Too Much TV: Bob Iger Would Really Like The Women Of 'The View' To Shut Up About Trump

Plus, I have some questions about an MSNBC interview

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Wednesday, May 21st 2025:

BOB IGER WOULD REALLY LOVE IT IF THE WOMEN OF 'THE VIEW' WOULD JUST SHUT UP ABOUT TRUMP
The Walt Disney Company - like every big media organization right now - really doesn't want to get into a "whose is bigger" battle with Donald Trump and his extremely pliant head of the FCC. CEO Bob Iger seems to still believe that if Disney-owned ABC can just keep a low enough profile, the president will focus on more high-value targets (such as Comcast).

That likely explains why he and ABC News President Almin Karamehmedovic recently held a meeting with the panelists of The View, asking them to please tone down the rhetoric:

Karamehmedovic convened a meeting with The View‘s executive producer Brian Teta and its hosts and suggested the panel needed to broaden its conversations beyond its predominant focus on politics, two sources familiar with the meeting said. Karamehmedovic highlighted episodes with celebrity guests that he said were highly rated, one source said, and encouraged them to lean into such coverage moving forward.

The move was not framed as an edict, one source said, but the suggestion alone rankled the hosts. The group pushed back forcefully, with hosts like Navarro noting the show’s audience routinely seeks out its perspective on politics, especially when the administration’s radical attempts to upend the government can potentially affect their daily lives.

If you think this meeting might have been a one-off event, this is apparently an ongoing concern from Iger:

Still, the conversation continued to stay at top of mind for at least one of the co-hosts. During Disney’s Upfront presentation day to advertisers last week, an annual glitzy gathering where media companies seek to woo brands to advertise with their shows, Navarro had a direct conversation with Iger, according to multiple sources.

Navarro thanked Iger for allowing the hosts to continue doing their jobs in a politically turbulent environment, the sources said. Iger confirmed he supported the show—but he also reaffirmed that the show needed to tone down its political rhetoric, the sources said.

The conversation made clear the suggestion to tone down the politics went all the way to the top, the sources said.

Now I think it's unlikely Iger would remove any of the panel if they ignore his wishes. But for some of the newer panelists, they might make the decision that being a little less aggressive might be helpful if they are looking for long-term job security:

But hints of a balancing act have emerged. During a robust discussion last week over the question of whether Democrats needed to focus on the question of Biden’s decline or move forward to fight Trump, Griffin appeared to strike a more balanced tone by highlighting how Trump’s low approval numbers were ahead of the Democratic Party.

That episode continued with a panel conversation about a Reddit post that asked whether Mother’s Day cards were appropriate for women who consider pets to be their “children.”

I hesitate to think where we are going to be in another three years.

I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS...
I have pointedly opted not to write about Jen Psaki's new MSNBC primetime show because it takes awhile for any show like this to find its feet. I remember quite vividly how much I disliked the early week's of Rachel Maddow's show when she joined MSNBC. Putting your own stamp on a primetime cable news TV show is a different process and finding the optimal daily work flow and editorial mix that works best for you is a challenge. I am optimistic Jen Psaki will get there and I'm willing to give her time before I write about the show. I can already see her tweaking things here and there to better fit her impressive skill sets.

Still, I watched Wednesday's episode, which included an aggressively-promoted interview with former Speaker Of The House Nancy Pelosi and I have some questions.

The interview was relatively short (limited to the "B" block) and was focused entirely on the current Republican efforts to pass a budget bill and what impact that might have on Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. Now to be clear, those are important questions and Pelosi obviously has a lot of expertise on the challenges of getting a difficult bill passed in the House.

But I can't help thinking that a number of MSNBC's loyal viewers might be perplexed by the lack of questions about some of the other issues Pelosi might have some expertise on. From current efforts by House members to push back against the Dem Party leadership and their approach to various Trump proposals to the uncomfortable subject of the party's insistence on prioritizing seniority over other factors when choosing House Committee Leadership.

That questions looms even larger today, following the death of Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.). Pelosi very publicly backed his bid to become ranking member on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability earlier this year after the exit of Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.). This was despite the fact that Connolly had already disclosed he was fighting the cancer that would ultimately take his life. Connolly's primary opponent for the job was Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), whom Raskin had appointed as his vice ranking member. But Pelosi made no secret of the fact that she doesn't much care for OAC, in part because she won her seat in 2018 by defeating Democratic Caucus chair Joe Crowley, a 10-term incumbent and longtime Pelosi friend and ally. And she made sure the press knew she was out there whipping votes in opposition of Ocasio-Cortez.

