In an effort to attract more viewers, NBC turned to spectacle television. On June 12, 1981, Snyder's prison interview with mass murderer Charles Manson aired. Manson was by turns quietly mesmerizing and disturbingly manic, suddenly getting a wild look in his eyes and spouting wild notions at Snyder before temporarily returning to a calm demeanor. Though it brought the show a huge ratings number, Snyder was never comfortable with the interview, feeling that it "established absolutely nothing, other than what was already well known — that Manson is a nutcase".