Debuts 9/8/08, after the Keith Olbermann Show on MSNBC.
Personally, I'm looking forward to it. I've been a fan of hers since catching her morning shows on Air America Radio. I've liked her guest spots and guest host appearances on other shows, and she seems pretty good on TV.
The Rachel Maddow Show
Started by
cutecouple
, Sep 04 2008 11:50 PM
4469 replies to this topic
#1
Posted Sep 4, 2008 @ 11:50 PM
#2
Posted Sep 5, 2008 @ 12:19 AM
I'm excited about it. I'm not sure I can devote a solid two hours to watching MSNBC every night, but I will for a few days, anyway.
I'm impressed with the way she keeps her temper but still keeps plowing ahead to make a point, no matter which blowhard is trying to interrupt.
I'm impressed with the way she keeps her temper but still keeps plowing ahead to make a point, no matter which blowhard is trying to interrupt.
#3
Posted Sep 5, 2008 @ 12:32 AM
I hope they podcast it like they do KO's show. That podcast has no commercials and comes in audio and video forms.
#4
Posted Sep 5, 2008 @ 9:48 AM
Yea! Maddow thread!
I have to admit, I'm equally excited and dreading Rachel's show. I can't wait to see it but in my time zone it'll air against the first hour of primetime -- which means that unless MSNBC starts a rerun very soon I'll have to choose between Rachel and Earl on Thursday nights (Betty already has that second recording slot reserved).
Thankfully Thursday is the only tough choice.
I have to admit, I'm equally excited and dreading Rachel's show. I can't wait to see it but in my time zone it'll air against the first hour of primetime -- which means that unless MSNBC starts a rerun very soon I'll have to choose between Rachel and Earl on Thursday nights (Betty already has that second recording slot reserved).
Thankfully Thursday is the only tough choice.
#5
Posted Sep 5, 2008 @ 2:29 PM
My cable guide still shows Abrams' show in Rachel's time slot, but if she takes all of his slots her show will be re-broadcast at 4 AM Eastern time.
#6
Posted Sep 5, 2008 @ 3:01 PM
I forgave Rachel's absence from the convention last night, because I knew it must mean she's working on the new show - three cheers!
On the West Coast, I'll just record 5-7 PM and get both Keith & Rachel's shows for later enjoyment.
On the West Coast, I'll just record 5-7 PM and get both Keith & Rachel's shows for later enjoyment.
#7
Posted Sep 5, 2008 @ 3:19 PM
MSNBC should drop one of their abysmal "doc block" programs and rebroadcast Rachel's show at midnight eastern. That would put it after The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, in prime-time on the west coast and after prime time (but not necessarily before bedtime) for the rest of the country.
But do they listen? What happened to "let's come up with a great name for Rachel's show"? This is the network of Hardball, Countdown, Verdict and even Morning Joe. It's not The David Gregory Show or The Chris Matthews Show, for pete's sake.
Rachel starts her radio show with news from Iraq and Afghanistan. Every single day. I hope she does that on TV, too--it's a show of respect for the troops and proof of how classy she is. Let's not forget there's a war on, please?
But do they listen? What happened to "let's come up with a great name for Rachel's show"? This is the network of Hardball, Countdown, Verdict and even Morning Joe. It's not The David Gregory Show or The Chris Matthews Show, for pete's sake.
Rachel starts her radio show with news from Iraq and Afghanistan. Every single day. I hope she does that on TV, too--it's a show of respect for the troops and proof of how classy she is. Let's not forget there's a war on, please?
#9
Posted Sep 5, 2008 @ 5:36 PM
That seems to be the plan. At least that's how Zap2It's guide has it listed.My cable guide still shows Abrams' show in Rachel's time slot, but if she takes all of his slots her show will be re-broadcast at 4 AM Eastern time.
Looking forward to the new show, and I second the suggestion to air a repeat at midnight Eastern!
#10
Posted Sep 5, 2008 @ 5:50 PM
I'm so glad that the smartest woman in America and my biggest girl-crush ever is finally getting her own show. The Keith/Rachel 2-hour block is going to be awesome.
