Tuesday marks the debut of Alex Wagner’s new show on MSNBC, “Alex Wagner Tonight,” as the host takes over for Rachel Maddow Tuesday through Friday at 9 p.m. ET.
Ahead of the launch date, Wagner spoke with Deadline, where the MSNBC host stated that her program “is going to be a different show” than Maddow’s.
“We are trying to figure out the ways we can carry through some of the incredible intellectual rigor and informative analysis that Rachel has established in the 9 p.m. hour, and how we can make a through line with what we do Tuesday through Friday and also add in some new elements that are reflective of my experience,” Wagner said.
“It’s been a lot of brainstorming, a lot of meetings. We’re not throwing spaghetti against the wall. It’s a more deliberative process that that.”
Wagner has experience hosting a show on MSNBC on the dayside and recently returned to the network in February, working as a senior political analyst and guest anchor. However, now she’s heading to primetime and hopes to carve out an audience for herself.
“I think the best shows are reflective of each host’s personality, and I hope that this show is reflective of my personality, and I hope that the audience is responsive,” Wagner said. “There is no one else like Rachel Maddow. Woe be to those who try to mimic her style, and I am certainly not going to be one of them.”
Furthermore, when Wagner goes live on Tuesday, she’ll be the only Asian American to host a primetime cable news show.
Eduardo Razo is the Assistant Content Editor for BNM, which includes writing daily news stories on the news media industry. He can be found on Twitter @eddierazo_ or you can reach him by email at eddie1991razo@gmail.com.
