All eyes in midtown Manhattan on Monday may be on this giant today Showing the studio windows, trying to catch a glimpse of Savannah Guthrie as she returns to work.
When Guthrie docks today On Easter Monday, marking a major break in the case, the Christian outreach holiday will mark the 65th day since her mother, Nancy Guthrie, 84, was taken from her home in Tucson, Arizona. There are still no suspects and no evidence of life.
The most anticipated return in morning television since, well, ever, it won’t be business as usual inside or outside 10 Rockefeller Plaza (across the street from 30 Rock)’s iconic Studio 1A, where fans of the show gather daily to catch a glimpse of the program. today Show talent and celebrity guests. Savannah will be welcomed home with an outpouring of love via poster board and Sharpie.
Guthrie, who first joined the show for its third hour in 2011 (she has been NBC News’ chief legal analyst since 2008), was off the air for more than two months, but was never forgotten. She’s visited her working family twice — once for an extended interview with her colleague and friend Hoda Kotb — but she’s been at the forefront of most Americans’ minds throughout the entire ordeal. It’s not yet possible to know exactly how Guthrie will handle her moment, but those who know her (that… Hollywood Reporter I spoke with) Say it will definitely be done with extraordinary levels of kindness and professionalism. That’s how Guthrie managed those previous interim returns.
Near and far from Nintendo’s flagship store, all eyes will be on NBC (and Peacock) on Monday starting at 7 a.m. ET. Many of those eyes, including some of the newest ones in the program, have been tuning in regularly since Feb. 2, when Savannah first reported to Pima County instead of downtown Manhattan. During this extension, todaywhich for weeks devoted two parts to the case of Guthrie and his family (before paring it down to one part and then again to news dictates), outperformed its main rival. Good morning America in total viewers while extending its advantage in the lead news show to adults ages 25-54, according to Nielsen data. CBS Morning Not in sight.
Monday today It will likely lead to TV ratings GMA Look like CBSM.
Through no fault of Guthrie, there will be some level of embarrassment or discomfort on Monday. But if anyone is naturally equipped to handle the toughest transitions, it’s Guthrie. todayCo-anchor from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. (with Craig Melvin since January 2025) since 2012. Guthrie wouldn’t go back to her day job if she couldn’t handle the “career” part. said one source from a competing morning TV show THRGuthrie is “incredibly resilient”.
She also has incredible chops. As much as you may not want to be The storyGuthrie knows she and her family are also still getting ready to return, which was first announced on March 27. It’s a band-aid that needs to be removed, even if the wound is still fresh. today It will allow Guthrie, 54, to set the tone. Savannah is expected to take her story off the teleprompter as the week goes on and return to some semblance of normalcy — whatever “normalcy” might be in such uncharted waters. If and when new information comes to light in this case, today He will walk this tightrope with his star.
Morning shows tend to follow a general format. The tougher news tends to open the show – so maybe on Monday today Opens to Iran; Then maybe a partial government shutdown. As the 7 a.m. hour dwindles, so does the overall seriousness of the news. A true crime story might carry viewers until 8 a.m., when lighter fare is often set. Given the typical rundown, in our speculative example, it’s a good idea for Guthrie to address the elephant in the room at mid-to-late 7 a.m., albeit likely with at least a public acknowledgment of her return for the opening.
The 74-year-old NBC founder has navigated very public infighting before. The first thing that comes to my mind, of course, is what the announcer did, which is what he eventually did. In 2017, Matt Lauer was fired from the NBC News show over a “detailed complaint” of “inappropriate sexual conduct.” It was Guthrie who read the news on television. It wasn’t an easy task, but it’s the job.
It’s not yet clear how rival morning shows will handle Guthrie’s return. Concrete plans will be made on Sunday (yes, Easter Sunday), tells a source familiar with the internal machinations THR. Contenders will cover Guthrie’s return as news on Monday and will likely weigh specifics on Tuesday after clips and context become available.
Elsewhere Guthrie won’t be wall-to-wall either. GMAFor example, she already has a big booking she plans to bring up on Monday: Melissa Gilbert’s meeting with George Stephanopoulos where she will discuss the child sex abuse charges against her husband, Timothy Busfield. It’s a good deal, and it might make things interesting if it aired today, for example. But even Stephanopoulos knows he’ll be in play for second place on Monday, where Savannah Guthrie already has a chance.
