MSNBC co-anchors Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski are reportedly making it appear like they’re broadcasting their show “Morning Joe” from different locations when in actuality they’re traveling together.
Viewers have noticed several aspects of the show aren’t lining up. Washington Post reporter Paul Farhi wrote on Twitter that “it’s not entirely clear from these shots where Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski are. There’s no on-screen graphic (or ‘chyron’), marking their locale, as most TV news programs do, and no announcements, as is typical of other news programs.”
First, it’s not entirely clear from these shots where Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski are. There’s no on-screen graphic (or “chyron”), marking their locale, as most TV news programs do, and no announcement, as is typical on other news programs. pic.twitter.com/lzVpUoX99S
— Paul Farhi (@farhip) January 24, 2019
While their backdrops make it seem like the married couple is co-hosting from two different locations in Washington, D.C., Farhi tweeted that’s not true.
Instead, “They’re broadcasting from a home studio in Jupiter [in Florida]. And there’s no formal set in their home studio, just a couple of (Washington) backdrops. Thus, a wide shot is out of the question.”
So how come Joe and Mika never appear in the same camera shot? Two reasons: They’re broadcasting from a home studio in Jupiter. And there’s no formal set in their home studio, just a couple of (Washington) backdrops. Thus, a wide shot is out of the question. pic.twitter.com/cFrmVRoH46
— Paul Farhi (@farhip) January 24, 2019
He added via Twitter, “Joe and Mika are actually sitting a few feet away from each other. But they each address their own camera rather than turning to speak to each other (because doing that would expose the fact that they’re sitting on a makeshift set).”
This setup makes it awkward, Farhi said, who also tweeted that behind the scenes, “People on the show say the multistate production arrangement has caused some concern about its [effect] on the ‘chemistry’ of the panelists and the co-hosts. They say having everyone on set at the same time creates a smoother show (and is easier to produce).”
Awkward? Well, yes. People on the show say the multistate production arrangement has caused some concern about its affect on the “chemistry” of the panelists and the co-hosts. They say having everyone on set at the same time creates a smoother show (and is easier to produce).
— Paul Farhi (@farhip) January 24, 2019
According to Page Six, this isn’t the first instance of the co-hosts making it look like they’re in two different locations when in fact they’re in the same room.
Back in 2017, the couple had a similar setup in London. At that time, instead of sitting together at a regular table, Scarborough appeared on-air in front of a “Morning Joe” logo, while Brzezinski had a TV production suite behind her.
However, they were just feet apart in a London suite. A source told PageSix, “‘Morning Joe’ is being produced as if they’re in two different locations. They are not. They are together—they are always together.”
Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski secretly dated for a while before they revealed their engagement in May 2017.
The pair’s simultaneous absences cause difficulties for the staff too. “It’s very difficult working on a show where the two stars are in a relationship,” the source said.
Viewers have also caught on to the fact that the co-hosts aren’t actually in a studio. One user wrote on Twitter, “The entire point of MJ has always been round table discussion, and that’s gone.” The user also added, “they also seem unprepared. Like Mika is reading the script for the first time live. And Joe just rants his stream of consciousness. Not effective TV.”
Another user wrote, “They need to get into the real studio. If they @MorningJoe_ can’t do that…then give up the show. I stopped watching as the chemistry is not the same. Home studio….ridiculous. They need to think about their loyal viewers and the MoJo team…less about themselves @MSNBC.”
“I always thought they were in the same room because of the lighting,” another user added.