Another New Day–Again!

Michaela says goodbye. Friday, New Day co-host Michaela Pereira called it quits: Now, Chris Cuomo is the last original co-anchor left standing. CNN honcho Jeff Zucker can try again to make that winning team that can give Fox & Friends a run for the money–or, at least, come in a respectable second.

Last week, CNN seemed to want to ease Michaela out the New Day door unlike its ceremonious ditching of another original co-host Kate Bolduan when she was on maternity leave by Zucker: Nevertheless, the slow sendoff of Michaela from New Day seemed like a painful display of inane maudlin, mawkish sentiment. The shtick appeared to be a pouting Chris about Michaela “abandoning” the show; a reveling Michaela in the “pain” that her departure caused Chris; and a laughing Alisyn Camerota at their silly departure dance.

Before Michaela exited the stage, she may have been billed as a coequal anchor but the loyal New Day viewer knew the pecking order: Chris was the alpha male; Aly was the alpha bitch (in a good way); and Michaela was still along for the ride. It did not go unnoticed by ND fans that prime anchor Chris would open the show in the first hour; secondary host Aly would intro it the second hour; and Chris would lead in the third and final hour: Tertiary anchor Michaela would tend to do the personal interest stories and racially sensitive ones.

Now that Michaela has “left the building,” the auditioning will begin–hopefully, for both males and females. Early Start co-hosts Christine Romans and John Berman would be a good place to start: No-nonsense Christine guest co-hosted ND predecessor American Morning regularly and quick-witted John Berman is oft a guest co-host of New Day. Of course, Aly and Chris might be a good duo a la Kiran Chetry and John Roberts (the last official co-hosts of AM).

Good luck, Michaela, as you move to HLN to host your own to-be-announced morning show! And, good luck Aly, Chris, and Zucker as you craft anew a New Day!

Racy Aly: “Something on the Sofa”

Carol Costello: “Oh, I wish I hadn’t heard that, Alisyn!” Monday morning, New Day co-host Alisyn Camerota returned to her risque Fox & Friends Weekend days as she concluded the “The Good Stuff.”

As the final segment of ND drew to a close, Aly congratulated ND technical director Beth and her husband on the birth of their first child. As co-anchor Chris Cuomo cooed over one of the sweet baby pics, co-host Michael Pereira looked over at Aly, saying, “We have babies all over the place. Don’t drink the water!”

In reply, Aly deadpanned, “I know. I guess not.” Caressing the sofa with both of her hands, she naughtily jested, “Maybe, there’s something on the sofa. No!”

Arching his eyebrows and shaking his head in disbelief at Aly’s bawdy quip, Chris stammered, “Oh, that’s s[ick?]. Again!” As Aly laughed heartily and a chagrinned Chris grimaced, Michaela smilingly exclaimed, “Hey, now! I’m gonna leave it there! Time for Newsroom with Carol Costello on this Monday morning. Good morning, Carol!”

Taking Michaela’s toss, an incredulous Carol laughed, “Oh, I wish I hadn’t heard that, Alisyn!”

New Day with Aly: not exactly your father’s CNN!

Chris Cuomo: “I Gave Up Booze”

“Which was a HUGE mistake!” Poor New Day co-anchor Chris Cuomo is regretting his Lent sacrifice–big time. After a segment on a woman wearing a hijab for Lent, Chris remarked, “I gave up for Lent!”

Quizzically, his co-host Alisyn Camerota queried, “You gave up?…You gave up Lent?”

Turning to Aly, the proud Italian Catholic exclaimed, “I’ll never give up Lent.”* Elaborating, he remarked, “I gave up booze which was a huge mistake!” When his co-anchors, Aly and Michaela Pereira, laughed, he made strange noises (“he, he, he, he”) and shook his hands repeatedly as if he had delirium tremens. Then, turning serious, he said, “We [Catholics] also make sure that we try to do something: You’re supposed to try to do something affirmative.”

Putting her hand on Chris’ shoulder, Aly asked, “What are you doing for others?” Chuckling, Chris jested, “Some would say not drinking!” Smiling, Aly replied, “That’s right!” As Aly giggled, Chris continued, “But, it’s not helping me! I’ll tell you that right now!”

Hang in there, Chris: Easter Sunday is only a month and a day away!

*New Day – 03/04/15 (@ 8:17 a.m. ET).

Cuomo Goes Soprano Again?