#11
Posted Sep 6, 2008 @ 11:04 AM
I've been listening to her through various radio shows for four years now, so I'm looking forward to how it translates to TV. Hopefully they won't make her cover American Idol too much...
I'll probably tape it and watch it in the morning, now that Scarborough has become completely insufferable as the election draws close.
I'll probably tape it and watch it in the morning, now that Scarborough has become completely insufferable as the election draws close.
#12
Posted Sep 6, 2008 @ 8:16 PM
Damn, I love Rachel Maddow, but I love Dan Abrams too. Everytime I start getting into his show, MSNBC cancels him or gives him "other responsibilities". Why can't Rachel be on at 10:00? Don't they re-run Keith Olbermann then? Isn't that unnecessary? Argh.
That gripe aside, it's about damn time someone gave her a show, I just wish it didn't come at Dan Abrams' expense.
That gripe aside, it's about damn time someone gave her a show, I just wish it didn't come at Dan Abrams' expense.
#13
Posted Sep 7, 2008 @ 11:17 PM
So it looks like there's a rerun of Rachel, but it's at 4 AM ET?
#14
Posted Sep 7, 2008 @ 11:49 PM
Yes, my cable guide finally shows it there, instead of Abrams show.
#15
Posted Sep 8, 2008 @ 1:05 PM
Has anyone heard who Rachel's panel is going to consist of? I hope it's not all the same people. I agree with about .01% of what Rachel says but I find her charismatic so I'm considering watching her.
#16
Posted Sep 8, 2008 @ 3:54 PM
I seriously doubt there will be a panel. It's not Rachel's style. On her radio show she has guests, even guests who don't agree with her, but she doesn't set up situations where two people shout at each other.
Her radio show is very narrative. She tells stories. She builds cases. She does in-depth interviews with experts--one of her regulars is Paul Reikoff from Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America, with whom she discusses veterans' issues. There's a fairly strong resemblence between her radio show and Countdown, which makes me wonder how they're going to tweak her format to differentiate it from Keith's show.
One thing she does on the radio, and which I sincerely hope she will also do on the TV machine, is start every show with a report on Iraq and Afghanistan. When there is fighting or terrorist attacks, she reports Iraqi and Afghan casualties right alongside US casualties, for which I applaud her--not for being morbid or sensationalistic (she's not) but because she respects all human lives and not just American lives.
I learned today that her radio show has been cut back to 2 hours, 6-8 pm eastern, which is no big surprise. The 3-hour format had only been going on for a few months anyway, and it included a simulcast of Race to the White House in the first hour (except when she was not on David Gregory's panel for the day) and she usually had a long, pre-recorded interview or a substitute host taking calls for most if not all of the third hour whenever she was a guest on Countdown. NBC lets her use a small radio broadcast studio for her to use at 30 Rock, but even so, she needs wardrobe and makeup time.
Her radio show is very narrative. She tells stories. She builds cases. She does in-depth interviews with experts--one of her regulars is Paul Reikoff from Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America, with whom she discusses veterans' issues. There's a fairly strong resemblence between her radio show and Countdown, which makes me wonder how they're going to tweak her format to differentiate it from Keith's show.
One thing she does on the radio, and which I sincerely hope she will also do on the TV machine, is start every show with a report on Iraq and Afghanistan. When there is fighting or terrorist attacks, she reports Iraqi and Afghan casualties right alongside US casualties, for which I applaud her--not for being morbid or sensationalistic (she's not) but because she respects all human lives and not just American lives.
I learned today that her radio show has been cut back to 2 hours, 6-8 pm eastern, which is no big surprise. The 3-hour format had only been going on for a few months anyway, and it included a simulcast of Race to the White House in the first hour (except when she was not on David Gregory's panel for the day) and she usually had a long, pre-recorded interview or a substitute host taking calls for most if not all of the third hour whenever she was a guest on Countdown. NBC lets her use a small radio broadcast studio for her to use at 30 Rock, but even so, she needs wardrobe and makeup time.
