Good Morning America Soap Opera

[Max]

What are your reactions to Josh Elliott's bitter departure with ABC/GMA?

http://money.cnn.com/2014/03/31/news/companies/josh-elliott-leaves-gma/index.html?iid=s_mpm

He always seemed like a nice guy on the air, although I have come to be suspicious of the on-air personas of all television personalities. Apparently, he was a real prima donna and demanded a $10 million salary. ABC was willing to give him $5 million, but he instead is going to NBC sports, despite the fact that they are only giving him $4 million. (This salary information isn't in the above article, but I read it elsewhere on the web.)

It has been pointed out by other internet posters that perhaps the biggest reason why NBC is interested in Elliott--and in Sam Champion (who is now at The Weather Channel)--is because the network wants to break up the team that was in place when GMA went to the top.

[Chris B]

I don't think it makes sense for him to expect anywhere near what Robin Roberts is making as she's the lead anchor of the show with a lot more tenure. I always hated him and Lara Spencer, so this doesn't bother me. He seems a bit ungrateful and unreasonable IMO.

[DRW50]

We seem to be moving into the area that UK morning news is in, which also gets very messy.

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2010/nov/27/adrian-chiles-christine-bleakley-interview

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/mar/03/bbc-breakfast-susanna-reid-joins-itv-daybreak

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2594214/BBC-mocks-former-breakfast-host-Susanna-Reid-left-work-ITV-living-pant-flashing-sofa-moment-new-spoof-W1A.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

[Soapsuds]

I didnt care for Josh Elliot either. He is nuts if he wanted all that money. He would never have gotten it.

[Max]

I had no idea that things were so dysfunctional over there.

Elliott clearly has delusions of grandeur. Speculation is that he chose to go to NBC (though they offered him less money than ABC was willing to pay to keep him) partly because he is hoping to become Matt Lauer's successor. However, he certainly doesn't have the talents to become a lead anchor on a morning show. Additionally, Lauer fell out of favor because of his smugness and arrogance, so NBC would be stupid to replace him with somebody with these same flaws.

It has also come to light that Lara Spencer and Amy Robach (who is Elliott's successor) hate each other. I have long thought that both women were total phonies.

This following clip from Monday's GMA greatly amuses me. The whole cast tries to pretend that they are one big happy family, yet they fail miserably.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNSPLBld_oI

[Gray Bunny]

NBC ain't going down without a fight! Sneaky, sneaky. I kinda like it a lot. It's funny how we now get to see that it's not all sunshine and lollipops at GMA either.

Wouldn't it be a hoot if one day, the No. 1 Morning Show was the lil engine that could on CBS?

[quartermainefan]

I read this guy wanted something to do with sports and NBC had something for him and ABC did not. Sports is supposedly his true love and where he got his start. Bob Costas is another one who insists on Sports in his career.

[DramatistDreamer]

Funny but I whenever I managed to tune into the Morning TV newsmagazine shows, for awhile it was GMA but I found myself tuning into CBS' Morning show and preferring it (I'd always been a fan of the Sunday Morning Show) so I didn't even know that Josh Elliot had jumped ship until I saw it online somewhere.

Someone should've done a daytime soap that centered around characters working in front of and behind the scenes of a Morning newsmagazine show. I bet there would be plenty of backstabing, intrigue and veiled (and not so veiled) aggression. Probably some undercover romance and other improprieties going on.

I had a brief stint as a PA for a lame ass TV show and there was a lot of office politics, intrigues and a few ruthless characters running amok, all under the guise of plastered smiles. I can only be amused by it now, several years removed but back then it was like being in the middle of a maelstrom.

[Gray Bunny]

Who knows, it may be in development one day. I didn't watch 30 Rock, but that was the behind-the-scenes antics of an SNL type of show, yes?

All that's left is a take on morning news and the late-night wars.

[KMan101]

I can't stand Lara Spencer. How this woman gets 'promoted' to co-host, I'll never understand. She comes off totally fake.

And as for Elliot, he seems like a douchebag. He tried to hide it on air but it slipped out every once in a while. I do believe Robin is probably the glue that held them together. And Elliot is fooling himself if he thinks he's going to replace Lauer. One douchebag for another? I doubt it. And LOL at him giving up 5 million for 4 million. I still can't believe he thought he was worth 10 million. Wow. He has to be embarassed over all of that coming out, or he should be. Greedy mofo.

I also don't think Sam or Josh were very smart to jump ship. Josh will fade into oblivion and Sam, he probably stands a better of a chance, but he was extremely popular on GMA. He moved because his husband wanted to stay in Miami and Weather Channel is based in Atlanta (I believe). Commute is easier.

Elliot thought too highly of himself, but I'd rather they have given him money and booted that annoying and fake Lara. Every article about her I never see anything good posted in the comments. She must be a damn good kiss ass.

I don't think they hate each other, I really don't, honestly, you know a lot of rumors and BS gets made up, right? LOL. You can't believe everything you read. But Lara seems fake and Amy seems a lot more real to me. I like her far more, but I'd rather see Elizabeth Vargas over either of them. And David Muir. No wonder 20/20 is doing so well.

Why couldn't they replace Lara with Sara Haines? Sooo much better.

I also find Michael Strahan extremely overrated. Nice guy it seems but the push for him on GMA was ridiculous.

They also shouldn't have let Chris Cuomo go to CNN. Stupid.

Jeff Zucker is transparent in his attempts to steal talent for CNN (and NBC Universal 'stealing' Sam & Josh), but GMA isn't really hurting: http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/04/24/good-morning-america-is-1-for-the-week-outperforming-nbcs-today-by-798000-total-viewers-and-156000-adults-25-54/257241/

The only way I see ratings truly sinking are if Robin and George leave, and both just signed new deals. Or if NBC gets more likable personalities to host the Today show. The Today show just seems to try a little bit too hard and I don't think it being on for four hours is helping anything.