“Better if u swallow [your tongue].” Yesterday, New Day co-anchor Chris Cuomo almost went Soprano anew on a crusty “Old [Arizona] Cowboy.” When the self-described conservative Catholic Vietnam vet acerbically asserted, “CNN = Communistic News Network…And [I] use the word News…with tongue in cheek,” Chris was not amused. In a display of stereotypical Italian machismo, he shot back, snarling, “[B]etter if u swallow it.”

Less than three weeks ago, the very same Chris was menacing innocuous concerned non-vac parents. During a segment on measles immunizations, Chris pontificated that they should be mandatory. When his co-anchor Alisyn Camerota reasoned that the issue had “many layers” and that “everybody [had] their own reasons,” Chris minaciously responded, “You are right. You can’t just tell somebody they’re stupid and expect them to change because this is not an intellectual position, it’s an emotional position for parents so you have to appeal to them on that level: But, they also have to know there’s a price.”

“Swallow it,” and “a price,” Chris? You are no Tony. But, you are the lucky lad between Aly and Michaela. It’s a New Day now: So, be nice–be the “good stuff”!

Aly New ND Anchor: “Thrilled!”

Camerota finally gets her weekday morning gig! CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota confirmed today that she is replacing Kate Bolduan as New Day co-host with Chris Cuomo. Tweeting a link to the Wrap report of the ND shakeup, Aly exclaimed, “Thrilled!” And, so are Aly’s fans.

As Aly’s acolytes remember well, Fox & Friends Weekend‘s savior and three-time co-anchor and frequent Fox & Friends fill-in was inanely overlooked when F&F co-host Gretchen Carlson left F&F weekday for her own show The Real Story, and Aly lost the coveted job to then FNC outsider, Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Soon after this strange snub by FNC SVP of Programming Bill Shine, FTVLive rightly reported that Aly was headed to CNN. When she did indeed, she debuted on CNN Tonight as a co-host with Don Lemon in a her usual sure-footed fashion yet as an awkward counterpart to Don.

Almost six months later to the very day, Aly will reportedly make her official debut in the morn as the new ivory queen of New Day. (Her ebony counterpart will be Michaela Pereira who was promoted to ND co-host with Aly and Chris according to the Wrap.)

Hopefully, Aly will be encouraged to show her lighter side in the CNN morn in a way that her former F&FW co-anchor and CNN precursor, comely Kiran Chetry, was never allowed to do fully, unfortunately (as co-host of CNN’s erstwhile American Morning): If CNN ever really wants to compete with the Fox & Friends juggernaut, it must abandon its too oft aloof, elitist approach to the news and extend a more welcoming, personal touch to its audience.

Congratulations, Aly! You deserve your new role as New Day co-host: It’s FNC’s loss and CNN’s gain. Game on!

[Author’s aside: According to the Wrap, Kate will co-anchor This Hour with John Berman at 11:00 a.m. ET. Confirming the change, Kate Tweeted, “End of this month. New Time slot. Hope you can join us at 11a.]

New Day Disappears?

Santa’s gift: Three beauties and no beast. It was a strange morning after Christmas on CNN: New Day disappeared and Alisyn Camerota, Chris Cuomo, and Michaela Pereira were nowhere to be seen live. Instead, (CNN) Newsroom replaced New Day with Energizer bunny Christine Romans, pretty Poppy Harlow, and hottie Pamela Brown on the ND set.

Actually, it was a nice holiday gift from Old Saint Nick. Aly, Chris, and Michaela got a much deserved break: And, the viewers got three femme fatales for the day. Christine played the Iowa tomboy that dutifully doles out financial and other practical advice; Poppy played the attractive Everylady that reads the news for her airport audience savant and dullard alike; and Pamela (1971 Miss America Phyllis George’s daughter) played the sexy “younger blonde” that CNN honcho Jeff Zucker may need to “compete with Fox News.”

But, the bizarre thing to the author was that even though Christine, Poppy, and Pamela were on the New Day set in the ND time slot, CNN decided to ditch the ND name for the day and replace it with Newsroom. Perchance, Zucker wanted to be certain that his CNN viewers knew that his choice for now, at least, for his ND team was crystal clear: I.e., Aly, Chris, and Michael were his A-Team. After all, the three appeared on both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day to seemingly cement in viewers minds the new lineup on News Day.

Aly & Chris: Dawn of a New Day?

