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Good times in Olympics prime time
NBC is offering a gazillion hours of Olympics coverage on seven channels, but most of us are getting the Athens Games from NBC in prime time.
I work in a newsroom, so I already know the outcome of these tape-delayed competitions. But I’m watching anyway, because knowing the results and seeing them are two entirely different things. Plus, I’m a fiend for the Olympics.
So far, swimming and gymnastics have been the best to watch. NBC promised to cut back on the jingoism, and they’ve kept that promise. We’ve actually seen wee features on Australian swimmers and Japanese and Romanian gymnasts. It’s a relief to see coverage that reflects the worldwide nature of the games, and not just the Americans.
It’s also nice to see competitors who are happy to be there and thrilled to win whatever they win. Despite NBC’s constant shrieking about swimmer Michael Phelps’ challenge to Mark Spitz’s seven golds, Phelps has refused to feel like a failure because he’s won medals of a different color.
“I just wanted to win one gold medal, and I’ve done that,” a grinning Phelps told a despondent reporter after one non-gold race. “I’m just here to do well and have fun.”
And the U.S. men’s gymnastics team was positively giddy about winning a silver medal last night, even though NBC had a running wake for the death of the gold.
Bob Costas is satin-smooth as host, and most of the analysts are doing a good job, too. Swimming commentator Rowdy Gaines and gymnastics commentator Tim Daggett need to calm down, though, or they’re going to hyperventilate on the air.
What’s going on after prime?
Geez, I was out of town for four days, and late-night television underwent a major earthquake.
In case you haven’t heard (maybe you decided to welcome Hurricane Charley, too), Craig Kilborn up and quit. Out of the blue he marched into his CBS boss’s office and announced the end of his 5-year reign as host of “The Late Late Show.”
Kilborn’s program is regularly beaten in the ratings by NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” but CBS apparently was not unhappy with Kilborn. In fact, he was expected to renew his contract, which expires later this year. Even more surprising, Kilborn was not asking for a monumental pay raise.
“The Late Late Show” is produced by David Letterman’s production company, and Letterman will be intimately involved in hiring Kilborn’s replacement.
Speculation is rampant that Letterman and CBS will make a serious run at NBC’s O’Brien, offering him tons of money. And possibly guaranteeing him Letterman’s job when he steps down.
Letterman has not indicated that retirement is near, but most people believe he’ll leave late-night long before workaholic Jay Leno does. And O’Brien has made no secret of his desire to shift to a time period when more than a handful of groggy viewers can find him.
The trickle-down effect in late-night talk shows is legendary. Letterman, who hosted NBC’s late-late program for years, wanted Johnny Carson’s job. But when he was passed over in favor of Leno, Letterman jumped from NBC to CBS.
Kilborn will depart as soon as a replacement is found. No word on what he plans to do, but his resume includes a stint on ESPN and Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.”
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