The Today Show facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Today |
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|---|---|
| Also known as | The Today Show |
| Genre | Morning news/talk |
| Created by | Sylvester Weaver |
| Presented by |
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| Narrated by |
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| Theme music composer |
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| Opening theme | 2012 Today AGOpen1 (2013–present) |
| Ending theme | "Energetic Today" "Slow Today" |
| Composer(s) | Adam Gubman & Non-Stop Music |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 67 |
| No. of episodes | 17,624 (as of January 2, 2018) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Libby Leist, Tom Mazzarelli |
| Production location(s) | Studio 1A, NBC Studios New York City, New York |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 4 hours (weekdays), 2 hours (Saturdays), 1 hour (Sundays) |
| Production company(s) | NBC News Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Picture format | 480i (4:3 SDTV) (1952–2006) 1080i ( HDTV) (2006–present) |
| Original release | January 14, 1952 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Early Today |
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Today, also known as The Today Show, is a popular American morning news and talk show that airs on NBC. It first aired on January 14, 1952. This program was the first of its kind on American television and in the world. After more than 67 years, it is the fifth-longest-running American television series.
The show started as a two-hour program on weekdays, from 7 to 9 a.m. It later added Sunday shows in 1987 and Saturday shows in 1992. The weekday show grew to three hours in 2000 and then to four hours in 2007. For a long time, Today was the most watched morning show. However, in the late 1980s, Good Morning America on ABC became more popular.
Today regained its top spot in the TV ratings in December 1995. It stayed number one for 852 weeks in a row! Then, in April 2012, Good Morning America took the lead again. Today was number two until November 2017, when it became number one again after anchor Matt Lauer left. In 2002, Today was ranked No. 17 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
Contents
Meet the Today Show Team
Weekday Hosts
The main weekday hours of Today (7-9 a.m.) have several hosts. Savannah Guthrie (since 2012) and Hoda Kotb (since 2018) are the main anchors. They work with Al Roker (weather anchor, since 1996), Craig Melvin (news anchor, since 2018), and Carson Daly (social media and "Orange Room" anchor, since 2013). Jenna Bush Hager (since 2009) is also a correspondent.
Sheinelle Jones and Dylan Dreyer are also part of the main show. They help out and also co-host the "Third Hour" at 9 a.m. with Al Roker and Craig Melvin.
Weekend Hosts
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Willie Geist
Sunday Host
On Saturdays, the show is anchored by Sheinelle Jones, Dylan Dreyer, and Peter Alexander. Willie Geist hosts the Sunday edition of Today.
Past Hosts of Today
The hosts of Today were first called "Communicators." The show's creator, Pat Weaver, wanted someone who could do more than just read the news. This person would interview guests, report stories, lead discussions, and connect all parts of the show. All the hosts since then have followed this idea.
Today, the hosts still do many of these things. They talk to reporters, newsmakers, and experts. They introduce and end each part of the show. They also do special segments like cooking or fashion. Sometimes, they even host the show from different places. The name "Communicator" is not used anymore, but the job is still very similar.
Main Anchors Over the Years
Since Today began, 16 people, including Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie, have been the main hosts. Here is a list of some of them:
- Dave Garroway (1952 – 1961)
- John Chancellor (1961 – 1962)
- Hugh Downs (1962 – 1971)
- Barbara Walters (1966 – 1976)
- Frank McGee (1971 – 1974)
- Jim Hartz (1974 – 1976)
- Tom Brokaw (1976 – 1981)
- Jane Pauley (1976 – 1989)
- Bryant Gumbel (1982 – 1997)
- Deborah Norville (1990 – 1991)
- Katie Couric (1991 – 2006)
- Matt Lauer (1997 – 2017)
- Meredith Vieira (2006 – 2011)
- Ann Curry (2011 – 2012)
| # | Host | Number of Years |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matt Lauer | 20 Years and 10 Months |
| 2 | Katie Couric | 15 Years and 1 Month |
| 3 | Bryant Gumbel | 15 Years |
| 4 | Jane Pauley | 13 Years and 2 Months |
| 5 | Barbara Walters | 9 years and 8 Months |
| 6 | Dave Garroway | 9 years and 5 Months |
| 7 | Hugh Downs | 9 years and 29 Days |
| 8 | Savannah Guthrie | 6 Years |
| 9 | Tom Brokaw | 5 Years and 3 Months |
| 10 | Meredith Vieira | 4 Years and 8 Months |
| 11 | Frank McGee | 4 Years and 6 Months |
| 12 | Jim Hartz | 2 Years and 26 Days |
| 13 | John Chancellor | 1 Year, 1 Month and 21 Days |
| 14 | Deborah Norville | 1 Year, 1 Month and 14 Days |
| 15 | Ann Curry | 1 Year and 20 Days |
| 16 | Hoda Kotb | 1 Year |
Images for kids
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Dave Garroway, the program's first host, on the air
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The set in January 1952
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Today is broadcast from Studio 1A in 10 Rockefeller Plaza, next to 30 Rockefeller Plaza
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The outdoor studio at the Torino Winter Olympic Games, 2006
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Today set in 2015.
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The program in 1961: John Chancellor, Frank Blair and Edwin Newman
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1973 show panel: Gene Shalit, Barbara Walters and Frank McGee
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See also
In Spanish: Today (programa de televisión) para niños