James Earl Jones’ voice silenced. As rumors swirl over New Day host Kate Bolduan‘s possible ouster from her CNN morning anchor chair, ND host Chris Cuomo and ND guest anchor Alisyn Camerota introduced themselves and New Day in a whole new way Thursday and Friday. Gone was the daily dulcet baritone introduction of James Earl Jones teasing, “This is New Day with Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan, and Michaela Pereira!” Instead, it was either Chris or Aly introducing each other and ND to the viewer. No mention was made of Michaela: But, perhaps, more tellingly, no mention was made of Kate either–seemingly, for the first time since she left on maternity leave.

When Kate tearfully took her maternal sabbatical and deemed it “super, super, super bittersweet” (09/19/14), the author wondered whether she was also actually getting a divorce from her ND hubby, who reportedly had informed CNN honcho Jeff Zucker “that Kate Bolduan is not a good fit for him and he wants someone new.” Perchance, she was indeed taking that fateful step–whether she knew it or not.

Reportedly, Zucker is mulling Chris’s purported suggested amid a marked increase in ND ratings since Kate’s hiatus from New Day. As the new diva on the ND divan for the last two months, Aly is proving that she may well fit the bill.

Fox (Aly) & Friends Weekend Reunited

Dave Briggs: “Reunited & it feels so good.” Yesterday, whilom Fox & Friends Weekend team of co-hosts Alisyn Camerota, Dave Briggs, and Clayton Morris got back together: Unfortunately, for their F&FW fans, it was only for lunch. Excitedly, Aly Tweeted, “Guess who I had lunch with? #reunited IMG_0199.JPG.” Subsequently, she posted a pic of her, Dave, and Clayton, posing happily together.

Inexplicably, Aly deleted the pic of the reunited erstwhile F&FW three amigos later. Perchance, she (or CNN) did not want her fans to get too nostalgic for the good old days of Aly reining on the F&FW curvy couch with her boys at FNC. After all, she has moved on to CNN–and has been ruling the New Day divan with Chris Cuomo and Michaela Pereira of late. And, now that ND co-host Kate Bolduan is on maternity leave, Aly may be taking over more permanently.

Happily, for partisans of the penultimate F&FW iteration, current “NBC Sports guy” Dave Briggs provided two fab photos of him and his buds, CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota and still FNC F&FW co-host Clayton Morris [pic1, pic2]. In his Tweet (including a great selfie seemingly shot by Clayton), Dave proudly declared, “Peaches & Herb sang it best, “Reunited & it Feels so Good…”

So good to see you all reunited, too, Dave–if only for a repast.

[Author’s aside: Not too surprisingly, Clayton did not RT the photos of him, Aly, and Dave back together again: After all, he assuredly wants his F&FW fans not to look back too fondly on his former “Friends” and to transition their affections more completely to his new ones, Anna Kooiman and Tucker Carlson.]

Aly & John: Sitting in a Tree?

Camerota and Berman: a TV coupling in the making? With New Day co-hosts Kate Bouldan and Chris Cuomo away, Aly and John finally met up and did play–at least, a little this morn. And, apparently, they have all week to develop some real chemistry.

In the wee hours of today, Aly teased, “If only I knew @JohnBerman better. He seems like a great guy. Oh well.” Two hours later, she revealed that she would indeed, reTweeting, “@ChrisCuomo and @KateBouldan [sic] are off this week, so @JohnBerman and @AlisynCamerota are joining @MichaelaCNN to hold down the #NewDay fort! Waxing waggish as usual, John ejaculated, “I have a blind anchor-date with @AlisynCamerota on @NewDay. They say you never get a 2nd chance to make a 1st impression. I’m screwed.”

As if. CNN’s resident bad boy had to settle for some platonic love today. And, the sweetest thing Aly said to John this morn was “John, great to be with you” as the second hour of ND commenced.

But, tomorrow is a whole New Day!

 

Aly’s Back: Back Again!

Aly on New Day: Fox & Fiends? Today, former Fox & Friends Weekend co-anchor Alisyn Camerota vied with her FNC usurper F&F co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck: The erstwhile queen of the F&FW curvy couch had a new perch, i.e., one of the New Day reflecting-table chairs. Unfortunately, Aly could not do battle with Elizabeth on quite equal footing: After all, it was ND, the latest version of the CNN morning show that seems not yet to fathom that the dawn is a time for edutainment (not a boring retro rendition of “straight news”).

Inviting a former “fiend” into the CNN camp as ND began, co-host Chris Cuomo introduced Aly, saying, “We welcome Alisyn Camerota, joining us. Thank you for being with us this morning.”

