The Three Questions with Andy Richter - Meredith Vieira (Re-Release)

Episode Date: August 8, 2025

Meredith Vieira joins Andy Richter to talk about deciding to take a class in broadcast journalism, getting the "Today Show," jumping from the news to game shows, and more! This episode originally aired in June 2022. Do you want to talk to Andy live on SiriusXM’s Conan O’Brien Radio? Tell us your favorite dinner party story (about anything!) - leave a voicemail at 855-266-2604 or fill out our Google Form at BIT.LY/CALLANDYRICHTER. Listen to "The Andy Richter Call-In Show" every Wednesday at 1pm Pacific on SiriusXM's Conan O'Brien Channel.

Hello, everybody. It's Andy Richter, and I am thrilled to be here today with a relatively recent friend of mine, but a wonderful friend of mine, and somebody who has been kicking around television and broadcasting for a long time and has had a wonderful career. And I got to know her from the goofy world of game shows. I'm a become a fairly frequent guest on 25 words or less. And she is the host of it among the many things she's hosted. And I'm really, really thrilled that she could make it here today. It's Meredith Fiera. Hi. Andy. How are you? You knew you knew me from Conan that that has been, you know what? I actually knew you from living in Chicago and seeing you on

CBS News. Oh, wow. Oh, wow. Yeah, you were, I mean, I didn't, you know, I mean, I wasn't a stalker or anything. But when you started coming to national prominence, I was like, oh, she was a reporter on Channel 2. Well, I actually wasn't a reporter on Channel 2, but I worked in the Midwest Bureau. So I went into 9PM every day. Yeah. No, because I just remembered your name. You know, I mean, you know, it's like Lester Holt when he became a national broadcaster. I was like, oh, he was out here in Chicago. It's just in, you know, Bill Curtis, when Bill Curtis started becoming, you know, the master of murders. It's like our local anchorman for years and years is now, you know.

He was the anchorman when I was out there for CBS News. You know how I ended up in Chicago? I started at CBS News in January. and in the in the northeast bureau so i was going to be in the new york bureau and right before i started that network job i went and got a permanent for my hair because my hair's really straight and i wanted to have a little more body and it didn't really work so i did it again and my hair started it got so brittle it started breaking off and here i'm about to start this major job at the network and i knew part of the reason i got the job as appearance you know that's part of the game yeah so i showed up there

It was winter, so I wore a hat, and I wouldn't take it off. And finally, one of the executives about five days in said, you're in a building. Can you take off your head? I thought, who is this person? I took it off, and I could see it in his eyes. I could see the whole thing like, oh, my God. And that probably happened on a Wednesday or Thursday. And the following Friday, the head of CBS News called me on the phone.

He said, you know, we think you'd be good in Chicago. Oh, boy. And I was sent to Chicago. because it's winter and I'm in Chicago, but, and I work like to wear a hat every day. Yeah. Outside, reporting on, there was rough economic times when I started that job. And by the spring, my hair looked great and I was very well established as a correspondent. So sometimes having bad purr and pays off.

That's, well, it's also, it's kind of like, it's like if you, you know, if, you know, you were a pitcher and you had a skateboarding accident and they send you down to the miners because. Because you hurt your arm. It is, it's so weird. And it is, it is that weird overlap of appearance in broadcast journalism. You know, like, if you had been a print reporter, you could have shaved your head and they probably wouldn't be. Exactly. I mean, I understood it. I did and I didn't.

But as it turned out, I probably never would have lived in Chicago and I loved, I spent three years there and I love Chicago. It's a great town. It's a great. great town. So I was blessed and also to be in Midwest. I'm a, you know, New England girl grew up in New England. So I'm very East Coast oriented. And to experience the Midwest was for me, fantastic. Yeah. Now that's, you grew up in, in Providence, right? In Rhode Island. And, and I, and you are full on 100% Portuguese. Both sides, Azorean. Yeah. My parents are from, my parents' parents, my parents are first generation. They came from San Miguel and Fial. My father's

father actually was a priest. Oh, wow. So very educated. One of the few groups of people that were provided with an education in the Azores. He was shipped to New Bedford to head up a parish. And he liked the ladies. So he ended up having a relationship with a young woman at the parish. They got kicked out. I mean, they ran away on the train. I didn't even know that somebody did my bag. My father omitted this information. And I found out that he, yeah, he had been kind of a philanderer. So he was kicked out of the church and he ended up starting the first newspaper in New Bedford because he was a very smart guy. Wow. Yeah.

I love that he was a bit of a renegade and they stayed married. I mean, this was the rest of his life. He was with her. Yeah. That's fantastic. Yeah. You know, I have a similar one where my grandmother, my, my uncle is a little, you know, like kind of a number of years older than the rest, the cluster of the kids that my mom. came from and found out my grandmother had had an affair with the dashing young head of the

teacher's college in Nebraska she was going to and yeah and her father tracked him down and made her marry her and then he took off again so wow yeah and so yeah she was a single mother in whatever 1930 something you know and that was a different world totally different world she must have been a very strong woman the man is she was she was I mean it you know I mean it was she had a complicated relationship with her own agency you know like she was she was a good friend of Phyllis Schlaffley's but also one of the most like powerful dynamic women I'd ever known you know just in terms of getting stuff done and making sure that her husband wasn't just the nice small town guy that he was that he became a political force like yeah it was it was interesting

stuff yeah that's funny because my mother was sort of the force behind my dad my dad was a a GP you know family dog kind who went out at two in the morning when a patient called but my mom was the tough guy on the phone he would root the calls through our house so that it looked like he had a secretary so my mother would be his secretary but she she she was the the tough old bird as she likes to refer to herself or like to refer to herself. So she made sure that everything ran on time and was efficient and all of that. Now, do you think that's kind of where you got the nerve to decide that you could, you know, get into this very male-dominated world of broadcast journalism? I do think so. I very much admired my dad and I put

him on a pedestal and I learned what hard work means from him. He was a really hardworking man and so kind. Most of his patients were Azoan, and they came to this country, and they had heard of Dr. Vieira in the Azo. He said, when you get to East Providence, look up Dr. Vieira. He'll be your doctor. And so so many of them had no money, no jobs when they arrived. So they would do chores for my dad.

He'd say, don't bother about paying me. Can you mow my lawn? So there was always something stranger on our property or lots and lots of homemade wine in the basement because they would make it from my dad. And my mom would go, you do need to get paid me. said it'll all work out. And it did, of course. He had hospital privileges.

Then he worked there. So whatever. But my mom, my mom was this interesting combination of a housemaker, homemaker, and somebody who had always been an independent person. And she instilled that in me. I remember as a little kid saying, I want to be a nurse, which is a noble profession. And she went, no, you're going to be a doctor. Because she thought at that point, little girls didn't think in terms of being a doctor.

Right. The only thing available was being a nurse. So she put it in my head early on that I had three older brothers that I was as good, probably better than them and could do whatever they wanted. So yeah, I think the Hutzpapa came from my mind. Yeah, well, it's nice that, you know, she expanded your horizons beyond. Because it does seem like that's, you know, I know, there are relatives in my life, women in my life that will say, I wish I was a, had been an engineer, but that just isn't what

women did but they also too they didn't have anybody to tell them say why can't you exactly you're good at math do do math you know not like girls aren't supposed to do math so right um so so as as a as a child now did you say you were the oldest i'm the youngest or the youngest the young three older brothers yeah my brother edwin was is 10 years older my brother steve was five years older he passed away from Alzheimer's actually early onset and my younger brother of the three Jeff is 14 months older than me. And did that, I mean, did you end up kind of on the tougher side having just, you know, being the smallest, or were you protected?

