Today

I have fond childhood memories of the Dave Garroway "Today" show from the early to mid-50's. I watched it every morning as I was preparing for school. I enjoyed seeing all those people in New York City standing in the street looking in the window as they were being shot live by the "Today" cameras. Members of the crowd held up signs with such homilies as hello, Mom, or Bruce, or folks back home, or whoever was watching their first appearance on national TV. Whenever the camera panned them, they would do crazy things such as distorting their faces, jumping up and down, screeching, winking an eye, and incessantly waving as if they had just landed on the moon.

The early "Today" show centered on the eccentric personality of Dave Garroway, who became almost a cult figure to some of his viewers. His signature trademark was to hold his right hand up at the end of the program and softly proclaim, "Peace." This tall, bespectacled host was certainly different than others of his ilk. He tended to be moody yet conversational while drinking a cup of coffee. Dave's nemesis was the so-called co-host J. Fred Muggs, a spoiled and pampered chimp. Obvious to viewers was the enmity Dave felt toward the chimp. Also obvious: the feeling was mutual. Dave and the chimp pretended that it was all in fun. One reason for this pretense was the popularity of the chimp over Dave. Dave let the chimp make a monkey of him because it kept the ratings up.

Almost as popular as Dave and the chimp were the other members of the "Today" morning team. Jack Lescoulie gave the sports, served as reporter, and participated in the hijinks with J. Fred and Dave from time to time. He was a colorful character with a gift of gab who did his job well. He would sit in for Dave when needed. The news anchor, Frank Blair, was the most laid back of the "Today" staff. He was droll in his humor but Like Jack Lescoulie often participated in the fun and games. As I recall he also gave the weather.

Dave was gifted in several ways. His intellect enabled him to communicate his ideas and feelings with ease yet in a way that seemed informal and genuine. He conducted many of the best interviews of early television. He had an innate sense of what world work and what wouldn't work on early morning television when choosing guests and topics. Because of his tortured personal life, the gifts he possessed sadly began to wane till he was dropped by NBC and drifted into oblivion.

I love to watch the show but find the talking all at the same time in a very loud voices obnoxious. The food shows are embarrassing for the person trying to show the food one is preparing, all chipping in and can hardly follow what is going on, do they need so many people at that time, just one would be better. Its so rude to all be talking at the same time and I just have to turn it off.

Once the Today Show had merit with the likes of Ann Curry but it's become a hollow program more concerned about lame entertainment than meaningful news. I stopped watching. And once, Hoda Kotb was a valuable journalist fell into the trap of entertainment over news and subsequently left Today to devote her time to Hoda and Jenna another lame show that doesn't, however, claim to be anything else. I'm not even sure why I gave it 3 Stars. Maybe it was locality to what it once was.

Someone suggested the show go to a 1 hour format, because that would be plenty of time to get what they wanted in. Well, how about going to a 15 minute format. That's about how much substance there is on any given show.

Even the weather primarily consists of Al Roker joking around on the plaza. I actually like him, but they should stop the charade that he's giving a forecast and just say "Here's Al Roker, who is going to schmooze a bit on the plaza and then unhelpfully gesture toward a map the United States and mention that in some part of the country it will rain. Or not rain."

I'm not sure where you got your data about cast members, but someone needs to check it with NBC. Dave Garroway, the original host of Today, appeared on at least 2000 episodes during the first nine years of the run -- 5 days a week for at least 48 weeks a year for nine years -- but you credited him with 3 episodes. Jack Lesculie was an everyday regular on the show for at least 3 years in the beginning. To credit these men with fewer appearances than J. Fred Muggs, a chimpanzee who appeared on the show during that era, is an insult to their memory -- particularly since Muggs was biting them all the time! In those days, the program was live, so the human performers had to be careful how they reacted. Seriously, this was one of the most important programs in the early days of television, thanks largely to the work of Garroway, Pat Weaver and newscaster Frank Blair. It trained people to get up in the mornings and turn on their sets -- a habit we've continued to practice for more than half a century!