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THE LAST WORD with Lawrence O'Donnell

post #1 of 13
9/2/10 at 8:53pm
Thread Starter 




It's been a long time coming, but these days the air of excitement around my TV is positively electric. For as long as I've been watching MSNBC regularly, there have been three developments I've wished to see:


1) AIR AMERICA's Rachel Maddow getting her own show

This has come to pass, and the results have been spectacular.

2) American iconoclast Lawrence O'Donnell getting his own show

Two out of three, looking good!

3) AIR AMERICA's Cenk Uygar getting his own show

Sadly this did *not* happen, Cenk was passed over in favor of "Ed" from "The Ed Show" (the final decision was between those two choices, apparently)

On that note, I couldn't be happier to get the chance to start the thread for Mr O'Donnell's new Prime Time MSNBC Television Program

O'Donnell is a remarkable figure in American culture, having served at the highest levels of government before becoming a writer, even exploring film and television acting to great success. For the past several years, he be could found commentating for MSNBC, and has in recent months served as Keith Olbermann's number one go-to guest host whenever Mr Olbermann was on break. Anyone who has had a chance to see him do battle with another member of the chattering class knows the outcome is always exciting. I for one am greatly anticipating the opportunity to see a program where every night it's O'Donnell that gets the proverbial 'last word' in any argument. He's whip smart, a cagy and canny interlocutor who possesses a not inconsiderable level of personal charisma.

The 'Age of O'Donnell' officially begins September 27th, with "THE LAST WORD" taking over the 10PM EST hour at MSNBC. CDwKO's first repeat of the night is getting pushed back to 11PM EST

What do other Chewers think about this startling new development? Will you watch?
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post #2 of 13
9/2/10 at 11:07pm
Only if the first episode has Ray Bradbury as a guest, and there's a debate about the merits of Prodestantism vs. Catholicism, specifically as it relates to good works and the concept of man being saved by faith alone.
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post #3 of 13
9/2/10 at 11:52pm
So Jed Bartlet's dad is getting his own show...
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post #4 of 13
9/3/10 at 1:07pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by RathBandu View Post
Only if the first episode has Ray Bradbury as a guest, and there's a debate about the merits of Prodestantism vs. Catholicism, specifically as it relates to good works and the concept of man being saved by faith alone.
I don't think the guest list for the first episode has been announced yet but I'll post it once I find out

Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul755 View Post
So Jed Bartlet's dad is getting his own show...
Haha, I love my furious looking THE LAST WORD with Lawrence O'Donnell logo. I worked on that for like an hour last night (I was bored). It suggests that Mr. O'Donnel will get the "last word" the same way he did with young Jed in "TWO CATHEDRALS"
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post #5 of 13
9/3/10 at 9:30pm
You do realize that Dr. Bartlet is meant to be a pathetic figure who emotionally and physically abuses his teenage son, right? Because that last line of yours spectacularly misses the point of that scene in that episode.
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post #6 of 13
9/3/10 at 10:09pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by RathBandu View Post
You do realize that Dr. Bartlet is meant to be a pathetic figure who emotionally and physically abuses his teenage son, right? Because that last line of yours spectacularly misses the point of that scene in that episode.
Of course. The point of the scene was kind of hard to miss: he's a frightening violent man who is intimidated by the fact his son possesses a superior intellect. I think O'Donnell did remarkable acting in that scene for a non actor, and you can easily buy into the idea that Jed would be haunted by his father all those years later.

With that said.. of all the images of O'Donnell available, I enjoyed selecting that one because of the Snidely Whiplash like sneer on his face, and the incongruity of "Bartlet" O'Donnell with his no doubt to be cordial TV talk show. I think his guest appearance on TWW is a amusing item to have on his resume. He played the evil father of the president of the united states, and I want to spot light that.

As for my last line, I do kind of like seeing O'Donnell rhetorically bully those weaker than him (in debate, not as a despicable lout in the 1950s). It makes for good TV, what can I say.
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post #7 of 13
9/27/10 at 9:47pm
Thread Starter 

Just posting this message from my iPod Touch to remind everyone that TLWwLO starts tonight at 10PM EST on MSNBC. Be there, or risk being square! I will post up commentary and reactions either live during the premier episode, later tonight or tomorrow, depending on my inclinations

O'Donnell is an American Iconoclast, and IMHO this is must see TV regardless of your political leanings


The "Age of O'Donnell" begins tonight!


Edited by Princess Kate - 10/18/11 at 7:17pm
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post #8 of 13
9/27/10 at 11:22pm
Thread Starter 
Oh no... there was just a HUGE teleprompter error, resulting in 30 seconds of super awkward air time where O'Donnell struggled audibly with what to do.

It was pretty embarrassing. I'm sure HUFFPO will have a clip tomorrow. He must be cursing the gods right about now, it's extraordinarily poor luck for your opening show

On the other hand, the set is FANTASTIC. I still don't care for Ms Maddow's set*, but TLWwLO's set is just like I hoped it would be. I see words as colors sometimes, and the set is all cool blues and purples, just like I mentally associate with O'Donnell's name!

