Rachel Maddow to take a hiatus

[Qutzupalotl]

to work on a movie based on Bag Man.
https://www.businessinsider.com/rachel-maddow-takes-break-msnbc-primetime-movie-podcast-2022-1

MSNBC star anchor Rachel Maddow is stepping back from her primetime weekday show to work on movie and podcast projects, she told her team Monday, according to two sources with knowledge of conversations. She is expected to share with viewers of "The Rachel Maddow Show" tonight that she'll take a break starting next week but will be back in "a few weeks," said an MSNBC insider.

Maddow is taking time to work on a Focus Features movie based on her book and podcast "Bag Man" about a political bribery scandal. It will be directed by Ben Stiller and Maddow will be an executive producer. The influential anchor is also developing a new podcast.

Maddow's break to re-energize and also set up her new outside projects will be temporary, however, and she plans to continue her primetime show five nights a week upon her return, one of the sources confirmed. The source said that Maddow wouldn't disappear from the network entirely and would be back for special event coverage during this hiatus.

The network is expected to turn to a range of fill-in anchors in the interim.

[malaise]

1. PHEW!

Hurry back Rachel - you are M$NBC

[Trueblue1968]

3. i love her

[malaise]

6. She's one of two programs on Network or Cable that

Last edited Mon Jan 31, 2022, 08:10 PM - Edit history (3)

I watch five days a week although she's been absent on a lot of Fridays recently. The other is Jeopardy.

[Trueblue1968]

25. i watch her every night also.

[2naSalit]

10. +1

I think she gets that the psyche of her viewers, and there are millions, would suffer if she just up and walked, no matter where she went. Even if she just went on an extended vacation, we'd have a hard time of it.

The reason we rely on her as we do?

The tells the truth and makes damn sure that she corrects the few errors she does make. We rely on her truth-telling and her breaking the hard stuff down so we can all understand it. That matters much more than some might imagine. She's one of the few who ensure that we are an informed public, and we need her as much as we love her.

[jimfields33]

15. With the olympics beginning next week, this is perfect timing.

[malaise]

17. China is 13 hours ahead of East Coast time

but I did wonder about that. I guess they would show a lot of stuff in prime time

[jimfields33]

31. Definitely especially NBC who owns MSNBC

[mahina]

32. I do for one. She anchors me.

But I also count on her to do what she needs to do. What an extraordinary talent, what an extraordinary mind.

I am very sure of the movie is going to get the topic more thoroughly recognized in this country. Most people realize what a corrupt criminal son of a both he Agnew was. Ben Stiller can change that.

And what fun Rachel will have!

[Fiendish Thingy]

2. This is a shift from what was announced last fall- that her nightly show was ending in early 2022

When she renewed her contract last fall, it was announced that her nightly show would end in early 2022 (February IIRC), but that Rachel would have periodic specials and would be involved in MSNBC’s election coverage.

This hiatus isn’t completely surprising, as it coincides with NBC’s coverage of the Olympics.

[Deminpenn]

4. Bag Man is a facinating story

It was a terrific listen. Spiro Agnew's story was overshadowed by Watergate. Most people know he resigned before being indicted for tax evasion/tax fraud, but the backstory is mostly unknown.

[uponit7771]

20. +1, she is an EXCELLENT story teller too ... up there with Ken Burns a far as drawing one in IMHO. I

... wondered how in the world could they make this story about a wayward VP interesting and she went over and above.

[leftieNanner]

29. Wonderful Podcast!

The fact that she was able to interview a number of the prosecutors who investigated Agnew made the whole story so compelling.

[blogslug]

5. Bag Man was/is a good podcast

When it comes to TFG and the Nixon era, that adage about history rhyming, well, it rhymes.

[Goonch]

8. Hard shoe to fill......

[Deep State Witch]

9. AWESOME!

I mean, great for her. We get more Ali Velshi and Ayman Mohadeen.

[Joinfortmill]

11. Thank you very much.

[Jimvanhise]

12. The Republican who Republicans don't talk about

Spiro Agnew resigned after getting caught taking kickbacks while vice-president, something he had also done before he was vice-president. He resigned to avoid criminal prosecution (although prosecutors hated that he was given a deal like that). Turns out that for years after that Agnew told his friends that he'd been "framed." Agnew was friends with Frank Sinatra and when Sinatra tried to get Agnew on the Tonight show to promote a book, Johnny Carson refused and Sinatra was furious (he had apparently promised Agnew that he'd be on the show).

[virgdem]

14. Spiro Who?

[LetMyPeopleVote]

13. Rachel's new contract with MSNBC means that she will be working on more special projects

[Vinca]

16. Why do I think we'll be seeing her at the Academy Awards? We'll miss her while she's away,

but it should be an interesting film.

[radius777]

18. Hope it's temporary, we need her.

Rachel is the highest rated liberal cable-tv host. All of the rest in the top ten are FoxNews hosts.

I just hope it's a temporary hiatus and not a permanent thing.

There's nobody like Rachel in 'connecting the dots' ... nobody cared about the fake elector story until she started covering it.

[mountain grammy]

19. America.. so many crooks, so little time

Bag Man is a good podcast, highly recommend. Pure sleaze, Spiro Agnew and all republicans for that matter.

[ShazzieB]

21. Maybe I should give it a listen.

I know Spiro Agnew was a crook, but he never struck me as a particularly interesting one, and I've been too focused on all the stuff that's going on now to feel like listening to a podcast about somebody who was a crook decades ago and is now dead and gone. But maybe I should give it a chance while she's on hiatus. Yeah....I think I may just do that!

[AngryOldDem]

28. Do. It's worth your while.

[leftieNanner]

30. I Second Angry Old Dem!

It's a fascinating story. It's broken up into segments of between 45 minutes and an hour. I listened to it from the MSNBC website.

If you enjoy Rachel's show - the depth of information that goes into it - and her wonderful way of telling a story, you will really like Bagman. Spiro Agnew was a sleazy dude going way back.

[ificandream]

23. Well, it's good to hear she'll be back.

The way I read the reports on CNN, she was taking a permanent new schedule. Glad that's not true.

[Hekate]

24. KnR!

[DLCWIdem]

26. I heard CNN? tried to lure her away with a podcast

[AngryOldDem]

27. Bag Man is an excellent book and podcast.

A movie should be awesome. I love listening to her on the podcasts. She keeps your attention.

Just 🥰 her, period.

[kentuck]

33. No one can replace Rachel...

...but they will need to find one of their best to take over the prime-time slot.