#17
Posted Sep 8, 2008 @ 8:55 PM
I had a feeling Rachel's "buddy" Pat Buchanan would come in to give his conservative opinion.
I really think they enjoy sparring with each other.
I wonder if this segment will continue to be called "It's Pat!" and I wonder if Mr. Buchanan even gets that reference.
I really think they enjoy sparring with each other.
I wonder if this segment will continue to be called "It's Pat!" and I wonder if Mr. Buchanan even gets that reference.
Edited by BigPaul25, Sep 8, 2008 @ 10:51 PM.
#18
Posted Sep 8, 2008 @ 9:01 PM
I like the idea of Rachel's "fake uncle Pat" coming onto her show often, but I thought that her debate skills against Pat weren't as strong as they usually are, was it just me? Even though she made a few good points, I think that she missed a couple other obvious ones as well. The segment seemed really short too, it seems like they had to end it abruptly because of a time issue.
#19
Posted Sep 8, 2008 @ 9:02 PM
Not bad, but needs tweaking, and a bit more time.
#20
Posted Sep 8, 2008 @ 9:15 PM
First, the happy: Kent Jones! [Deep announcer voice] "And now... it's Kent Jones Now! With Kent Jones! Now!" Oh, happy radio show memories.
Second, the not-so-happy: So much for my prediction that they would tweak the format to differentiate it from Keith's show. Not only was the format relatively nondescript, there was the endless rehashing of the Obama interview that I had just watched live on Countdown. And the extended mutual admiration society meeting at the top of the hour was actually annoying. Except for the set design and the lack of numbered segments, how was The Rachel Maddow Show different from Countdown?
There is some hope in the "Talk Me Down" segment, especially if she can book reasonable, interesting guests who come to discuss from an opposing or supplementary point-of-view rather than to argue and yell. But if the badly named "It's Pat!" segment is what her sparring sessions with Uncle Pat are going to look like, I hope they are few and far between.
For the time being, until I drag myself down from this mountain of inflated expectations, I'm going to call this show Letdown.
Second, the not-so-happy: So much for my prediction that they would tweak the format to differentiate it from Keith's show. Not only was the format relatively nondescript, there was the endless rehashing of the Obama interview that I had just watched live on Countdown. And the extended mutual admiration society meeting at the top of the hour was actually annoying. Except for the set design and the lack of numbered segments, how was The Rachel Maddow Show different from Countdown?
There is some hope in the "Talk Me Down" segment, especially if she can book reasonable, interesting guests who come to discuss from an opposing or supplementary point-of-view rather than to argue and yell. But if the badly named "It's Pat!" segment is what her sparring sessions with Uncle Pat are going to look like, I hope they are few and far between.
For the time being, until I drag myself down from this mountain of inflated expectations, I'm going to call this show Letdown.
#21
Posted Sep 8, 2008 @ 9:34 PM
The entertainment segment was horrible, just horrible. I think it needs to be ditched. Really, Pat had a counter for everything she threw at him. Those are the only two things on the show that stuck out.
It needs a lot of tweaking, starting with the host. She did seem a little out of it. Say what you will about the likes of Keith, at least he has flair, even if he is just a hack in the tank for Obama. This was just a drag and lacked focus.
It needs a lot of tweaking, starting with the host. She did seem a little out of it. Say what you will about the likes of Keith, at least he has flair, even if he is just a hack in the tank for Obama. This was just a drag and lacked focus.
#22
Posted Sep 8, 2008 @ 9:35 PM
And the extended mutual admiration society meeting at the top of the hour was actually annoying.
I thought it was kind of adorable, and I'm pretty sure it was just because it's her first day, so there was a little metaphorical hand-holding going on.
I don't mind that the format is similar to Countdown; I wouldn't care if it was just another hour of Countdown with Rachel instead of Keith; as long as I get both of them in the same night, I'm happy. The format may likely be tweaked over time, though, and for now I think she should stick with what she's comfortable with.
