By David Bauder, Media Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --At age 82, Ted Koppel is equipped to take the long view when discussing what divides Americans.
The former "Nightline" anchor, now an occasional contributor to "CBS Sunday Morning," takes over from Jane Pauley for the first time this weekend to host a specially themed program on the topic.
The show includes stories on divisions created by social media and the internet, talk radio and disparities in wealth. It delves into a border dispute between Oregon and Idaho and how other countries view Americans today. Koppel contributes three stories himself, including interviews with singer John Legend and television producer Norman Lear.
Koppel is distressed about much of what he sees, particularly the speed at which hate spreads online.
Yet in the show, he'll quote Gallup poll results that illustrate the remarkable turnaround in six decades, from opposition to acceptance, in how Americans felt about marriage between Black people and white people.
His point? We've been here before. Things can, and do, change.
"There is this problematic strain that runs through the American countryside that periodically we get tired of liking each other much and we start finding all the things we don't like about each other," he said. "It's nothing new. We've done it many times before, most significantly with the Civil War, of course."
The "CBS Sunday Morning" special edition was initially planned for more than a month ago, but was put off following Queen Elizabeth II's death. Koppel, who hosted ABC's "Nightline" from 1980 to 2005, has contributed to the CBS show for about five years. His enthusiasm about the topic led Rand Morrison, "CBS Sunday Morning" executive producer, to suggest that he host it.
Morrison said he's been surprised at how active Koppel has been, particularly in generating ideas. Koppel's story last year about how Mount Airy, North Carolina,
is trying to capitalize on a connection to the fictional Mayberry of "The Andy Griffith Show" was particularly well received.
"For an old geezer, I'm doing OK," said Koppel, who's lived in Maryland for more than 50 years.
This weekend's special edition is pointedly titled "A Nation Divided?"
Note the punctuation.
"You'll leave the broadcast understanding that we've been here before as a nation," Morrison said. "It's not a terminal situation. We want to give a good look at the battlegrounds, if you will. But we want to leave you with sun on the horizon."
Pamela Anderson takes a bow at TIFF for Gia Coppola’s “The Last Showgirl”
The Toronto International Film Festival has played host to many comeback stories over the years. Brendan Fraser was cheered here two years ago for his performance in "The Whale." This year's unlikely comeback story might be Pamela Anderson.
On Friday, Gia Coppola premiered her film "The Last Showgirl," an indie drama starring Anderson as an aging Las Vegas showgirl. Shelley (Anderson) is the long-running star of casino dance show of scantily clad, feather-adorned women that has seen better days. With attendance dwindling, the show's stage manager (Dave Bautista) announces they will soon give their last performance, leaving Shelley — who believes sincerely in the show — pondering her choices.
The film, which is for sale in Toronto, drew mixed reviews but warm applause for the 57-year-old Anderson.
"I've been getting ready my whole life for this role," Anderson told the crowd at the Princess of Wales Theatre following the premiere.
For Anderson, whose most notable credits include "Baywatch" and "Borat," the festival acclaim was a novel experience. Even just getting a script like "The Last Showgirl" was something new for her.
"It's the first time I've read a good script, first of all. I've never had a script come to me that was coherent," said Anderson. "I was like: I'm the only one that can do this. I've never felt that strongly about something."
"The Last Showgirl" extends a run of good fortune for the former Playboy Playmate that includes her 2023 memoir "Love, Pamela" and the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary "Pamela, A Love Story." It also shares some of the same themes as another TIFF entry, the body horror film "The Substance." That film, starring Demi Moore, likewise grapples with agism for female... Read More