Melissa Harris-Perry (TV program)
| Melissa Harris-Perry | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre |
Current affairs Political commentary |
| Presented by | Melissa Harris-Perry |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Location(s) | New York City |
| Running time | 120 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | MSNBC |
| Picture format |
480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV) |
| Original release | February 18, 2012 – February 7, 2016 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Melissa Harris-Perry (also abbreviated MHP) is a current affairs and political commentary television program produced by MSNBC and hosted by African-American author and academic Melissa Harris-Perry. The program was broadcast from 2012 to 2016, and normally aired on weekend mornings. Harris-Perry had previously been a contributor and guest host for the network before the show was announced. The first episode debuted on February 18, 2012.
During the running of the show, Melissa Harris-Perry commuted from North Carolina to New York City on the weekends to host, while she remained a professor at Wake Forest University.
In February 2016, the future of the show became unclear as the result of the eponymous host going on strike with MSNBC, because she says MSNBC has "silenced" the show. On February 28, 2016, MSNBC announced that they had cancelled Melissa Harris-Perry after 4 years on the air.
According to MSNBC, the program features panel discussions focusing on national politics while exploring the African-American "intersections of culture, art and community". The show's two-hour running time allows for a more diverse pool of guests, often new to being on-air compared to typical cable news programs. In addition, since the show airs on weekends, Harris-Perry says it has "a little bit more breathing room" to respond to the weekly news cycle.
Harris-Perry encourages viewers to interact with the show via Twitter using the #nerdland hashtag, which she uses to describe an occasional destination for its topic field and intensity of discourse.
The shows places a strong emphasis on pop culture in an effort to expand the idea of what is considered "political". Instead of political pundits, Harris-Perry often invites academics, activist Hollywood stars, struggling actresses, makeup ladies, and underrepresented voices as guests. In addition, she often discusses politics outside the beltway, including politics of the South.
Prior to the show's announcement, Melissa Harris-Perry had been appearing frequently as a political analyst on MSNBC. She had also guest-hosted prime-time programs The Rachel Maddow Show and The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell for the network. In January 2012, MSNBC announced that she would be hosting her own program as part of the network's weekend lineup. Harris-Perry credited Rachel Maddow for raising her profile on the network by making her a regular guest on The Rachel Maddow Show and then a guest host for the program. MSNBC president Phil Griffin described an episode of Maddow which she hosted in the summer of 2011 as "[p]henomenal honestly. Just jaw-dropping." Harris-Perry added: "more importantly, is the fact that Rachel exists that makes this possible. That she demonstrated so clearly that there is a ratings bonanza to be had for smart, a young woman who is not primarily there because she's adorable but is rather there because she is brilliant and has something to say about the news."
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