader and interviewer before she even became the main host. So it is somewhat shocking the way they have pushed her out the door and made her the scapegoat for all of the current ratings problems. And is she not still a coanchor on Dateline, or did they remove her from that show as well? And I thought she was a better fill in anchor on Nightly News than Katie was on CBS. Will be interesting to see how her reassignment works out.
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post #25 of 64
7/1/12 at 9:58pm
Matt looks like a better dressed George Zimmerman, maybe its time for him to go as well.
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post #26 of 64
7/2/12 at 7:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ti-triodes View Post

I worked for them at Rock Center for many years. If you knew what a zoo it is there you'd wonder how they are still in business.
Don't have to be an "insider" to realize how dysfunctional NBC has become in the last few years... it's painfully obvious to even the most casual observer.
I've been burned by them too many times with them giving the axe to decent series- so I just completely avoid their prime time shows all together now. At first I thought it would be difficult- but after a year an a half now... I can honestly say I don't miss them one bit. If NBC went out of business today (no pun intended) I wouldn't even notice their absence...
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post #27 of 64
7/2/12 at 10:04am
Thread Starter 
I happened to be thinking about this over the weekend and what gets me is while working as the news anchor on the show she filled in as co-anchor who knows how many times when people were on vacation or assignment. Aside from the fact that there never seem to be an issue during this time (otherwise they wouldn't have kept using her), how do you not know that she wouldn't be a good fit? To me this speaks entirely of a management, production issue. In my corporate world, we very well know who the intended successors are with personality fit taken into account. You simply can't work that long with the same basic people and not gel or not know how to get it to gel. And as the dominant talent, Matt has entirely too much clout to not stand up and say to the producers, "Hey, this won't work with Ann..." if there were some issue. He would have made that known long beforehand and if he had, no way would she have even been given a shot let alone a $10MM contract. This woman was unsupported, probably pressured (which would make anyone uncomfortable if she appeared that way), and ultimately shafted. They know this, which is part of the reason why she's been "reassigned" with a truckload of cash instead of shown the door. Ratings suck but people like her, moving her completely out is a much worse PR move than "reassigning" her with the cash and bringing in a newbie. And speaking of the newbie, just on image alone, could she look any less like she belongs at a network anchor desk?
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post #28 of 64
7/2/12 at 12:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Closet Geek View Post

This woman was unsupported, probably pressured (which would make anyone uncomfortable if she appeared that way), and ultimately shafted. They know this, which is part of the reason why she's been "reassigned" with a truckload of cash instead of shown the door. Ratings suck but people like her, moving her completely out is a much worse PR move than "reassigning" her with the cash and bringing in a newbie.

 

I tend to look at it exactly the opposite. She was given plenty of opportunities to prove herself. More than any outsider would have certainly. Ultimately, it didn't work and whether she was never given the position or let go years from now it really isn't any different. They decided to go elsewhere and (partly for PR) they gave her more than an ideal position.

 

To a large degree until they are the one you can't tell how someone will do... much like a second string quarterback filling in because of injury. It's a whole new game. One apparently (rightfully or wrongly) they no longer want her to start and they have every right as it's their team and she has been treated more than fairly to my thinking.  

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post #29 of 64
7/3/12 at 10:27am
They have known for a while that they were looking to replace Anne Curry as cohost of Today. I think they made a big mistake of not offering Amy Robach the job before she recently moved to ABC. She was excellent on Saturday Today, and is now impressive on Good Morning America. She brings journalism credentials, is attractive, and has a pleasant personality. I think Savannah Guthrie may do fine, but I think it was a big mistake by NBC to let Robach get away.
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post #30 of 64
7/4/12 at 2:01pm
I thought Ann was a terrible interviewer, thought that long before she was promoted to co-host. I think she's a good reporter, but not a permanent host. When an interviewer asks a grieving family "how are you feeling?" or "what's going through your mind?", those are some bad questions.

Savannah Guthrie is not who I thought would be the permanent replacement. Too bad. NBC has lost some good on-air female talent to other networks in recent years because of poor decision making.
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