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We get up close and personal with the host about her September premiere
With Katie Couric's new talk show set to premiere Monday, Sept. 10, MSN TV got up close and personal with the host to see how things are coming together at "Katie."
Bing: Katie Couric
As previously reported, the former "Today" and "CBS Evening News" anchor said "Katie" was "still a work in progress" when she hit the TCA Press Tour July 26. During her panel, Couric revealed her plans to take on a variety of topics, from serious events like the recent Aurora shooting to lighter issues like dating in your 40s and 50s. She also talked about creating recurring franchise segments, including Women Who Should Be Famous and YOLO (You Only Live Once) adventures.
The "Katie" guest list remains hush-hush, but Couric told the press she's invited the presidential candidates and Sarah Palin to her show, which will feature newsmakers, celebrities and everyday people.
MSN TV: You've worked in every part of TV at this point.
Katie Couric: Not late night!
That's next, right? But you've done morning and evening news, and now you're moving to afternoon talk, which is considered a more personal medium. Are we going to get to know you even better?
"The Today Show" is a pretty good example of that, where I would give my perspective about things without [going overboard]. I just don't want it to be me, me, me. But I do want to be open. It's a fine line. For example, I don't mean to dwell on dating in your 40s and 50s -- this is the third time I've mentioned it today! -- but I might talk about my philosophy, my approach and how I've handled it, without talking about the date I had the night before.
What do your daughters have say about all this?
When I started at "The Today Show," I was pregnant with my oldest daughter Allie, who just turned 21. I would talk about them on the show. And one time, something got printed in some women's magazine. When my daughter was old enough to read it, she said, "Hey, cut it out. Stop talking about me." So I've always tried to be respectful of them and not divulge too much. They understand they may come up if we're talking about "inside the teenage brain." I might recount my experiences with my own 16-year-old daughter, who doesn't want to be in the same zip code as me. But in general, I try to be respectful, and we have a great relationship. They understand there are times when I naturally -- and only when it's natural -- reveal things that have happened to me, personally. But I try not to do it too much.
You've been popping up on ABC over the last year, and it's felt like the old Katie. Is there something there that makes you comfortable?
I did that Diamond Jubilee special with the Queen and was able to talk to William and Harry. They gave me room and permission to be who I was and do a show that was fun and relaxed and had some personality.
Is it better when there isn't all that pressure? With the attention you received at CBS, it seemed like anything you did was magnified.
I don't really pay attention to all that. I focus on the work and doing a good job.
Are you totally over the drama during your time with "CBS Evening News"?
I was sort of over that after the first year. I am glad I did it. It was a great experience for me. We did great work. We won tons of awards. We were considered the hardest news broadcast by people who evaluate such things. So I feel good about the work I did, and I did a pretty important interview while I was there, as well.
With "Katie," you have the opportunity to be involved in producing the show, along with Jeff Zucker. In what ways are you taking advantage of that?
In terms of editorial decisions? To be honest with you, I've always been very vocal and very involved in the content of any show I've worked on. I'm not the kind of "talent" that comes in and is handed a script. I was very involved in the editorial content of "The Today Show" and "CBS Evening News." This just gives me an opportunity to work with Jeff again and have input with him.
What about decisions that go beyond the editorial, like creating your new set?
It's exciting. Obviously I'm involved in every decision about the set, what I'm looking for, what I want. I also defer to people who have a lot of experience in this area. This is my first foray into a syndicated show, so I don't have all the answers. It's like starting a small business. It's like a TV start-up, in a way, so I'm very involved in every decision. And when I'm not, I let them know that I want to be.
What differences are you finding in syndication?
It's very liberating because you don't have a lot of network bureaucrats telling you can't do something.
How have you been preparing for the big premiere?
We're doing some test shows in August (see photo from Aug. 2 test on left), and I'll get a sense from that. I'm excited about that. Slightly trepidatious, but excited. As somebody who is interested in content, every day I think, "We should do a story on this" or "How could we do the Aurora store differently?" I'm constantly reading, and I've been visiting a lot of stations, because in this genre, you have to have a strong relationship with the local stations.
You're also currently hosting a weekly ABC News web series, "Katie's Take." How will "Katie" incorporate the Internet?
Social media is going to be a big part of the show because it makes the conversation broader and more inclusive. Talk about being connected to your audience! Social media allows you to hear what they have to say -- the good the bad and the ugly. Block! Also just to get their input and understand what they want to learn about if we have a specific guest. I'm obviously going to ask my Twitter followers if they have a question for those people or there's an issue. You can also now use social media to find great guests. I'm attracted to stories about ordinary people who have exhibited extraordinary personal courage. You're going to be seeing a lot of that on my show.
Several shows launched last year with an eye to filling the void left by Oprah Winfrey and faltered. What can you learn from their struggle?