These would be logical questions to ask Pelosi and I suspect Psaki would have at least gently explored some of those questions if she had the opportunity. My guess is that Pelosi only agreed to make the appearance if she was able to limit the scope of the questioning. Which is certainly her right and I know that no one at MSNBC wants to make an enemy of someone who still wields a lot of power behind the scenes. But in a perfect world, I would have liked to have seen some mention of her request to limit the questioning. While that might make Pelosi unhappy, it would answer the questions from viewers who rightfully wonder why her appearance only focused on the Republican bill.

And on a strictly strategic note, it would have been a good move by MSNBC, because it would have been an easy way to show its independence from Democratic power brokers. However, this is not a decision Psaki would be able to make. The failure here comes from network executives, who apparently didn't think this would be a problem.

If you have any insight on this interview, I'd love to hear from you confidentially at rick@allyourscreens.com

SEVEN 'AMERICAN IDOL' FINALISTS RELEASE INDIVIDUAL NEW SINGLES
It has been a number of years since an American Idol finalist has released a single that garnered much attention from radio or from the general public. So it's interesting to me that BMG (which has a deal with American Idol producers) has released a new single from each of this season's seven finalists.

Most of the tracks are pretty forgettable, although I haven't watched any of this season, so I don't have any particular connection to any of the performers.

The best track is Breanna Nix's "Higher," which is also the only upbeat song. There were a couple of other songs that at least made me curious enough about the singers that I'll pay attention to their upcoming releases: Slater Nalley's heartfelt "Traces Of You" and Gabby Samone's "Four Women," which is a cover of the 1966 Nina Simone track.

If you're interested, here is a rundown of the singles and a Spotify direct link to the songs:

Jamal Roberts: "Heal" (Spotify Link)

John Foster: "Tell That Angel I Love Her" (Spotify Link)

Breanna Nix: "Higher" (Spotify Link)

Slater Nalley: "Traces Of You" (Spotify Link)

Thunderstorm Artis: "I Just Want You To Know" (Spotify Link)

Gabby Samone: “Four Women" (Spotify Link)

Mattie Pruitt: "Strings" (Spotify Link)

ODDS AND SODS
* Until I read it, I was highly suspicious of this Slate story that focused on a decades-long argument over the appearance of a bird in the Charlie's Angels movie. But trust me, this deranged piece is worth the read.

* Major Garrett will host a nightly politics and culture show for CBS News 24/7, The Takeout, that is based on his weekly interview podcast. The show will debut at 5 p.m. ET on May 27th.

* PBS has furloughed 25% of PBS Kids staff following the abrupt termination of the Department of Education’s 2020–25 Ready To Learn grants earlier this month. St. Paul's TPT PBS station has also furloughed employees working on its animated program Skillsville, which was awarded $4.6 million for the 2020–25 Ready To Learn grant cycle.

* SAG-AFTRA members have approved the 2025 Commercials Contracts Agreement.

* Former MSNBC weekend anchor Katie Phang has launched a brand-new YouTube channel in partnership with liberal-leaning podcaster/news organization MeidasTouch.

* The CW has picked up season four of the Canadian series Family Law, which will premiere on the network on Wednesday, July 23rd.

* HBO announced on Wednesday that Hard Knocks: Training Camp With The Buffalo Bills will premiere Tuesday, August 5th. It also announced that Hard Knocks: In Season With The NFC East will premiere this December.

* Mr. Scorsese, a five-part film portrait of iconic director, producer and writer Martin Scorsese, will premiere later this year on Apple TV+.

WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND TOMORROW

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21ST:
Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service Series Premiere (Fox)
Make It At Market (BritBox)
Masterchef Season Premiere (Fox)
Newly Rich, Newly Poor Series Premiere (2025 reboot) (Netflix)
Nine Perfect Strangers Season Two Premiere (Hulu)
Nine Puzzles Series Premiere (Hulu)
Real Men Series Premiere (Netflix)
Sneaky Links: Dating After Dark Series Premiere (Netflix)
The Studio Season Finale (Apple TV+)

THURSDAY. MAY 22ND:
Chaos (Viaplay)
Earnhardt (Prime Video)
90 Minutes Series Premiere (Peacock)
Not Her First Rodeo Series Premiere (Freeform)
Onyx (BET+)
Sirens (Netflix)
Survivor Season Forty-Eight Finale (CBS)
The Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case For The Yarn Maker (Pure Flix)
Transplant Season Premiere (NBC)
Tyler Perry's She The People (Netflix)

SEE YOU ON THURSDAY!