Not really. I wasn't protected by my parents, but I don't think by my brothers particularly, but I was very much a tomboy. Yeah. You know, you'd usually find me up a tree, not sitting beneath it, you know, with a doll or whatever. Right, right. And my mother tells this story.

she told it to the so many times that I can actually see it happening when clearly I didn't remember it exactly when I was two or two and a half I she went to pick up my brother Jeff at nursery school and there was this kid bullying him and I chased the kid all the way up the jungle gyms that structure and punched him in the face and my mother thought that was great he never once felt that's inappropriate use your words it's like yeah use your fists yeah use your fists honey use your fists. That's it, wall it up and bang.

Well, were you a good student? Did you like school? Yes, I loved school. I started school at the age of two at a place called Lincoln School. It's a Quaker school, all girls. And I'll never forget. You know how there are things that stay with you

the rest of your life? There was a little red house there at the school in the courtyard or the recess area. And every day they'd send us out with buckets of water. And they say, paint the house. And we said, well, it's water. And she said, you can turn that to red because it was faded.

And you put the water on and it would suddenly look very red. And maybe I wasn't that bright, but I thought, wow, I can do anything. I can turn the shabby structure into this unbelievable. And it never hit me that every day it's still look the same. Yeah. But anyway. And also that they're training you in manual labor, basically. You know, that's like my kids.

Well, just in case it doesn't work out. Your studies don't work out. You can how it be a house painter. My son went to Montezori school and, you know, it's all like these little task-driven things. And I really, I was thinking, well, at the time that Maria Montezori was coming up with this stuff, I mean, in addition to it being a new kind of brain simulation for kids, it's also, it is teaching them light manufacturing. like so it's like it's probably in those days it was like oh yeah he's going to have to put stuff together you know you know so might as well learn now exactly yeah and so was i loved an all girls education i really i'm a big proponent of it for yeah especially when i was in school i graduated

in 1971 and back then you know we were talking about women and and what the opportunities available to them and when you went to an all-girls school at least this one they really drilled into you, the importance of education, your ability as a woman. It was a weird combination because on the one hand, very, very liberal, very feminist in their approach to their students. On the other hand, they were, in their own ways, pretty repressed our teachers. So a lot of them actually were lesbians and were not able to come out of the closet. So there was a whole thing going on there. But I got a great, great educational. and my closest friends to date are the ones that I knew since the time I was very little.

So it was a K through 12 kind of school? Nursery through, yeah. Oh, wow. I was there from the age of 2 to the age of 17. Yeah, 17. And I imagine that, well, you know, because my daughter has a K through 12. She's going to have a K through 12. She's in a sophomore now.

But I think that that kind of stability and that kind of continuity is really special. And it really does make you feel, I don't know, just like more secure about the world. You know, like the world, like things stay in one place. Whereas if you move all over the place, it gives you skills, I think, that kind of thing. You know, it gives you sort of skills that are sort of where you might be a little more spontaneous or learn how to adapt to different situations. But I think also just feeling like, no, no, this is, I'm steady on a steady, path, I think is really good. And if you make strong friendships there, which I did, those are the kinds

of friendships that last forever and the sort of people that you can rely on, which is why I said they have remained my closest friends, the girls that I met at Lincoln School. I thought it was great. I mean, I like a uniform. I didn't really want to have to worry about what I was going to put on. And you never knew who had money at that school, who didn't, because everybody looked alike and I thought that was great. And they seriously emphasized academics there. You know, we were smart girls and you're smarter than your brother school, which was Moses Brown. That was the all boys Quaker school. Yeah. Well, do you think, do you think if you just gone to regular public school that you, do you think there's a chance you would have still

ended up in the same line of work that you were in? You know, I don't think that going to private school, all girls, is why I ended up in the line of work that I am. am in because like my son, I did not have any interest in being a journalist. I was at Tufts University. I wanted to go to Harvard. I didn't get in. My father, I'm so sorry. No, but you know it's really embarrassing. Oh, you might have had a good life if you'd gotten into Harvard. I know in retrospect. I know how stupid. But I remember at the time, well, actually, I wanted to go to Colgate because it was all boys. They had just been established as a hall of course school. And I, that was the downside of an old girl's school. And my parents went, they didn't know I applied and they went, and I

got in and they went, no, you're not going to the school just as a tall boy. And then I thought, well, I really want Harvard. I didn't get in. And my father, who went to Harvard, and my older brother went to Harvard, he writes a letter like, why isn't she been, why hasn't she been accepted? And unfortunately, they responded. And they said, well, here, here's the grade point average of this person versus your daughter or whatever it was. And they weren't mean, but they just, I guess they respected him as an alumni, they want to explain why I was not accepted, all the reasons I didn't want to know. But I ended up going to Tufts University in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. And I had no direction. I went in as a theater major, but I quickly learned I would become a waitress if I stayed

in theater because I just didn't, I could see the skill levels of other students. I didn't think I had it. And then I was French. I was astronomy. I was math. I was everything under the sun. And my senior year, the dean of the school, one of the deans called me in and said, do you even want to graduate? And I said, well, they said, well, you don't have enough credits in any area except potentially English, but you better load up on English classes. So I did. And they offered this journalism class in broadcast journalism radio. And I don't even know why I took it, Andy. It was their winter break period, we had these courses that were no grade.

It lasted six weeks. And I took the thing. I took that in badminton in this winter break. And it's like one, one of those one credit things? Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And the final assignment was great. It was taught by a reporter Les Woodruff from WEI, which was All News Radio in Boston, AM.

And the last project he had for all the students was he divided us into groups. He said, you're each going to do a radio documentary. Ours was on redlining, this effort to keep people, minorities out of particular areas of the city in terms of real estate, housing. And so I worked with the team. I think there were four or five of us. And we all reported it. We all produced it. We wrote it. And then they had to pick a narrator and they picked me. So they brought in the head of CBS News to listen to critique everybody's work, you know, constructive criticism. And after he heard our documentary, our little radio documentary, he said, who is that? And I raised my hand. He said, I need to talk to you. And I thought,

oh, Jesus Christ, what is this now? You know, I'm definitely not going to graduate. And I went outside at the end of the class and he said, Bill Shermer was his name. And he said, what are you going to do when you graduate? And I have no idea. And I really didn't. My mother had actually sent me to secretarial school the summer before because she said basically, you're not going to come home. You're going to get a job. That's what you do. Right. And how far away from graduation were you at this point? January. Wow. So it was just at the end of the class. So it was probably the end of January. Yeah. And yeah, so only a few months. And I said, I don't know what I'm going to do. He said, I do.

You're going to have a big career. And he hired me as an intern at the EI on the spot. And that was, and I just, I was too ignorant to even think it through and go, well, wait a minute. And I don't even throw it. I would like this stuff. But I just said, okay, I'll do it. And here I am now. Yeah.

Well, that's great. That's really, you know, well, and also, too, I think that that not being able to decide and going all, you know, in all different kind of directions. is probably one of the best educations you could have got for what you do. Totally. You know, it's a very Catholic, not the religion, but, you know, the other definition of Catholic. It's a very Catholic kind of job. You've got to know all kinds of stuff about all kinds of stuff because every day is going to be different. It actually my personality because that's the way I was in college.

