’60 Minutes’ Prepares for ‘Last-Minute’ Change at Show’s End (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comBrian Steinberg Senior TV Editor There’s a last-minute change brewing at “60 Minutes.” When the venerable CBS newsmagazine launches its 55th season this Sunday, viewers may notice a twist at the end of the hour.
The show is debuting a new end segment, something that its top producer hopes will resonate with crowds as much as previous codas like “Point/Counterpoint” or the musings of Andy Rooney did in their respective eras. “We have tried different things to fill the space, and they felt a little unsatisfying,” executive producer Bill Owens tells Variety. “There wasn’t a consistency to it.
I ended up giving that time back to the stories and the correspondents, so they would each have 20 to 30 seconds more. They were all very happy to have that time, but it felt like something was missing.” The new final piece to the show, “The Last Minute,” will allow for updates to past “60 Minutes” stories; previews of pieces to come; a visit to the archives for stories that might resonate with current events; maybe even a brief essay on a newsy topic.
And the segment will have its own sponsor, UnitedHealthcare, a rare chance for Madison Avenue to weave itself around the program. “It’s a home base for the show,” says Owens. “You will get something from it.
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