Gifford, with soon-to-be cohost Hoda Kotb. / NBC Universal/Virginia Sherwood
Yesterday, NBC announced that starting April 7, Kathie Lee Gifford will be the new host of the fourth hour of the Today show (which runs up in some markets against her old cohost/sparring partner Reege). I didn’t originally think I had anything much to say about the announcement, but then NBC sent a photo, and it seemed a shame to waste it. Kathie Lee is the extremely young-looking woman on the left.
I cannot honestly say I am a regular watcher of the Today show’s fourth hour; I cannot say that I will be in the future. But I will say that the addition of zany, oversharing Kathie Lee at least provides more of a reason to watch the fourth hour than there is now, namely, that you were vacuuming during the third hour of the Today show, had a seizure, and are now prostrate on the floor awaiting medical help.
The question will be whether Kathie Lee’s personality/craziness will spice up Today, or whether Hour 4’s aggressively dull fluffiness will overwhelm her and sand down her edges. Will you watch? Are you even awake at that hour?