Tin The Fourth Hr Of The 'Today Prove' Survive Without Kathie Lee Gifford?

When Kathie Lee Gifford joined the Today Show back in 2008, it was natural to feel like we knew what to expect. After all, we'd watched her for more than two decades alongside Regis Philbin on Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee. She was a little zany and certainly not afraid to speak her mind, merely she was also a Idiot box stalwart, so her addition to the NBC morning show made perfect sense. She made such an impact on the 10 o'clock hour alongside co-ballast Hoda Kotb that you have to wonder if Today will be the aforementioned without her.

Gifford announced her departure from Today back in December, revealing that she planned to move down to Nashville to focus on film, book, and music projects, then it's non every bit if viewers didn't have fourth dimension to ready. However, her final week on the show, which consisted of addicted reminiscences from colleagues and celebrity friends alike, showed simply how much of an impact she's made over the past xi years. It's hard to imagine her slot, which is at present occupied by Jenna Bush Hager, delivering the same kind of energy and outright wackiness that Gifford delivered on a near daily ground.

Whoever initially decided to pair Kotb and Gifford deserves a medal. While Gifford herself has admittedly she initially just planned to stay a year, her chemistry with Hoda and the genuine affection and adoration they developed for one another turned into one of the nigh memorable partnerships on daytime TV. It wasn't the kind of thing that could be predicted or even manufactured; rather, information technology was 1 of those rare simply magical moments of the thing Goggle box execs love almost — synergy.

It'south hard to dissect what made the pairing piece of work so perfectly. Perhaps it was that Kotb readily played the part of the directly (wo)homo to Gifford'due south goofier approach. The latter'south refusal to adhere to what would probably be considered "normal" practice on a morning news show was function of the fun. She'd tell a crazy story or make a ridiculous burst and Kotb would immediately exist pulled in, leaving the two laughing hysterically as if they were out on a girls night instead of on national Tv.

Of course, the wine helped too—and there was copious amounts of information technology, already poured and waiting for the broadcast to brainstorm. (Some v,300 glasses of vino, if NBC researchers are to be trusted.) It was a tad unconventional—drinking before noon? Well, i could assume it's noon somewhere—only also part of what made the Hoda and Kathie Lee hour so enjoyable. All of the serious news reporting and hard-hitting features could be handled by their colleagues; from 10 to 11, it was all about having fun. They were a brief respite from an otherwise hectic day, an 60 minutes to unwind and pace away from the seriousness of all the bad stuff happening in the globe, and they were great together.

This is why information technology's hard to envy Hager, who has rather big shoes to fill and certainly knows it. It's an exciting career motion for her only must also exist intimidating, especially knowing that so much of what made her new chore and so exciting had much to do with the person who previously occupied the position as it does with the job itself.

Then far, she's been doing a expert job. In that location'southward some obvious nervousness, which is understandable given that information technology's a new position with a somewhat different audition, but generally speaking, she's fit in well. Of course, it's impossible to ignore that the general ambiance of the hr has changed somewhat. The content is the same simply Kotb and Hager don't have the aforementioned chemistry. That doesn't mean a different and equally enjoyable rapport won't develop over time, just that it'south not quite there yet.

Gifford has only been gone for two weeks, so it'southward still easy to harken dorsum to the days when she was still at the newsdesk. That will likely alter over the coming months and years every bit viewers get used to the new combination of hosts and learn to capeesh them in a unique but equally equally special way. Of course, there'due south e'er a chance that Gifford could return to our TV screens, admitting probable on a different program and in a different "role," and in fact that seems pretty probable. It'due south pretty safe to say that fans of the Hoda and Kathie Lee hour volition be looking forrard to that.

Jennifer Still is a writer and editor from New York who cares likewise way much about fictional characters and spends her time writing about them.

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