Sympathy for Ms. Vieira

Syndie Millionaire rolls into its tenth season starting September 5, as several faux tweets noted. I'll write "for the enemy" a bit here and express admiration for how Meredith Vieira has kept the show going for a decade.



This is "for the enemy" because, frankly, Meredith isn't my fave as a game show host. Don't get me wrong, she's not nearly as off-putting (intentionally or not) as Anne Robinson. But she does come across to me as a bit dry and emotionally distant. This may be a legacy of her career in the news business, where emotional display is not prized.



She also had the misfortune of succeeding Mr. Folksy as keeper of the money tree. Regis made everybody feel comfortable with his everyman shtick. But I'm getting too critical. Meredith is super-competent, quick with an ad-lib, and plenty friendly enough for most viewers. So I'll just congratulate her on ten seasons of multiple-choice, and wish her many more.