Three thoughts on The Ed Show moving to the weekend

[WilliamPitt]

1. He says the move was voluntary. I believe him, because...

2. His wife's cancer is in remission, but I'd be willing to bet that part of his motivation for this was more time with his family. Speaking personally, I am thrilled that his wife's health is improving, and I wish them both the very best with the new time they will have together.

3. After his annihilation of Joe McCarthy, Edward R. Murrow and his show were moved to a Sunday slot. It was seen by many, including Murrow, as a demotion...and then Murrow went on to basically create the Sunday news show phenomenon, which remains to this day the most significant segment of the TV news realm. Now, I'm not saying Schultz is Murrow...but he has the chance to do great things.

So to Ed. Go get 'em...and hug your wife for me.

[Laurian]

2. Me, too. I think Ed is working to make lemonade out

of lemons and I hope he is wildly successful. Show those stuffed shirts chasing the almighty dollar that you can't be marginalized, Ed. I'll be watching on the weekend...not so sure about 8:00 pm week nights.

[Buns_of_Fire]

3. Saddening, but...

This would give him time to delve deeper into whatever topic he chooses to cover that week. I've never done it, but I can imagine that trying to seriously cover everything that's happening during the space of a one-hour daily show has got to be almost impossible.

[warrior1]

4. Well said Will

[Raine1967]

5. When he said it was his choice on the show I believed him.

He's been working 12-15 hour days. I wondered how long he would be able to carry that workload when he first got his show. I suspect he may go back home for his radio show --and to have time with his wife and comes to NY for the weekend show. MHP does that.

He's gonna work 7 days now as opposed to 5, but I suspect he can manage his personal life a little bit more.
Radio does take time, but it can't be anywhere near the kind of production that his MSNBC show is taking on a daily basis.

[Raine]

6. I will miss Ed probably won't be able to watch him on the

weekend. I'm glad that his voice will still be heard by others who can watch him at his new day and time.

[rhett o rick]

7. There's volunteering and volunteering. I think it is our loss but I hope his gain.

I wish the best for Big Ed.

[Cleita]

8. He'll be okay. n.t.

[ReRe]

9. Stress is an A-hole...

I remember when his wife was so sick and also when he had those horrible back problems around that time. I will miss him and his little Polls every night, and his bright shining face and passion for justice. I look forward to his show on the weekends and will watch him there... His only competition might be Garrison Keillor on Sat evenings. No contest here, though as I get GK twice, once on Sun afternoons.

[tabbycat31]

10. Another bright side of Ed moving to weekends

Less prison!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

19. No kidding....

It's stupid for MSNBC to be airing prison crap all weekend.

[Freddie]

30. My first thought too!

Maybe this will be a start of weekends NOT being all-prison-all-the-time. Although I admit getting sucked into those shows sometimes.

[ZRT2209]

11. agree

[freckleface]

12. Been a fan since Spring, 2004 when I got my XM...

Will absolutely miss him weekdays on the teevee. There is just no replacing Big Eddie; at least I can hear him on my XM. He'll show the insipid Sunday talk show hosts how a true journalist does it. Go Big Eddie!

[LibertyBell7]

13. MSNBC is becoming an in-depth liberal oasis of weekends...

Last edited Thu Mar 14, 2013, 11:18 PM - Edit history (1)

...and Ed is joining this growing trend.

Starting with Up With Chris Hayes*, carrying on with Melissa Harris Perry first thing in the mornings and now wrapping up the day with Ed's two-hour block? count me in!

It (almost) makes up for that Corporazi hot mess of NBC's MTP with that horrible shill David Gregory. Almost.

However, the very idea that important issues can be discussed in great depth on the weekends is must see TV for me, at any rate.

* When I originally posted this comment, I was unaware of background reports Chris Hayes may move into Ed's 8pm time slot. If that proves true, I must mute (slightly) my enthusiasm over the growth of long-form, in-depth weekend analysis of current events — of which I am a fan. It also poses a challenge for Hayes, as his shorter new format will truncate the the hallmark of his Up format that allows luxuriant time (for TV) to discuss matters of great political import.

That said, being as Ed now inherits a time slot that will allow him to stretch his legs in focusing on topics, no matter what they are, if he chooses. Having a time that compares to two feature-length documentaries each week can be a gift, if he handles it that way.

[Bjorn Against]

14. There has long been a shortage of weekend news shows

Sure there are the Sunday shows you mention, but they are on in the morning and in the evenings it can be difficult to find news shows. I think there are a lot of people who want to watch news/commentary shows on the weekends and I think this show could be very successful. I believe him that the move was voluntary as well, between his radio show and his TV show he was no doubt putting in really long hours and that would exhaust just about anybody.

[wyldwolf]

15. Never been a big fan of his show. I like his MSNBC lean forward commercials better

...he comes across as too angry on his show. I'd prefer a more wonky show like Chris Hayes (though I would have rather seen Ezra Klein in the time slot.)

[bvar22]

20. "Wonkiness" is already well represented by Rachel and Lawrence O'Donnell.

Adding another won't do us any good.

Ed reached out to a different demographic,
and since his days on commercial radio out of North Dakota, gave more "Gun Toting, Red Meat Eatin, Two Fisted, Hard Working, Pro-UNION, Blue Collar, mid-westerners permission to vote for Democrats than any other talking head.