Yeah. I was all over in the matter. I liked everything. Yeah. You know, I thought I thought this would be it. And then I thought, nah, not that. that maybe this. And that's very much what being a general assignment reporter is. Every day it's something new. Yeah. Yeah. I see, I'm in the same way. And I also, I went to film school because I knew

I wanted to work somewhere within that industry. But when I got out, I started working freelance. I mean, I was a furniture mover too, but I started working freelance in film production in Chicago. And I instantly figured out every job is different. It's a different set of faces. It's a different place. It's a different job. You know, some jobs were like a boring job where you shoot a loaf of bread on a table for all day. And then other ones, it was, you know, Michael Jordan was doing a Wheaties commercial. And, um, and the, I just realized, oh, this is what I need. I need different stuff all the time. Like, and that's really, I responded so well to a freelance life. And then I went on to work with the same guy for about 30 years.

but the show would change every day absolutely the show was different every day i mean it you know it was it wasn't i didn't set out to be myself on tv i wanted to be characters on tv but i mean i have no complaints it was a it's been you know thrilling and wonderful and and and i'm very lucky to have had that job but it was just it was just funny to me that like i just expected that i would be doing different stuff all the time and then I ended up being in one place but you know it's it was a pretty good place to be um so did I mean was it never any doubts it like you just knew like how what a gift too to have within a few months to know like okay here we go here's the rest of my life yeah but I mean Well, my internship ended, and so I graduated in 75, and I applied to be a writer for radio, and I didn't get it.

But I've just been really lucky. I'm sort of like Mr. Magoo in the business. A lot of lucky breaks, the news director, Mike Ludmum, liked me. I thought, this is a good kid. You're not quite ready to be a writer. He hired me as a secretary, and clearly, although I had gone to Catherine Gibbs and learned typing a shorthand, I really was bad at it. He ended up redoing all my work at the end of the day because of a lot of typos of that. So he made his mission to find me a job behind my back.

And he found this job at WORC Radio in Worc, Massachusetts, reading the news. It was a top 40 station. And I applied for it and I got it. And then that really jumped started my career after that. Yeah, yeah. And then you, and how do you progress in that? Like, do you send tapes around, you know, or does somebody hear you in Worcester? Yeah, I mean, this was, look, I got, it was the reason I got in as an intern was because of my voice, clearly.

That's why he hired me because he didn't have anything else to go on. When I got WORC, it was my voice, for sure. I mean, it was an eager kid, and that's all they needed. And I was just ripping and reading copy, you know, AP copy or UPI or Reuters, whatever it was, the top of the hour. And then I got a job in television because the head of the WJR TV in Providence called my station looking for somebody else, the radio station, and I'm on the phone. He says, what do you do? And I told him, he said, oh, are you interested in television? I said, you know, again, on all things, I don't know.

And he said, well, we have a job opening on the weekends. This was around the time where the quotas. If you were a woman or a person of color, you were a quota for them. So I went to Providence. I met Arthur Albert was his name. And I think that he sized me up and he thought, why not? And I got that job, a weekend reporter at Channel 10. So I didn't really ever send out a lot of tapes.

I just kept landing and stuff. And then really were, I mean, if I've learned anything through my life is hard work is everything. And there's no cutting corners. At least I haven't found that in my life. And I also, when you question why you got a job, I also felt like I'm going to be much better than everybody else. I'm going to work that much harder to prove that I deserve where I am. I always felt a little bit. And I would talk to other people who'd been brought in who felt like, you know, I know there's a certain amount of resentment because I'm here because I'm a woman or I'm here.

If my friend of mine was African American felt it very strongly too. So we sort of bonded and said we have just got to be the best we can be. as we're facing a certain amount of resentment, which I understood, but, you know, that was the way things happened back then. Right. Well, and I wouldn't have gotten a job otherwise. That's the way things happen. That's the way equity happens.

Exactly. It seems unnatural for a while, but it's like, well, yeah, because unfairness has become what feels natural. Right. I mean, I experience it now because, and people complain out here because, you know, it's like, oh, white man can't get a job. It's like, well, white men kind of had it really good for a long time, you know, and this is not, this is not unfairness.

This is fairness. This is what fairness feels like. What wasn't unfair was that sometimes you get these jobs and then you knew people were rooting against you. Yeah. I never felt the kind of support going in that I would have assumed would go hand in with being hired. Yeah.

And I think that was because there was that people getting their backup. Like, yeah, we know why you're here. Right, right. So that's why I kind of had to prove them wrong. Yeah, exactly. And I'm, and also because, I mean, you said it right at the beginning, you know, you were, you are an attractive woman. And so that is a, you know, that's worth, that's worth money in television.

That's worth that is. And these guys. And they, you know, it still is pretty much mostly men. They, you can't, you can say, well, that's not fair. And they're like, yeah, but check the numbers. Yeah. You know, and they're, and it is. They have this like the big, just the kind of dopingness of the general viewing public as a huge behemoth is pretty dumb and likes really simple, dumb stuff.

that is not challenging and that, you know, like, I mean, I was just talking to somebody the other day, because when I was young and I thought, like, what about a TV show that's different all the time? And now I realize, no way. Nobody's, nobody at home is like, I want to be challenged here on the couch. They're all like, no, I want the same. I want the same. Give me my problem. Yeah, yeah. Give me my, you know, give me my pacifier, you know, my would be. And I, you know, and I, you know, And I also think, too, it's interesting because I thought things that have, you know, I saw something the other day because, well, what I was going to say is it's not only that people resent you, too, but you bear the burden of the female in the broadcast journalist workplace. Because if you screw it up, then the powers that B can say, see, we tried. and it doesn't work. That's exactly right. People that now, you know, I mean, I mean, this is sort of, this is kind of dishy, but, you know, like James Corden is retiring. And that show, it's really hard to get people to watch a late night show. And I've seen articles about now it's time to give a, you know, a person of color or a woman, you know, just somebody that's not a white guy, this slot in this show.

And my feeling is, if I were a person of color, I don't think I would want that because you would be put into a position where you're probably going to fail because people just aren't watching talk shows that late at night. And I just am so sensitive to the notion that they would put somebody in, they'd put an Amber Ruffin in there or they'd put an Allie Wong in there. And it wouldn't do well because it's not doing well. sorry James Gordon, but it's, and then the powers that be would be, see, we tried. We tried a blank, blank, you know, I mean, fill in the blank, an African-American woman or, you know, a gay Latino or whatever. And they would have a reason to say, uh-uh, we already did that. So it's, you know, it's, I guess it's. Yeah, but if James Gordon is not doing well, why would they make that leap that it's because it's a woman or a person of color that it's not doing well?

as opposed to just saying the slot is not a good slot for this kind of show. Because they're shitty. Oh, of course. It's the obvious. How did I miss it? Yes. Yes. Well, it's like, you know, it's like when they put a show on it six different times

and they go like, it just didn't find an audience. Well, yeah, fucker, you know, you baked a bunch of pies and you put them in an auto parts store like people don't like these pies they're not because they don't know where to find them dummy you know that's exactly right i've i've seen that in my uh career many times over where they there used to be a time where they would allow a show to grow yeah and i don't think that exists anymore it doesn't they give you your certain number of weeks and and good luck if the audience even has found you by then i know with our game show we're just getting discovered and we're four years in yeah you know so it It takes a long time.