I'm not a big fan of comparison shopping. I just want to do the best job and really be who I am and not be affected by other programs or the way they're doing it. I just want to try my best to do the best I can and let the chips fall where they may.
With the premiere date fast approaching, are you nervous?
I think I'm a little scared, which is good. If I weren't, I would worry!
"Katie" premieres Monday, Sept. 10, in syndication.
New Season 8 trailer suggests the serial killer's sister gets chatty
Season 7 of Showtime's hit serial-killer drama, "Dexter," ended with Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter) making a horrible choice. It's a choice that changed her life and the way she looked at her brother, Dexter (Michael C. Hall), forever.
Plus: 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9 | What we learned from 'The Office'
When the beloved series returns in June, for its eighth and final season, Deb's decision continues to haunt her as her life takes a downward spiral. But what will Deb do? Will she confess and turn in herself and Dexter, too? That's certainly what the show's newly released trailer suggests. Check it out:
"Dexter" Season 8 debuts Sunday, June 30, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime.
Juicy conclusion and spoilers for next season dominate Twitter and the web
SPOILER ALERT: This post includes plot points from the Season 2 finale of "Scandal."
To call "Scandal" a guilty pleasure after Thursday night's delicious Season 2 finale would be a misnomer. After all, why should anyone feel guilty for watching what was arguably one of TV's most gratifying and twist-filled closers this year?
Not only did fans see mole Billy Chambers get his comeuppance but the rise and painful fall of Olivia (Kerry Washington) and Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) once again. This, after Olivia devised such an awe-inspiring divorce package for Fitz and Mellie (Bellamy Young). The bit on Mellie being labeled a racist was a thing of beauty in and of itself. But the best part was when viewers learned that Rowan (Joe Morton), the underhanded CIA-B613 boss, is none other than Olivia's dad. Whaaaaat!
This revelation and all the other juicy twists and turns -- including Quinn's (Katie Lowes) penchant for torture and Cyrus' (Jeff Perry ) heart attack and break-up abilities -- captured the attention of 9.1 million viewers. Many of these same viewers flocked to Twitter, GetGlue and the web to give voice to their shocks and delights.
Plus: 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9 | What we learned from 'The Office'
"Exhausted after the #Scandal finale," tweeted fan Mona Scott-Young. "I feel like I've been 'fixing,' drilling & went into cardiac arrest my damn self! #Wow!!" Meanwhile, Lena Dunham got in on the action, too. Not one to be excluded from a good time she tweeted, "Not leaving the house this weekend until I'm caught up on Scandal. I feel left behind & left out like the last girl to get my period."
And if you think the Season 2 finale was a head-spinner, creator and executive producer, Shonda Rhimes, promises a Season 3 filled with more suspense and intrigue, especially when it comes to Rowan and Olivia's troubled father-daughter relationship.
"At the very least, Rowan was trying to get Jake (Scott Foley) to have sex with her and then make a tape of it, which seems creepy on many levels, right?" Rhimes told reporters at a "Scandal" event the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences held Thursday night. "I don't know if they were trying to kill her. That's up to interpretation."
Rhimes also said she and the writers considered an ending where Olivia and Fitz spooned in bed and ended up together but, ultimately, they wanted Olivia to have clean hands. "It was charming, adorable and really, really sexy and I love the scene and maybe one day someone will get to see it," Rhimes said. "But the problem with it was that Olivia put the white hat back on and emotionally you felt like she had found her inner core after losing it so badly. It felt like a cheat -- that we were cheating her out of trying to do something good."
"Scandal" Season 3 kicks off this fall on ABC.
Network says comic-book drama remains in the works
Wonder Woman could get another shot in primetime.
"Amazon," the CW's prequel starring the beloved comic-book hero, is in development still, even though it didn't land on the network's fall schedule. "It's being redeveloped," said Mark Pedowitz, the CW's president, following an upfronts presentation Thursday. "We don't want to produce something (inferior). It's the trickiest of all the DC characters."
The original "Wonder Woman" with Lynda Carter aired on ABC from 1975-79. David E. Kelley and NBC attempted to reboot the series, starring Adrianne Palicki in the iconic title role (pictured), for the 2011-12 season but the project died on the vine. Earlier this year, Warner Bros. TV sent out a casting call for a young woman, 5'8" or above, for a series about "the teenage years of the heroine who will become Wonder Woman," EW.com reports.
Plus: 'The Bachelorette' Season 9 | What we learned from 'The Office' | 10 reasons to love 'The Mindy Project'
The description of the show also included details about the heroine hailing from a "secluded country where she was raised as a solider in a brutal environment. Now a stranger in a strange modern big city, she's a fierce warrior with the innocent heart of a romantic and she will fight to the death to make the world safe."
