68 replies to this topic

[valdawn]

A new news magazine on NBC with Brian Williams (who I love) Premeires 10/31.

[lnmop]

Good first show. With a mixture of current events, both stateside and in the middle east, expose', (babies born here just to gain citizenship), innovation (a better way to board airplanes) and humor with Jon Stewart, this looks promising. Brian is a great combination of smart, insightful and FUNNY! and to top it off, easy on the eyes. Great job, Brian!

[Smackeymouth]

BriWi can do no wrong in my eyes so I may be a little biased, but I loved it! Thought it was a great combination of well-done, thoughtfully produced stories, loved Jon Stewart, loved Brian just doing his thing. It was a little rough around the edges with some miscues and awkward moments, but overall made a great first impression on me. Will definitely be tuning in, since Monday nights at 10 are a tv wasteland for me!

[Cgr]

BW is good but Harry Anderson is wonderful. Now if Aaron Brown were on the show I would watch and re-watch! Will definitely keep watching.

[missalaineous]

I've been looking forward to this and loved it...glad to see other people agree! I loved that Jon Stewart was the first guest...his and Brian's bromance is just so adorable to watch! I also loved how Brian talked to the correspondents after their segment - a great way to get just a few more details about their experiences/observations. This is definitely going to be a must watch for me every Monday!

[Rickster]

I sort of liked this but found the stories, with the exception of the North Dakota one, a little superficial (I didn't see all of the Syria one). I would have preferred fewer stories in more depth, more like 60 Minutes. For example, on the Chinese babies, I was curious about the part of how it's used to get around the one child policy and would have liked to see that on the show rather than being referred to the website.

I think though that the approach is an effort to differentiate themselves from 60 Minutes and also target viewers with shorter attention spans at 10pm.

[stonehaven]

I watched only the Harry Smith segment as I am fascinated by the fact that North Dakota is such a happenin' place for jobs now. I wonderd how the locals like their town exploding like that.
I also wonder how many will remain after one winter there.

[mccurdy]

I thought the stories were good but everything else (like the Jon Stewart segments) was nothing more than a vehicle for Brian Williams's sizable on-air ego. I think BW is probably a nice person in real life, but boy, when he's on the air he is so impressed with himself that it borders on unwatchable for me.

[Ohwell]

I used to like Brian Williams but now I think he's gotten a little too full of himself and he tries too hard to be cool. Plus, I'm mad that the playboy bunnies got canned so that he could have his show.

[Mookster]

I agree, BW used to be unobjectionable, but then he started becoming quite taken with himself and now he's objectionable. He's not as funny or cool as he thinks he is. I think he thinks his friendship (or whatever it is) with Jon Stewart lends him some cachet.

[attica finch]

also loved how Brian talked to the correspondents after their segment - a great way to get just a few more details about their experiences/observations.

This is something Bryant Gumbel has long done on his HBO Sports show. I suspect poaching!

[stonehaven]

Apparently, the rest of the TV universe isn't in love with Williams. The ratings were lower then the debut of the Playboy Club. Ouch.

[Ohwell]

Ouch, indeed.

I was disappointed that they killed the bunnies, so I'm glad that BW's show is doing even worse.

[maggie010]

Source please? I am surprised because I loved the show.

[Rickster]

Source please? I am surprised because I loved the show.

This is a source for all things ratings related:

TV By The Numbers

The 1.0 rating was pretty abysmal. The only thing is that news magazines are usually cheaper to produce than dramas

[maggie010]

Thanks Rockster. Sigh Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed.

[pjamma]

I really enjoyed tonight's episode which chronicled the events around the death of Bin Laden. However, after years of watching The West Wing, I was kind of disappointed in the real life Situation Room. It's too bright. I prefer the dark wood and walls of the TV show. Way more dramatic.

[LADreamr]

I was surprised by the smallness of it. I would have thought a room as important as the Sit Room would have more space. At first, I thought it was a makeshift Sit Room, but no, that was it.

[maggie010]

Incredible show last night - hope it gets an Emmy!

[kingofpoppa]

Awesome! Brian the perfect host for a show like this. Kept the real drama in, the fake drama out.

