Counting Down

Today the New York Times had a nice article on Keith Olbermann and his MSNBC show Countdown and I thought I'd comment on why it's one of my favorite news shows.

M my brother introduced me to the fast-paced witty commentary of Keith Olbermann last year and since then it's been my favorite actual news show. Along with Countdown, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report I get my current events with a nice blend of fact and humor. Most of the news stories now-a-days are pretty heavy, and having them intermingled with the quirkiness that the show is known for helps the issues sink in easier.

Olbermann as a host is quite energetic, and if it wasn't for him I probably wouldn't watch the show at all. Occasionally he'll be on vacation and someone will fill in for him, but it's just not the same. His commentary is usually right on the mark and he does it with a wit and insight that I find lacking in most other commentators. By far the best reason to watch him is his calling out of right-wing pundits like Bill O'Reilly and Ann Coulter. Somewhat childish, but funny, they're normally in the "Worst Person in the World" segment for something stupid they said and he gives them names like Coultergeist or Bill'O. This has actually lead to ratings increase by the feud between him and Bill'O.

I know that the show is left leaning, but that's fine by me since it reports on stories I know I want to hear about and won't start yelling things at the TV. The fact the Olbermann also reports things either ahead of time (hence the slogan, "Which of these stories will you be talking about tomorrow?") or ones that other major media outlets won't cover period (election disputes after Nov. 04) keeps me coming back too. The show itself just has an overall quality and polish too it, catering to someone of my age and political knowledge with issues I actually care about.

Even though the show doesn't have as much clout as others, it lands some pretty spectacular interviews. A wonderful example is the recent interview with Jack Murtha, whom it seems is avoided or not allowed to fully speak his mind on other shows. It wasn't even Olbermann asking the questions but Brian Unger who sometimes takes his place when he's gone and it still shone as one of the best interviews I've ever seen. Murtha was ruthless and spoke strongly and passionately about an issue he cares deeply about, something that's lacking in today's politicians. The questions were excellent and resulted in insightful responses from Murtha, and unlike other interviews I've seen with him they weren't negatively attacking him.

Finally, the show always ends with Olbermann signing off with "Good night, and Good Luck", probably one of the greatest quotes in television news history from Edward R. Murrow. He also throws in his modern take on the sign off with a count of how many days have elapsed since "Mission Accomplished" was declared in Iraq.

The show airs daily at 5pm on MSNBC, and if you have a problem missing it there are almost always highlights of it on Crooks and Liars.