Pedowitz said the "basics" were all there, but the execution needed work. Producers and networks don't usually cast series until a pilot is ordered, but a project like "Amazon" cannot succeed without the right woman in the lead role.
Soap reboot experience remains a work in progress
"All My Children" and "One Life to Live" have remained in the top 10 on Hulu since premiering on April 29, but the online soap reboots are reducing the number of episodes released per week. Viewing patterns indicated the shows were producing too much content for many viewers to consume, so fans can expect two episodes of each show to air each week, starting Monday, May 20.
Bing: More about "All My Children" | "One Life to Live"
New episodes of "All My Children" will now be released Mondays and Wednesdays, with fresh episodes of "One Life to Live" posted Tuesdays and Thursdays. The behind the scenes series "More" will run as a single show on Fridays.
"When it comes to online, as with all new technology, it's adapt or fail," Prospect Park explained in a news release. "We feel fortunate to be an online company and to have such an opportunity to adapt. Of course, we will continue to evaluate all the data that comes in and will be vigilant about revising our strategy as needed."
The change stems from viewing patterns that have emerged during the first month of streaming. First, fans have been binge viewing or watching on demand, usually during the weekend: That means many fans have been trying to cram five hours of soaps into their weekend. On ABC, fans watched episodes close to their airdate, so they didn't fall as far behind. They also tended to watch only two to three episodes a week. But with the action-packed reboots, it's not as easy to follow when you've missed episodes. Plus, Prospect Park clearly doesn't want fans skipping episodes.
Plus: 'The Bachelorette' Season 9 | What we learned from 'The Office' | 10 reasons to love 'The Mindy Project'
Another interesting shift in viewing was that fans aren't watching both shows. On television, maintaining audience is a key factor, with fans often watching whatever airs next. That doesn't apply on the Internet. Prospect Park likely hopes that, with less to consume, fans will go back to watching both series.
While the shows will release fewer episodes at a time, production will continue at the same pace through mid-June. Prospect Park will focus on editing while productions halts in July, with production resuming in August.
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Hulu will continue to stream all current episodes for free so that viewers who've fallen behind can catch up. There is no mention in the release about how this affects iTunes or how the show is performing there.
"All My Children" and "One Life to Live" can be streamed via Hulu, Hulu Plus and iTunes.
New 'Late Night' host says the new 'Tonight Show' star paved the way
Seth Meyers is sending a lot of love and gratitude Jimmy Fallon's way.
Meyers said he wouldn't have been promoted to his new "Late Night" hosting gig if Fallon hadn't proved that anchoring "Weekend Update" is the perfect training ground. Fallon will take the lead on "The Tonight Show" in February 2014. And Meyers will step into his new job around the same time, NBC announced this week.
Bing: More on 'The Tonight Show' | Jimmy Fallon | Seth Meyers
"I think I owe a debt of gratitude to Jimmy for having gone from 'Update' to 'Late Night' and shown that it's a nice progression," Meyers said on the 'Today' show Thursday. "So I'm very happy to be doing it. But, I mean, I think if you sit at that 'Update' desk, you learn how to talk about topical stories and certainly with the guests, you learn to talk to crazy people. Although, if you do late night there are real crazy people as opposed to Bill Hader pretending to be one."
Plus: 'The Bachelorette' Season 9 | What we learned from 'The Office' | 10 reasons to love 'The Mindy Project'
Hosting "Late Night with Seth Meyers" wasn't his only option. ESPN had been courting Meyers to helm a new late-night sports talk show. Meyers impressed ESPN executives when he twice hosted the ESPY Awards. But in the end, Meyers wanted to keep working with his "SNL" boss, Lorne Michaels, and opted to stay at NBC. Meyers, who is the head writer for "Saturday Night Live," will continue working on the show through the fall.
"I'm nowhere near emotionally ready for Saturday to be my last show -- I wouldn't be able to handle that," Meyers said of the "SNL" season finale, which airs May 18. "It's very strange to get a job that doesn't start for eight, nine months. So I think we'll do a lot of talking about it. But I think it'll be one of those things where the first show you do you're gonna learn 1,000 things you didn't know yet."
The "Saturday Night Live" Season 38 finale airs Saturday, May 18, at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" airs weeknights at 12:35 a.m. ET/PT on NBC.
Would the Dowager Countess approve?
By Michelle Strub
MSN TV
So many questions! Sean "Diddy" Combs tweeted Wednesday afternoon that he's joining the cast of "Downton Abbey." Right now it's unclear if this is real, a publicity stunt, he's having a public meltdown, or if the rapper-turned-sometimes-actor has been hacked.
Bing: Sean "Diddy" Combs | 'Downton Abbey'
"Downton" producers previously announced that they're adding the show's first black character in Season 4, but named Gary Carr as the actor to play the part.
