If early numbers are any indication, MSNBC has a hit on its hands with Joy Reid’s new primetime show “The ReidOut.” The show debuted on Monday, July 20, and was number-one in its time slot pulling in 2.6 million viewers and scoring the second-highest rating ever at 7 pm (6 pm CST) for a regularly scheduled show on the network.
“The ReidOut” offers political punditry and cultural hot topics with a focus on racial and social equity. Reid took over the time slot after longstanding MSNBC commentator Chris Matthews walked away from his show “Hardball” in March.
For the first episode, Reid pulled out the big guns with guests former Vice President and presumptive Democratic nominee for president Joe Biden and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
With her new show, Reid becomes the only Black woman currently holding down a primetime slot on network news, following Gwen Ifill, who anchored PBS NewsHour until her passing in 2016.
A fixture on MSNBC since 2011, Reid first honed her broadcasting chops on “The Reid Report,” and since 2016, “AM Joy,” which airs weekend mornings. She also routinely filled in for other MSNBC primetime hosts, including Rachel Maddow, Chris Hayes, and Lawrence O’Donnell.
“I’ll always be proud of the work we did on ‘AM Joy’ by pushing the envelope and tackling pragmatic conversations,” said Reid in a statement. “I’m eager to carry that same energy into the 7 pm hour where we can continue to build on bringing in diverse, smart, and accomplished voices to the table on topics that are important to our viewers.”
Regulars watchers of “AM Joy” will appreciate that Reid has kept popular segments like “Who Won the Week” on her new show, where pundits score the wins and losses of the week’s newsmakers.
Tiffany Cross, one of the hosts in rotation on “AM Joy” since Reid’s departure, made the case last Friday that given “The ReidOut’s” strong debut, Reid was, indeed, last week’s big winner (see below).
“The ReidOut” airs Monday-Friday at 6 pm CST on MSNBC. Find more information at https://www.nbc.com/the-reidout.
Reach the MSR staff at msrnewsonline@spokesman-recorder.com.