I liked seeing guests that weren't Countdown regulars, though, enjoyed the debate with Pat (and the segment title), and was happy with it overall, despite the obvious room for improvement.
#23
Posted Sep 8, 2008 @ 9:52 PM
So did I. It was like an extended version of the toss between The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.I thought it was kind of adorable, and I'm pretty sure it was just because it's her first day, so there was a little metaphorical hand-holding going on.
Me, too again. I like this format. I think the important difference is that they don't have the same people on and talk about the same things. If they do that, I'm happy (obviously a little overlap is okay).I don't mind that the format is similar to Countdown; I wouldn't care if it was just another hour of Countdown with Rachel instead of Keith; as long as I get both of them in the same night, I'm happy.
I did think the pop culture thing was lame. If you're going to forcefeed Rachel pop culture, make it something not related to Britney Spears, please. But it's just the first night.
#24
Posted Sep 8, 2008 @ 9:53 PM
Vigilance!
Not a bad start, every show needs some time to find its groove. It's kind of a shame that so much of her first show spotlighted Olbermann's interview with Obama, but that was the big MSNBC exclusive of the day, so I think by the end of the week we'll have a better idea of a typical show.
Not a bad start, every show needs some time to find its groove. It's kind of a shame that so much of her first show spotlighted Olbermann's interview with Obama, but that was the big MSNBC exclusive of the day, so I think by the end of the week we'll have a better idea of a typical show.
#25
Posted Sep 8, 2008 @ 11:52 PM
The entertainment segment was horrible, just horrible. I think it needs to be ditched.
Nah, it just needs to find its voice. Rachel and Kent Jones had great chemistry before he got downsized from her radio show. Right now, they're working on re-finding that chemistry while turning a radio segment into a TV one. I definitely see the potential, though the segment definitely needs to be longer.
I didn't have a problem with rehashing the Obama interview either, though I guess that could be because I'm a longtime radio fan and she would have similarly rehashed that interview -- adding her take as she did tonight -- on the radio. Still, going through that interview right after it aired might have made it harder to take.
Right now, my main complaint is a lack of slickness. It needs more graphics to make things go smoother, but I expect that'll get fixed with time.
On the other hand, I get the feeling Rachel is going to try to have a diverse mix of guests, like she does on her show, which is promising. I have my fingers crossed for a weekly visit from Paul R (I'm not going goggle-fishing for the correct spelling of his name yet again.)
Also, was I the only one screaming "Roll the clip" at my TV when Rachel and Pat started arguing over what Palin said in the clip aired earlier?
#26
Posted Sep 9, 2008 @ 7:32 AM
I agree about the entertainment section. KO already covers it. Leave it alone. Otherwise, an ok start.
#27
Posted Sep 9, 2008 @ 7:32 AM
double post
Edited by samsnee, Sep 9, 2008 @ 7:32 AM.
#28
Posted Sep 9, 2008 @ 8:16 AM
Content aside, I thought the look of the show was just awful. Cool to cold colors for the set which was also way too busy, with rows of red and blue boxes on a field of white (it made me think of a morgue designed by Mondrian), and speaking of morgues, they used cool to cold colors for her makeup (you could see the white base around her eyes and cheekbones). Rachel had a healthy glow at the conventions with warmer makeup.
#29
Posted Sep 9, 2008 @ 8:19 AM
Personally, I would have characterized Rachel's set as coming from a Mondrian-obsessed Mac product designer (or at least, one of those "Mac culture" graphic designers... I've known too many) with ADD.
#30
Posted Sep 9, 2008 @ 8:27 AM
I'm not crazy about her set either - I want to put on a sweater just looking at it. But I'm so happy Rachel has her own show and I loved that so many guests congratulated her, she really is that awesome.
It was a little shaky but not bad for a first show. I think it's going to be great when she hits her groove. I liked that she had on TD Jakes and Pat Buchanan, people she's not necessarily going to be on the same page with.
It was a little shaky but not bad for a first show. I think it's going to be great when she hits her groove. I liked that she had on TD Jakes and Pat Buchanan, people she's not necessarily going to be on the same page with.
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