Three Four New York newspaper TV critics (yes, there still are some) review Kathie Lee Gifford‘s first day as co-anchor of the fourth hour of the Today show. They are, for the most part, complimentary of the Gifford addition.
• David Hinckley: “Gifford and co-host Hoda Kotb chatted like two people who had just met, which is pretty much what they are…there was no mistaking that the Kathie Lee who returned is the same one who left her long gig with Regis Philbin in 2000. She was beaming as brightly as her yellow slicker, while she and Kotb sat at outdoors ignoring the chilly gray day around them.” Daily News…
• Alessandra Stanley: “Ms. Gifford did not look or sound uncomfortable; she managed to dwell on her past triumphs and personal high points without seeming self-conscious or even aware of less savory moments. For many women Ms. Gifford is the embodiment of female fortitude with a frivolous streak — and that is actually what the fourth hour of Today is all about.” New York Times…
• Adam Buckman: “In a business where experience is not as prized as it once was, here she came — a woman of a certain age (54) with an actual resume — to start her new job as co-host of the 10 a.m. hour of NBC’s “Today” show… I also had a feeling that TV in general had suddenly improved, now that Kathie Lee Gifford has returned.” New York Post…
• Verne Gay: “Gifford was once a morning show icon — beloved by many, and reviled by not an inconsiderable number either. She could be mouthy, funny, crude, vain, witty, game, lively, adventurous, self-deprecating and monumentally annoying when the subject of children (hers) came up, as it so often did. But muzzles are not easily placed on talents like this, so it was actually comforting to watch Gifford back on the screen behaving (and looking) as if those eight years were eight days.”