Question: Where is The Moment of Truth program? It seems it goes on the air for one or two weeks, then disappears. It is going to come back? Also, is anything going on with The View and Elisabeth Hasselbeck? When are they going to get rid of her? If not, this program is doomed to go off the air. What do you think?
Answer: Like most critics, I¹d do cartwheels if the repulsive Moment of Truth never came back, but the reason it comes and goes without much warning is that Fox sees it as a utility player: something that can plug holes and attract an audience whenever or wherever the situation allows. Truth was scheduled to return on a regular basis in the fall on Thursdays, but was pulled late in the game to make room for the more slapsticky Wipeout knockoff Hole in the Wall, which tonally will make a better fit with the raucous Kitchen Nightmares. So for now Moment of Truth is on hold until midseason, but it will definitely be back, although the bloom is somewhat off the rose, since the show doesn¹t draw nearly as big an audience when it isn¹t put next to a megahit like American Idol. As for Elisabeth Hasselbeck: She's there to stay, I'd think. Her purpose is to stir things up and get viewers like you riled enough to talk about the show, not unlike Kathie Lee Gifford acting as a lightning rod for whoever's desperate enough to sit through the fourth hour of Today.