Thoughts on Today (Monday, Jan. 8, 1990)

 

Via Giphy.

"That does it for us on this Monday, your first of 10,000 or so down."
"At least. I hope."

1. Thoughts On returns with an as-it-happened look at the Central Time Zone version of Deborah Norville's first Today as official co-host. This was an episode at least four months in the making. Alas, Deborah only lasted less than 14 months alongside Bryant Gumbel, who still had about seven more years to go.

2. The broadcast comes from WTVA, north Mississippi's NBC-ABC affiliate. I was unable to track down what guests or topics appeared on that day's Good Morning America and CBS This Morning. GMA was anchored at this time by the team of Charles Gibson & Joan Lunden, and for a little longer, CBS had Harry Smith & Kathleen Sullivan.

3. Because its weatherman had the day off, WTVA did not utilize the five minutes available before the half hour for local weather reports. The time allocated for those is devoted to both temperatures and the names of NBC affiliates nationwide. It's fun to the occasional now-former station.

4. Bryant starts things off by teasing a look at responses to the high and increasing cost of prescription drugs. Ah, the more things change ...

5. For anyone not aware, Deborah went from anchor of NBC News at Sunrise to Today's news anchor to Today's co-host. When she joined Today, John Palmer got demoted to the Sunrise position. John soon left NBC for a few years, and eventually the Sunrise and Today anchor roles were filled by Faith Daniels. Almost certainly getting an on air audition at the news desk is ... Keith Morrison.

Courtesy YouTube.

6. Keith's segment leads with the planned Space Shuttle Columbia launch for mission STS-32. It ended up happening a day later. The news segment also includes reports from Robert Bazell (on the launch delay), Peter Kent (on racism against Turkish people in Bulgaria) and Carl Stern (on whether a Christian prayer and Bible club will be allowed at an Omaha, Nebraska, high school).

7. Willard Scott's weather report from Washington, D.C., meanwhile, has Lenore Feldman, then-president of the National Council of Jewish Women. Willard, a Baptist and then-20-year member of the council, is receiving life membership. As Willard notes, at least he's putting his big mouth to use in promoting the cause.

8. Bryant gets the "After Eight" segment, on prescription drug prices. He interviews Kenneth Kizer, California's then-state health director, and Gerald Mossinghoff, president of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association. Gerald has resting mean face, but comes across as reasonably amiable.

Courtesy YouTube.

9. Twenty minutes in, and if you're in the Central zone, so far all Deborah has done is banter with Bryant and Keith and throw to a Mike Leonard segment on how English language pronunciation doesn't always correspond with spelling. The segment includes Alex Cameron, an associate professor of English at my alma mater, the University of Dayton in Ohio. No, I never had him as a teacher, nor do I recognize his classroom.

10. Keith gets the second news desk segment to himself. It includes reports on the deaths of Terry-Thomas, highlighting his role in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, and Ian Charleson, highlighting his role in Chariots of Fire.

11. A segment previewing Joe Versus the Volcano is anchored by "Our Man in Hollywood," Jim Brown, not to be confused with Jim Brown the ex-football player, or James Brown, the Hardest-Working Man in Show Business. Hey, Mike Leonard! Do a segment on that! What did air is pleasant enough. Tom Hanks talks a bit about filming at Esther Williams' old MGM soundstage, Meg Ryan separately talks a bit about John Patrick Shanley's esoteric writing and John separately talks a bit about how hard it is to direct a movie.

12. More than 40 minutes in, Deborah gets something of a chance to show her worth with the lead segment in a three-parter, "Teacher's Choice." First up, Danny Greene and The David School. Greene ultimately died nearly six years after being barred from continuing with the school. Your mileage may vary on Deborah's performance narrating the segment, but it's a start.

13. The East Coast portion of the broadcast climaxes with The Hooters performing "500 Miles." 

The upload is of great quality. The director was just being indulgent here. Courtesy YouTube.

14. While the performance tricks continue, let's review the score. This first hour for Central viewers easily belongs to Bryant, Willard or Keith. Hey, at least Deborah got more to do than Gene Shalit, who was just included for the lead-in to the Joe Versus the Volcano segment.

15. Included in Keith's 8 a.m. CST news segment: Robert Bazell explaining why Columbia's not launching today (clouds), Jane Whitney updating on the reveal that El Salvador government soldiers killed six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter, and Bill Lagattuta reporting on Jeffrey Lundgren. Added to the names of prominently deceased people is Miami Dolphins founder Joe Robbie.

16. Not to pick on low-hanging fruit, but crossed arms don't really seem appropriate for a morning show.

Courtesy YouTube.

