Team Shows and Storytelling
I was watching a segment from the Today Show, the 4th hour with Hoda and Jenna. And while I don’t relish pointing out a flaw in anyone, this was such a perfect example of a situation that happens daily on team shows everywhere, I decided it was worth it to share.
Think of these questions as you watch:
- Who’s story is it?
- What is happening that’s making the story difficult to tell?
- What could Jenna have said to keep the story moving forward?
- When have you tried to tell a story but your co-host pulled it in another direction?
- What tricks have you learned to keep focus?
The best teams I’ve heard always affirm the one telling the story with only those things that either show “I’m tracking with you” or showing an emotional response. But I’ll say, even on a solo show, it’s tempting to add a bunch of parentheticals that just muddy the story up too, like “The other day I saw this mom, well, I’m not sure if she was a mom or not but she was carrying a purse that looked like a diaper bag so…” I’ve really had to grow in this area. I’m the WORST with adding unnecessary detail. Never stop learning.
