There's something about today's morning talk shows that shouts teen programming. The peppiness, the high-def sets, the hyper-bright colors, the manic guffawing. It's all a bit much for the more monochromatic generation. All that energy! What do they put in their coffee? Caffeine?
But this morning marked the launch of This Morning, the new CBS morning show, and with it came breakfast TV for the greyer-haired, more sedate demographic.
CBS has long been known for the loyalty of elderly viewers and anchors. The titans of 60 Minutes – those who are still alive – have moved from octagenarian to nonogenarian. And it's been seven years since network star Bob Schieffer, now turning 75 and a bladder cancer survivor, joked that at 68 he was part of the network's youth movement.
Schieffer made his own genial appearance on the inaugural broadcast of This Morning, commenting on the New Hampshire primary, and as always he was articulate and folksy.
But it's the new anchors who define the broadcast. Both big names – 70-year-old Charlie Rose from late night public television, and Gayle King, best known as Oprah Winfrey's best friend – they hinted at a gentler pace in the days before the show's debut, when they spoke of spending "more time" to delve into interesting topics.
Charlie Rose was clearly the one to watch as the show opened. America is used to seeing Rose at 11 pm, not 7am. His is the rumpled, bleary-eyed appearance of a man who'd sit with you at late-night breakfast before calling it a night. His evening show's backdrop has always been completely black – as if anything stronger would make him wince. You could imagine him hosting This Morning in the piano bar at the Caryle Hotel, slumping on his stool, smoking if he could.
But he's a smart guy and a pro, and as the new melodic theme of This Morning began, he sat up a little bit straighter and didn't flub too many lines. His interview with Newt Gingrich was sharp without being grating. Rose ran the first hour competently, but the broadcast really kick-started at 8 o'clock.
That was when the star of the show, the 57-year-old King, took over. Attractive, funny, spontaneous, and eminently watchable, King may well end up being the secret of the show's success. For the first broadcast she wore bright yellow – a little much for a dark January morning – but as she gets more confident she could tone it down. (Lemon would be fine.)
And she can be confident. Early in the broadcast King announced her guest on Wednesday would be Michelle Obama. Oprah's booking clout seems to have rubbed off.
Rounding out the team was the baby of the group 35 year-old Erica Hill – a holdover from the program's previous incarnation. She doesn't quite fit the new mold, especially when King gets to schmoozing guests like Juliana Margulies and Melissa Etheridge. King is the dominant force here. Hill feels like a vestigial organ, not critical to the operation.
And speaking of operations, commercials tell a lot about demographics. This Morning had ads for weight loss, pain relievers, depression, lactaid, dietary fiber, cancer centers, insurance companies and toilet paper.
In short, this is morning TV for the Cocoon, not the caffeine, set. And, so far, it works.