And it's even worse because it's, depending on the city, the hours change and all of that. But you have to be a big enough, when I did the view, after one year, they would have canceled our show except for Barbara Walters. If she had not been at the helm of the view, that show would not be on now. I can imagine. Yeah. Yeah, she had such power at ABC and they had respect for her that they continued with that show. And it was a network show, which is there's more longevity to that usually. or used to be than syndication.

Right, right. So they stuck with a show and look at it now all these years later. And also it's a, you know, it's, it's, it's, they're not splitting the money with anybody. You know, they own the show. They came up with the show. There's no studio. There's no syndicator.

It's all, every dollar that comes in is, is their dollar. Yes. Well, now I, I don't want to get there just yet because I want to know when you transition from doing radio to TV, what is that feeling like? I mean, is it, is it just another step in the progression or do you feel some real palpable difference between the one role and the other? Well, TV, you know, you're there. You're on camera. I'm a shy person, believe it or not, to be in this business, although I think a lot of people in this business actually are. They are. It's very common. I mean, I feel the same way. I don't people, and when I'm out and people like,

Oh, there he is. He wants to. I'm like, no, I don't. I want to be left alone. I want to hide. Or they assume that's right. Like, oh, you think you're such a big shot. I don't. I do some silly little thing. Yeah. Yeah. Or the opposite. Oh, the has been. You know, what are you doing now, honey? I know. I know. People have all different kind of ways to make you feel bad about yourself. Exactly. And they're very comfortable doing it. They sure are. It's natural. It's very natural.

Yeah. Well, again, I wasn't intending to be on television. I loved, I actually really loved radio. And that's why you're doing the podcast. This kind of thing is so appealing. I think it's just cool. Yeah. And I had great experience doing radio.

So this was, you know, okay, well, I'll, I'll do this. Why not? It was just weekends. I had my radio gig during the weekend. Then I was hired full time at Channel 10 as a television reporter. But I was so busy just trying to keep afloat, to be honest with you, Andy, and learning the business. and camera and video, and we edited our own material back then.

So it was the days of the joystick, you know, on the editing machine. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I actually loved editing a lot. Uh-huh. But most of it was film. They had just moved into video tape. But I had so much to learn, and I was learning on the job. But thank goodness I was an English major because the one skill set I truly had was writing.

Yeah. Being able to communicate. And I think that's what really helped me. I was a good storyteller. And I enjoyed, as shy as I am, I liked telling other people's stories. I did not want to be the focus. And back in the day when I started in television 76, you were almost never on camera. It was all about the camera being directed at somebody else.

Now the reporter is the celebrity. But back then, it wasn't like that. And I really loved giving people a platform. And that's what drew me into being, you know, on air as a reporter that I had this opportunity to give a voice to folks who wouldn't have one. and otherwise. Yeah. And well, now, how do you get from there to hosting? How does that transition start to happen? Well, I was discovered by literally by one of those guys that lurks around hotel rooms. So, no, they're watching in every hotel room. And this nan called me up out of the blue. He said,

I saw you in Providence. I've been in, what do you call those guys? A headhunters. Yeah. And I wasn't going to, I said, oh, please. And he wanted me to put together a tape. And the director at Channel 10 News said, you should just do it. Just do it. Why? What are you scared of? So I did put together a tape.

And two weeks later, New York City called CBS in New York, local, Channel 2. And they wanted to meet me. So I think, in an odd way, maybe the fact that I, I, everything came out of me so fast. I didn't have a time, time to process it and get nervous. So I just went. I didn't think it threw enough to go, you don't deserve to be going to Channel 2. York. It was to me, it was like, yeah, sure, although. I think that's very, very prescient.

Because, yeah, that's, I, I think that's very prescient because I think that that's very true with a lot of people. If you don't have time to think about it, then yeah, sure, why not, you know? And if they think I can do it, then, all right. I mean, it'd be rude to, like, tell them they're wrong. They'll discover that soon enough. So I went and I interviewed by Steve Cohen, who's the news director, and then the GM, General Manager, whose name is escaping me right now. And the last thing they did was they had me

watch the broadcast with them. And just the three of us in the room and Steve Cohen says to me, and I think I'd be doing pretty well all day. And he said, what did you think? And I don't know if you've seen a lot of local news in New York, but I thought it was terrible. Yeah.

It was just, you know, like if it bleeds, it leads. That was the standard for local news. And I said, well, I got to tell you, I think we do a better job in Providence. We have a lot more political coverage and the economy. It seems like this is mostly crime. And he's looking at me and doesn't let on anything. And the GM's looking at and they're, okay. And said, well, what would you do? And I said, well, I mean, I'm not you, but you asked for my opinion. And so I said, well, nice to meet you, blah, blah, blah. I did end up

getting the job, but maybe a year later, his secretary, Lee, who had we became very, very close friend. And she said, you know, what you may not know is after you left Stee Coe and said, there's no way I'm going to hire her. And the GM said, yes, you are. She's very direct. She speaks her truth. And I think it takes a lot of guts to sit here with us and say what she really thinks. And I'm going to job. D. It is, it is the most, and it's, you can't fake it. No. But the, the somebody, when you're, when you have an opportunity for somebody for, whether it's, you know, like to ask them to dance or to ask them to marry you or to give them a job and they, and they give you the impression, okay, I'm open to it, but I don't need

you. And I'm going to be honest with you. And I'm perfectly fine on my own. That makes people go, ah, I need you. And I've seen it. I've seen it in my own career where when I really kind of feel like, oh, I got, you know, I mean, I learned it over time. There's nothing more alluring than, all right, whatever, you know, okay, you know, you don't want to, you know, we got this big job for you. All right, great. Oh, it looks fun. But, you know, if you don't, no big deal.

Yeah, well, I wasn't crappy enough to really think that through. No, I know, but it's, but it works that way. Yeah. You know, it does work that way. And it, and you know, and also, too, it's good you didn't have the craftiness to go through that, that you just had it as an instinct. to like, you know, what's there to lose? I'm going to, you know, I got to work here, so I got to be myself.

Right. Yeah, exactly. And I ended having a great experience there, really great. And Steve Go and I became very good friends. And he was a fantastic boss to have. So it all worked out. Yeah, yeah. And then I got, I was brought in by the, we shared the same building on West 57th Street with the network.

There's just a different hallway you went down. And I, one of the, um, vice president. called me in and asked me about working for the network. And that was the Detroit conventions. I'm trying to remember what year that was. And I was being sent there by Channel 2. And I said, you know, I'm not ready for the network. I think I'm going to stay where I am. I have an opportunity to cover a convention. And I just am going to stay. And this vice president, John Lane, said, you know, we don't ask twice. I said, okay, but I want to succeed. And I don't feel I'll succeed if I move now.

I feel I need some more work at my craft. And so I, you know, he said, okay. And I left. And then about a year later, they came back and said, do you want the job? I said, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Now I'm ready. So you do ask twice.

Yeah. Well, I didn't add that. But then I showed up with my hair all breaking up and they went, shit, why did we offer this twice? Send her to Chicago. She's a Chicago 10. But now. He's on New York Five.

Oh, my God. Yeah. But then, I mean, do you start to think about hosting things more? Or, I mean, no, I, so my career is so weird. There are people listening. They're probably, how did this woman survive? But now I'm a reporter at CBS News. I loved it.

I loved it. I loved it. And they made me a national correspondent, which means I could go all over the country, which was great. and they moved me to New York. And then I was asked to do this new show called West 57th to be one of the hosts. Oh, yeah. And I said, no, I don't want to do that.

