Two new shows debuted on cable news last night. One, “(Get to) The Point” on CNN is being given a temporary run at 10pmET this week (think “The Five” with a snazzier set and at 10 O’Clock). If it works, it could be made more permanent.
The other, “All In with Chris Hayes” is MSNBC’s new 8pmET show, replacing “The Ed Show” which replaced “The Last Word,” which replaced “Countdown,” all in the last 26 months.
Some reviews of “All In”
The first show proved that Hayes is, at least at the outset, making few concessions to the new slot. There were no huge scoops, no big interviews, nothing to instantly crank up the anger from viewers. In what felt like an abridged version of his old show, he had two panel discussions–one about the Keystone pipeline and one about a cheating scandal in the Atlanta public schools–that ran for two segments each. These are not the kinds of hot-button issues that immediately arouse viewer passions, but part of Hayes’ bet is that there is an audience that wants to think about them when they get home from work
Instead of the customary teases for the next segment, the commercial breaks feature glimpses of the host and guests chewing over the topics in real time, overlaid with viewer tweets and graphical teases. That little innovation sums up the All In ethos: a show that’s already sure you’re going to watch it. Teases? We don’t need no stinkin’ teases! Where The Ed Show was a big, heaping plate of steak and potatoes, All In is a tasting menu served up by a chef who’s sure you’ll like it if you try it.