It will surprise almost no one in the news media universe that the Wednesday night CNN experiment known as King Charles has aired its last episode.
Former WFSB anchor Gayle King and former NBA player Charles Barkley said their goodbyes to the audience on-air and thanked their staff. In signing off, they noted that their show was meant as a “limited series” and it was always the intention to end the run around now.
At a time of turmoil at home and abroad, CNN was never able to explain why it made sense to stop the news at 9p.m. on Wednesday nights so viewers could hear the opinions of King and Barkley. The concept was doomed from the start and even the limited run had the feeling of a strategy meant to offer a face saving way out for everyone involved.
It did not help that Barkley made several public comments that indicated he wasn’t excited about the project.