I finally reached this point where I'm excited. I don't want to do a magazine show. I like the job I have. I'm working for Dan Rather. This is pretty great. Yeah. And Dan Rather called me and he said, Meredith, sometimes you have to do what the company wants you to do.

it's important. And he said, Andy Lack is at the head of this. He's very skilled. He's very talented. This is a great opportunity. We'll be here if it fails. Although I don't know whether they would have been there if I'd failed.

But I think that it's important that you'd take one for the team. They were building this show with young correspondents to sort of not rival 60 minutes, but be sort of pairing with 60 minutes. They were the older group. We were the young Turks heading in. And so I took the job. And I'm so glad I did. Yeah.

It was great. it was long-form storytelling, which I did not have the opportunity to do. In news, most of our pieces were a minute 15. Of course. And in magazine format, it was, you know, five minutes, ten minutes, whatever it was, as long as you needed to tell the story. And I grew tremendously from that. It led me to 60 minutes.

Did you, were you thinking of it before you did it as kind of like reporting is more of a prestigious kind of glassier thing? And this is, yeah, this is more entertainment. Exactly. Yeah. It was more flashy. And I wasn't, I was never interested in the flash that kind of, I'm the one who never wanted to put my face on, you know, so to me, a magazine show, I don't know. I mean, I was a huge fan

of 60 Minutes. And that was the only job in this entire business that I ever truly coveted that I really wanted. Because I didn't read that as a, that had everything in it. You know, Morley Safer would do some of the featurey stuff, but then you had Mike Wallace who was hard hitting and all of those folks. And so anyway, yeah, I didn't want to do it. And I ended up loving it. And starting a show from the ground, there's something amazing about being with a group of people.

You don't know what you're going to get on the other end. You're all working common purpose. And that was a great experience. And today, anytime I can do that, I love to do that. Yeah. And it's also fun. I mean, I say this with the experience of late night with Conan O'Brien, where you know some people definitely had national television experience but they were like

the two people in charge the rest of us were just kind of making it up as we went because no they just said you know i mean i'd get sent go to marty gra on interview little richard and i'm like okay you know i don't know how to do that but i guess i'll figure it out because i'm on a plane now Yeah, yeah. So I can imagine that just all of you kind of being in the same boat, it was probably fun because also you don't, you're not cluttered up with a bunch of rules. You know, you, you know, you sort of. That's right. You go with your instincts. that's exactly right and that's what made it so great yeah so much fun but you know what you just said something about you're on the plane so what are you going to do i think one of the reasons you've been successful one of the reasons i have as well is that we're by nature inquisitive people yeah and if you are like that then you you can talk to anybody about anything yeah because you care you're interested

yep well i'm always i mean i don't know if it it applies to your business but but to me one of the secrets of doing a show, a strip show, like late night with Conan O'Brien, that at least was sort of my North Star was, I need to pursue my own good time. You know, this show is meant to be mainly fun. People are, this is like people eavesdropping on a conversation of, you know, crazy, funny weirdos. So I always felt like if I'm having a good time at it, then the audience will have a good time at it and and and that was the same i mean it would be the same when it was on a sitcom i would be you know if there was a if there was a scene and i just thought this is boring to me i would you know i would go this is boring to me and not you know just

because like if you can make it fun for me then a i'll do better i'll just be better and and i think it'll just be better and uh so yeah i I think you're definitely right about that. If you, you know, you can, you have to pursue, you have to pursue what you like. I agree. Because if you're pursuing something based on what somebody else likes, you're, you're not going to, it's going to be flat. That's right. You can't fake it.

You can't fake it ultimately. The audience is smart. Yeah. And they can see when you're faking. I think you have to let go of any kind of self-consciousness, which is not always easy for me to do. No, it's not. Just be there, be present. and not be afraid.

Yeah. And be able to, like you said, when it's not working, it's not who you are. It doesn't resonate with you. You've got to be able to say it. Yeah. Yeah. Now, I'm curious, too, when does and how does wanting a family, starting a family, starting a marriage, enter into all of this very consuming career?

year. Well, I met Richard in 1983, and I knew if I was going to get married, it was because I wanted to have kids. I was not like I need to get married. And so when we got married in 1986, that was the part of the plan that we were going to have children. I always, it was always in my equation. I thought, I'll figure this out. I'll figure it out. And I have to admit that I started looking at the landscape of women in my position and very few, if any, had children back then and none of the producers did because it would hold you back. It was what do you want? Do you want the career? Do you want the family? You're not going to both. But I, again, maybe I wasn't thinking it through. I just said, well, I'm going to have a family. I'm going to have

a life. That's very important to me. And then we proceeded to have a series of miscarriages. We had four in a row. Oh, my gosh. Yeah. And so by the time I was. pregnant with Ben, I, and I knew it was going to stick. And I had in my head if I ate literally a pint of ice cream every day that it would. So I was massive by the time I gave birth to that. But I had Ben. I think that's a pretty, that's now pretty standard wisdom among obstetricians. You got to eat the ice cream. Oh, please. It solved so many problems. But I, and it was pistachia. I remember that. Oh, nice. Yeah, yeah. No green. And, uh, So anyway, and I was at West 57th then, and we were such a family, that whole show, that everybody knew about the miscarriages, and they were so supportive of me.

And I remember Andy Lacke used to say, go in your office, shut off the lights, take your nap, just take a nap, because he knew what I go. They couldn't have been kinder. And said, you know, you get your work done, wherever you get your work done. Don't worry about it. I want you to just, you know, feel good throughout all of this experience. So that was great. And then right before I was going to leave for maternity leave, the baby was due on Valentine's Day. So I was leaving the week before.

And I got called into the headquarters, CBS News headquarters, the president. And he said, look, we would like you to consider 60 minutes. I said, oh, man, I'm about to have a baby. But he said, well, this position, not Leslie Stoll, Diane Sawyer was leaving. they were going to hire two people. Steve Croft was one, and I ended up being the other. Yeah. To fill her spot for the first year, we would share the stories.

We'd each do a certain number, and then the following year, we would be full-time correspondence. So I said, oh, my God, I don't know, I don't know. And they knew how much I wanted that job. Who turns that down? And I came home, and I sort of convinced myself, I said, okay, this is going to work. And I'm going to take Ben with me because, you know, it's going to keep my priorities straight. So the whole time I'm sitting with Don and I have Ben, he's in a little stroller and I'm holding Ben's hand because I just wanted to be sure in my own head that I knew what I was doing and that I was now a mother too and I said, okay, I'm going to do it.

I'm going to take the leap and it was probably doomed from then on. Is he like a month old at this point? No, he was born in February. Yeah. And so they met me, I think, in May. Oh, okay. Don and his sidekick Phil And they took me to lunch just to

You know So he was dried off at this point He wasn't still wet from birth If I were a different kind of person Yeah I would have been straight out But I had them dry him off Here's the baby Well that's great

And how long did 60 minutes How long were you there? I was there of two and a half years I think I had been And then I'm trying to remember. I had been in 89 and in 1991, I got pregnant with Gabe. And it was, it was, it was, it was not a great situation for me all of 60 minutes. I loved the storytelling and I loved my producers, my team. And we

worked very well together because I was extremely efficient. I, being a new mom, I knew how to balance things, juggle things. Yeah. So I would, uh, write almost exclusively at home. I never worked the office. I never played office politics, which was probably my biggest mistake. I wasn't there to schmooze. As they say, and all the guys were, and I just didn't do it. I did my thing, and I left, or I worked from home when I could. And when I was in the field with producers, what might take five days, I would do in two. I'd say, let's just do back to back to back. And they were fine with that.

