Brian boots the bunnies
Brian Williams plans to show his softer side in new NBC newsmagazine show, Rock Center
Versatile journalist, Brian Williams is heading to primetime 9 p.m. tonight on NBC (Channel 2) with a brand new hour-long newsmagazine that replaces the recently axed The Playboy Club. Per NBC’s press release, Rock Center with Brian Williams will be built around the week’s most provocative events, compelling coverage and newsmaker interviews.
And while Williams may not be a Playboy bunny, his charisma and overall broad appeal should make up for any shortcomings and ultimately captivate audiences that the Playboy bunnies could not.
Producers of Rock Center are hoping the newsmagazine will give Williams the opportunity to show off a different side during the broadcast and feel more like “Brian’s playlist,” where he blogs about musicians and their songs on the MSNBC website.
Rock Center is the first newsmagazine program to be launched on a network in nearly two decades and who better than Williams to bring newsmagazines back to primetime?
He has proved time and time again that he has the ability to connect with audiences. He’s served as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News for over seven years, and the nightly series continues to be the most-watched newscast in all of television.
In addition, he’s had stints on Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, The Daily Show and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, where he’s given the world a glimpse of a side that doesn’t get to come out too often.
Producers of Rock Center tell the Los Angeles Times that they’re hoping the newsmagazine will give Williams the opportunity to show off a different side during the broadcast and feel more like “Brian’s playlist,” a music series on the MSNBC website where he blogs about musicians and their songs.
Commercials for the show already portray Williams in a lighter fashion, as he is seen cracking jokes at Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers. Take a look below.
Still, Williams will be careful not to discredit the newsmagazine in any way as he tries to safely balance quality TV journalism with a splash of personality. According to the LA Times, Williams believes people are shying away from the round table yelling matches found on cable news and coming back to “known faces, brand names, and controlled environments.”
He goes on further to explain “I'm not going to yell at you, and you're not going to learn my opinion—nor do you care... I think there absolutely is a market for more stories, well told.”
