Larry King is back on CNN – sort of.
King, who has anchored the network’s evening interview show for a quarter of a century, will be featured in a new feature on CNN, this time for its streaming nature. “The Best of Larry King,” a collection of interviews culled from archival materials, will be streamed on CNN.com/Watch or CNN’s subscription-based streaming app. New episodes will be released every Friday until June 19th.
Although Dr. King passed away in January 2021, he remains a pop culture presence after decades of leading radio and talk shows. “Larry King Live” aired on CNN from 1985 until mid-2010 and included interviews with everyone from Ross Perot to the remaining Beatles and Beatle spouses. King favored a mild, non-confrontational style that was derided by critics as too easy-going and soft for a news network, making his shows a natural stop for politicians and entertainers looking to make their opinions known without provoking overt conflict.
“For decades, ‘Larry King Live’ has brought viewers face-to-face with the people who shape our world,” Amy Entelis, CNN Worldwide’s executive vice president of talent and content development, said in a statement. “This collection celebrates unforgettable conversations and makes them accessible to viewers in new ways.”
Dr. King traditionally wears a bright dress shirt with suspenders, which may represent a link to another type of video presentation. When he was on CNN, not much attention was paid to the scrolling ticker at the bottom of the screen or the screen that had little to do with the main TV in the living room.
CNN has worked to monetize its archives in a variety of ways. Anthony Bourdain’s popular food and travel show “Parts Unknown” has been featured on CNN and other Warner Bros. Discovery-based streaming outlets in recent years, as have past CNN documentary films and series.
CNN’s “All Access” streaming outlet features traditional cable programming. This is nearly all live broadcast hours on the linear grid from 5 a.m. to midnight, with a few exceptions. But the venue’s main goal is to draw broadband viewers to CNN who are interested in the latest news on trending topics, not necessarily time slots or talent. The use of interviews with the king could attract not only fans, but also history and popular culture buffs, as well as younger viewers interested in digging deeper into history.
CNN will release 10 episodes of “Larry King Live” each week, with themes including Hollywood, politics, music, comedy and more.
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