So in terms of the content, it was great. But I was always divided in my head. When I was in the field, traveling, I missed my son when I was home and my husband. When I was home with them, I knew I wasn't giving everything I could to that show, which was incredibly demanding for a lot of reasons, which is still so successful. It was Don's baby, really. Like I had mine, he had his.

And then when I was, I found out I was pregnant with Gabe, and I didn't say anything because I had so many miscarriages. I thought, let me wait and make sure before I, you know, say anything. And I got a phone call. I was probably maybe two months pregnant, maybe. And I got a call from Don from Paris. I don't remember the story, but he said,

we want you on the next flight. It was the, when they had the Concord. And I stopped, you know, I said, Don, I can't. And he said, what do you mean? You can't? I said, I'm pregnant and I can't fly. And there was a silence and he said, I got to go. I got to find somebody to do this.

And that was the beginning of the end. Yeah, yeah. I didn't last, I, you know, gave you was born. But I think I left even before then. Yeah. There was just a meeting of the minds. He said, I can't. You know, he said, you're going to have, I was going to take six months, which I was entitled to.

And he said, well, you still need to get all of your stories done for that year. And I said, I can't. I'm taking away six months. I can do a certain number, but not the same. And he said, well, then forget it. And I said, okay, forget it. Yeah, yeah. That was it.

Well, I stopped very well that night. I mean, and I understand his position totally, but I felt like he was waiting for an opportunity because I just wasn't the kind of, I don't know, person that he necessarily wanted there. Yeah, but I mean, you know, that's, yeah, it just comes down to it's not a right fit. It wasn't the right thing. I mean, and it's like, you don't even remember what story it was. So that'll tell you, you know, that'll tell you how important in the long term that was. Exactly.

You know, and the option was now, is now on camera, on CNN. The other option there, you know, is now an important CNN reporter, right? Exactly. Yeah. Exactly. Who has got an amazing perspective on life and is not, I mean, he put, he, he loves his job he respects his job but he also understands at the end of the day there's a lot more to his life and i and i think that's great yeah it can get caught up in chasing yeah you know whatever this thing is

yeah and also i think uh you know it's another thing i've that i have gleaned from my years in television is if you give somebody the the message whatever you want boss they will take you up on it totally and and and when it and every time somebody said to me you do this little extra thing and i mean and explicitly said and don't worry i'll make it up to you or there will be some never never once has anybody made it up to me when i've done something extra of and above and beyond and i have seen people who say whatever you want boss get screwed you know repeatedly and the people that say no you know what i'm going to set a limit here they usually kind of get respected more i was going to say it comes down to respect i don't think

that you are respected when you'll just jump yeah someone tells you or how high when they say jump so yeah yeah um but you have to balance that when i get it like you have to put in your dues and there's a certain amount of grunt work and all of that but if you let yourself be a lap dog yeah right right And most you can get as petted. That's it. If you're lucky, kick you to the curve. Well, I mean,

were you, how long were you unemployed then, I guess? I really wasn't. They put me on a trial show on CBS until I had Gabe. And then after I had Gabe, I was at CBS,

the early, early, early news. I think it came on at 5 in the morning nationally with John Roberts back then who had come from Canada. Now he's, I'm not sure. I think he's with Fox now. He was with CNN for a while. But anyhow, he was new and it was a nice guy. And then I hated it so much. I'm not a morning person, ironic since I did the Today Show. I'm not a morning person. So I think I tried to get pregnant as quickly as possible. And I did. And I did not. I was on different drugs to avoid miscarriage. And this time I didn't take them. And my doctor said it'll never stick. And Lily. stuck she wanted to be around. Yeah, yeah. So I was off the air. I mean, I was, I did that. And then

while I was maternity with Lily, I got a phone call from this woman Phyllis at ABC News who wanted me to join a documentary unit. And I said, well, I'm having my third child, or I've had my third child. Or yeah, I don't know. Yeah, I guess I'd just had Lily and she said, so I don't know. And she said, we'll make this work. You can work from home. All you have to do is go in the field when when the story is there we want you we love you and so that was it and i ended up doing that show turning point it was called so i never really was out of work for any great length of time yeah oh that's too bad well i did my show was a failure you're trying to get to failure i'll give you failure well yeah but that's what we're going for in this hour that's the right to that that's the ridiculous

thing about television too is that when you have i mean because you know i was number one on the call sheet for three different primetime comedies and and there are still people that like to call me a failure you know when it's like it's like i don't know that seems like i did pretty well you know and and it's the same thing you had your there was the merit of biera show yes and and and it was on for like over a year wasn't it two years yeah two years not over year two years not over year two years. Two years. All right, all right. Already. Geez, not touchy about it at all, are we? No, not me. I only shake a little bit now when I think about it. Well, just, I mean, was that we're, we're talking, you've got too much career because we're getting too long here. And I definitely want to get to game shows because that's, that's, that's, that's, you know, that's, I relate to you more. The talk show was a lot of cooks. Yeah. Yeah. And I'm not to, I'm not trying to be defensive at all.

because certain things don't take, you know, and they were looking to build an audience very quickly and it wasn't happening as fast as they wanted. And, you know, I get it. The decisions are made. I respect the decision. I had a great experience doing it. The only embarrassing thing is they threw this big party at my house for the staff. I threw it, but, you know, they pay for it. Right. And so they made these umbrellas to go by, we have a pool and they made these umbrellas and they say the Meredith Fierra show. And I still have. have them. And my friend the other day was kidding me and said, you probably shouldn't put those out anymore because it looks very desperate. Or that you're senile. Either way, it just doesn't ring true. I would put him in the front yard. Put him in the front yard. Let everybody know. Take that NBC. Now, was this before or after the view? This was after the view. I was The view for nine years, no, yeah, nine years, and then I, and I got the offer to be of the Today Show, co-host with Matt, and I did that. Was that easy? Oh, I mean, were you kind of ready to leave the view at that point? Yes and no. My contract was up, and I probably would not have left. I was doing the view in Millionaire, the syndicated version of Millionaire back then, and I really liked both.

Yeah. There was work, but they weren't heavy lifting, millionaire, mostly because you did five shows. today. So that was a bit of a grind, but I still liked it. It wasn't the kind of homework that would come with a news job. So I wasn't looking to leave, but I got a call from Jeff Zucker, who said, I'd like to meet you. And I thought, well, I don't really have time. I go from the view right to millionaire. He said, I'll pick you up. Jeff was the head of NBC. And so he picks me up in this car with tinted windows. I'll never forget that. It was like, Ooh, very...

It's like a mafia dog. Oh, it's very much like I go. I might not ever emerge from this car. I don't know this man. And I get in the back. He's in the back. And on that ride over from ABC to the view to the studio for Millionaire, it's only like 10 blocks or something.

Yeah. He says to me, people don't know this yet, but Katie Kirk is leaving the show. I said, oh, and he said, we'd like you to replace her. And I said, which is sort of... I kicked myself that I said this, because it's so agist and it really was inappropriate for me to say or to think. But I said, aren't you skewing a little old? And he said, I'm looking for talent.

He said, and I'm glad that you've had experience. So he was great. I said, okay. I said, look, I'm not really into morning stuff at all. But he said, well, just think about it. Think about it. And my daughter was in Secret Garden. She did a lot of theater.