EDIT: Part of his set is a digital but old school looking skyline with twinkling stars behind it, it kind of make it look like O'Donnell is broadcasting from Dark City or guest hosting for Rod Serling on an episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE

*Which IMHO looks like an APPLE STORE's 4th of July party


EDIT2: So, tonight may have had some missteps, but I just saw a newly cut promo for the show: "On *MY* show, people are entitled to their own opinions -- but not their own facts!" quips O'Donnell. I think that speaks volumes about what we should expect from the show in the future. Sign me up!
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post #9 of 13
9/29/10 at 5:05pm
Thread Starter 
Yes! HUFFPO says that the ratings are "STRONG" for TLWwLO!


Get this: It's premier episode, despite debuting in the 10PM time slot, beat both Olbermann and Maddow's new episodes!

Quote:
Lawrence O'Donnell had an impressive ratings debut Monday night, premiering as MSNBC's top-rated show.

"The Last Word" averaged 928,000 total viewers and 266,000 A25-54 viewers Monday, more than "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" (892,000 total viewers/232,000 A25-54) and "The Rachel Maddow Show" (778,000 total viewers/250,000 A25-54).

A fine start to what is hopefully a program that will be with us for many years to come.


PS: BTW, here is an insightful interview with Mr O'Donnell where he discusses his show and what he envisions for the future
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post #10 of 13
11/6/10 at 1:57pm
Thread Starter 
I don't even entirely agree with everything he's saying in this article, but the way he says it just bowls me over.

This for example I find particularly stirring:

Quote:
...Unlike you, I am not a progressive. I am not a liberal who is so afraid of the word that I had to change my name to progressive. Liberals amuse me. I am a socialist. I live to the extreme left, the extreme left of you mere liberals, okay?


EDIT: Rachel was able to rush to the defense of Keith last night, but since 10 PM Friday night is dedicated to another despicable prison programming block on MSNBC, Mr O'Donnell has not yet weighed in
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post #11 of 13
9/30/11 at 9:34am
Thread Starter 

Dr Bartlet smacks down the NYPD!

 

 

Stirring message from Mr O'Donnell:

 

Quote:

Lawrence O'Donnell Wednesday castigated the police officer who used pepper spray on demonstrators at the Occupy Wall Street protests and the New York Police Department's defense of the officer's controversial actions.

Two videos have surfaced showing Officer Anthony Bologna pepper-spraying on protesters on Sunday, apparently unprovoked. In his "Rewrite" segment, O'Donnell called Bologna "out of control" as part of his broader condemnation of police brutality.

After replaying the videos, O'Donnell said Bologna acted "for absolutely no reason." He lit into the New York Police Department, particularly Commissioner Ray Kelly, for defending Bologna's actions.

"He just indiscriminately sprays people as he marches down the sidewalk," O'Donnell said. "He's spraying people who are walking away from him, they are not resisting him in any way."

O'Donnell then took his attack on "routine abuse" by the police once step further, alleging that Bologna was only being investigated because of the video, and that the investigation would be a sham.

"The culture of the department will do every it possibly can to protect Inspector Bologna and it remains very very unlikely that the police department investigation will result in the disciplining of Officer Bologna or any other officer," O'Donnell predicted. "The spirit of these investigations is always a mix of investigation and instinctive institutional cover-up."

 

 

He stands tall on the talk TV landscape as a titan of free thought and expression. A true inspiration to the huddled masses!

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post #12 of 13
9/30/11 at 9:39am
Thread Starter 

By the way, long time readers of this thread may know that in my first post, I said one of my great remaining hopes was to see Cenk Uygur get his own show. Well that's exactly what eventually happened, but sadly the experiment ended in acrimony. Cenk stuck to his principals though and remains, as ever, pure class

 

 

In his own words:

 

 

 

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post #13 of 13
10/18/11 at 7:15am
Thread Starter 

O'Donnell Takes Clinton To Task For Tone Deaf Behavior

 

r-BILL-CLINTON-large570.jpg

 

 

Quote:

 

 

 

Lawrence O'Donnell castigated Bill Clinton for what he called a "weird" and "embarrassing" encounter with Lady Gaga at a concert for his foundation on Saturday

 

Gaga's rather suggestive performance at the concert (she said she wanted to get "caught up in a Bill romance," announced that she was having a "Marilyn moment," and told Clinton she was "on the edge" with him) seemed to leave O'Donnell flabbergasted on his Monday show
 

Calling Clinton "attention-starved," he wondered how Clinton could not see any potential awkwardness in having Gaga sing about a "bad romance" while he was seated next to Hillary Clinton, the woman most profoundly affected by his own, very bad romance

 

O'Donnell then brought on columnist Jonathan Alter. "It just doesn't get any weirder than that," he said

 

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