Will Bob Schieffer actually moderate a real debate?
CBS
Bob Schieffer is used to wrangling politicians as the moderator of CBS’s Face the Nation. So maybe he thinks that he has a better handle on what people who watch the presidential debates want to hear. It sure seems that way, as he’s determined to moderate a debate that’s actually informative and interesting; something that, mostly for format reasons, neither Jim Lehrer nor Tom Brokaw could provide.
He wants a “freewheeling” debate, he tells David Bianculli of Broadcasting & Cable. “They’ll each have two minutes to answer, then I’ll try to encourage them to question one another. I’m going to do my very best to keep them on track. And if they try and get off track, I’m not going to be bashful about saying, ‘Gentlemen, that was not the question,’” he says. The intimacy of the format, in which Schieffer will sit at a desk with Senators McCain and Obama, should lend itself to more conversation and less bloviation, and he will use that to his advantage. Heck, he cited that intimacy, among other things, to his CBS colleague Jeff Greenfield, who wrote about Schieffer’s methods at Slate.com.
But, let’s get real here; if Lehrer and Brokaw couldn’t get real answers out of the candidates, how is Schieffer going to do it?
Quotation Marks – Week of October 10, 2008
Everyone had something to say this week, from Michael Scott to Amy Poehler to Tom Bergeron, who has a sense of humor about his Emmy hosting gig:
“That’s why I host, because there are very few hosting injuries … unless you count the Emmys.” – Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars
“In describing her beautiful home, Sarah Palin says that when she stands on her porch, she can see the moon. You know what that means — she’s now qualified to be an astronaut.” – Jay Leno, The Tonight Show With Jay Leno
“Last night’s Presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain is being called flat, boring, and uninteresting. As a result, it’s been picked up as a fall series by NBC.” - Conan O’Brien, Late Night With Conan O’Brien
Tonight on the tube: Dirty Jobs and Housewives of Atlanta
The CW
8:00p/7:00 Central
- With baseball over until Thursday, all the sports fans will be tuning into ABC’s Dancing With the Stars to see the Rockettes, Jennifer Hudson and Kool and the Gang. Yes, you heard me right: Kool and the Gang! Or maybe some of them could sign up for NBC’s The Biggest Loser. I know it’s hard to believe, but there are a few overweight sports fans.
- With the election a month away, is it any wonder that politics are coming front and center in your favorite shows? On NCIS a prominent senator turns to Gibbs for help after a naval officer is murdered.
- Annie and Ethan hook up for that classic school project where they take care of a baby on The CW’s 90210. Awww! Oh, and Jennie Garth heads off for sunnier pastures.
- For comedy, you have Lincoln Heights on ABC Family, and still have ten minutes to flip over to BBC America at 8:40p/7:40 Central for the second series premiere of Gavin & Stacey with the titular couple returning from their honeymoon.
- Or watch MyNetwork TV’s Street Patrol hitting up LA, Albequerque and Palm Beach tonight.
Tonight on the tube: Programming around the debate
AP/Dennis Cook
The debates tonight happen when they happen, which means they start at 9:00p Eastern and 6:00p Pacific. So depending on where you are, your times may vary as some of these programs shuffle around the debate. Check local listings and never trust anything I say! And don’t expect such an intimate encounter from the two candidates as this picture indicates.
7:00p/6:00 Central
- Tonight, on TLC’s Who Are You Wearing?, contestants vie for the chance to dress Holly Robinson Peete.
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