She was a little kid then. And I mentioned that to him, that she was in this play. And I was going to go that weekend or something. And he sent flowers to me with something that referenced Secret Guard. And I thought, this guy's smart. He's really clever the way he operates. And then I sat down with Richard and I thought about it. I said, you know, normally I wouldn't do this, but it's the Today Show.

And when will I get this opportunity? And I don't want to kick myself later. And I had been nine years with a view. And, you know, it was very comfortable like a pair of slippers. But it wasn't a challenge. But I went to one of the bosses at the view at the time. And because I wasn't signing the contract. I was waiting.

And he asked me, you know, he said, you got to do this now. And I said, I'm not quite ready. And he said, well, where else are you going to get a job at your age? Interesting. And I said, I already knew, but he didn't know. And I said, oh, my God, I don't know. I don't know. What am I going to do?

I played this like, oh, maybe you're right. Or she, I don't want to out this person. But anyway, and within a couple of days, the news broke. I had taken the job. Yeah, yeah. Embarrassed. That's sweet, though. That's sweet to play a coin.

It's great when you know something. Where will I go? Yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah. And he apologized. He said, look, in the moment I was freaking out. And I said, well, I wouldn't pull that on anyone else because I should have actually gone to human resources.

but was this a person I liked, and I just went, I don't know. I probably should have said something. But anyway, and then I was at today for five years and realized, I was right when I said I don't like mornings. I loved the show, but I didn't like the hours at all. Oh, yeah, you had to get up at like 4 o'clock in the morning. No, I was up at 2 because I'm in a lot of your stories would change. So whatever you thought you were going to be doing, there'd be breaking news. So your morning, you're suddenly interviewing somebody you didn't realize.

and you've got to, you know, I would get up literally, lie on the bathroom floor and turn on my phone, and I'd just see all the hits, you know, of this story, this interview, that interview, and spend the next couple of hours just reading through all of those emails and then leave for work at four. But, you know, I just, I could never turn it off that show. I would leave, and by three o'clock, you're already in preparation mode again. And I was the type of person that prepared as much for a Martha Stewart interviewer I did for a Barack Obama interview.

You know, I couldn't, in some ways, I thought the simpler, the segment, and I don't mean, and that's not to denigrate Martha, but, you know, the more it's kind of straightforward, politics is more complicated. I thought, boy, maybe you should even be spending more time in that to make it more interesting. Yeah, yeah. So that was my rationale. And then I never went to bed before 1130.

So I was getting basically no sleep. And I couldn't, I couldn't survive on that. So after four years, I said I'm leaving, and then he asked if I would stay one more. And I did. And I have nothing negative to say about my experience there. It was, it was great. But yeah, there. And but you don't have anything left for your family when you're doing. Exactly. Exactly. You put yourself into a position that you had already not, you'd already chosen to not be in. That's exactly right. I did. That was the one time I kind of went against my instincts. And, and it, well, in M-A-60 was also. I was shake, but I just couldn't resist that one. Sort of like I couldn't resist that. but eventually your true self reappears and stuff

and I you know the offer to stay was substantial financially well if I stay just for that what's what's the point yeah now sometimes I go you don't mean you what's the point you didn't get the point

they'd have a pile of cash to sit on exactly yeah yeah the idiot savant emerges just the idiot part but anyway so Yeah, and I'm really glad. And I've been, and part of the thing that's worked at my advantage, having all these different kinds of experiences in news and talk and game,

is that I wear a lot of hats, which means I have a lot of opportunities I might not have had, had I just stuck to one thing. Yeah, yeah. Now tell me when they come to you and say, we want you to host Millionaire, how does, you know, the classy broadcast journalist handle that offer? That's what we have.

My friend said, what are you thinking? Yeah. Well, when the syndicated version was ready to launch, Reg, we just didn't want to do it. He said, I'm not interested in that. So Michael knew my work, and he contacted me, and he said, we would love to have you do it. So I haven't really done any game. And he said, yeah, but we think you'd be really good at it. You're smart.

You're funny. Blah, blah, blah. And I just kind of said, why not? I had watched the show with our family had watched the show. century just started it we loved it on sunday nights yeah um and i thought it was a great a great show and and an opportunity to do something different it was and it's it's a smarty-pants show you know it's a yeah it's not uh you know it's not uh a a dumb dumb show right exactly and so yeah you know it's because i mean and i've had that i mean i've hosted a few michael davies michael davies michael davies

Please apologize. I'm sorry. That's all right. That's all right. I've done some game shows that were, you know, I actually hosted a pilot for Pyramid that were, for CBS that was supposed to go in a block with the price is right, let's make a deal. And then pyramid. So because they had, you know, they wanted to do this. because one of the soap operas was going off the air.

Right, right. And it was between us, some kind of daytime talk showy thing with Emeril. And then the talk, which was the show that Les Moon Vess, it was like his wife's fourth or fifth job. And guess which one they went with? You know what, Andy, I feel like I sort of screwed you in a very, because he less had offered me the the role of head of big brother you know the host of big brother way yeah yeah and i said i'm not interested in that i'm sorry and he was the head of

cbos at the time and so that's how he got to meet his future wife oh boy and he said i'm so glad you turn that job because that's how i met i still have a money tree in my backyard if you hadn't done that well now it's funny but now we're connected i didn't know that that's our fixed degrees It was really, I mean, you know, like Betty White was on. You know, I got to do, I got to do it, you know, because we did a few episodes of it. And it was really good. And I just remember Nina Tassler, who was the head of the network in a press conference when they announced the talk, which I don't even think they'd shot a show yet. They just put up a camera in a conference room and had them sit around talking.

And they were pressing her about like, well, how is the talk, you know, what sets it apart? art. You know, how is it, you know, unique or anything? And I guess she kind of finally went, look, it's just the view, okay? It's just the view. Like, she got annoyed, because I had heard that she kind of wanted the game show instead. Oh, yeah. Yeah. She's on. Yes, exactly. Yeah. Well, now, you know, then, you know, transferring that into, like, doing more game shows, I mean, how does that feel just sort of personally? Like, how do you feel? Like, how do you feel? living the life of a game show host as opposed to this, you know, demanding world of a broadcast journalist.

Well, to be totally honest with you right now, the way the world is, I could go either way. Maybe it's the best time to be a journalist or an extremely difficult time. I think that, you know, I go into bad places every day. You know, I spend too much time on the internet. Yeah. It's tough. It's very depressing. It's very challenging.

and I did it. I watch a lot less news than I use that because I just, I can't. No, it's my mental health is really struggling with all of it, as is everybody's, I'm sure. So I did it. You know, I look at it like, you know, I'm 68 years old. I'll be 69 in December. I've lived a very rich life professionally. I've done a lot of things.

I think there are times in your life for certain things. And I'm not, my head really isn't there. right now. I like, I like sort of dipping my toes into all different sorts of things. And I, if I see a project that looks interesting to me, I don't care if it's game or documentary or whatever it is. I'm, I'll take a second look. And when Stephen Brown offered me this job, I thought, you know, well, I did the pilots or the summer shows before we knew there'd be 25 words or less, a pickup. And I really liked the people. I thought the game was fun. It It is fun. It is fun. I like Stephen a lot. I respected him. I knew syndication from just my own

experiences could be a total bitch and a beast and a very tough place to be. But I thought, hey, why not? I remember that summer shooting those 15 shows. And we drive up to this lot in, I guess it's Hollywood. And all the buildings were pink. And I, you know, I've drunk the Kool-A of L.A. I love L.A. I like the business. And I love Lucy's set was right there. I was going to, it's Sunset Gower, I think. Yes. Yeah, yeah. And I would think, wow. Yeah. At this point in my career, to just have this experience is really cool. I never had that kind of experience. And I just rolled with it. I thought, I'm not, I'm not embarrassed. I think it's great. And I bring as much intensity to the job of being a game show host as I would anything else.

