Today Show & The View Fall Kickoffs

suzy7soars
Sep 8, 2015
2 min read

Well, it's the day after Labor Day - the unofficial end of summer and what I like to call the official soft opening of TV's fall premiere week. Of the morning shows, the Today Show debuted its new set, which wasn't jarringly different than the old set. The differences do seem successful. For example, distinct areas of the set seem to be more clearly defined, such as the nice framework denoting the indoor staging area for music guests. Designers notably toned down on the orange color previously permeating the old set so the Today Show couch is no longer a bold orange but a more soothing off-white and the Orange Room - Today's interactive social media area - has less orange too. It now sports faux exposed brick painted white and helps to give the Orange Room a more open, social media cafe feel.

The View - Set designers for the 19th season of The View were also rather subtle on this show too - paring down the clean, white tone of the old set and adding more muted tones of tan, orange, blue, red, and mustard. The View also showed off different seating areas (I saw some funky lime green chairs in the background), which might make viewers feel like they're looking in on the open floor plan of the hosts' shared sorority apartment - perhaps a throwback to The View in its earliest days. The show started out with the co-hosts introducing themselves to the audience by sharing highlights of their respective summers. During this catch-up session, handsome, talented and fun, Jerry O'Connell, made a surprise appearance to congratulate his long-time friend and View co-host, Michelle Collins, on being a permanent part of the show. At first, I was at a loss as to why The View thought it a good idea to have co-host Candace Cameron Bure make an appearance nearly half way into the show. Upon reflection, I presume producers thought that becasue she won't be on the show consistently right now (because she's still shooting her Netflix show Fuller House on the west coast) they would debut the constant, consistent hosts first, get the audience used to that, and then bring in Cameron-Bure just as will happen over the season. The View's official first guest of the season was Senator Elizabeth Warren. She spoke about the issues she typically discusses including taxes (she admitted that she and Donald Trump agree on this) and women's issues (specifically, the funding of Planned Parenthood). Notably, Warren wouldn't answer the question of whether she would run for the vice presidential nomination if asked to by Joe Biden should he choose to run for the presidency. Could there be a Biden-Warren offering in the Democrat's nomination process?