Posted by Alan Seltzer on August 04, 2007 at 18:25:38:
In Reply to: Re: Dan Taylor posted by Allan Sniffen on August 04, 2007 at 09:32:12:
I agree on the pacing sounds better today than it was Dan's first time on the morning shift. However, I'm trying to decide if he slowed down or the rest of the station is going at a faster pace and it fits with his style.
Another possibility, which I'll call Jay Leno syndrome: When Leno replaced Johnny Carson, everyone--including network executives, TV critics and viewers--were looking for the same show as Carson. Both of them are are good performers and hosts, but their styles are completely different. Leno smartly realized his style worked better with a smaller studio audience when he took the show to New York for a week, and proceeded to ask for a smaller studio. That was when both the show and the ratings improved.
Dan replacing Harry Harrison is similar to Leno replacing Carson. Many of us were looking for the same show, including the pacing. It didn't work, not because of Dan Taylor but because of our own expectations. That problem didn't exist with the demise of Jack, so he had a second chance.
Dan Taylor didn't change. We did.