The Republican propaganda campaign to stereotype "Liberals" as Effeminate, New England, Rich, Latte Drinking, intellectual, Limousine Riding, nosy, wimpy Alan Colmes Busy Bodies was very effective.

Ed smashes that stereotype.

Removing Big Eddy from that time slot doesn't help the Democratic Party.

[ailsagirl]

16. Prouty chose Ed of all the hosts because of his work with people

Traveling around the country, spreading the word. Just fantastic. What an appropriate choice on Prouty's part.

Thanks for your post!!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

17. He can devote more time covering a topic in detail like 20/20 or 60 minites does...

A daily show requires you to cover the issues of the day and you can get lost in the weeds doing that.

[glowing]

18. He's got 2 hrs to go more in depth and go on the road.

And really, it's much better than the jail shows. They really should have a weekend news program line up.

I'm really going to miss Up though.. I loved the lengthy, wonky discussions. I'm not going to love Chris basically being Rachel at 8pm. It's not enough time to really delve into what he was doing.

[DollarBillHines]

21. Ed is my drinking buddy

sorta...

His show comes on at 5PM out here, and that is when I start my evening with a beer and a few fingers of Elmer T Lee.

By the time his show is over, I will have finished those and fixed myself a Manhattan. I switch over to Cabernet during the Maddow slot.

So, I hate to see Ed move to a 2PM slot on Sunday.

I wonder who will fill his weekday slot.

Dang, I just used 'slot' in three consecutive sentences.

[KoKo]

22. I think "Ed Show" has good positioning there on Weekends, also..

Apparently MSNBC has only "Prison Shows and Fluff" in the time hours that Ed's Show will be on.

Lots of older Union Supporters who remember those "Good Times in America" and others who made the "Ed Show" in the top TWO on Cables on MSNBC might follow him there. It's an older audience that he had in some ways but would fit with the older folks who don't have money to got out on weekend nights like (wealthy) Matthews, Sharpton and the others like Maddow and Chris Hayes crowd of younger Hipsters bringing in the bucks do.

I think it could work ...if MSNBC/Comcast (remember GE is out of it now selling out to Comcast) would allow "Big Ed" to stay on long enough to get that old "Union" Audience and to give him money to support a different view from the Line Up that was the MSNBC for the past few years.

Talking out of my "Hat" here...because I gave up on cable when I got my ROKU Box... and watch mostly International News on there which has so much...far better diversity than the cables.

So...my opinon is not worth much.

Will..If you don't already have it: GET A ROKU BOX...or do you already watch on Apple TV, Boxee, Blue Ray, X-Box..the great stuff on RT, Press TV, German TV, French TV, BBC, etc.

No more waiting for C-Span Hearings...and shows...No More Sunday News Line Ups....No More CABLE CRAP from CNN/FAUX/MSNBC/NETWORKS.

But....I'm a fan of what Rachel, Ed, Chris Hayes and others are trying to do on MSNBC...it's just that it seems "old."

Whatever....

[TinkerTot55]

23. I hope this move does give Mr. Schultz more time with his wife.

And I relish having more substantive shows on.....the more programming slots filled with journalism, the fewer slots open for trash, gossip, and propaganda ( I'm looking at YOU, Faux Noise! )

but Big Eddie would be GREAT doing a show focused on U.S. Labor history, and current news. He seems strongest on issues of the disappearing middle-class, employment issues and legislation, and the economic pain we're all feeling. I would love to see him stick to his strengths.....those areas where he has both the knowledge, and the moral high ground.

TEAR 'EM A NEW ONE, Eddie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[KoKo]

27. +1...what you say...also.

[Fed up in NJ]

24. Soledad O'Brien?

Lets hope it's to make room for Soledad O'Brien! That would be the only silver lining I can see in this cloud!


Oh we'll... Choices 2 & 3 were Ezra or Hayes.... Now I see it wil be Chris.

[KoKo]

25. Couldn't you just see her replacing Matthews on one of his slots?

I used to like her when I watched cable. She was good reporter about Hurricane Katrina and I've heard good stuff about her from DU'ers that I trust for opinion since then.

If she's "Under the Bus" then I would like to think she'd fit well into night line up on MSNBC. Why does Matthews have TWO TIME SLOTS while folks that we Lefties like get fired or moved around on MSNBC?

Matthews was sort of Done with his love for Bush, Bernie Kerik (the NYC COP who was BAD STUFF)...and some of his other RAVINGS during the Bush Years and After.

Why is he still there?

[Warpy]

26. In addition, we'll lose those silly prison shows

that were a feature of MSNBC on weekends for far too long.

I see this as a very positive move and I remember when Murrow did it, too. Murrow owned Sunday nights after he moved.

[Shankapotomus]

28. Ed has gradutated

He showed them he could kick ass and now his role is naturally evolving into the mature format of the senior weekend political talk show host. I think the new weekend gig is made for him. He belongs with the politically seasoned veterans on weekends where the demographic will, I think, respond well to him. I think Griffin is thinking about the big picture and overtaking Fox in the ratings and I think this will play out well.

[emsimon33]

29. I am so looking forward to his move as there is nothing decent to watch in that time slot!

[KoKo]

31. +1

[Cha]

32. Yeah, I hope Ed Schultz does well in his new

weekend gig and more quality time with his wife & fam.

And, I learned some history about Edward R.. thanks Will

[liberal_at_heart]

33. first thing I think he should do is take his wife on a summer vacation.

Then I hope he returns to do more great things.