[braggtastic]

I haven't given this show a real chance, but I caught a tiny piece of Hillary Clinton being interviewed. I hope it's on demand, because after seeing that and reading the responses, I think this would be a good episode to start with.

[prairiegal]

Just watched last night on the NBC News site-well done,fascinating.

[BondGirl]

It was pretty intense. I had to laugh at moments like them ordering food from all over the place so as not to make anyone suspicious.

And the sheer irony, that Bill Clinton, who first tried to take out bin Laden, knew nothing about this raid.

Excellent work from everyone.

[prairiegal]

I watched the the 2011 Correspondent's Dinner on CSpan last night after I watched Rock Center. Seth Meyers made a joke about Osama having an hour show on CSpan and the camera cut to the President laughing. After seeing Rock Center, I'd agree with the President, that was one awesome acting performance, you just wonder what was going through his mind at that moment. Also liked Hilary's story about going to a wedding and having those young women asking her "Do you ever think we'll get Bin Laden?". Good thing I'm not Secretary of State, I'd have probably blown it right there.

[shabbieshok]

It's shame the whole story has gotten politicized and that the Republicans just will not give President Obama credit for anything he's done because it's a fascinating story that should go down in American folklore and passed on down through the generations. BriWi did a good job of conveying the suspense of those few days. It could easily have been a two hour special with more time spent with the military people and the CIA and Bill Gates et al and kept my attention.

[prairiegal]

shabbieshok, I won't turn this into a commentary against Republicans, but I happened to catch a bit of Rush Limbaugh's show on Thursday, and he made snide comments about the President playing golf "all day" on that Sunday and how a member of the National Security team had to "run out and get him" and tell him the raid was starting, making it sound like the President was unconcerned, when of course the real story plays out very differently.
And I continue to love the "BriWi" abbreviation, it makes me smile. Rock Center reminds me of another show I loved in the 80's:"Our World" on ABC, which also was very well done and also unfortunately had a very small audience.

[Major Misfit]

I haven't given this show a real chance, but I caught a tiny piece of Hillary Clinton being interviewed. I hope it's on demand, because after seeing that and reading the responses, I think this would be a good episode to start with.

I watched it On Demand last night and the story was pretty darned great. I was also amazed at how low those ceilings were down there beneath the White House.

[shabbieshok]

shabbieshok, I won't turn this into a commentary against Republicans, but I happened to catch a bit of Rush Limbaugh's show on Thursday, and he made snide comments about the President playing golf "all day" on that Sunday and how a member of the National Security team had to "run out and get him" and tell him the raid was starting, making it sound like the President was unconcerned, when of course the real story plays out very differently.

I'm not afraid to make a comment against the Republicans but that's not really what it is. I meant more to say it was a wonderful success story for Americans in general. That there are so many idiot Republicans like Limbaugh who have no shame or moral ethics in telling lies about President Obama in order to not give him an ounce of credit is disgraceful and it's tearing the country apart at a time when some patriotic good feelings would do an awful lot of healing and good for the country.

[teddysmom]

Just came over here to add my love for the Rock Center episode about Bin Laden.

I had cold chills listening to all the details, and really enjoyed the interviews with the President and Hillary Clinton. I haven't cared much for other Rock Center episodes, but this one was amazing.

Anyone else that's interested in more details of this event, Peter Bergen has written a book called "Manhunt", and there is a great interview with him on Fresh Air on NPR. It gives a lot of behind the scenes with the CIA, and he is the only journalist that actually got to go thru the compound after the raid. I can't wait to read his book.

ITA re the real Situation Room vs. The West Wing Sit Room.

Edited by teddysmom, May 7, 2012 @ 12:09 PM.

[Bentley]

I'd agree with the President, that was one awesome acting performance, you just wonder what was going through his mind at that moment.

According to Stephen Colbert it was this: "Heh heh heh, It's funny because I'm about to kill him." lol

I highly recommend if you can dig it up on youtube or comedy central watching reruns of both The Daily Show and Colbert Report the day after the OBL killing. Comedy gold. One of the most enjoyable hours of television I've ever spent.