More: 'Downton Abbey' Season 4 gets January 2014 date in U.S.
We're sure we'll know soon whether this is actually happening -- thank you, Internet sleuths (and/or hopefully a statement from PBS)! Until then, we'll just sit here pondering all the ways this could go wrong ... or right?
What do you think the Dowager Countess would say about all of this? Tell us at MSN TV on Facebook and Twitter.
UPDATE [3:08 p.m. PT]: According to the Sun-Times, a spokeswoman for WGBH, the Boston public TV station that brings the British series to America, has said this is untrue -- Diddy is NOT joining the cast.
UPDATE [3:32 p.m. PT]: Diddy continues to tweet as if it's true and has Instagrammed a photo from the set as "proof."
More: Most shocking moments of 'Downton' Season 3
Update [5:18 p.m. PT]: Diddy posted yet another photo supposedly from the set of "Downton." That facial hair doesn't really seem to match the era in which the show takes place, right? Looks like we'll be anxiously awaiting midnight to see what it is he's pulling. That Diddy!
UPDATE [12 a.m. PT]: Well, Diddy wasn't kidding after all. Downton Diddy he is.
Barbara Walters, Shaquille O'Neal, Katie Couric, Selena Gomez, Honey Boo Boo and more
Daytime hosts, notable athletes, sports newsman and reality TV stars turned out to help "Maury" celebrate its 2500th episode, airing Friday, May 17. The landmark episode also caught up with memorable first guests and featured a few surprises for Maury Povich, including his wife Connie Chung jumping out of a cake!
Bing: More about "Maury" | Watch clips and episodes of "Maury"
The guest list for the big "Maury" episode featured Barbara Walters, Shaquille O'Neal, Katie Couric, the ladies of "The Talk," Donald Trump, Joan Rivers, Kathy Griffin, NeNe Leakes, Steve Harvey, Wendy Williams, Jack Hanna, Billy Bush and Kit Hoover, Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, former Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann, "Pardon the Interruption" hosts Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon and fellow NBC Universal talk show hosts Jerry Springer, Steve Wilkos and Trisha Goddard.
Plus: 'The Bachelorette' Season 9 | What we learned from 'The Office' | 10 reasons to love 'The Mindy Project'
Selena Gomez and Honey Boo Boo also got involved in the celebration via video messages. Gomez had a surprise for a returning guest, while Honey Boo Boo let Povich know that he's not the father. Phew!
"Maury" will also catch up with the guests who started it all, including the guests who took the very first paternity and lie detector tests and the show's first out of control teen.
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Povich has more than 2500 reasons to celebrate. "Maury" goes into its landmark episode with 100 consecutive weeks as the #1 syndicated talk show among Women 18-34, Adults 18-34 and Adults 18-49.
"Maury" airs weekdays in syndication.
Jacqueline MacInnes Wood is exiting, but not for good
"The Bold and the Beautiful" beauty Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy) is taking a break from the drama this summer, but the Daytime Emmy nominee is not leaving for good.
Bing: More about Jacqueline MacInnes Wood | 'The Bold and the Beautiful'
"Jacqueline MacInnes Wood is taking a short break, as she has done in the past, from 'B&B,'" a show rep told MSN TV. "She remains as the character of 'Steffy Forrester'; and is continuing to tape, currently, with episodes airing through July of 2013 and then beyond."
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During Wood's past breaks from the soap, she shot the blockbuster "Final Destination 5," the pilot for "Arrow" and the upcoming Lifetime thriller "Her Husband's Betrayal." A DJ and singer, Wood also released her debut single "After Hours" in January 2012.
As "The Bold and the Beautiful" fans know, Wood's character Steffy been caught in a love triangle that aims to rival the show's epic Taylor/Ridge/Brooke triangle. As the scheming vixen of the younger set, Ridge and Taylor's daughter stooped pretty low in her battle to win Bill's son Liam away from Brooke's daughter Hope. Though Steffy seemed to have no limits, she's shown a softer side of late. That and a bun in the oven helped her finally marry Liam, but as news of Wood's short-term exit broke, Steffy was mowed down in a motorcycle accident on the show.
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With Woods set to tape scenes Friday, May 17, and air into August, one can expect Steffy will wake up before exiting the canvas this summer. The fate of her unborn baby is another matter.
"The Bold and the Beautiful" airs weekdays on CBS.
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meet the bloggers
Deanna Barnert | Los Angeles, Calif.
Entertainment journalist Deanna "TVDeeva" Barnert visits sets, interviews industry players and critiques the final product. Buzz's daytime TV queen covers it all for MSN TV, but loves her sitcoms, soaps and any juicy drama that doesn't call itself Reality TV.
