Friday, July 13, 2007

What’s happening to my mornings?

The past few months have been a bit traumatic for me in the mornings.

Since I’m not up early enough to watch News 3 This Morning at 6:00am ET, I usually start my day by watching CNN Headline News’ Robin and Company while I do my various morning chores.

Just over a year ago, I read a column in Entertainment Weekly by Stephen King (I’m assuming this is not the same Stephen King who writes those crazy scary novels, but who knows) who shares my enjoyment of Robin and Company.  He sums up the essence of the show far more elegantly than I ever could.

From the column (full text):

I doubt very much if Ms. Meade earns the big Katie Couric bucks, but she runs a four-hour marathon that would probably leave her better-known network counterparts exhausted, and does so with considerable style and panache (not to mention some killer outfits). Of course, the primary order of each day’s business is — for me, at least — to make sure that none of the world’s major cities blew up during the night and that Mr. Bush did not choke to death on his own syntax, thus making Dick Cheney (known in my family as Darth Maul) president. After that, though, I can move on to Ms. Meade and her supporting cast.

But, over the past few months, that supporting cast has been getting smaller and smaller.

Rally Caparas of flightexplorer.com, who used to join the show via telephone to provide updates on air travel across the country started the exodus of “Company” members.  I must say his departure did not upset me.  He looked like a Steven Segal wannabe and his air travel forecasts were basically a regurgitation of weather forecasts.

I was devasted a few months later when R & Co. entertainment reporter Adrianna Costa announced she was leaving the show.

From King’s column:

I couldn’t care less about the latest Britney Spears item, but I’d gladly listen to pork-belly futures delivered in Adrianna Costa’s breathless, faux–Joan Rivers ‘’Can we talk?’’ tones. And some of her stories have a Zen strangeness that sticks in the just-waking mind like Velcro. ‘’[Pooh] is 80 years old!’’ she exclaimed to Robin one morning, after the de rigueur American Idol story. ‘’And he looks so good!’’

Apparently Costa has moved on the greener pastures.  She’s now the host of Fox’s reality show On the Lot.

Then this morning, nerdy sports guy Will Selva announced that he would soon be leaving Robin and Company for some other job.  Honestly, I can’t say that I actually care about his departure.  He always seemed like the kind of guy who thought his jokes were hilarious, but they’re really not.  When nobody laughs, he would just yell the joke, but it still wasn’t funny.

So now, all that’s left Robin Meade, of course, and wacky weather guy Bob Van Dillen.  While I think both are a great addition to my morning, lately I’ve found myself browsing around trying to find a new morning crew to keep me company.

Maybe I’ll have to start getting up earlier to watch Tammy and Company on News 3 This Morning.