Ugh. If MSNBC is desperate enough to go after Alec Baldwin, who is next, Jim Carrey?
MEDIAITE – Mediaite has learned from a senior source in the cable news industry with knowledge of MSNBC’s programming, that actor Alec Baldwin is getting his own weekly show in MSNBC’s primetime lineup.
According to our source, the so far untitled show will air Fridays at 10 p.m. ET and will feature a large dose of Baldwin’s outspoken liberal politics.
The gig would make sense considering Baldwin’s long history in with the NBC family. He starred on the network’s award-winning sitcom 30 Rock for seven years, has frequently hosted Saturday Night Live, and hosted the network’s American airing of 2007′s Live Earth concert. Most important, Baldwin’s fiercely liberal and often combative political views make sense for a network that has become the place for progressive viewpoints on cable.
The MSNBC 10 p.m. hour is currently occupied by Lawrence O’Donnell, but only Monday through Thursday. As such, this new Baldwin show will not replace any of the network’s primetime talk shows — just the Lockup prison documentary series that airs Friday evenings.
Our source insists its a done deal but there is no question MSNBC is not quite prepared for an announcement. Yet.
I gotta say, Friday nights at 10pm isn’t the best time slot for a new show, especially after a long week of politics. Doesn’t look like they are setting this show up for success.