Renowned tv personalities Charles Barkley And Gayle King will join forces to host a new tv show for CNN. The new show named “King Charles” was teased during Saturday’s TNT pregame coverage, and it will run weekly on a primetime slot when it debuts in the fall.
The particular themes to be discussed on the show are currently unknown, but Barkley has stated that he wants the show to be nonpolitical. Since the announcement, fans have expressed conflicting feelings about the show, with some applauding it and others slamming it.
Keep on reading to learn more.
‘King Charles’ Will Debut In The Fall
According to TMZ, media giant CNN will be debuting a new show on their platform, hosted by renowned tv personalities Barkley and King.
Titled “King Charles,” the new show will run weekly on a primetime slot with hopes that it will bring in much-needed viewership amid low rating issues at CNN.
King dropped the big reveal about the show on Saturday during TNT’s pregame coverage and gave hints on the topics it would cover.
It was also announced on Twitter as CNN shared a clip from the pregame coverage on the platform.
Coming this fall, King Charles with Gayle King and Charles Barkley will air weekly on CNN in primetime running into 2024. Hear Gayle and Charles talk about their new show on @NBAonTNT. pic.twitter.com/ZMqYXdtYBw
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) April 22, 2023
“This fall, King Charles with Gayle King and Charles Barkley will air weekly on CNN in primetime running into 2024. Hear Gayle and Charles talk about their new show on @NBAonTNT,” the media house captioned the tweet.
‘King Charles’ Maybe A ‘Nonpolitical’ Show
Most topics discussed on the show might be nonpolitical, not pandering to political parties.
“I want it to be nonpolitical… but we don’t want to say we’re a Liberal, Conservative, Republican, Democrat- that’s one of the things that’s already ruined television in general,” Barkley said about the new show.
However, it won’t be surprising that the show might still touch on political topics, such as the hotly debated issue of gun regulation, as Barkley and Gayle highlighted the recent run of shootings during the show’s announcement.
The pair may also discuss food, pop culture, and anything else in the week’s news cycle to make the show more interesting.
Fans should expect Barkley and King to deliver their “straight shooter” assessments live, bringing on the same alluring personalities that garnered them critical acclaim as tv personalities.
CNN Ratings Have Plummeted In Recent Times
Despite having landed the new roles with CNN, King will remain the anchor of “CBS Mornings,” while the former NBA star, Barkley, will also maintain his gig at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports.
There are hopes that the duo coming onboard for the new show will change the fortunes of CNN amid declining primetime ratings.
An email from CEO Chris Licht announcing the show to staff echoed this sentiment.
“This show will be an exciting new way we deliver culturally relevant programming and unique perspectives to our audience from two incredibly dynamic personalities,” said Licht in the email.
This comes after the network “posted a 34% decline in year-over-year viewership for primetime and a 61% drop for March” during the first quarter of 2023, per Forbes.
CNN also averaged 473,000 viewers in March, compared to competitor Fox News, which had 2.09 million viewers.
Fans React to ‘King Charles’ Announcement
Following the announcement about the show, fans have had mixed reactions.
One fan said, “This will be the ONLY reason to watch CNN! I’m sure the show will be excellent tv. King and Barkley-the only saving grace for a dumpster fire of a network. Gayle and Charles will finally give the channel some ratings.”
“I’m so freaking glad to hear that! Finally, someone that isn’t wearing politics like a damn character trait! Go do it, man,” another fan said about Barkley’s statement on the show being “nonpolitical.”
One fan slammed the show, saying, “@CNN is experiencing decade-low viewer ratings, and its solution is to bring in Gayle King. They are not even trying.”
