I've loved Meridith on TV for ages. She's so natural at TODAY
Yeah, you've loved her for so long, you can't even spell her name properly...
I love Tomarse Shiffernocker...
To be fair autocorrect can do some awkward things. It has spelled my relatively simple and common name numerous ways.
Meredith Vieira has been filling in for Hoda on the 4th hour this week and is a breath of fresh air. Today should bring her back and keep her in this slot permanently. There were rumors of Hoda wanting to leave the 4th hour and focus on the main show so I wouldn't be surprised if they are using this as a test to see how she works with Jenna.
I always thought Meredith has a great TV personality and her tenure on main Today show was perhaps the show's last great period.
Jenna is bland and boring and her only contribution is blabbing about her grandparents , parents etc. She will soon be off to maternity leave, hopefully, so Meredith can take over.
Meredith is a natural talent that I think anyone would get along with. It’s a shame her talkshow failed but to be fair not many launched in the post-Oprah era have succeeded. She always seemed to be open and not afraid to go there (I remember learning what an orgasm was from her talking about it on The View probably at 7 years old). Station groups making their own cheap syndicated shows either regurgitating the same viral clips, launching local “lifestyle shows” (which usually have pay to play element with content) or expanding a newscasts.
I’m not sure if Meredith has a contract with NBC or the news division anymore however NBC seems to be the one place where she keeps coming back. Im guessing it because it’s her most recent job and from what I’ve heard she was loved. She did host a series last year on PBS called
The Great American Read discussing the 100 most loved novels. And if I recall during Harry and Megan’s wedding PBS took a simulcast of the BBC and she appeared there as well.
I think Meredith at this point just want to freelance or if she signs a deal do stories she wants (like Maria Shriver) and fill in if she wants to. She’s 65 - retirement age and has more than enough money. Her reported annual Today salary was $10 million + whatever she made hosting Who Wants to Be a Millionaire for several years in syndication (which is why during her time at Today she couldn’t appear past 9AM aside from breaking news). Plus her husband, Richard Cohen a journalist in his own right, is 70 and has has MS for a long time.
Granite if she was a permanent fill in and cohost of the fourth hour she probably wouldn’t have to get in and up as early as she did as main host. When she was the main anchor she was up at 2:30 and out the door (NBC provides drivers for hosts - does the BBC and ITV?) around 4 a.m. I think before Kathy Lee and Hoda were arriving around 6 or 7 a.m.