Right. And it's much integrity because I'm proud of it and I want it to be as good as it can be. And I appreciate the people who watch it and the people like you who've participated because it's not always easy to get folks to come on board. And so thank you for that. Oh, yeah. And you're also really good at it, which else. No, it's fun. And I tell people it's a fun game.

Like I, you know, I'm getting paid to go play a word game. Yeah, I mean, I just love playing. And they're also, too. There's something that when you help somebody win money, you know, like not necessarily life-changing money, but like year-changing money, you know, they're going to have a much better year this year than they did. I remember I was actually on the Michael Strayhan pyramid and the contestant that I was in the final thing with. she actually, she said one of the words and screwed up her chances. So I was, like, relieved that I didn't do it. But her consolation prize was a Disney cruise.

And while they're doing, you know, the video clip package and you'll be spending six days on nights or whatever, she went, oh, my God, those things are so expensive. My kids are going to be so happy. And I felt like that's better than the money, you know, because she probably would have, probably would have spent the money on property taxes or something, you know, whereas, Like, this was a Disney cruise, you know. Yeah, exactly. Something you probably would never do.

Yeah. Because it's so exorbitant. Yeah. It's like it's a very, it's a real nice little thrill that you get from this very silly thing, you know, that you're doing. Well, I used to say that about a millionaire. People had asked me, what is it about it? And I said, well, first of all, it's fun. I like it.

Yeah, yeah. I loved it. These people are so nervous when they came, when they would come on set because they'd never been on television. Yeah. And that's where my skills as a reporter really paid off because I could draw them out. And you had to make them feel relaxed. And so that I wanted them to do the best job they could do while I'm ribbing them, but I'm also letting them know you're in a safe spot here.

And I want you to feel, just be confident and be yourself and you're here for a reason. And then after each person would leave, I was never allowed to meet them before or see them after. But I wrote everybody in note just to acknowledge, give them some affirmation about what they had done. And because it meant a lot to me. And I always get emotional about this. But when I started on that show, people were playing for things like a second home or a boat or something. Yeah. And then the economy went south.

And people were literally paying to get their kids a tuition paid or like you said, a property tax or whatever. They needed this money desperately. And it met so much to them. And I thought, God, what a job I have. I mean, if you want a humility, that's where it comes in. Yeah. You're helping change somebody's life. whether in New York, the Disney crews, which has changed her and her family,

giving them such a great experience or something like just, I don't have to worry about my kid's tuition. Yeah. So that's how I look at the shows that have done the game shows. They're fun, their game. They have their place, but they also can literally change lives. Yeah. And make great joy to somebody.

Like, they call their friends and family, I'm on, I'm on TV. Right, right, right. I don't ever take that for granted. Exactly. Yeah. well now um what where are you going next what what's what's what's i done enough i think the next what you're sitting on the couch well i don't know i mean you know i mean i don't want to wish that yeah no of course not and you're going to be around forever and honestly i'm shocked when you said

your age yeah i i i that's it that's that that number's too high for knowing knowing you seeing you that number's too high. But I know that's because I'm very immature. Well, that's a good thing. Yeah. Oh, totally. Yeah, yeah. I don't want to lose that goofiness.

Right. Well, I just did talk about doing things that look like fun. Peacock is getting into this whole area of comedy shows. And they just did a pilot with John Berlant and Kate, Kate Burlant and John Early. Yes. Yeah. They're fantastic. They're hilarious.

They're hilarious. And they invited me to play myself. but in a crazy role, a version of myself as the news anchor that has bagged, the first interview with these two, they were a comedic duo who had a falling out and they've come back together after 20 years. And I loved it. I said, absolutely, I'll do that. And, you know, we went back to 30 Rock, which was fun in the NBC studios.

And I met them and they're charming. And I just had to do a session. I'm sure you've done this, but I had never done it where they play you, you know, and then you have to re-dub yourself. Oh, yeah. It has to match. It's called ADR, yeah. Okay.

And that was, and I came home, I said, oh, I just did something I'd never done before. That's cool. Yeah, that is great. Yeah. So those kinds of things. When things come to me that I'm interested in, if it all pans out,

I'm all for trying different stuff. Yeah. All right. Well, then the final of the three questions. Oh, will this ever end? Okay. Jesus. look you stood me up once

I know I'm so sorry I'm punishing you I don't think we had the sign when we started oh no one's going to see this but I did stand up Andy last week I was supposed to be on his show and I forgot

and I'm so sorry that was disgusting I was fine I mean it wasn't great but it was okay you know it happens your audience can't see

but you're in your bedroom so you figure I'm not going to walk too far for this chick no no I'm not driving anywhere Sometimes I do it in the living room. So, you know, sometimes I do go all the way out there depending on, you know, whether the dog's home or not.

Exactly. Well, I wrote this on a piece of paper and I stuck it on my fridge. It says 12 noon Tuesday, which is when we're shooting this, May 31st, podcast with Andy Richter. Don't forget, underline. I wasn't going to screw you again. No, I didn't. Thank God. Well, what's, what's the, you know, the life lesson you've learned that you feel you can

share, you know, I mean, just, you know, it could be, you know, eat more greens like pistachial ice cream if you want. Well, that is a life lesson because I did get a child out of it. And about 70 pounds, but who's counting? Robert Frost has this wonderful poem, The Road Not Taken, and it's about two roads diverged to the yellow wood, and he took the one less traveled. And I have done that a lot in my career. I have followed my heart and my gut.

And I think that that's, that has served me well. And I always tell people that when I'm mentoring particularly young people, I say, listen to your gut. It usually will steer you right. Very rarely does it steer you wrong. And you have to be attuned to it. Don't be afraid of it. And if that means you do something that other people say, no, you're getting off the treadmill. You're getting off for a reason.

You may not totally understand it at the time, but you're getting off for a reason. And that's where you discover yourself. Yeah. It's on those roads that that are less traveled. well thank you so much for you know traveling down this road and i did leave my bedroom i came downstairs i can see i can see you yeah you're dressed you combed your hair they're way beyond me so uh well merida thank you so much for taking the time with me yeah it's uh it's and we have never met well i mean not for years have we met personally but uh you know definitely

we need to to dine together because that would be really fun. I would love that. I would love that. And I think your podcast is phenomenal. It's so good. Oh, thank you so much. You really are great. It's not an interview show. It's really a conversation. And I always learned something from it. It's really, really good. Oh, that's so nice of you. Thank you so much. This one may not be that great. But overall, I say it's really good. You know, that was when I was looking at the clock. I was like, oh, geez, we've got to wrap it up. But this is all so interesting. Well, anyway, thank you so much again. And thank all of you out there for listening. And we will be back next week with someone that won't be nearly as interesting.

I could have told you that. Bye-bye. The three questions with Andy Richter is a team cocoa in your role of production. It is produced by Lane Gerbig, engineered by Marina Pice, and talent produced by Galica Hayek. The associate producer is Jen Samples, Supervising Producer Aaron Blair, and executive producer Adam Sacks and Jeff Ross at Team Coco and Colin Anderson and Cody Fisher at Earwolf. Make sure to rate and review

the three questions at Andy Richter on Apple Podcasts. Can't you tell my loves are growing?