I was sorry to read, on Tuesday night, that Brian Williams has decided to leave his weeknight MSNBC program, The 11th Hour--and will be leaving NBC News altogether--at the end of the year.
The 11th Hour has aired since 2016. I've been something of a latecomer to the program--having mostly watched it during the past couple of years. Mr. Williams is a very fine (and often very witty/wry) conversationalist and host.
In addressing his end-of-December departure, on Tuesday evening's broadcast, he said: "The 11th Hour is way bigger than any one man or woman. The truth is, our secret has always been: it's always about our guests. That will never change."
His guests (more often than not, recurring) have, indeed, been routinely superb--journalists, historians, political and social analysts, legal analysts, law enforcement, military, and intelligence experts, and, during the grim era of Covid, medical professionals. Yet despite his modesty regarding his role on the program, as expressed last night, it is Mr. Williams who establishes, each evening, the program's distinctive and pleasing tone. His stewardship of The 11th Hour will be missed.
