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Tania Hussain is the Editor-in-Chief of The Hudsucker and an Executive Editor at Collider, where she is responsible for creative, editorial, and managerial duties. She is a seasoned and detail-oriented editor and writer with more than a decade of experience with major media outlets and foundations, including Paramount’s PopCulture, Womanista, the International Women’s Media Foundation, and MSNBC’s Newsvine. Tania is a Tomatometer-approved critic at Rotten Tomatoes, is a member of the Critics Choice Association, the Television Critics Association, and the Society of Professional Journalists. She has helped cover and ideate content on major events, including the Toronto International Film Festival. Tania has also conducted more than 100 interviews since her start in the business almost 16 years ago.

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Posted on: July 17, 2012
Posted in: News, Reviews, Television
Comments: 1 Comment

Good Afternoon America: A Refreshing and Bubbly Summer Cooler

These “lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer” have gotten just a little bit cooler with a refreshing and bubbly dose of ABC’s newest daytime hit, Good Afternoon America.

Josh Elliott and Lara Spencer laughing it up on “Good Afternoon America”. Photo Credit: Heidi Gutman/ABC 2012

Josh Elliott and Lara Spencer who are just a few of the friendly faces seen on Good Morning America, are now the hosts of the summer show that launched July 9. Well into its second week now, the experimental extension of GMA is drawing in high ratings and excelling past their predecessor, The Revolution, the cancelled infomercial styled program.

Elliott and Spencer give a definite fun-loving, laid-back, and cool breezy feel to the whole show. Their chemistry is something to watch as Elliot is charming and witty, while Spencer is bubbly and sharp but not overbearing. The show is a great balance of news and topics informing audiences of the world around them, as well as connecting them through pop culture. It has a great format and is way different than what we’re usually accustomed to in the afternoons with the abundances of routine soap operas and cooking shows.

The show finds Elliott and Spencer diving into topics of discussion found on shows like, The View or CBS’ The Talk, but without integrating their biased stance and avoid conflict that can be found on shows of that sort. Good Afternoon America is fun and keeps the entertainment flowing as the hosts maintain themselves throughout the hour. The show is highly interactive (and addictive, I must say), engaging the audience through their various online outlets like Twitter and Facebook with questions posed in order to get feedback on topics of conversation. That style showcases not just an affable attitude towards viewers and show how smart they are, but proves that the show is in a league of its own. There are a few regular segments that can be found on the show every day. One of my favorites is “Toe to Toe”, where expert minds weigh in and give perspective on controversial topics. The best part of it is you get insight from both male and female point of views on burning questions. It is a definite spin from the ordinary set-up on The View or The Talk.

Running a total of nine weeks before Katie Couric’s self-titled talk show debuts September 7 on ABC, and the network’s intention to move General Hospital to their current time slot, GAA shouldn’t just be called a summer seat-filler. The impressive ratings and content should definitely inspire the network down the line to find another time slot for the bubbly hour. It has great potential to be a regular program on ABC.

Good Afternoon America airs weekdays at 2PM ET on ABC. Check your local listings. Interact and follow Josh Elliott, Lara Spencer, and Good Afternoon America on Twitter!