By Jacqueline Turner | Posted on September 25, 2017 2:25 PM
Megyn Kelly launches her new TV show Megyn Kelly TODAY on NBC featuring the cast and creators of Will and Grace. Megyn Kelly Today airs Mon-Fri at 9AM-10AM.
Megyn Kelly Today: A Rocky Start At NBC
A Grand Launch at NBC Studio 6A
In the newly spruced-up NBC Studio 6A at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, Megyn Kelly Today launched live in the 9 AM – 10 AM slot, following a strong lead-in from NBC's Today Show. The excitement was palpable, with the studio audience revved up and ready to welcome Megyn Kelly as she hosted her own talk show on NBC for the very first time.
High Expectations, Disappointing Execution
The new show held great promise, given Kelly's reputation as a multi-talented and hard-hitting journalist. However, Monday's premiere episode turned out to be a letdown. Rather than delivering a groundbreaking moment, the show felt more like an SNL skit gone awry than a serious journalistic endeavor. Instead of making a splash, it fizzled out, like a damp squib on a rainy Fourth of July.
Right from the start, Kelly made it clear that she would not discuss politics or even mention Donald Trump—an elephant in the room she had once confronted head-on. Her reputation as a fearless journalist, known for grilling Trump about his derogatory comments against women, was at odds with this new "milk-toast" format. The result? A show that lacked any real substance, failing to live up to the expectations set by Kelly’s previous work.
Ignoring the World's Biggest Stories
While the world was embroiled in discussions about nuclear tensions with North Korea and NFL players kneeling for the national anthem, Kelly's show focused on puppy dogs, flowers, and nuns from Chicago. If serious world events were to unfold during the show's airtime, the production team had no intention of addressing them. Even Kelly’s attire—reminiscent of Dana Carvey's Church Lady from SNL—symbolized a departure from her fiery persona.
A Will & Grace Infomercial
The show followed the customary NBC introduction run-through but then spent 25 minutes promoting the new season of Will & Grace (set to air on Thursday, September 28, 2017, at 9 PM EST). This segment felt more like a late-night infomercial than a meaningful discussion, showcasing Kelly’s willingness to sell out for her reported $15 million salary. At this point, her former career as a journalist seemed like a distant memory.
Technical Glitches and Audience Management Issues
While the studio production had a glitzy appearance, it was marred by technical faults that hampered the show's format and flow. Fortunately, most of these issues did not make it to air.
Adding to the disappointment was the lackluster audience, largely due to the notoriously lazy 1iota audience management company, which had hastily gathered a crowd from outside the Today Show studio moments before filming. Despite their consistent failures, NBC executives appear to remain inexplicably loyal to them.
Kelly’s Future at NBC
The show lumbered along for a full hour, filled with shallow yet heartwarming stories, revealing Kelly’s willingness to pander to NBC executives. While the Today Show hosts made a mid-show appearance, their thinly veiled disdain for Kelly was evident. As they watched her show unfold, they likely found comfort in the realization that NBC had effectively bought and paid for Kelly’s soul, halting her meteoric rise from Fox News in its tracks.
Given this disappointing debut, a more fitting title might be Megyn Kelly: Spayed and Neutered. Ironically, while Fox News executives were previously vilified for their misogynistic culture, NBC’s approach seems even more insidious—executives who smile in your face while they sabotage your career.
With key figures at Fox now gone, Kelly might have been leading the network by now. Instead, she finds herself hosting a tawdry, shallow hausfrau vehicle that may well mark the end of her professional TV career.
The Real Star of the Show? The Dog.
Perhaps the real highlight of the premiere was the specially trained dog brought in by the Today Show hosts—an element Kelly seemed eager to ignore. One might speculate that after the show, she took a hot shower with bleach to wash away the guilt of her career choices. Nonetheless, she will be back at it tomorrow, continuing to churn out some more crass content.
Here’s hoping for more dogs on the show—maybe even one as the host. It might just have more in common with the guests than Kelly herself.