In response to Chris (and newsreader Michaela Pereira), Aly exclaimed, “My pleasure! Great to be with both of you!”

And, it was a pleasure for the ND audience as well. At last, Chris’s match was sitting next to him–no schoolgirl who was continuously vying for his attention and approbation: This Italian lady in red was more than ready for Mario Cuomo’s media scion. Even though she playfully wondered if she could “remember how to do” morning TV in a Tweet to her followers, she proved anew that she has the “A” game for morning news–even if Bill Shine inanely snubbed her for his team.

As the show ended, Aly clearly had won Chris over: Like a schoolboy, he was giving Aly googly eyes (and bumping her affectionately), declaring, “It’s great to have you here, by the way.” Smiling at her new admirer, Aly answered, “Thank you so much. Great to be here. I’m going to see you guys tomorrow!” As if playfully pulling her pigtails on the playground, Chris responded, “What! I have to talk to management!” Coquettishly, Aly purred, “Can’t scare me away, Cuomo!”

“Guess who’s back: Back again!” Aly: at least, for tomorrow. And, hopefully, for a long time to come.

Comely Camerota: CNN’s Catch?

Bathing beauty Aly: “For anyone wondering what I’ve been up to….” Today, Alisyn Camerota, the quondam queen of Fox & Friends Weekend‘s curvy couch got her fans attention with that Twitter tease that featured her in a sexy bathing beauty pose. She may have been more demure than her daring ’80’s bikini shot but the Bristol Bay Babe was just as alluring with her sexy come-hither pose. The catch? The former F&FW fox has jumped ship to CNN according to FTVLive.

For Fox & Friends viewers, Aly’s move should come as no surprise. FNC’s Senior VP of Programming Bill Shine has seemingly given his erstwhile best anchor the shaft: When he ditched Gretchen Carlson on F&F weekday, it appeared that the long-suffering three-time co-anchor of F&FW and frequent guest-host of F&F would finally get her due. Instead, the same genius that chose Gretch to be E. D. Hill‘s replacement on F&F over the eminently superior Kiran Chetry decided to go outside of the FNC family and choose Barbara Walter’s View outcast, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, rather than F&F fan favorite Aly.

Hopefully, CNN Prez Jeff Zucker will put Aly on against Lis in the mornings to jump start his moribund morning show New Day. Of course, Aly will be at a distinct disadvantage having to contend against Shine’s FNC juggernaut trio that also includes F&F Everyman Steve Doocy and Puckish wit Brian Kilmeade. Hopefully, Aly will join a cast including current Early Start co-host, wag John Berman, and another engaging gal or guy during the New Day time period: I.e., if the proverbial CNN stars are aligned propitiously, ND co-anchor Kate Bouldan, Michaela Pereira, and Chris Cuomo will find new places on Ted Turner’s network and Aly can usher in a new dawn to CNN.

Congratulations, Aly! And, good luck!

H/t, J$P!

Moos’ Scat Chat Silences CNN Co-hosts

Michaela: She literally left us all speechless. Ugh! To the disgust of ND news reader Michaela Pereira and guest co-host Brooke Baldwin and the amusement of regular co-anchor Chris Cuomo, CNN correspondent Jeanne Moos plumbed the depths of the human anatomy and good taste this morning.

Introducing another wacky Moos’ story re a snake which had ingested a towel (vid), an unprepared Brooke intoned, “This next story I’m going to be watching like this [with her hands over her eyes] because it involves a very large snake…pet boa constrictor named Killer undergoing an hour-long emergency surgery….* After Moos reported on the successful surgery, she discussed other such pet stomach removals, namely, golf balls, pennies, and drugs.

Subsequently, she took it to a lower level. Snapping her towel prop into the camera as if into the viewer’s visage repeatedly, Moos remarked, “And, as for a towel, a towel is practically an appetizer compared with what people enjoy and ingest: Instead of plugging into the wall, imagine plugging an electrical chord into your very own rear socket.” In a disgusting, fulsome collage including an electrical chord, a salt shaker, an egg beater, spectacles, cassette tape, tuna can, light bulb, Barbi doll, and handgun, Moos seemed to revel ribaldly in her litany of items that had been found their way into the abyss of the alimentary canal. Signing off proudly, she proclaimed, “Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.”

As Brooke brought her papers to her face in amazement and as Chris smiled faintly, an incredulous Michaela remarked, “She literally left us all speechless.” Repulsed, Brooked chimed, “And, people are eating breakfast! That’s all I’m saying!” In reply, Michaela exclaimed, “Sorry!”

