CNN's Talk Back Live is DOA

Posted on March 10, 2003

In a surprisingly insightful move, CNN has finally cancelled one of its most annoying programs: the insipid, hyperactive and relentlessly interactive Talk Back Live, hosted by entertainment reporter Arthel Neville.

Talk Back Live featured a live audience, one of the most irritating introductory music riffs on television, and various guests who would yell at each other between commercial breaks. When the host finally came up with an interesting topic, say embryonic stem cell research or the war in Iraq, so-called "experts" of wildly varying credentials would have a few seconds to give their opinions -- if they could spit them out before being screamed at by some no-name radio talk show host from Nowheresville, Indiana.

In obeisance to the Sacred Altar of Interactivity (one of the tenets of CNN's new programming religion), we then get to hear what "Bob, from Dimebox, Texas" has to say about the war in Iraq. If we're really lucky, I can find out what "Matt, from the San Fernando Valley in Southern California" thinks about cloning ("I just think that Star Wars was, like awesome!!") Wow, I feel so, like...enlightened.

The show will be replaced by an extra hour of hard news, given by Anchors Who Are Actually Intelligent, Miles O'Brien and Kyra Phillips. Given the fact that we appear to be on the brink of a very serious war in Iraq, this makes good sense. Apparently, someone with some taste actually Talked Back to CNN.