17. Bryant has Close Up, on racial tension in Boston in the wake of Carol Stuart's murder. Mayor Raymond Flynn, and later, Gloria Fox, are questioned. "(to Flynn) How much blame and responsibility for overreaction to (Charles) Stuart's claims are you willing to accept?" "Well, Mr. Stuart came up with a case that was, uh, just bizarre, in terms of, um, trying to, uh, put the entire blame and responsibility of the murder in the Black community. ..."

18. "But more to the point of your response. You never did anything to limit the racial fears spawned by that claim. Why not?" "Well, what it was was an investigation, an ongoing investigation by the district attorney's office. I responded, like I would respond to any case, and that is making sure there were available, uh, all available police officers to respond to that investigation, just as I have in other cases all across the city of Boston, no matter where it took place." "But, Mr. Mayor ..." "It just so happened that this received more notoriety."

19. Fox: "Some of us don't feel as though it was 'bizarre' that it happens to be one of the oldest kinds of crimes known to mankind, and that is the abuse, and plotting, and premeditated murder, of one's mate. And because of that, it's seen by many of us to be very obvious where the investigation should (side? start? the regional dialects were pretty thick here). Because there is an atmosphere of racism that is not new to the Boston community, that didn't happen. What happened after that was deplorable. ..."

20. Flynn's "Get me the hell off this set!" look just has to be seen to be believed.

Courtesy YouTube.

21. One more chance for Deborah ... "In just the time since the Today program went on the air this morning, two kids in this country have already been busted for drugs. Fifteen teenage girls gave birth. Thirty children ran away from home. And 123 youngsters have dropped out of school." Man, and I thought Garfield hated Mondays ...

22. Deborah interviews Marian Wright Edelman of the Children's Defense Fund over how much America was letting down its youth. I'm assuming this segment originally aired at about 7:20 a.m. EST. Alas, while it has news value, it's hardly a conversation between the women. Marian does most of the speaking, which is fine, but it doesn't really let us appraise Deborah's interview abilities. So far, she's shown she can banter, narrate, and let a newsworthy person talk. At least Bryant got some probing questions in.

23. Bryant comments on the rarity of Gene Shalit appearing on a Monday edition of Today. Gene said he had to be there for Deborah's first day. I should mention that Bryant, Deborah and Gene are all at Today's living room set, which lasted from 1985-Sept. 7, 1990. Personally, I wish they kept it. The Sept. 10, 1990-circa 1994 set is just so ugly to me.

Courtesy YouTube.

24. Keith's last newscast recaps the Columbia situation, the El Salvador murders, Jeffrey Lundgren, American troops returning from Panama, racial tension in Bulgaria, the deaths of Terry-Thomas and Joe Robbie and the upcoming Super Bowl playoffs (Rams vs. 49ers, Browns vs. Broncos). On Jan. 28, 1990, it was the 49ers vs. the Broncos, with the former winning, 55-10. Keith does have one new piece, on how the Leaning Tower of Pisa was closed over the weekend due to falling marble concerns. The post-newscast banter includes Keith revealing that he had been recovering from an accident involving a chainsaw and his thumb.

25. After a quick appearance by Joe Witte to plug American Express, Bryant does the "Sportsman of the Week" segment on Brett Hull, interviewed separately but alongside father Bobby. There's been a healthy assortment of mullets throughout this episode, which makes Bobby's toupee (Oh, c'mon, tell me it isn't!) all the more distinctive.

Courtesy YouTube.

26. Deborah's last solo hurrah for the day (in the Central zone, anyway) is interviewing Tom Friel, vice president of the Consumers Electronics Group. It's fun to hear Tom talk about what's now common, like better home entertainment, being able to see someone while talking on the phone with them and smart technology. Deborah also gets more opportunity to shine, standing in for curious prospective customers. With all that said, I can't imagine that portable VCRs ever really caught on.

27. That clip of ALF "co-hosting" Today comes from the Monday, Jan. 1, 1990, episode.

28. Finally, the conclusion of Lucky Severson's "Routes" series, covering Evelyn Rosenberg's use of plastic explosives for "detonography," and the end of the road for Severson's 1950 pickup. "Somewhere south of smithereens."

29. It did not take long for NBC to determine that Bryant & Deborah weren't working out. Starting Monday, June 11, 1990, also the day Faith Daniels officially assumed the news desk duties, Joe Garagiola returned after a 17-year absence to his role of panelist. I have to imagine that with Joe, Willard and Gene, it might have felt a little like too many cooks in the banter department. That same month, Katie Couric began appearing on Today ...