Seemingly, similarly surprised, Chris declared, “That threw me! I thought it was a story about eating things because of the snake.” Shrugging her shoulders, Brooke said, “No, it was”: Before she could finished, Michaela interjected, “She kind of went there!”

Grinning goatishly, Chris gleefully guffawed, “Yeah! Kind of back-doored us on that one! Grimacing, Brooke aptly concluded, “Let’s move on!”

New Day: Poo Day today!

*New Day – 03/11/14 (@ 7:52 a.m. ET).

BP “To The Couch” Walk: New Day Stupid?

Polluting America’s Gulf: Polluting CNN’s airwaves? Lampooning themselves unintentionally a la a Saturday Night Live spoof, CNN New Day co-hosts Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan, and Michaela Pereira made a mockery of themselves and their show today anew with their diurnal “To The Couch!” walk sponsored by BP in the penultimate block of ND. After Kate announced that they would be making their odd amble to ND‘s version of F&F‘s “curvy couch” for John Berman‘s “Award of the Day” segment, an actual ad sponsored by BP began to air in a split screen alongside with Chris, Kate, and Michaela strolling to the sofa.

It was embarrassing and absurd. When the author saw this inanity of a crass commercial during ND itself for the first time a while back, he thought it was a lame joke or, perhaps, a jejune jab at F&F‘s famed “curvy couch.” But, it was not to be: It was actually a legitimate commercial. Yikes! It was especially jarring since CNN’s American Morning (an earlier ED iteration) co-hosts Kiran Chetry and John Roberts had covered the 2010 BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico with exceptional reportage and sincere sensitivity.

Whenever this viewer watches Chris, Kate, and Michaela stroll to ND‘s “curvy couch” as the ad voice-over proclaims the merits of BP, he remembers the pollution from that oil company spill that savaged the Gulf of Mexico, its marine life, and the economic livelihoods of so many Gulf states natives. And, those images now spill over onto a seemingly much too cavalier New Day itself.

Scrub well with Dawn, ED, and start a whole new dawn!

“New Day”: New Dawn or New Dud?

Chris, Kate, and Michaela: CNN’s New Day morning team brings a brighter dawn to their viewers–at least, for now. Gone are the too oft surly Soledad O’Brien and her Starting Point panel of milquetoast toadies (and the subsequent SP fill-ins): And, in their place are three sunnier replacements, alpha male Chris Cuomo, tomboy beauty Kate Bolduan, and the engaging BBBW Michaela Pereira. And, thankfully, for three full hours for those sick and tired of the schizophrenic Early Start/Starting Point (two hour/two hour) start to their CNN day.

For early morn viewers wondering who in the world the new CNN honcho Jeff Zucker’s tyro trio were, they introduced themselves to each other and to viewers in their respective profile segments (vids): Chris’s “Poseidon Adventure”; Kate’s “Skeet’r Shoot”; and Michaela’s “Soccer Mom.” It was almost an homage to FNC’s Fox & Friends: i.e., an acknowledgment that morning news TV should be informative, informal, and personal if it is truly to resonate with its audience.

However, the personal chemistry among Kate, Chris, and Michaela does seem somewhat forced at times, e.g., Chris requesting and receiving a kiss from Michaela and their subsequent group hug at the end of Michaela’s “Soccer Mom” segment. Nevertheless, the three seem to genuinely like other.

Still, Chris seems to be the wild card: He’s the baritone Cuomo scion that sometimes seems somewhat solipsist but is trying hard to mingle with the masses. Hopefully, he can. But, for future reference, as Kate seemed to sense, he probably should not tell aurally challenged, camera-curious three-year-olds–even if in jest–that he won’t abide their stealing “[his] camera” or his “single.”* [Video.]

As Ad Age noted, the results for a New Day were mixed in its debut week (June 17-21). It did edge out its HLN sibling in the ratings and was leaps and bounds above Soledad’s cellar status in the same time period in 2012: However, New Day was trounced by FNC’s Fox & Friends and lost to MSNBC’s Morning Joe.

A New Day: a new dud? It could yet be: But, CNN fans are hoping New Day is truly a new dawn. Leading that chorus, former American Morning co-host Kiran Chetry wished her a.m. “successors” well, saying, “Good luck guys!! The hours are a bear… But the experience is priceless. Godspeed!!!”

*New Day – 06/21/13 (@ 5:28/5:49)