Alex Wagner's new MSNBC show has rocky start as technical malfunction plagues opening
MSNBC tapped Alex Wagner to fill nightly timeslot Tuesday through Friday vacated by Rachel Maddow
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Alex Wagner had a rocky start to her new MSNBC program that is set to fill the void left behind by the network's biggest star.
Just moments after her handoff with primetime colleague Chris Hayes, Wagner told MSNBC viewers she hoped to "live up to the incredibly high standard" Rachel Maddow has set.
However, things got awkward fast as she began teasing the latest developments in the FBI raid of Mar-a-Lago as footage from the highly-anticipated Republican House primary in Wyoming began appearing on the screen.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Wagner, who was seen repeatedly looking off-camera, then offered a shrugging gesture.
"Then we'll –," Wagner said before a long pause as she attempted to be in sync with the control room.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Go?" Wagner appeared to have mouthed before continuing on.
"Then we'll talk with… we're going to go right – we are actually going to go right to the top story tonight in Wyoming where polls have just closed as Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney faces the steepest of climbs and the longest of odds to hold onto her seat," Wagner went on to say before finding her footing.
Before her first commercial break, Wagner acknowledged to viewers about the "technical gremlins" that emerged, hoping the rest of the program would be "smooth sailing."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MSNBC host Alex Wagner was plagued with technical difficulties just minutes into launching her new program. (MSNBC)
"Alex Wagner Tonight" will air Tuesday through Friday as the new MSNBC program aims to fill in the shoes of "The Rachel Maddow Show," which now only airs Monday nights at 9 p.m. ET.
Wagner, a frequent guest host of "The Rachel Maddow Show," has not had the greatest luck when it comes to holding her own MSNBC show.
In 2015, MSNBC canceled her daytime program "Now" after a four-year run. Wagner's program struggled in the ratings, and her sharply left-wing show was among those cut as part of a reshuffling to shift daytime towards straight news. Around that time, former nightly host Al Sharpton was bumped to weekends, Ed Schultz was bounced from the network, and "The Cycle" was canceled.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Then in 2016, MSNBC scrapped a weekend show Wagner was set to launch after the network previously announced the program.
MSNBC is hoping Wagner can spice up programming leading up to the 2022 midterm elections as the network boasts that she is the only Asian-American cable news host. However, it remains uncertain if Wagner has what it takes to revive MSNBC's dwindling viewership and draw an audience remotely comparable to Maddow, consistently MSNBC's top-rated host for more than a decade.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MSNBC named Alex Wagner as Rachel Maddow’s replacement four nights per week. (MSNBC)
MSNBC, which has suffered in viewership ever since President Trump left office, is doing even worse now that Maddow decided to roll back her on-air presence.
In July, MSNBC averaged just 1.3 million viewers in primetime throughout the week while "The Rachel Maddow Show" has maintained an average of 2.4 million viewers on Mondays, showing the Peacock network is struggling without her four days a week.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Maddow announced earlier this year that she would only host "The Rachel Maddow Show" once a week, so she could focus on other projects. Maddow is the only MSNBC host who averages 2 million total viewers as the rest of her colleagues trail far behind.
MSNBC has struggled in primetime ratings since Rachel Maddow decided to roll back her on-air presence to just Monday nights. (Photo by Virginia Sherwood/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images) (Virginia Sherwood/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
MSNBC has made several programming moves over the past year to shake things up. In addition to Maddow scaling back her program, Stephanie Ruhle was named host of "The 11th Hour" following Brian Williams' exit, "Morning Joe" was extended to a fourth hour of programming, and Chuck Todd's weekday program was pulled from the network and moved to NBC News' streaming network.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Additionally, former White House press secretary Jen Psaki is set to host a program on the Peacock service following the rollout of former Biden administration official Symone Sanders' own weekend show, which has debuted to dismal ratings.