'New Day' Debut Gets Mixed Reviews For CNN

CNN's New Show Gets Mixed Reviews

"New Day," CNN's new morning show, got some mixed reviews after its debut on Monday.

CNN, which has made a huge publicity push for "New Day," has a lot riding on the show, which it hopes will finally give it a firm footing in the crucial morning hours.

Writing in the New York Times, Alessandra Stanley pronounced the show promising, if a little dull:

"New Day" is one of the biggest changes that CNN has made under the leadership of the new boss, Jeff Zucker, and judging by its first day, this morning show is pretty much in line with the general makeover: the tone is fresher, the presentation is dolled-up, but it's still an earnest, news-driven operation with more diligence than panache. Monday's premiere was promising, but the challenge for this morning show isn't just to be more spirited; it should also be smarter.

TVNewser's Gail Shister, however, was less complimentary. She said that the anchoring trio of Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan and Michaela Pereira looked uneasy together, despite their repeated discussions about their off-camera closeness. "While Bolduan and Pereira gabbed like girlfriends around the glass table, the uber-intense Cuomo seemed uneasy and out of place," she wrote. "Face it, the guy can make a lost-kitten story sound like a mass murder."

All in all, Shister concluded, the show seemed like a potentially "shaky investment" for CNN.

The New York Daily News' Don Kaplan started his review off harshly, writing, "It may be a new day for CNN, but the network's new morning show feels a little bit like yesterday's news." He added, "The show's greatest weakness appeared to be that it brought almost nothing new to the table." By the end, though, he had concluded that "New Day" "works."

The most complimentary review came from The Wrap's Tim Molloy, who wrote, "CNN's 'New Day' anchors promised Monday to work out the show's kinks quickly, but it didn't seem to have any." The trio, he wrote, "all seemed relatable, like people you wouldn't mind sharing a coffee with first thing in the morning."

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